40g rimless cube build thread. *Warning many pics*

xmadcowx

Wilderness Reefer
Since it looks like the cutoff for nano tanks is 34g, I will be posting this thread here to try and fit in with the big guys =).

This is my second major tank, after taking a break from the hobby for 7 years. The goal is to make a killer tank, with focus on simple and clean. I didn't take nearly enough pictures of my 55g I had a few years back, so I will be going overboard with pictures of this setup.

The tank is a glasscages 40g rimless 24x24x16, drilled (1.5" overflow) and 3/4" return. This tank will hopefully have some serious flow, between the mag 9.5 and 1 Tunze 6025.

Many people are curious about my tank, possibly due to the reputation glasscages had a few years back, but I'm pretty optimistic, things are going well so far.

Here is the plan for the tank and the stand.
tank_stand_plan.jpg


Picking up tank at Motel 6. :eek:
tank_pickup.JPG


Tank in corner of family room.
tank_01.JPG


Shots of the tank (mainly for people curious about the build quality)
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tank_03.JPG


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tank_06.JPG
 
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Lighting is a Current 24" HQI/T5 setup
orbit_03.JPG


Don't ask why the only thing in focus is my foot, but I'm ok with it.
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orbit_02.JPG


orbit_01.JPG


More to come as more progresses. I might get started on the stand this week, still nursing my kitten back to health after lower GI surgery. That kinda put the budget on hold too:)
 
Well Ryan from what I can tell from the pictures the seams dont look too suspect to me at all. Its a very clean looking tank. The light you have is just like the one Im using and its a great light. Playing with the T5s with differant spectrums can really make the corals pop.
The stand and tank idea looks great! cant wait to follow this build.
Glad you made out alive at the parking lot of Motel 6 ....... good idea meeting during the daylight haha
 
Ryan,

Sorry to hear about your cat. I hope it recovers quickly.

The tank looks great. I think I would cut larger slots for your overflow box.

Tell us more on the motel 6 pick up. Is that the only place you could meet them? Why motel 6?

What filtration and equipment are you planning? What fish and corals?

Good luck,
Chris
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14812931#post14812931 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by guntercb
Ryan,

Sorry to hear about your cat. I hope it recovers quickly.

The tank looks great. I think I would cut larger slots for your overflow box.

Tell us more on the motel 6 pick up. Is that the only place you could meet them? Why motel 6?

What filtration and equipment are you planning? What fish and corals?

Good luck,
Chris

Scorch is doing great, seems to be a speedy recovery. Stitches come out Thursday, and hopefully the cone over his head as well.

Motel 6 was chosen by glasscages as a central meeting location, a couple drove up from Naples to pick up their 300g as well. Lucky for me it was only a 35 minute drive.

I think I went overboard with the skimmer, Octopus Extreme 160, but the tank was initially planned as a 36x24x16, so I went a little bigger in case the system grows. The sump will probably be around 30g, holding the skimmer and a fuge (first time running a refugium, but I'm excited to try it), etc.

I have not decided on livestock yet, but a good mix of sps and some lps should be in store. I would love to say now everything will be clean and simple, but if the system can handle it, I may stock heavily, you never know with this hobby!
 
When I got there the 300 was covered and being strapped in. But they seemed impressed with it. Does that help?:D
 
Just curious how would the delivery guys have been if you werent happy with the tank and wouldnt except it? Ive got an idea in my head that meeting a Motel 6, with a bunch of others that the delivery guys would be huge bodyguard types haha
 
O no, they seemed pretty cool, we bs'ed a little about my truck, I think gc told me, or its posted somewhere if your not happy with the tank let them know and they will get ahold of the owner on the spot before you take the tank home. They weren't the "take it or well make you take it" kinda guys.
 
oh thats good, I will be ordering mine this week then. Wifes moms wedding is on their next delivery day so I have to wait a month I thnk. Unless I can find a buddy to grab it for me.
 
So I might be going to look at one of these exact same tanks. Do you like the dimensions now as much as you thought you would??
 
cube

cube

looks good ryan, almost same dimentions as the one i have on order, mine is going to be 2x2x20h. agree w widening overflow holes, will make for better and quieter flow. any pictures of your stand yet. have fun, always nice to have new toys. sam
 
Honestly, this tank is much bigger in person than it was on paper. Knowing me, I would have gone with 36x24x16 if I could do it all over again, but for what this project is "a realistic sized nano reef" the dimensions are perfect. I like the idea of a smaller tank, but I feel like the 34s and 29s are just a hair too small for me.

The depth is amazing, and I cannot stress that enough, for such a small tank, its really like nothing I've ever seen before. I cannot wait to get some livestock in there. I hope to pick up my live rock this weekend and start curing it, the tank should begin in first cycle around May 1st.
 
Thanks. I am hoping to upgrade from my 29Biocube (about 20-21g display). I agree with the size...it's big enough, yet small enough. :D I also don't care for the 34g Solana being so tall...all the volume is in the height, it seems.

Sorry..I feel like I'm hijacking your thread!!
 
Are you happy with the quality of the tank from glass cages? I'd like to do a small cube with seahorses in my living room.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14815653#post14815653 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by forddna I also don't care for the 34g Solana being so tall...all the volume is in the height, it seems.
[/B]

100" agree. I prefer depth compared to height. I want to lay down on my sofa in front of the tank and look "into and through" it as opposed to "at" it, if that makes any sense at all.



<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14815818#post14815818 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CBehr
Are you happy with the quality of the tank from glass cages? I'd like to do a small cube with seahorses in my living room.

I think so. To be honest nothing is really standing out screaming "hey pay attention to me, I won't hold water for 2 weeks" but then again this is my first custom tank so I don't really know what to look at carefully. I can take more pics of specific areas if you want.
 
OK, ton of updates. The tank is coming along nicely, finally had some time to set everything up how I want it, and it is finally cycling. The only thing left is mounting the cabinet doors and finishing the trim around the edges of the stand, including the top and baseboards on the bottom.

I ended up picking up a 1/10 JBJ chiller and plumbing it into the former coat closet that sits on the opposite wall of the tank. Temps were around 78 in the house with no lights on, so I was expecting it to go up to 80-85 during the photo period. This thing has managed to keep it at a cool 77 all day long.

Not pictured is the Optima yellow top car battery I will be wiring to the UPS to run a powerhead in the even of a outage to keep some sort of flow in the display.

Chiller.JPG


Here is the sump, not much to describe, cat litter bucket for RO. Using toms water lifter for the pump for the top off, this thing is great, nice and slow, does not trip the float switch constantly. The sump is a 29 with 2 9" baffles in place. Return is T'd off to adjust flow back into the sump (still have to dial this in when I get livestock in the tank). Nothing in the reactor yet, obviously. I have a heater in there, but I can never see it turning it on, but good to have just in case. The maxijet connected to nothing in front of the filter sock will be for water changes. Just connect tubing and hit the switch.

Sump.JPG


Here is the stand (this pic is roughly a month old) to give some scale. The tank is 24"x24"x16" and the cat is well, whatever standard size house cat is. Needless to say, the stand has some bulk. I will have updated pics when I mount the doors and finish the trim (hopefully within 2 weeks).

Stand_Scorch.JPG


The rockwork came out well. I am hoping I like it enough during the cycle and I will secure it in place with some epoxy. I hate redoing the aquascaping over and over with livestock in there. Here is a shot with the lights off, and one with the outer orbit on for the first time. I can't say enough about the colors this light gives off.

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lightrock.JPG
 
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