concert_tom 93g cube

[concert_tom]

Hi,

just joined reefcentral, I'm finally setting my cube aquarium I've wanted for so long and wanted to share my build with you.

The plan is to have a mixed reef with a somewhat minimalist island aquascape, and about 8 inches all the way around between the glass and rock for corals on the substrate as well as plenty of visible room for nassarius snails (my favorite) and fish to turn over the send bed.

I gotta give credit where credit is due.

Build plans came from RocketEngineer's stand build thread http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1169964

Plumbing layout came from Marksreef build thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2379233

Coincidentally I actually found the stand plans before discovering Marksreef build thread and we happened to build essentially the same stand and use the same overflow from gl*******s.

I hope you enjoy the build and any feedback, constructive or critical, is very much welcomed. I always have an open ear to a better way of doing things.

 

[concert_tom]

Apparently I don't know how to properly attach an image, so if anyone knows how to correct that for me, it would be greatly appreciated.

My photos are .jpg, and I'm on a mac if that actually matters.

 

[concert_tom]

I think I have a solution for the photos


Purchased all the wood and had everything cut to size for me since I live in an apartment.

All 2x4's assemble and secured

Top plywood was a perfect fit, interior floor plywood had to be notched out around the 2x4 legs

 

[concert_tom]

Any help with uploads and suggestions as to why half the time I click a link to my own thread I get a message of "invalid thread", even when clicking "manage attachments".

This thread is definitely DOA without photos

 

[Dino]

Partially fixed, a couple of your posts got snagged by our spam filter. Once you make a couple more posts that won't be a problem. As for the pictures in post #3, I can't get them to work. Tags and everything are correct in the post so I'm not sure what the problem is with them.

 

[reefanatik]

Will b nice to see how it comes out. What are your plans for circulation, lights, sump?

 

[concert_tom]

Partially fixed, a couple of your posts got snagged by our spam filter. Once you make a couple more posts that won't be a problem. As for the pictures in post #3, I can't get them to work. Tags and everything are correct in the post so I'm not sure what the problem is with them.

Ah, I see them now in post #1, it would be nice to imbed them into the post though.

Will b nice to see how it comes out. What are your plans for circulation, lights, sump?

Circulation: I have 2 Ecotech Vortech MP40wQD's, and for a return I have the Sicce Syncra Silent 5.0

Lights: Ecotech Radion Gen3 Pro, need to figure out a cheap cabinet light for working in the stand, but may not be necessary because all sides of the stand are completely removable

Sump: I bought an Aqueon 20H with the petco, $1/gallon sale, got a few pieces of glass down to size for a bubble trap and siliconed in place

 

[concert_tom]

The tank itself is just the stand Mainland 93g Cube Rimless without overflow

I have drilled a tank once before, it was extremely nerve racking the first time, this time, not so much.

For my overflow I went with the glass-holes 1500 with lid (I had issues with my 65g getting snails clogging the full siphon on the Herbie overflow and even partially clogging the emergency) needless to say, I'm scared of snails getting in the overflow box. The overflow has 2 - 1 1/2 inch drains, and I have a dual 3/4" return with locline and a flare nozzle.

I attached a black vinyl for the backing, its much MUCH more difficult without a spray bottle. I literally dipped my fingers in water and flicked it on the glass. Needless to say the method wasn't great, I have a few air bubbles that I wasn't able to get out, but they aren't so noticeable that it would drive me nuts.

I also dry-plumbed the tank while I was filling it to check for leaks once I finalized the plumbing. It isn't terribly obvious, but you can see the changed I made to the plumbing from photo 3, and photo 4 and 5.

 

[concert_tom]

Tank is filled with RODI saltwater and I started the fish less with Dr Tims One and Only about a week ago. So far the cycle seems to be working but it is slower than expected. But I do think the slowness is on my part. The first week usig the ammonium chloride I only had it a 2ppm when it should've been 3. If I understand the correctly that would mean the nitrifying bacteria didn't have enough food to really get going. But then again, it has only been one week. No rush.

I also got my dry sand and rock in.

I went with 40lbs of Carib Sea's Special Grade Reef Sand, I used a substrate calculator to get the right lbs to have an approximate 1 1/2 inch sand bed but it wound up being more like 2-2 1/2. Deerper than I wanted but not a deal breaker. The grains are a little larger than I expected but I think it's a good size for relatively high flow to not blow it around yet small enough for sand sifters.

For my rock I purchased 50lbs of BRS Pukani Dry Rock. I purposely went with about a 1/2lb per gallon because of the relatively "light weight" of this rock and my plan for a minimalistic aquascape. I had requested 4 pieces to be about 12 inches long but didn't give a good description op for a third dimension so I got 3 rocks about the size of a football (a much better description than I used) and one that's the same length but three times as tall. Definitely a 20lb rock. The rest of the rocks were requested to be softball and baseball sized, and that's exactly what I got.

The sand is cycling with the display tank and right now they rock is I a 25 gallon curing in RODI saktwater. I put enough dr tims and ammonium chloride to cycle th pe tank curing the live rock, but I'm not sure if that's really necessary or if I should just out it in the display tank and let it cure in there. Suggestions and feedback are most definitely welcome.

 

[concert_tom]

Suggestions and feedback are most definitely welcome.

Suggestions and feedback for myself. Never post using and iPad again, so many typos.

 

[concert_tom]

It's been a while

It's been a while

I'm definitely skipping way a head of what I posted last time, but it's frustratingly interesting and worth the skip.


I've been using HW Marine Mix Reefer salter since setting up this aquarium in April. Started out just fine with the expected parameters range:


SG 1.026
pH 7.9-8.0
Calcium 410-450 ppm
Alkalinity 7.5-8.0 dkh
Magnesium 1400 ppm (a bit high)


After the tank was up and running for about 1 1/2 months I moved my coral over from an old tank. As expected the Calcium and Alkalinity began to drop. I ran out of my magnesium test kit so I can't confirm whether it dropped as well. Here were the results for a couple of weeks of 5 gallon water changes:


SG 1.026
pH 7.8-8.0
Calcium 320-380 ppm
Alkalinity 4.5-6.5 dkh
Magnesium ____?


After I saw these results I decided I needed to purchase some additives because my water changes couldn't keep up with the demand of the coral. I bought the BRS Kalkwasser Starter kit to boost my numbers with their Calcium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Magnesium Mix, and then maintain with a Kalkwasser/RODI ATO. In the meantime I decided I need to do a larger water change to try and get these numbers back to where they should be.

I have always kept my aquariums at 1.026 because that is where my most frequently shopped LFS kept their aquariums. But, I read that HW's parameters are in that golden reef keeping zone at 1.025 sg so I decided to lower it. I mixed up 15 gallons at 1.025, and proceeded with the water change. The next day I checked my parameters:


SG 1.025
pH 7.8
Calcium 577 ppm
Alkalinity 5.5 dkh
Magnesium ___?


WHAT?!?! Alkalinity is basically subpar ever since adding coral and it doesn't seem to matter what level it's at in the mixing container before the water change. And Calcium is through the roof!!


5 days go by (I ordered the starter kit on a Friday night, it arrived Wednesday), I decided to do another water changed to bring down the calcium and hopefully raise the Alkalinity a bit. I checked the parameters the next day after the shipment arrived (yesterday) so I could check Magnesium, here are the results:


SG 1.025
pH 7.6
Calcium 550
Alkalinity 5.8
Magnesium 1600


SERIOUSLY?!?! I'm a bit frustrated with this water chemistry. I have a decent understanding of how Calcium, pH, Alkalinity, and Magnesium work together but what I don't understand is how these levels stay so high while the SG has lowered. So, I decided the water changes weren't going to cut it and set up the Sodium Bicarbonate jug to raise my alkalinity. I dosed 4.8 floz which should raise Alkalinity by approximately 1.2 dkh and hopefully reduce the Calcium levels. I rechecked today:


SG 1.025
pH 7.7
Calcium 460
Alkalinity 6.98
Magnesium 1520


Finally, progress. I still don't like that the Magnesium is so high, but it also doesn't seem to affect the water chemistry on the high end as it does on the low (maybe I just haven't see the results of it being to high yet or know what to look for).


Now, water chemistry is looking much better right now but I have 17gallons of water ready to go at 1.025sg, and it has a problem, just 2 hours ago I tested it:

Calcium 600 ppm
Alkalinity 8.5 dkh
Magnesium 1700 ppm


I have no words :headwalls:



Some one please see the make me sane again!!





I'll update again soon with pictures (if I can remember how to do anything) and some more details of what I've done since the last post.