Jays 135g Cube Sps Build!!!!

^^^^^ I guess it is about time!!!!

I was very nervous after reading obiwanthegoby recent experience, and after checking around the seams i notice a couple of spots didn't look great. So i decided i needed to move forward with the leak test. I first task was to cut the stand were my drain and return lines were. I forgot to take picture, i was really too nervous about putting water in. So here we go

water going in
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and heres where we stand
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NO LEAKS YET, How long should i leave this water in before i empty it?

This week tasks are
1. Try to get an overall idea about aquascape
2. decide on reflector and start canopy build.
 
NO LEAKS YET, How long should i leave this water in before i empty it?

This depends on how long it's gonna take you to plumb it.

If your plumbing is still a ways off, then your water is gonna turn green in the mean time. You are going to want water in it to eventually test your plumbing anyway.

If you filled it with the horrible hard city water that I have, you will have a calcified water ring at top to clean as it evaporates.
 
This depends on how long it's gonna take you to plumb it.

If your plumbing is still a ways off, then your water is gonna turn green in the mean time. You are going to want water in it to eventually test your plumbing anyway.

If you filled it with the horrible hard city water that I have, you will have a calcified water ring at top to clean as it evaporates.

Ok, im not ready to plumb so i will empty it in a few hours, just to make sure i dont have a slow leak. Once the sump and reactors come in i can decide how i wanna plumb it.

Thanks Steve
 
Nice start,I really like that stand. Im interested in how your canopy turns out. I have a 36 x 36 x 18 rimless and I'm on my 3rd lighting setup and I'm still not satisfied. Been thinking about giving the floating canopy another try. The first one i built was too big a took away from the rimless look.

I also have two MP40s and the sand does blow around quite a bit but maybe with the extra height of your tank it won't be an issue.
 
Nice start,I really like that stand. Im interested in how your canopy turns out. I have a 36 x 36 x 18 rimless and I'm on my 3rd lighting setup and I'm still not satisfied. Been thinking about giving the floating canopy another try. The first one i built was too big a took away from the rimless look.

I also have two MP40s and the sand does blow around quite a bit but maybe with the extra height of your tank it won't be an issue.

Thanks Tg, what lighting setups have you tried?
 
This is going to be good. Good luck with the aqua scape and flow pattern. I have a 30x30x22 cube and I thought it was going to be an easy tank to work with but it's not. Can't get the flow down with two MP40s and have tried several aquascapes and nothing really comes together for me.
 
Thanks Tg, what lighting setups have you tried?

I started with 2 x 250w lumenarc minis in the floating canopy, then a 8 x 24w sunpower, and now have a 400w radium in a Hamilton Cozumel reflector. I get good spread but miss having supplemental lighting. I'm thinking about building another floating canopy using a 400w lumen max elite reflector supplemented with either T5s or LEDs. The lumen max have a super low profile so I think I can make a canopy that's not so overpowering.
 
So i decided to play with my aquascape today, so i could decide on my lighting. This is what i came up with. Sorry not the best pictures.

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Heres an over shot pic of the space
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Since the tank will be viewable from the front and right side. I wanted to give equal viewing pleasure, with equal neg space for an acan or plate coral possible.

Let me know what you think, again i know the pics arent the best.
 
Rocks works look good pre-drill some holes though. Specially for odd placements. Also with that style of rock work (island style think about how you will get proper circulation around it ; where you will place power heads to get the most movement
 
Lil update, i've decided on my lighting setup. It will consist of 1 400w mh in a Lumen Bright Large reflector and 6 24" t5s.

This is how it will look inside the canopy
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I opted out of doing a diy floating canopy and decided to have the stand maker build it to match the stand. Just to have a cleaner look.

If my sump is finished early next week i should have the tank plumbed by next weekend.
 
currently plan on getting rid of 24 24 24 cube and going with a 48 or 50*30*24 with the same rock work spreaded out
 
flow in a cube is a B. Im running 2 mp10 and a mp 40 but my rock work is so stacked i cant get to all areas

I had 30" x 30" x 24" with 2 MP40s, and now 2 Tunze 6095s with one MP40. The MP40s are ok but noisy. So I went to the 6095s which are silent, the flow seems a little less. So I just ordered a Sea Sweep and plan on testing it out on one of the 6095s. I too have issues with getting good flow, I'm hoping that having a 6095 oscillating will create the ultimate random flow. If all goes well I'll order another sweep.
 
Sorry to anyone following this build, for the long gap between updates.

Let me feel in the gaps for you guys.

1st, with regards to my MRC sump, After i order i started 2nd guessing my decision to spend so much money on my sump. I really felt it would be no different then any other sump.... Well the day came to pick it up and guys i was wrong. This thing is made very nicely.

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Next i ended up returning my entire lighting setup and decided to go with 2 LB mini wides and 2 vho's ran by 2 250w reeflex cube and ic660 ballasts. will post pics if anyone cares for the pics lol

Next i ran into a problem, I received my ATB3200
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I then realized my return pump section in my sump was too small. Not a problem i researched a lil on drilling holes and went for it.

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Problem fixed
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Next it was time to plumb
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Here's some shots of equipment, just ones i took in the stand

ATB elegance 200
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2 ATB Media Reactors, I ordered red but got white but it fits good. For the moment they will probably be in sump just depends on space once i get my co2 cylinder.

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ATB KD 150
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