my 37 cube build

[ctreefer]

Well, another tank build thread. Not much to show off of my on doing on this one as I got a really good deal from a local reefer on this 37 Oceanic cube with oak stand:

[/IMG]

I was going to upgrade my 10 gallon softy nano which is really getting packed. My 10 gallon was a super simple setup and everything has been going really well since its setup over a year ago. just a 10 gallon tank with hang on refugium on back drilled to the tank and connected with bulkhead with one maxijet 1200 returning water to the tank. A 50 watt heater in the refugium and some DIY T5 lighting and a homeade stand. Altogether this cost me around $60 to build as most of the stuff I had lying around.

I wanted to make the 37 under the same principle. No skimmer, good flow and cheap. I already have other tanks that have sumps, skimmers, expensive lighting and dosing equipment and really want something basic.

Here's what I have planned:

SSB about 1 inch

convert overflow into refugium. I'll throw the heater and some live rock rubble in there with a pump on the bottom in a chamber to push water back into the system.

more DIY T5 lighting (i'll use some of the 10 gallon stuff)

2 maxi 1200's on a wavemaster pro with modified maxi's (believe it or not the guy I bought the setup from was going back to freshwater and asked if I want any stuff lying around his garage. He gave me the wavemaster pro plus 4 maxijets, 1 eheim pump and some filter socks and rowaphos. Suffice to say I was incredibly grateful.

about 25 lbs of base rock I have in the basement plus what's in the 10. I'm thinking of covering the overflow with this, but I'm open to suggestion.

I'll do 10-20% water changes every 2 weeks using water from my sps system water changes. This way I'll maintain alk and ca and mg.

Here's a pic of the overflow:

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Here's the current 10 gallon drilled with refugium:

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Here's some of the free stuff I got:

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

I haven't really thought about fish load. I've used my 10 gallon as sort of a QT (that's what the pygmy is in there for.) If they show signs of parasites I remove them into a true QT, but for some reason I have much better survival rates keeping them in the 10 with all the life in there by themselves for their 6 week stay.

Any thoughts on fish for this system? my 29 sps has 2 percs and a bangaii cardinal. My 120 fowlr has a porc puffer, niger, yellow tang, blue hippo, and emperor angel. I was at one point going to make my 10 into a pipefish tank. Maybe I'll do the same?

 

[aquarius77]

I think you have yourself a nice start. Your ten gallon nano is awesome, it really looks good.

I wish someone would give me a wavemaster pro... I bought a natural wave timer from marineland and a few of my maxis like to start really hard.

Use that ten gallon for a sump...

 

[ZooZ]

i'll stick around with this build. You got some good equipment to get started off with.

 

[ctreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10690744#post10690744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquarius77
I think you have yourself a nice start. Your ten gallon nano is awesome, it really looks good.

I wish someone would give me a wavemaster pro... I bought a natural wave timer from marineland and a few of my maxis like to start really hard.

Use that ten gallon for a sump...

Thanks, I hope the pro works well. I won't use it if the pumps rattle on startup. I need to download the directions. I may end up going sump, but for now I'll do without. I was thinking today I should at least put a reservoir in the stand for an auto topoff.

 

[ctreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10690811#post10690811 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ZooZ
i'll stick around with this build. You got some good equipment to get started off with.

thanks for following.

I picked up some sand today. Someone locally clued me in that a nearby store was having a half off sale on the caribsea "live sand". I could really care less about the live sand part, but since I can't find southdown anymore and I don't like the kolorscape, this was as good as it can get.

50lbs for $35.

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

I also picked up some electrical stuff at HD. Getting a little help from my buddy.

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Here's some of the basic wiring:

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Well, I'm working on my canopy now. Here's the progress. I'll be staining it black like the stand and paint the inside white. If anyone has some advice as to where to put some holes in the canopy that would be great. I'm going to be running NO T5 bulbs in this for the moment since I'm only housing softies so heat buildup is minimal. I'm thinking the fans would probably be used more to create evaporation across the water surface.

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Actually, now that I think about it, my fixtures will be filling the whole space left to right so I think my only choice it to put holes on the top or the back.

 

[ctreefer]

Well, I stained the hood to match the stand:

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Here's how the hood opens. I've got a drawer style light "drawer" that slides back to allow better access to the cube. There are also two bulbs mounted to the front pivoting section that flip up with the front of the hood.

[/IMG]

 

[ctreefer]

Here's the light drawer being constructed. Its ABS 1/4 inch sheet material.

I'm using cheapo Current T5 NO bulbs with this system as its only for softies. I've been running the same bulbs but fewer and shorter on my 10 gallon nano and the corals love them. I have a 29 gallon sps tank that has overdrivern t5's with the reflectors from reefgeek that do well for the sps, however, its way too much for my softies. I plan on building some DIY reflectors out of aluminum flashing for these(again the same as on my nano). I wouldn't recommend this for anything other than low light loving corals.

[/IMG]

 

[Mark426]

I love that tank...the 37 is one of my favs. Looks like your doing a nice job. The ONLY suggestion I might make is to block off the baseboard heater behind the stand. I had one behind a tank once and it added much more heat than I thought it would....think the heat builds up inside the cabinet. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

[ctreefer]

LOL, thanks Mark, Its funny because I've been more worried about getting rusty baseboards so I covered them up with aluminum flashing. Hopefully that will act as a heat block as well.

thanks for the input.

 

[ctreefer]

Here are some more images of the light drawer under construction.

[/IMG]

I have the built in overflow in the back corner, so I've elected to make the back 2 T5's only 18 inch units so they don't light up the overflow.

[/IMG]


And here's the hood pretty much done minus the fans that I still have to buy that will be installed in the back of the hood.

[/IMG]

 

[Ritten]

Love that 37. I got the thirty and really wish I got the 37. That ten gallon is sweet! I can't wait to see some pictures down the road of your 37 after seeing that 10 gallon.

 

[happyface888]

Thats a pretty sweet cannopy.