what to do with my 30ga cube?

[bues0022]

I have a build thread going about my 58ga and 30ga cube plumbed together project, but it doesn't seem to be getting much traffic, so I though I would post a new question.

I have the 58 all but figured out. The hardware is set, and I'll be stocking it with a "package" from TBSaltwater.
However, the 30 is still troubling me. I don't have the $$ to stock this one also with TBS, and I don't think I would even if I did. My wife agreed to the second tank if she could have seahorses. Those generally need lower temps though right? I don't know how well they would do at standard reef temps. I originally had planned on the tank being a display fuge. So, we already have two options for what to do with the tank.
Just this morning I started thinking more about it, I could do something totally different looking than the main tank. The 58 will be DSB, the 30 could be FOWLR BB. One big problem is light. I only have two NO light strips above it right now, so I won't be able to really grow anything at the moment. If anyone has an economical solution to lighting this I"m all ears, but it seems like MH is what everyone tells me (those are expensice to buy, run, and maintain for me right now).

So if you had the setup I did, knowing what is going into the 58, what would you do with the 30ga? (seriously, if the seahorses 1st choice would work, I'd need help making it look cool, so lets hear some suggestions!)

 

[Giga]

sounds a lot like my set up that i'm working on! Wheres you thread for this setup? I'm going to have a a 3 tank setup with he first tank being a sps fish reef tank then the second a display fuge. As for lighting I'll just be using a t5 unit for the corals and some simple spot lights(fuge) from lows with the spiral florescent bulbs(at 6,500K) that way i'll only be like spending 4-5$ a month in lighting. I don't know about seahorses so I can't help you there as they are very boring and don't do much. My display fuge will house mangrove,as well as a mantis shrimp so i'll have two type of setup that mimic nature in the wild.
This is not the final design as this is an old picture and the only one I have on hand. The dimentions are off as well but you get the idea.

 

[bues0022]

here's my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1214537 thanks for the input! Check out my thread and help me out! This is my first reef, so I'm just kinda wingin it. My biggest problem with lighting the 30ga, is the depth of the tank. I don't know if the spirals will get that far down into the water, and they don't exactly look the prettiest either. As you can see from my build thread, I don't have a hood yet on the 30, and it's in my living room. Let me know what you think!

 

[bues0022]

someone must have some more ideas for me on this tank. BB? FOWLER? agressive? lets hear it!!

 

[dendro982]

Mmm, hear-say information:

1. Seahorses could be high maintenance - culturing live food and feeding them. People , who kept them, stopped this because of time and effort involved. Althought I like seahorses and pipefish too.

2. Low light version: Deepwater Reef Tank, still require some light and excellent filtration/skimming.

3. Species tank - 4" colorful frogfish, thread about them. Here they are very expensive and rare (or just when I am come in )

Light:
Unless you will have non-photosynthetic corals (water quality battle) or deep water fish only tank (I don't know, what will fit in 30g, sorry, my lion is 90g size), you will need some light.

Cheaper options:
- Spiral lamps from hardware store, daylight only, with desktop arm lamp or hang on round reflector $15 (hardware store too, you can hang it from the ceilings, not pretty, but will work).
- DIY metal halide, there are tutorials online,
- DIY retrofit PC kits - like the type of light.

This is all I can think of.

 

[bues0022]

thanks for the info! Last night I did some internet searching with my wige (have to keep her happy and into it. the seahorse tank was supposed to be "her" tank). I think we're going to go with the 30ga cube as a dwarf lion tank. I don't know what other tankmates to put in there though. As far as corals, I'm going to keep it low-light with mostly mushrooms and anything else that can tolerate low light and not need to be fed tons (i.e. sun corals = no way). For the light....I don't know yet. I think PC is the way I'm going to have to go, but since I don't have a hood yet, I can't do a retro. I'm way too busy right now to build a hood anyway. That tank will be a "work in progress" while the 58 is already up and going.

 

[dendro982]

You know, I'm keeping low light tank, and red mushrooms required a lot of light, but big hairy mushroom is quite tolerant. Other lowest light corals, that I tried: neon-green candycane, kenya tree, green star polyps. Only growth was slow.

Here is thread about low light tanks, illustrated.

Good luck!

 

[tydtran]

Suggestion:

T5 twin fixtures from Lowes (25$), 1-2 twin fixtures attached into a simple DIY hood. Think about, how long would it take you to build a wooden box and stain it. Buy some single tube reflectors to get more light into the tank. Rose bulb tip anemone, live rock, and a mated pair of clown fish. I like tomato clowns, although onyx clown with the pink anemone would look pretty neat.

 

[bues0022]

I really wanted to go T5, but the 24W bulbs are 24" long. That's 4 inches wider than my tank. The 30ga cube is 20 inches wide. However, it's starting to look like about the most economical method. So maybe I'll just have to build a funny looking hood. Also, it doesn't take long to build a hood, buty I have my oral prelims for my Ph.D. coming up in 2 weeks, so time is VERY short for projects!

 

[gdavis17]

I also have the oceanic 30 gal cube. It's a great tank. You'd be suprised how many 150 - 250 W HQI lighting systems you can find here on the selling forums. I got a really good pendant and ballast for under $100 dollars. Good luck. I'd love to see some pics.

 

[bues0022]

what are you lighting your 30 cube with? I have a build thread going here (though a crappy one because I'm the only one who posts!): http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1214537

I found a cool thread this morning, I think I may actually do something like this with the lighting: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1181393 go down the page until you find ZLTFUL That's the style of tank I'm going for.