The 50G cube experiment

[ScottT1980]

Well, the camera has FINALLY come back from repairs, and while it is not the best at tank photography, it will suffice for now. This tank just sort of fell together for me, and was set up, well, around January of this year. Fortunately, all the rock in the tank was fully mature so I didn't have to worry about much of a cycle. For those that saw my last tank (tucked away in a laundrey room), I am happy to report that this is in the kitchen for all to see. Therefore, aesthetically I find it to have more potential, if for nothing more than its location and its convenient shape...

Stats:
50 gallon cube tank
2 175W MH with 15K XMs
2 65W PC actinics
Berlin Classic Skimmer modified with kent venturi and Mag 5
Automatice top-off w/ RO/DI system (airwaterice.com) and a float valve
Aragonite substrate (southdown + more coarse aragonite mixture)
3 maxi-jet 1200 on a wave timer
Mag 5 return from a 20 gallon sump

I am still a big fan of DSBs, as I think they offer a number of advantages if you know how to "work" them. Plus, I love the DSB fauna, as strange as it sounds. I currently have a foxface as the only fish, and to be honest, I think that might be my only fish for a while (until I get a fuge and thusly, a mandarin). Like the old tank, I really don't have much of a plan. I know I will probably go zoanthid heavy, but will probably place more of an emphasis on SPS this time around. Clams and some sand dwelling LPS are a definite. I can tell you that I will not have ***ANY*** xenia.

Very blue, even after some photoshop work, but much of that is a result of my camera's inability to adjust. Regardless, as you can tell by my lighting, the lighting is pretty blue in and of itself.

[ScottT1980]

And a look at my haphazard sunp. It is pretty chaotic at this point and is not in its final form. However, it is doing its job, so that is all I could ask for.

[ScottT1980]

The next steps are producing a good calcium source. Kalk topoff is not going to work, which means I need to start saving for either a Nilsen or a true CaCO3 reactor to hide behind the tank. However, my SPS are growing and the corraline has just begun and to this point, my calcium is above 400 with kalk drip every once and a while. So, calcium supplimentation is not a dire need at this point.

I also want a HOT fuge as I feel it will be better, due to space limitations, than baffling my 20 gallon sump. I currently just have some Chaeto in my HO overflow and behind some live rock, so I already have a pod haven/nitrate reducer...

Also, of course, I need more livestock/coral, but that always comes in time. Anywho, its a start...

Oh, and I use term cube loosely, but compared to a 55 gallon, it feeld like a cube...

[proud2bcanadian]

That looks great Scott!! Good work with it!

What are the tank's dimensions?

[ScottT1980]

Dimensions are 36" x 18" x 19"

[Woodstock]

Nice Scott!! I see you're going against the grain with your sandy bottom I like the look of sand too.

[ScottT1980]

I took some pictures today of various frags in the tank, hoping to get some good growth pictures from these guys:

Zoanthid 1


Purple Monti


Red cap and unknown from Mattie (I want to say table coral, but I could be very wrong). Either way, it wasn't very good planning on my part as one will need to be moved in the future:


Hydnophora (not the best picture with the shading, but it will suffice):


Your run-of-the-mill Green slimmer, still one of my favorite SPSs:

[ScottT1980]

Zoanthid 2

[cheeks69]

Very nice Scott that Hydno looks identical to mine, did you get the purple monti from BrianE ?
Welcome to the cubish club...lol

[mattie]

Ya Baby..... Scott got his back up and running with pics to prove it!
i can't wait to see more

[mattie]

yes scott that is a table acropora sp.

[Gina]

Looks good Scott!

[ScottT1980]

More an update for my own record keeping:

Left Side:


Right Side:


As far as coral livestock, not many changes. I did get a torch and some more zoanthids at a frag swap about a month ago, and the zoanthids are growing like weeds. Small maxima clam has been added as well as a fat psychedelic mandarin.

I just recently added a CPR HOT refugium, and added approx 7-8 different algae species, many of which were collected off the NC coast. While sequestering PO4 and NO3 is great, the main purpose of the fuge is to keep the mandarin fed...

Wish List:
Small Calcium Reactor
Bump up skimmer pump (or switch out impellers)
A final fish, probably a goby of some sort
15-20# more LR


Always something to do to improve a tank, and my wallet is forcing me to learn some patience...

Take er easy
Scott T.

[ScottT1980]

I was out of town for 3 days, came home to a surge protector that took a hit and water on the floor. No telling how long the power had been off on my tank. It is in rough shape, house smells like salt marsh, and a bunch of livestock is already dead with more on the outs...

I will see what I can preserve, but definitely makes me question where I am at in the hobby...

[cheeks69]

Sorry to hear that Scott No question there are times when this hobby can be very frustrating.