20's 80ish cube

[twentyleagues]

So I have two tanks I was debating on which to set up once I knew my return to the hobby was going to work out. My goal was to set up my standard 180g, But I also have a 28x28x24" cube around 80g. Both tanks have been used in the past for fresh water. The 180 was only used at my old house which was on city water, It's not exactly clean but thats easy to fix. The cube has been used at the old house and at this new one. At the new house I am on a well extremely hard water and the glass was badly calcified. I found this out from setting up my return to the hobby tank which had been running for 4 years in a couple different forms. With typical fresh water and typical fresh water lighting its not super noticeable, dry you can see the fogginess on the glass . I cleaned up the 30g, I used all kinds of options to clean it and it looked clear. I filled the 30g put an AI blade on it and the glass looks incredibly foggy still. I went ahead with the build anyway. Corals did well and I felt good about the return but that glass is killing me. I cleaned a section of the 180g (I didnt have time to clean it properly when I moved) its been sitting in my fish room for 4 years. That section looked great even clear under intense blue light. The problem is my fish room is on a concrete slab so it'll hold whatever size tank I want, but its not level everywhere. Currently the fish room has 2 125g stacked in a fairly level spot and a 300g pond also in a fairly level spot. So to set up the 180 i'd have to figure out the best way to level it and the left side is severe. I am uncomfortable with using that much shimming on a plywood stand. Yes the 180 is on a custom made plywood stand with matching canopy. So I started to decide how to level it, leveling concrete(lots of work I am not super confident in doing), Move the 125s they are on 2x4/2x6 stand little more comfortable leveling these but a lot of work, or try to find some leveling feet that will work (easier said than done apparently). After much debate I decide to look into the foggy 80g. Less floor space taken up so easier to level, easier to find a more level spot, no moving of large fish filled aquaria. I researched how to clean the calcification off the glass and found cerium oxide. Its a bit (lot) of work. I got everything needed and went to town. Well after hours of polishing I cleaned up the mess and checked my work. It was beaut....nope better not great. I was dismayed, about to give up when one of our members talked me down and showed me the light at the end of the tunnel @N1tew0lf1212 (hope that worked) Thank You! Long story sorry.
The build.
28x28x24 80ish gallons.
Stand diy 2x4
Canopy diy
Sump diy 75g 1st chamber a little under half the length refugium deep sand bed, 2nd chamber skimmer, heaters more rock on stands, 3rd chamber return pump and ato.
Jebao dcp 5000 return pump (I know a lot of people don't like these but I've had great luck with them) 2 -3/4" random flow nozzles in tank.
40w Pentair uv plumbed on manifold from return to tank.
Reefi uno 2.0 pro not sure if it'll cover the entire tank may need supplemental lighting a blade or two but test looked good.
eshopps axium x350 skimmer
2 300w titanium heaters on inkbird
ADJ pc100 for power control (no controller currently other then me)
Nero 5
Well I think thats it for now I'll post some terrible phone pics in a few minutes.

 

[twentyleagues]

The unused sad 180

The build tank.
Went for a kind of nsa rock build turned out a little more chunky. I don't hate it.
I have an idea of setting up a 4'x 18x16 tank to the left for some clams. I have the tank just need to build the stand and plumb it in. Future stuff.
Currently cycling with brightwell xlm and quickcycle.

 

[Rjukan]

Wow so many tanks!! The 80g looks awesome though, and I bet that extra 4" on each side of the footprint is perfect.
I'm surprised there's no way to get the calcium off the glass, but I've never had to deal with anything like that before.
Oh right, that's why your name is familiar, I saw the post about the rockwork. I think it looks great tbh.

 

[twentyleagues]

Wow so many tanks!! The 80g looks awesome though, and I bet that extra 4" on each side of the footprint is perfect.
I'm surprised there's no way to get the calcium off the glass, but I've never had to deal with anything like that before.
Oh right, that's why your name is familiar, I saw the post about the rockwork. I think it looks great tbh.

The cerium oxide works great if you do it right. @N1tew0lf1212 gave me a few pointers over the phone. I tried it and well you can see the pic 80g is clear as day, even with lights on super blue.

 

[Katrina71]

Your rock looks awesome in that cube!

 

[twentyleagues]

Wow so many tanks!! The 80g looks awesome though, and I bet that extra 4" on each side of the footprint is perfect.
I'm surprised there's no way to get the calcium off the glass, but I've never had to deal with anything like that before.
Oh right, that's why your name is familiar, I saw the post about the rockwork. I think it looks great tbh.

Oh thats just some of them...lol. In total I have the 30g reef, the 300g pond, the 2 stacked 125g, 75g Turkana jewel tank, a 40b with guppies and crayfish, 4 10g 3 shrimp with ramshorn snails (snails are fahaka food) 1 with some leleupi grow outs and a long fin platnum senegal bichir grow out. Then theres the 80g build and the empty 180, also the empty 48x18x16 think thats a 65b.

 

[Rjukan]

The cerium oxide works great if you do it right. @N1tew0lf1212 gave me a few pointers over the phone. I tried it and well you can see the pic 80g is clear as day, even with lights on super blue.

I was going to say.. the 80 looks ultra clear!

 

[kevgib67]

The 80g would be the easiest route.

 

[twentyleagues]

The 80g would be the easiest route.

yup thats why its setup! All that introduction happened over the last year. Eventually the 125s will be moved one will be removed and the 180g will go there. But thats a story for another time........

 

[Rjukan]

Oh leleupi.. now that's a blast from the past. Tanganyikan cichlid right? I remember they were very mean lol.. I had a few tanks running with Tangyikan cichlids back in the day. Had cyprochromis, and ventralis breeding. Ofc those neolamprologus multifaciatis I think they were called, a type of shell dweller would breed all the time too lol. Very cool.. I was considering breaking my reef down and going back to having them again when things were really bad last fall.

Post a pic of that tank! Do you have anything else in with the leleupi?

 

[twentyleagues]

Yeah there is 6 black widow frotosa, a small breeding group of synodontis lucipinnis, 2 neolamprolagus ornatapinnis. I had cyps at one time they've all died off. The 6 fronts are from my breeding group of 3 I had before I moved.
The leleupi breed non stop.

 

[twentyleagues]

Fronts are big chickens hide anytime I come near.
I am bored with this tank. That sounds bad I know but it is what it is. Tired of pulling babies last few batches I just left in there. They take forever to grow out too. Tired of hatching bbs and don't get me started on the white worm cultures I've still got going.

 

[Rjukan]

Very cool man.. I actually have a 72 bow front I set up this past Nov for my frontosa.. that fish has been with me since 2010 haha.

I'm surprised yours don't try and eat anything else in the tank.. early on mine decided to try and eat a pleco, I found it with the tail sticking out of his mouth and figured well, he's dead. Those spine fins on the pleco should have ripped him apart, but somehow he expelled it lol.. now he shares his tank with 2 of them.

Are you growing out the babies to sell them?

 

[Rjukan]

Fronts are big chickens hide anytime I come near.

Hahah so is mine! Glad it's a species thing not just mine.

 

[twentyleagues]

This is the Turkana jewel tank. I've had 3 batches before the female lost her mind and killed the male. This is the last batch of these guys too. Just waiting for the lfs to say bring them in.

 

[twentyleagues]

I bred 3 batches of black widow fronts from my original 3 adults 1m 2f. These guys are sloooow growers. they get to about 3" in 6-8 months then stop, good selling size. These 6 have 2 males and the rest i'm unsure of hoping 4 females, Would be a good group to sell for someone looking to breed.

 

[ScottD]

If you need to shim a lot on the 180 gallon, what I would do is mark out the footprint of the stand and then build a 2x4 frame that’s about 6” bigger. Take that and silicon it down to seal the edge and pour some self leveling concrete in it and voila you have a level pad to setup a tank on.

 

[twentyleagues]

If you need to shim a lot on the 180 gallon, what I would do is mark out the footprint of the stand and then build a 2x4 frame that’s about 6” bigger. Take that and silicon it down to seal the edge and pour some self leveling concrete in it and voila you have a level pad to setup a tank on.

That is what I was going to have to do. It took me awhile to get to that decision as I know nothing about it. None of my friends did either. Should have posted here. Well at least I have a lot of what I'll need when it comes time to upgrade again lol. Everything on this 80g is to big except lighting. I also have bigger return pumps. So basically level floor and buy 2 more reefis and I'll be set.

Do you think 1x1s would work? I'm close to the wall on the left and I put a sink to the right.

 

[ScottD]

That is what I was going to have to do. It took me awhile to get to that decision as I know nothing about it. None of my friends did either. Should have posted here. Well at least I have a lot of what I'll need when it comes time to upgrade again lol. Everything on this 80g is to big except lighting. I also have bigger return pumps. So basically level floor and buy 2 more reefis and I'll be set.

Do you think 1x1s would work? I'm close to the wall on the left and I put a sink to the right.

Ya that should be fine, just need something to contain it. I’d probably put something on top to add some weight. I’d also just go to the wall with it if you’re that close as well.

 

[twentyleagues]

Let there be light!