32 gallon soft coral dream tank

toadstool_paradise · Apr 30, 2023

albano said:
Was it from a vendor?
I’ve probably purchased 4 or 5 in the past 2 years, as well as 4 or 5 weeping willows, but none seem to be the real deal!

Yes from @DIYreefer and it’s definitely the real deal

toadstool_paradise · May 3, 2023

Got a ton of snails, a conch, two gorgonians and some blue Hypnea from Alyssa’s Seahorse Savvy. Have plenty of new tank diatoms for them to eat! Not sure if the silver gorgonian is alive? We shall see. Can’t wait for the tank to fill in. Fish are all doing wonderful.

toadstool_paradise · May 6, 2023

Conch has been putting in work, sandbed looking awesome. Silver gorg didn’t make it either, but tank is looking pretty good right now.

Haacheew · May 17, 2023

@toadstool, nice setup. I have the same tank Fiji Cube 32gal AIO since July 2022 (upgraded from Waterbox Cube 20). This tank has near perfect dimension for me. Design, quality is excellent. LOVE IT.

How's your tank lid, does it fit the tank nicely? (I thought the lid is for the External 32 gal. Can you take more shots on it please. Currently, I am using the DIY lid with window frame + mesh.

This is my tank. Not a good photo because I kept the photo for progress documentation. It's not for show.

toadstool_paradise · May 17, 2023

Haacheew said:
@toadstool, nice setup. I have the same tank Fiji Cube 32gal AIO since July 2022 (upgraded from Waterbox Cube 20). This tank has near perfect dimension for me. Design, quality is excellent. LOVE IT.

How's your tank lid, does it fit the tank nicely? (I thought the lid is for the External 32 gal. Can you take more shots on it please. Currently, I am using the DIY lid with window frame + mesh.

This is my tank. Not a good photo because I kept the photo for progress documentation. It's not for show.

I love this tank too!! Dimensions are amazing! Mine is coming alone nicely! Here is the link to the 32 AIO lid (there’s the EXT one too, it’s different) https://krakenreef.com/products/fiji-cube-aio-nano-32-lid

I like it a lot! Small enough mesh none of my fish BBQ themselves, and there is a lip around the edge to prevent it from slipping around. I attached pics!

BigBabich · May 30, 2023

I have a Fiji 32 AIO. I got it about 6 months ago. I liked it at first but the way the back chambers are setup is a bit weird. Most of my overflow goes into that little slot directly behind it and not through the filter basket behind it. I 3D printed some forms that push the water directly into the main chamber on the left.
You didn't happen to find a roller filter that fit well in the back did you? I'm designing one but it's a bit of a PITA.

Northern Flicker · May 30, 2023

toadstool_paradise said:
I love this tank too!! Dimensions are amazing! Mine is coming alone nicely! Here is the link to the 32 AIO lid (there’s the EXT one too, it’s different) https://krakenreef.com/products/fiji-cube-aio-nano-32-lid

I like it a lot! Small enough mesh none of my fish BBQ themselves, and there is a lip around the edge to prevent it from slipping around. I attached pics!

Toadstools and a Canary Blenny, a reefer after my own heart

Katrina71 · May 30, 2023

Me too! Toadstools and a tailspot here!

toadstool_paradise · May 30, 2023

BigBabich said:
I have a Fiji 32 AIO. I got it about 6 months ago. I liked it at first but the way the back chambers are setup is a bit weird. Most of my overflow goes into that little slot directly behind it and not through the filter basket behind it. I 3D printed some forms that push the water directly into the main chamber on the left.
You didn't happen to find a roller filter that fit well in the back did you? I'm designing one but it's a bit of a PITA.

Yeah I noticed that there are gaps where the overflow is. And no I haven’t gotten a filter roller!

Haacheew · May 30, 2023

BigBabich said:
... Most of my overflow goes into that little slot directly behind it and not through the filter basket behind it.

The "narrow slot" directly behind the overflow is a "narrow chamber" for the under-flow with height adjustable bottom weir design allowing water intake from the bottom of the tank. Pretty unique.

So, both top-over-flow and bottom-under-flow meet/mix in the narrow chamber first then flow into the filter basket chambers. If your tank water level is not high "enough", it does look like the water over-flow into the narrow chamber and not much directly over the filter chamber. At least this is my observation.

I use filter floss with media basket in lieu of filter sock. The filter floss catches a lot of debris that I have to clean every other day. It works great.

BigBabich · May 31, 2023

I have the lower slots open a bit. Wish I realized what would happen before I put rock and livestock in. One is no longer easily accessible. Which pretty much makes the 2 socks the system came with utterly useless.
I decided to try a filter roller because of it. But I couldn't find any that fit. So I'm making my own in Fusion360 and will print them on a 3D printer (PETG). I'll let you know if its worth it.

toadstool_paradise · Jul 4, 2023

Haven’t updated in a while, had a few gorgonian losses..can’t seem to have any stay alive besides my one orange spiny that’s doing fine.

Banana the canary blenny was doing okay at first but the eye that was damaged when I got him is getting worse and sinking into his head, and I’m pretty sure he’s mostly blind in both eyes now. Spends his days laying across rocks and not moving unless he smells food and attempts to eat but misses 99% of the time. Not sure how long he will last. Corals are doing mediocre and I’m not sure what’s going on really. Water testing all normal and temp and salinity never change. Who knows! Have been too busy to care.

Will update with pics after water change and glass scraping.

toadstool_paradise · Jul 6, 2023

Yep, Banana went completely blind and passed away. Very sad but at least I tried.

toadstool_paradise · Jul 6, 2024

I did a stupid last year and added a non quarantined fish. Wiped out EVERYTHING I had from ich, then my tank broke out in uncontrollable cyano. Killed off a few corals too.

Took me months to fix it and recently added a yellow assessor from Dr Reef, my DREAM fish!
His name is Egg and he’s small but so adorable! He’s a bit shy right now, but I’m sure he will warm up and be more confident soon. He really likes mysis shrimp!

Sump Crab · Jul 6, 2024

toadstool_paradise said:
I did a stupid last year and added a non quarantined fish. Wiped out EVERYTHING I had from ich, then my tank broke out in uncontrollable cyano. Killed off a few corals too.

Took me months to fix it and recently added a yellow assessor from Dr Reef, my DREAM fish!
His name is Egg and he’s small but so adorable! He’s a bit shy right now, but I’m sure he will warm up and be more confident soon. He really likes mysis shrimp!

Dang, sorry you lost all your fish! That's the pits. I noticed that you had a lot of fish for this size tank. Diseases like ich really don't bother healthy/unstressed fish IME. This time around I'd suggest slowing down the fish introductions and keep the total amount of fish to maybe 3. Although your scape looks nice I would suggest more rock to make the fish feel safer as well. Or you can strategically chose fish based upon the area of the tabk they hang out. One fish that wants to hide in the rocks, one fish that swims in the open, and one fish that lives on the sand for example. This way each fish has its own special zone without competition. Remember that ich and other diseases can come into your tank just as easily from CUC and frag introductions so it's almost always easier to build a ich resistant tank vs a ich free tank.

I know you didn't ask but sometimes this old salt (20 yes in the hobby) can't help himself lol!

By the way I love gold assesor as well. Mine is a beautiful and active fish, always out! But he is impossible to get a good picture of lol!

toadstool_paradise · Jul 6, 2024

Sump Crab said:
Dang, sorry you lost all your fish! That's the pits. I noticed that you had a lot of fish for this size tank. Diseases like ich really don't bother healthy/unstressed fish IME. This time around I'd suggest slowing down the fish introductions and keep the total amount of fish to maybe 3. Although your scape looks nice I would suggest more rock to make the fish feel safer as well. Or you can strategically chose fish based upon the area of the tabk they hang out. One fish that wants to hide in the rocks, one fish that swims in the open, and one fish that lives on the sand for example. This way each fish has its own special zone without competition. Remember that ich and other diseases can come into your tank just as easily from CUC and frag introductions so it's almost always easier to build a ich resistant tank vs a ich free tank.

I know you didn't ask but sometimes this old salt (20 yes in the hobby) can't help himself lol!

By the way I love gold assesor as well. Mine is a beautiful and active fish, always out! But he is impossible to get a good picture of lol!

All my fish were quite small, and got along. I’ve been meaning to pickup a few more rock pieces but never did since I got depressed after the ich situation and abandoned the tank for a few months.

Now that I’m starting over I’m just going to have my assessor and possibly a small nano fish of some sort in the future. I’m scared of ich now, and usually just buy everything quarantined anyway. My mistake for getting a fish from the LFS last year that wasn’t.

Wanting to get another big rock or some more small pieces to stack around, but Egg the assessor LOVES the rock and is always swimming in the open and has a little cave he will hang upside down in. Your assessor is a beauty too!