60 DIY AIO

[shimmer]

Started a new 60 gallon cube(24*24*24) on 01-14-2023.

Had a 15 gallon AIO and it just wasn't enough. I was at Petco and stumbled on the half off Aqueon tanks and couldn't help myself.

The original plan was to drill it and get a sump, but after some thought, I decided to just turn it into an AIO. So I got some black acrylic from my LFS, came up with a plan and cut and installed everything.

There's a return chamber, media basket chamber and a chamber big enough for a protein skimmer and UV eventually, but currently just has placeholder filter socks.

Hardware:

60 gallon cube tank
Hipargero A100 light
Hygger 24v DC 800GPH return pump
2x 150W Eheim JAGER Aquarium Heater
Red Sea ReefATO+
hygger Automatic Fish Feeder with camera
Two Little Fishies Magfeeder
Jebao SCP-90M Wavemaker
Govee smart plugs


Livestock:

Hammer Coral
Hairy Mushroom Coral
Frogspawn Coral
Duncan Coral
2x Bubble Tip Anemone
2x Trochus Snail
2x Peppermint Shrimp
Pistol Shrimp
Pink Spotted Goby
Blue-Legged Hermit(Maybe? Haven't seen since before switching tanks)
Pods
Some Zoas that I plan on rehoming

The tank has 40 pounds of Caribsea fiji pink sand, but needs about 20 more. It also has about 35 pounds of live rock and 15 pounds of dry rock.

Just got the goby and pistol shrimp today and they immediately were by each other sides.

I dose Nopox and Red Sea Foundation Supplements ABC. Plan on adding RedSea Trace Colors ABCD.

I feed mysis, brine, pellets, AB+ and phytoplankton.

My plan is an LPS-dominated reef with a pair of Ocellaris Clownfish. Not sure what other fish I want right now.

EDIT: Should also note that I transferred everything over from my already cycled tank as well as added new live rock and live sand.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Nice looking aquascape!

 

[Coalminer]

I did this one time with a frag tank. The hardest part for me was figuring out a way to cut the teeth for the overflow. How did you do that? I did multiple parallel cuts with a table saw set shallow, but I wasn't too thrilled with the results.

 

[shimmer]

Nice looking aquascape!

Thank you! You can't see it in too much detail, but lots of caves to hide in.

 

[shimmer]

I did this one time with a frag tank. The hardest part for me was figuring out a way to cut the teeth for the overflow. How did you do that? I did multiple parallel cuts with a table saw set shallow, but I wasn't too thrilled with the results.

I just used a 1/4in drill bit. It wasn't the cleanest, but I was afraid I'd mess it up with the router, and I only had enough material for the one try.

You can also just cut the rectangle out and they sell the grate part separately.

 

[shimmer]

Added 20 more pounds of sand and some rubble. I think it might be too much. I want the goby and pistol shrimp to able to burrow but im just not sure about the looks or maintenance. Its hard to tell but it's over 3 inches deep in places.

 

[Katrina71]

Very cool build!

 

[jackiemon]

Hi! Just saw your post after posting about my 60g AIO cube!!

I have a pair of clownfish already. But I want to add a pistol shrimp and goby pair. Did you add anything else since then ?

60g AIO cube diary

Hello! I wanted to document my tank here and share my experience. 01/20/2024 Bought a used 60g AIO cube with existing sand. There was 2" of old water and sand was DIRTY. I didn't think of removing and washing the sand (my bad). Went ahead and added saltwater, but filtered the tank with a...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[shimmer]

Hi! Just saw your post after posting about my 60g AIO cube!!

I have a pair of clownfish already. But I want to add a pistol shrimp and goby pair. Did you add anything else since then ?

60g AIO cube diary

Hello! I wanted to document my tank here and share my experience. 01/20/2024 Bought a used 60g AIO cube with existing sand. There was 2" of old water and sand was DIRTY. I didn't think of removing and washing the sand (my bad). Went ahead and added saltwater, but filtered the tank with a...

www.reef2reef.com

Love your scape!

I did. I added 13 clownfish. I am going for a harem. 1 jumped out, so I got a lid, then one randomly died. Down to 11.

I got rid of the whole AIO aspect of it, cut it out. Stuck a reef octopus HOB 2000 skimmer on it. Will likely end up getting a sump as I want a fuge to keep pod population up.

I also added another BTA.

I like my goby and pistol shrimp pair. If I could do it over I would get a different goby, he doesn't sift much sand. He wants to pair with my pistol shrimp but I don't think the pistol wants anything to do with him, but they do sleep under the same rock.

 

[jackiemon]

Love your scape!

I did. I added 13 clownfish. I am going for a harem. 1 jumped out, so I got a lid, then one randomly died. Down to 11.

I got rid of the whole AIO aspect of it, cut it out. Stuck a reef octopus HOB 2000 skimmer on it. Will likely end up getting a sump as I want a fuge to keep pod population up.

I also added another BTA.

I like my goby and pistol shrimp pair. If I could do it over I would get a different goby, he doesn't sift much sand. He wants to pair with my pistol shrimp but I don't think the pistol wants anything to do with him, but they do sleep under the same rock.

I just added a pair of yellow watchman goby and 1 pistol shrimp. I can't find the shrimp anymore since I added it in. The gobies are chilling together at the bottom though.

 

[shimmer]

I seen my pistol shrimp the day I got it all day, was moving around finding out where it wanted to dig. Since then I've seen it like once a week for 5 seconds. It'll randomly pop out of a hole and throw some sand and vanish again.

I wish I did get to see it more, it's really cool to watch. I see my peppermints all the time, but the pistol is way shy. Won't even come out for food.

 

[shimmer]

 

[jackiemon]

Love the anemone! How many do you have in the tank ?

 

[shimmer]

Love the anemone! How many do you have in the tank ?

I have 3. One just got beat up by my powerhead so it's recovering in an acclimation box, the other is under an archway getting no light, then there's the one pictured. It's the only one that could even be a host right now. They just discovered it last night, they left it once lights came on though.

 

[kevgib67]

Very nice @shimmer , everything looks great! Warren, Ohio?

 

[shimmer]

Very nice @shimmer , everything looks great! Warren, Ohio?

Thank you. Yes.

 

[jackiemon]

I have 3. One just got beat up by my powerhead so it's recovering in an acclimation box, the other is under an archway getting no light, then there's the one pictured. It's the only one that could even be a host right now. They just discovered it last night, they left it once lights came on though.

I'm still waiting for the 6 months mark to get an anemone. 5 months to go...

 

[jackiemon]

Can you show me where you placed the Jebao SCP-90M Wavemaker? Other than that and the return pump, do you need any other wavemaker? Or those two are enough coverage?

Tia!

 

[shimmer]

Can you show me where you placed the Jebao SCP-90M Wavemaker? Other than that and the return pump, do you need any other wavemaker? Or those two are enough coverage?

Tia!

I have it in the back right, vertically.

It's not a good choice though. Two scp-70ms would likely be better. I had one of each. The 70 wasn't enough flow and the 90 is too much in part of the tank.

Even multiple smaller powerheads would probably be better depending on what you want.

With the 90 you get about 25% pretty high flow, 50% medium flow, and 25% low flow. Two 70s would likely even that out. When I had the return pump hooked up it was more like 50% high, 40% and 10% low.

I removed the return pump as I'm just running the skimmer for now, but it was a lot. I heard you want roughly 10x water volume per hour, so I g9t the 800gph so I could cut it down to 50-60% and be fine. It wasn't, even at 30% it was a lot and I had to restrict it.

So in short, learn from my mistakes and don't get any of the things I did lol.

 

[jackiemon]

I have it in the back right, vertically.

It's not a good choice though. Two scp-70ms would likely be better. I had one of each. The 70 wasn't enough flow and the 90 is too much in part of the tank.

Even multiple smaller powerheads would probably be better depending on what you want.

With the 90 you get about 25% pretty high flow, 50% medium flow, and 25% low flow. Two 70s would likely even that out. When I had the return pump hooked up it was more like 50% high, 40% and 10% low.

I removed the return pump as I'm just running the skimmer for now, but it was a lot. I heard you want roughly 10x water volume per hour, so I g9t the 800gph so I could cut it down to 50-60% and be fine. It wasn't, even at 30% it was a lot and I had to restrict it.

So in short, learn from my mistakes and don't get any of the things I did lol.

Oh no....I already placed an order for:

jebao return pump EP 2000
(rated 158 - 528 GPH)

jebao cross flow gyre MCP 90

Luckily the EP2000 isn't as strong as your return pump so hoping the flow is just right. Should get it by mid March, will keep you posted!