Barbie tank or Rubik's cube?

[mlb75]

Hopefully everyone will get a kick out of the title but I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on the pro's and cons of two different tanks, 30g or 60g cubes.

Long story short I've been around saltwater tanks and reefs for 20+ years and have had everything from 20 long, 29G, 45 corner, 90G, 180G, and the current 300DD tank but I've gotten tired of the maintenance on the 300 and with a little dumb luck or maybe karma found someone that was interested in buying my complete 300 setup so it's time to downsize significantly.

That brings me to the dilemma, I picked up a 24x24x12h tank from a local reefer with the idea I'd set that up to lessen the loss of the big tank. When I got it home my wife was like oh look how cute that is, it's like a barbie tank (hence it will be named that forever if we keep it and I'm OK with that).

When I'd thought of getting rid of the 300 I told myself maybe I'll set up a 93 gallon (30x30x24) because I LOVE the depth the DD offered but as much as I'd like that I know at that point I should just keep the 300 so I picked up the 30 but now that someone is on the way in the morning to get the 300 I'm thinking a true 24x24x24 cube (hence named Rubik) may be a better long term solution.

My concern is with the 30G only being 12 high it won't leave room for corals to grow much bigger than frag size and will severely limit the number and kind of fish. Am I over thinking it?

Anyone got examples of 30g setups that look full and natural or should I keep the 30 as a frag/quarantine setup and build a 60g setup? I like the idea of the 30 just nervous it's never going to look like a developed reef.

TIA

 

[Katrina71]

I think you have a valid concern with tank height.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Hopefully everyone will get a kick out of the title but I'm looking for thoughts and opinions on the pro's and cons of two different tanks, 30g or 60g cubes.

Long story short I've been around saltwater tanks and reefs for 20+ years and have had everything from 20 long, 29G, 45 corner, 90G, 180G, and the current 300DD tank but I've gotten tired of the maintenance on the 300 and with a little dumb luck or maybe karma found someone that was interested in buying my complete 300 setup so it's time to downsize significantly.

That brings me to the dilemma, I picked up a 24x24x12h tank from a local reefer with the idea I'd set that up to lessen the loss of the big tank. When I got it home my wife was like oh look how cute that is, it's like a barbie tank (hence it will be named that forever if we keep it and I'm OK with that).

When I'd thought of getting rid of the 300 I told myself maybe I'll set up a 93 gallon (30x30x24) because I LOVE the depth the DD offered but as much as I'd like that I know at that point I should just keep the 300 so I picked up the 30 but now that someone is on the way in the morning to get the 300 I'm thinking a true 24x24x24 cube (hence named Rubik) may be a better long term solution.

My concern is with the 30G only being 12 high it won't leave room for corals to grow much bigger than frag size and will severely limit the number and kind of fish. Am I over thinking it?

Anyone got examples of 30g setups that look full and natural or should I keep the 30 as a frag/quarantine setup and build a 60g setup? I like the idea of the 30 just nervous it's never going to look like a developed reef.

TIA

12” is low and if you have sand and account for the waterline, it may be approaching 10”. Is it an AIO tank? If you feel creative, there are ways to make it work. Sounds like you have a lot of experience, so I would suggest thinking about aquascaping and stocking outside of the box. Using say, rubble and shelf rock or several small rock islands.

You would be limited in fish, but could still have 3-4 probably. Again, it just needs to be considered differently than other tanks. Perhaps something unique like all Damsels or a bunch of Sexy Shrimp. Maybe even just a BTA and two Clowns. Since you have had several tanks, maybe try something totally different.

Or, get the 60 gallon and you have a great frag tank!

 

[Bmasculine]

I love my true cube, to date it’s my favorite tank, and I’ve had several.

 

[mlb75]

Thanks for the input so far.

The 30G is a Deep Blue with a corner overflow so I'd have a sump with either tank.

Regardless of the tank I'll be doing a modified bare bottom, I'll put a thin coat of silicone on the bottom and then dump crushed coral and sand on it and tap it in. Then I let it set up and remove everything that doesn't stick. That does a couple things, one it makes it look like there's a sand bed because I don't like the sterile look of a smooth glass tank bottom and it also creates a texture on the bottom so things don't slide around as easily. I'll probably then put a 1/4" or 1/2" (basically a dusting) of sand in the tank and then wherever it settles from the power heads is fine (intention is to use 2 Tunze 6055's with only one running at a time to create a virtual tide in addition to the overflow which I'm targeting 200-350GPH depending on which display), that way whatever fish or inverts end up in there can find sand if they want it and I think it adds a fair amount to the available biological filtration. Because I think you get a lot of biological filtration from sand and rock, I'm thinking about dedicating a decent portion of the sump to basically a mini remote display with a sand bed and live rock and probably some macro, basically a display fuge to maximize biological filtration.

As for rock, I agree if I go the shallow route, rubble and maybe a shallow table would be the way to go and I'd need to be creative.

As I think more about it I think a lot may come down to what I want to realistically keep in there, if I go shallow and SPS then they'd need to grow from the bottom to maybe have enough room to develop any kind of natural shape but I could do more zoe's, smaller LPS and maybe a nem and be OK, but if I go the 24 high I could do whatever I wanted.

In a lot of ways I'd like to give the shallow one a shot because it would be different but haven't been able to find examples of developed displays that shallow and that's what concerns me.

 

[Bmasculine]

I think if I was going to go shallow I would do something similar to these, maybe try more to recreate a tide pool like theme. I like this look, though I’ve never done it. I personally would probably stay away from sps, not that it can’t be done, I think I would go more like ultra RFA, high end zoa and paly, nice BTA, some rainbow acans, less maintenance and headache more enjoyment. Just my 2 cent

 

[mlb75]

some cool ideas there, thanks

 

[BestMomEver]

Love, love, love my 60 cube!

 

[NY_Caveman]

This is not mine and I do not recall whose it was, but I came across it when I was first researching my build.

 

[mlb75]

That's a lot like what I had in mind for the 30G, a small C shaped island that came up to just below the surface with some easy to keep SPS stick type on the lower parts and encrusting types towards the top then smaller rocks strewed around on the bottom with zoe's and LPS on them creating little mini islands to create depth.

The 60 would be similar but with a larger C shaped central island since it could be taller and handle more SPS.

I'm really digging the rock just breaching the water and will do that either way I go.