Help me decide on a 60 gallon cube

ranchhand02 · Sep 8, 2018

I have the opportunity to purchase a 60 gallon cube for $150 locally. I am thinking about getting it and setting up another tank. I currently have a JBJ nano cube 28 gallon tank set up. How is the 60 gallon cube to aquascape and how is it to get adequate flow in? I would want to go with an LED on it, and I have been looking at a kessil a-360W for the tank, but I am not 100% sold on what light to get on it. Post some pictures of aquascaping if you can so I can get some ideas on what looks good. Thanks

Gator0930 · Sep 8, 2018

ranchhand02 said:
I have the opportunity to purchase a 60 gallon cube for $150 locally. I am thinking about getting it and setting up another tank. I currently have a JBJ nano cube 28 gallon tank set up. How is the 60 gallon cube to aquascape and how is it to get adequate flow in? I would want to go with an LED on it, and I have been looking at a kessil a-360W for the tank, but I am not 100% sold on what light to get on it. Post some pictures of aquascaping if you can so I can get some ideas on what looks good. Thanks

Check out my build thread. It is linked below. My wife and i regret buying it because it is not long enough for a lot of things, but it depends on what livestock you want.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-60-gallon-cube-and-my-wifes-14-gallon-nano.391900/#post-4731078

ranchhand02 · Sep 8, 2018

That is my main concern is the length of it. It will fit in the space I need it to, but it will really limit my aquascape. I know it will also limit the livestock choices as well. The footprint is not much larger that my nano cube 28 gallon, but it is several inches deeper.

tinkwithanr · Sep 10, 2018

I'd say figure out what livestock you'd like to have as well as the space you have to work with and decide if it fits your needs/wants. I'm doing a 60 cube build myself, mostly because it's the largest volume that will fit in the area I have to work with. My dream would be a 150 gallon or so peninsula style tank, but I don't have the space right now. The 60 will give me much more stability and flexibility (by adding a sump) over the 14 gallon biocube I've had setup for almost a year now.

Lighting is arguably easier in a cube compared to a longer tank, just because you can use a single kessil/radion/etc and get pretty good even coverage across the whole tank. Flow also isn't bad, just because you don't have to try and push the current as far. You could look into a couple of MP10's or similar, or even a gyre mounted vertically in one corner. I'm personally going with the MP10's to keep cords out of the display, but that's just a personal thing.

Bmasculine · Sep 12, 2018

My 60 cube is probably one of my favorite tanks. There are tons of cool ways to aqua scape cubes there is a whole thread on it. However as stated above it really depends on what your goals with the tank are. That will dictate what you do with scape and livestock choices.

ranchhand02 · Sep 12, 2018

I would like to do a mixed reef with mainly LPS and Zoas. As far as livestock I would like clowns, cardinals, and maybe a wrasse or a dottyback. I realize my stocking choices would be limited, but I am trying to decide if I should upgrade from my current 28 gallon nano cube to a 60 gallon cube.

Bmasculine · Sep 12, 2018

I think you would be happy with a 60 cube. I have a 180 my 60 a 50 gal column tank. My 60 is the favorite, yeah it’s limited when it comes to keeping large fish but will easily handle what you said you’d like to keep plus some. I think what I like most about mine is it’s not overwhelming to stock, what I mean is every coral I’ve put in it is a high end or named piece and I couldn’t afford to do that in my 180. I think you’d be surprised how much room there is. If your gonna keep a wrasse you need sand, just saying cause you asked about the bottom of my tank earlier.

ranchhand02 · Sep 12, 2018

Thanks. I really like how the bottom of your tank looks, but I do like sand. I know there is more maintenance with having a sand substrate, but I really like how it looks.

ranchhand02 · Sep 12, 2018

One thing I would really like to have is a snowflake eel. I have always wanted an eel, but I have never had one. I don’t think it would fit in the tank well do to the length so if I wanted an eel I should probably go with a 4’ long tank for an eel.

Bmasculine · Sep 13, 2018

If you got a small one to start you could keep it a few years before it outgrew the tank. I had one in a 40 for several years before I took him out and put him in my 180.