Sticks and stones and everything else - Mixed Cube Build

[GabeM]

Greetings!

I will be doing some things so I figured I might as well make a build thread.

Here is where I am as of a few weeks ago:

The current link to the tank livefeed is here:

I am currently battling a GHA outbreak and have been using Vibrant twice weekly. I feed heavily and I run GFO 4-6 hours a night to keep phosphates down.

Hardware:
SCA 50 Cube with sump
Light: Orphek Atlantic v4 bought used and upgraded to a gen 2
Pump: Icecap Gyre 3000
Return: Hygger 1080 GPH DC return pump
Skimmer: Reef Octopus eSSense 130
Auto Aqua skimmer controller thing
Controller: TP link Kasa KP200 power strip
ATO: ATK2
Waterproof Camera
4" FIlter sock 200 microns mesh
BRS custom mesh top

Livestock:
FISH:
2 Clownfish - female is regular ocellaris and the male is a phantom black
1 spot foxface
4 stripe damsel which is impossible to kill and mean.
2 Chromis

SOFT CORAL/ NEM:
3 rainbow BTA
GSP wall
like 14 large green rhodactis
20 or so flame rhodactis
25ish blue disco
2 red disco
Kenya tree corals that keep popping up and forever will

ZOAS:
70 or so AOG
100+ rasta
10 or so spiderman
10 or so whammin watermelon
7 Oompa Loompa

LPS / Euphyllia:
Huge purple tip elegance coral - 12 mouths or so
25 head duncan
Blue and red banded Lobophyllia
3 head branching frogspawn
3 head neon indo torch
8 head purple tipped hammer
2 unidentified Acan corals
Alien eye chalice
Some sort of cyphastrea green/orange - I will update later
Some sort of leptastrea - orange
Some sort of goni - neon green with blue polyps
dark orange leptoseris
8 head neon blasto

SPS:
1 purple chronic tort
Superman monti
blue star (pokerstar) monti
Grinch cap
Green cap
red cap
green poci

History:

Long story short - last November I made some money on stocks and pulled out so I had around $1300 to spend. I put around $500 towards Christmas presents for other people and decided to spend the rest on myself. Sounds great, right?

...and I got tired of doing this. History to be resumed tomorrow. Thanks guys!

 

[reef lover]

Totally well deserved!
Love it i have the same tank.

 

[homer1475]

I have the 80G SCA cube. I was buying the 50, and steve gave me the 80 for the same price as he had it laying around in his warehouse and had to have the 50 made.

SCA dopes make some nice tanks, and following along.

 

[Alan_J_MN]

I am waiting on a SC 90. Stand is out of stock, so another 2 weeks before shipping
Do you like your Hygger? It seems to be a great price, but not many long-term reviews.

 

[GabeM]

I am waiting on a SC 90. Stand is out of stock, so another 2 weeks before shipping
Do you like your Hygger? It seems to be a great price, but not many long-term reviews.

Howdy,
It seems to have the ceramic shaft and all that good stuff - So far so good. That being said I am rather sure it is from the same place the jebao comes from here: Amazon product it is super quiet.

 

[GabeM]

Okay so I got this Fiji cube 20 sump for myself for Christmas. I am planning on redoing the sump area and the electronics in the next few weeks, anyone using this sump?

 

[GabeM]

Water test passed!

 

[GabeM]

Sand is just driving me crazy - thinking of removing sand slowly and going barebottom

 

[bfreeskier]

I just ordered one, the value is great, putting it under my 60 cube. What skimmer will you be running? Any thoughts about debris flowing from the Refugium chamber to the pump return?

 

[reef lover]

Must be some flow in there!

 

[GabeM]

I just ordered one, the value is great, putting it under my 60 cube. What skimmer will you be running? Any thoughts about debris flowing from the Refugium chamber to the pump return?

It's a bit odd because I spent almost half of what I spent on the sump on plumbing parts. :S

Honestly, I would not use that small chamber as a refugium. I'll be putting nitrate reducing media in that sucker.

Must be some flow in there!

I have just one Icecap 3k on random. SPS love it.

 

[bfreeskier]

Good idea, I’ll put my block of marine pure and balls in that section and give it a go.

 

[Crystal.Clear]

Hey guys,
i got fiji cube 20 as well,
may i ask which return pump u use? they said return section is 8.1x5.8 but top design is really narrow. did u guys cute it?

 

[bfreeskier]

Hey guys,
i got fiji cube 20 as well,
may i ask which return pump u use? they said return section is 8.1x5.8 but top design is really narrow. did u guys cute it?

I replied to another thread of yours, I’m still building it out, but I did a Vectra S2 return.

 

[GabeM]

Hi guys it has been a while sine I've done an update. A ton of things have been happening. I moved the tank to the office and moved apartments! Luckily the boss is very accommodating.

Everything has been doing well with the exception of some losses you can blame on general stupidity and not being in the office hardly at all due to COVID.

First thing is first - tanks shots!

I ended up getting the Apex/Trident due to my KASA strip frizzing out on me and dumping more than a liter of all for reef into the tank. I was able to mitigate the situation and everything eventually survived.

I also am regularly dosing EasySPS evo and hydrogen peroxide through dosers. BRS dosers are great and being contolled by the APEX.

More tank shots:

And finally I got my livestream camera working again, can be viewed at http://gabe.me/dine/reef-tank/

 

[GabeM]

Forgot the cat tax.

 

[DrewBrees713]

Nice looking tank. Whats the dimension?

 

[GabeM]

Nice looking tank. Whats the dimension?

Thanks the tank is 24x24x20 inches.

 

[GabeM]

Finally got my Clearview Tsunami top - Great build quality!

 

[DrewBrees713]

Speaking of stocks. I just opened an acct with tdameritrade 2 wks ago and making some change already. Im a total newbie. Have any advice on what to buy these days?

How many months you had ur tank running before you put in your first sps? I almost pull the trigger on a 60g cube yesterday but it’s kinda big. btw the kitty is ***** adorable.