This is like the 20th time redoing the 30 cube, but oh well...

[clowns101]

So I have failed my 30 cube so many times now, and it sucks, but it is what it is, this time I'm serious about getting it set back up and the right way.

So, I want SPS, LPS, and polyps, and of cource a anemone, so I need it to be stable and clean, if cost wasnt a issue, what would the set up be if it were your tank? I dont want everything fully auto, Id still like do the water changes my self and things like that, but I want it to be slightly luxury like.

So 30 gallon SPS, LPS, and polyp cube, and one anemone, what would be the "luxury" set up for a tank like that?

Thanks-
Austin

 

[Reef Breeders]

What happened to the horses? I would go full auto, depending on what causes the re do. At least drill the tank and add a large sump to minimize maintenance, then move to your corals.

 

[clowns101]

One died after about 2 months or so? The other I got rid of.

The only thing that is causing me to re-do it is lack of time, and quite honestly, just want to have the tank for the luxury of looking at it, I still love reefing, but I am not as into it as I was about a year ago, photography has taken up a huge interest of mine, and its taking up a bit of time! So I really just want a tank for the "hell" of it if you would.

I planned on drilling, but I'm taking it to a professional, that way, if they bust it, its their pocket that will be hurting, not mine. So, I do plan on a sump, probably a 20 tall, or a 20 long depending on the size, maybe a 29 if I can find a used one for like $40 bucks or somthing.

But skimmer, lighting, dosers, powerheads, what would you guys put on a tank like this?

 

[chort55]

Reef Octo 160 skimmer, Radion for lights, and probably 2x mp10wes, controlled by a Reef Angel... I like my Reef Angel, I have a friend that runs a 160 (pretty sure thats the model anyways) on his 30g cube and it does a good job, and whats better then a mp10 for that size tank.....2 mp10's . And I'd do the radion just because I would like to try them if the $ wasnt a factor....... but instead my 30 cube sits tied into my main system doing nothing but holding sand, water and rock.... let me live through u clown! lol

 

[Reef Breeders]

Reef Octo 160 skimmer, Radion for lights, and probably 2x mp10wes, controlled by a Reef Angel... I like my Reef Angel, I have a friend that runs a 160 (pretty sure thats the model anyways) on his 30g cube and it does a good job, and whats better then a mp10 for that size tank.....2 mp10's . And I'd do the radion just because I would like to try them if the $ wasnt a factor....... but instead my 30 cube sits tied into my main system doing nothing but holding sand, water and rock.... let me live through u clown! lol

That's 1500 for the powerheads, lights, and a skimmer for a 30 gallon tank! I would go reef angel for sure, or an apex, those are the better ones, right under profilux, for lighting I would def go LED, less heat=less equipment, a couple par 38 or a smaller fixture would do, go for a bm nac3.5, like an octo but quieter. Go eheim on the return, and tunze or koralia on the powerheads, no control really needed, just one will do for that tank.

 

[revhtree]

Cool Austin! We're behind you and I know you will succeed!

 

[chort55]

That's 1500 for the powerheads, lights, and a skimmer for a 30 gallon tank! I would go reef angel for sure, or an apex, those are the better ones, right under profilux, for lighting I would def go LED, less heat=less equipment, a couple par 38 or a smaller fixture would do, go for a bm nac3.5, like an octo but quieter. Go eheim on the return, and tunze or koralia on the powerheads, no control really needed, just one will do for that tank.

Where did you price out the mp10s?, I am pretty sure you could do 3 mp40's for 1500, I am talking 2 mp10's (which is under $600 new FWIW), and the OP stated if cost wasn't an issue how would you do it.... I simply stated how I would do it if I had the coin to drop on a "for the hell of it" 30g tank

Realistically I would do 2 koralia 750's or 1050's (I like flow) controlled through the R.A. (because I like random flow... and so does SPS which I like ALOT) along with a DIY LED fixture (probably 24-36 leds, if its a little overkill its fine since it would be dim-able). Skimmer would be my AquaEuro 400 that is also on my main display (180g) as the 2 share a sump, I would do an island in the middle with light loving SPS primarily, with a few smaller islands stratigically placed for zoas/acans/nem with LPS corals like plates, chalices and scolys/ welsos on the sand inbetween. All my dosing is done by hand and reactor no dosing pumps and I manually do my water changes when I do them lol.

 

[clowns101]

Cool Austin! We're behind you and I know you will succeed!

Thanks Rev!

I think I've kinda got my list down to what I want, not totaly sure though, still flexible!

So, this will be the set up pretty much.

30 gallon tank- 2" Sand bed, and live rock

20 gallon Tall Sump

Bubble Magnus Skimmer- (not sure on the modle I am wanting yet, Im kinda debating getting another Reef Octopus)

Ehime Return Pump

150 MH (20k) with 2 t5 accents (White) as well as 2 LED strips for night viewing (Blue)

MP 10- I think Im only going to do one, unless 2 is just absolutly nessecary, but I dont think two is, I think I could get away with one, Im only going to have like 10 acropora, the montipora will be at the bottom, and will be fine with moderate flow!

Probably a controller of some sort, I do not know how to use a controller at all, so this is new to me.


So I still need to know if I should do dosing pumps, or just do it all by hand? I dont want to get involved into calcium reactors, klak stirrs, or anything like that for a few reasons, the more equiptment, the more room for error, regardless of how good they say these run, I dont want to come home to a white tank cause to much kalk and cal were added by accident. Dosing pumps you can control exactly how much goes in, and this may be possible with kalk reactors and cal reactors, but I feel better with dosers.

So what else?

 

[Reef Breeders]

Go for dosers defenitely, now just plan the scape

 

[clowns101]

Scapes gonna be pretty easy, nothing to fancy, I really want to have it clean, so minimal rock work, I really dont want to have a ton of rock, so Im thinking of getting all new rock, and just doing away with the current stuff. (by doing away with it, I mean setting it in my spare room with the rest of my aquarium junk)

Dosers, what brand? And how do you properly tune them in? From what I remember, you have to know the exact measurment that you have to dose, so say its 3 mililiters of cal, I just program 3mm of cal to be pumped into the tank through out the day, correct?