Zer0's 25G Rimless Cube Reef

[Zer0]

Haha thanks. It's small, but i'm sure it will get the job done.

ilostnemo: Sure, there's tons of other pendants out there that will fit this tank, but you gotta think, it's only 18 inches lengthwise, so not many powerful light FIXTURES will fit it, or give me the light i need for the coral i want. This tank is 18 inches deep as well, and that's a lot of water. There aren't many other lighting options i could go with if i wanted to keep any coral i want, plus a clam, so metal halide was the best decision. How come you don't like MH's? They are great lights.

 

[neilanh]

I'd cut teeth in that box if you're capable, that way you can keep it as high as possible in the tank

 

[Mitchell0605]

If I had the money I'd be right on them. Then I'd need the money for a chiller!

 

[Zer0]

I'd cut teeth in that box if you're capable, that way you can keep it as high as possible in the tank

Yeah, i most likely will. It will be a little tough, but i think i can manage. I had to cut all the pieces of my acrylic sheets today in order for them to fit the 10G, so i used a hacksaw. I looked around for a coping saw.. but i don't think my dad has one. The hacksaw did just fine, but the hacksaw has an end, so i had to turn the sheet over when i got to the halfway point of cutting. Was a real pain.. but nothing too serious. Screwed up the first cut a tad, but the rest of the cuts were pro

I'll take a picture of the sump in a little bit. Just letting the last piece dry before i can move it around. Just as a note though, when using a hacksaw, acrylic chips are pretty hot lol. Found out the hard way. They don't leave marks or anything, and they cool down extremely quick, but it freaked me out the first time i got it on my hand because i thought it was going to burn me up. Also got my acrylic rods today too. One 6ft 1/2" piece and one 6ft 1/4" piece. Not sure i'll be needing all of it, but they were only 3$ each so it wasn't a big deal to get the extra length.

I might try and use a handsaw for cutting the teeth in the overflow box, but if you look real hard at the picture, you can see this square block that is on the inside. It's in a pretty awkward spot.. and doesn't leave me much space to put teeth.. which really sucks. Not sure what i'll do.

 

[thominil]

Glad to hear that you are starting up again soon. Sure you don't want to order live rock from LA again? lol

 

[Zer0]

Glad to hear that you are starting up again soon. Sure you don't want to order live rock from LA again? lol

HA! Right. I'll be sure to get more from them when the time comes. NOT.

Oh thom.. your such a kidder!

 

[ilostnemo]

they produce to much heat and cost alot of money compared to t5s lol

 

[Zer0]

They don't produce THAT much heat.. I mean, maybe 2 or 3 or 4 of them would, but one doesnt have that much heat. Plus, just put a small fan across the tank and your good to go.. not that hard. To get the same intensity of MH's, you would need a lot more bulbs. You only need one for MH. ;D

 

[Zer0]

Update!

Check out my new sump/fuge! For the first time making one of these, i think it's pretty sick. I made sure to use a good amount of silicone so it wouldn't falter over time, as you can see by the pictures lol. But i'd rather have it strong and stable, then pretty and weak.

Big thanks to neilanh for helping me through the whole sump setup part. He helped me a lot. Thanks neilanh!

Still have to go back in there and clean it up a bit with a razor blade, but for the most part, it's pretty much done.

From left to right; Return section with heaters and return pump, after the bubble trap is the refugium which is L shaped, then the little square in the right corner is where the water draining from the main tank goes in to. It might look small but it's a 6"x6" area, so it's a decent place to fill up with some LR rubble. I'm happy with the overall design and build.

Hope no one says i did something wrong! Lol. I had to tear it down twice to get it right haha. Ripping up the silicone was a real pain since i let it dry not knowing i messed it up.. TWICE.

Alright so now for a few questions.

I really don't want to put a DSB in there.. maybe only like 2-3" but if it's a bigger benefit to the tank in itself, i guess i will. Also, can i put 1-2 mangroves in there or do they need really intense light? I hear that mangroves do wonders for nutrient export, even more so than chaeto, but i'll let the experts tell me so.

I also need some macro algae suggestions because i know there's a good amount of there and i'm trying to fit whatever i can in there. It won't be 24/7 lighting, so caulerpa is out since it goes sexual without 24/7 lighting. I'll be keeping the refugium light on during the night when the DT light is off to help keep the pH stable.

Whatd'ya guys think?

 

[Mitchell0605]

Nice Kev. How big is the sump in LxWxH and Gallons?

 

[capj64]

Why did you make a corner cubby instead of taking the plexi straight across?

 

[Mitchell0605]

More room for Macro Algaes and possibly Mangroves I assume.

 

[capj64]

What goes in the cubby?

 

[Zer0]

Mitch, it's a standard 10G tank. so that means 20x10x12. Fits snug under my stand, since the stand is 21x21x29.

Mitch is right. I made the cubby because i wanted more room for my refugium, and besides, the intake area really does not to be large at all. The only thing that will be inside of it is LR/rubble, and the hose draining from the overflow. Nothing else will be in there, so why waste the space when you could use it for the refugium. Plus.. i think the corner cubby thing just looks better overall lol. And yeah.. i really want to put 1 or 2 mangroves in there.. but i'm not sure on their needs just yet. But if they can grow under standard home depot bulbs.. then i'll definitely use a couple.

Also Carla, i thought i should mention this since i noticed you said plexiglass in a couple posts above. It would NOT be a good idea to use plexiglass acrylic for the baffles in the sump(if your doing DIY), since plexiglass is weaker than regular acrylic, and it also turns yellow overtime in saltwater. It also expands overtime in saltwater, which could cause the sump tank to crack, or to shatter which wouldn't be good. You want to use something like regular acrylic, or Acrylite acrylic.

 

[neilanh]

Nice Job!

 

[Mitchell0605]

Awesome! Thanks Kev! BTW What kind of silicone did you use? Just a normal one or a special one that can get wet?

 

[Zer0]

Thanks neilanh! I was hoping you would like it! Only.. if you look at the square corner i put in, it's a little crooked hahahaha.. but it's decent for a first timer, at least in my opinion..

Mitch, the silicone that i used was GE Silicone I. From what i've read from many places, and a few extremely reliable people, it is safe to use in the aquarium. It may say something like "not for use below water line on aquariums," but GE has only put that on the label to cover their butts because a few years back when they were partnered with AGA tanks and another glass tank company, their silicone was faltering on the larger tanks, and many of the tanks were collapsing. However, from what i hear, it still works good for smaller aquariums, and will work fine for baffles on the sump.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Ok thanks!

 

[Zer0]

No problem dude! I've never worked with silicone before this, but this one seems pretty good. But then again like i said, i've never worked with silicone, so only time in the water will test it's strength and quality haha. I'm going to leak test it tomorrow, so i'll check back and let you know how it holds up. And i'll add a couple pics too.

 

[Mitchell0605]

Sweet. I look forward to it.