Carey's 60g Rimless Cube Build

[Gboy66]

Since I'm still working on the stocking a chalk bass is on the list of potentials. LOL I know I can't have all gobies and blennies so other small fish will fit in just fine. How big are they when fully grown, and do they swim around? I am in need of some fish that are swimmers, gobies and blennies mostly are perchers so i need something to offset that.

I think they will swim around alot, darting in and out of caves, and through arches. They remind me of chichlids in that sense.

So far mine hasnt fit this bill, but ive only had him 2 days

I have seen them at the lfs, with multipe in a small tank. They are very cool and active

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Haha they grow to be 3" MAX. I havent seen one over 2 1/2. We have only had ours for a few days, an the first two days he hid all the time, but today he is swimming all over the place! Haha he swims very fast, i like him he just needs to get comfortable i think

 

[carey]

Hmm 3 inches might be too big lol. I was hoping to stay under that which is why i won';t be putting clowns in. I've only seen one chalk bass in person and he was kinda tiny so maybe if I get lucky he will stay small. hehe Can you have multiples or do you need to have a mated pair for them to get along?

 

[Sniperhank]

I'm holding off all the inappropriate comments, I swear. Are there any small schooling fish? That would be cool.

 

[carey]

Green banded gobies I believe can be had in multiples.
Also the wheelers gobies and orange lined cardinals are also a possibility as far as having more than one. If all else fails i can get regular ole chromis.

 

[redsea]

Green banded gobies I believe can be had in multiples.
Also the wheelers gobies and orange lined cardinals are also a possibility as far as having more than one. If all else fails i can get regular ole chromis.

I was actually looking at the Orange Lined Chromis on LA today, pretty nice fish! I was looking at them as a possibility for my 55g.

 

[carey]

I finally decided on the return pump. I took the input from everyone and figured it would be better to go with a mag 9.5 so I ordered one today. Also getting a mag3 to run my future biopellet reactor as well as some new filter socks. woohoo!! Love buying fish stuff. And my reefcleaners order is coming tomorrow, got like 100 something critters for all my tanks.

Oh, and I also made another payment on the tank and stand. Down to $250 bucks now. Guess it's time to relist my 55g and 75g setups on CL, Momma needs a new tank!!! LOL

Also doing really well on my stocking list, taking fish off adding new ones, all that jazz. I figure I will for sure move the clowns to either the 90g or the 125g and the lawnmower I have in the 20g is gonna be way too big for the 60g so he goes into the 125g too. The only fish I'm unsure about is the engineer goby. I don't think he is tough enough for the 125g and the 90g is pretty full already. I know he doesn't fit into the less than 2 inch rule for the 60g but would one exception be a bad thing? I know he will get alot bigger but he sleeps with the other fish all cuddled together, the clown gobies love him and now even the barnacle is huddling with him. The only thing I fear is him making huge mounds of sand in the 60g, really not the look I was going for with the 60g. lol

Anybody have an opinion? I'm trying to make room in the 60g so I can have a TON of fish in it.

 

[redsea]

Just curious , how come you think the 125g is too tough for your Engineer? Also, not really sure why LA says that they need a 125g, from my understanding, they don't do much swimming, right? He can't possibly get as long as your 60g, lol.

 

[carey]

In two words, "tang gang" LOL. These guys are pretty rough on newcomers. They abused the anthias for a night same for the female anthias. Though the male actually stood up for her when I put her in so she didn't get beat on too badly, the male was doing alot of chasing that night to keep her safe. True gentleman. HAHA

The engineer actually dose some swimming in my tank but most of the time he's on the sandbed in a corner. He was evicted from each rock overhang by the barnacle blenny and then the lawnmower on the other side. I think because of their eventual size is why they are rated for a 125g without too much regard for behavior. LA is great but sometimes they miss the mark.

I paid another $50 yesterday towards this setup, so now it's under $200 that i owe. I also listed my metal halide fixture on CL and am hoping someone will buy it very soon. here's hoping anyway

OH yeah. BAd news on the sump for this tank. They have discontinued 15g high tanks so I am stuck with a 10g sump now without a doubt. The only other option is a 20g XH which is 20 inches tall and wouldnt allow me to remove a skimmer cup or do anything inside the sump pretty much. :-(

Still looking at sumps online, may get lucky. But if I don't I was at home depot last night buying extra fittings and stuff for the plumbing and they have the thick acyrlic sheets in small pieces that i can buy to make my baffles in the 10g. Even cheaper than cheap cutting boards I was gonna use. lol

Since I'm so close to the "ACTUAL" build I've been thinking about a lot of stuff. Like a skimmer. I am gonna be hard pressed to fit a skimmer in the 10g sump, at least one that I want. I've been looking at the bubble magus nac7 but not sure it will fit. I might be able to fit the eshopps skimmer from the 125g, plan on trying that maybe this weekend to see.
Also still plan on a single MP10 for circulation, will probably use the koralias for a month or so til I get it all together.

Also been thinking on how I want this tank to look at the end. In my head I envision a top of the line, clean and sleek looking tank. With a ton of colorful SPS and clams and a RBTA with schools of little tiny fish. So hard to verbalize what i see in my head. But I have such high aspirations, I know I'm gonna be disappointed at some point but I am dying to try. LOL

Any ideas, comments or even critiques are welcome. I love talking to all of you guys!

Thanks for reading all this drivel!

 

[Hondatek]

Double up on the baffles if you get the plastic sheets. I used in my sump and they bow out a lot. If I did it again I would do glass or the lexan sheets.

 

[carey]

They had the glass ones too but i can't cut that myself i don't think. :-( I'm only competent to a degree LOL

 

[Hondatek]

I know at Lowes they will cut some for you if you buy it there then it's like 50 cents for additional cuts.

 

[redsea]

In two words, "tang gang" LOL. These guys are pretty rough on newcomers. They abused the anthias for a night same for the female anthias. Though the male actually stood up for her when I put her in so she didn't get beat on too badly, the male was doing alot of chasing that night to keep her safe. True gentleman. HAHA

The engineer actually dose some swimming in my tank but most of the time he's on the sandbed in a corner. He was evicted from each rock overhang by the barnacle blenny and then the lawnmower on the other side. I think because of their eventual size is why they are rated for a 125g without too much regard for behavior. LA is great but sometimes they miss the mark.

I paid another $50 yesterday towards this setup, so now it's under $200 that i owe. I also listed my metal halide fixture on CL and am hoping someone will buy it very soon. here's hoping anyway

OH yeah. BAd news on the sump for this tank. They have discontinued 15g high tanks so I am stuck with a 10g sump now without a doubt. The only other option is a 20g XH which is 20 inches tall and wouldnt allow me to remove a skimmer cup or do anything inside the sump pretty much. :-(

Still looking at sumps online, may get lucky. But if I don't I was at home depot last night buying extra fittings and stuff for the plumbing and they have the thick acyrlic sheets in small pieces that i can buy to make my baffles in the 10g. Even cheaper than cheap cutting boards I was gonna use. lol

Since I'm so close to the "ACTUAL" build I've been thinking about a lot of stuff. Like a skimmer. I am gonna be hard pressed to fit a skimmer in the 10g sump, at least one that I want. I've been looking at the bubble magus nac7 but not sure it will fit. I might be able to fit the eshopps skimmer from the 125g, plan on trying that maybe this weekend to see.
Also still plan on a single MP10 for circulation, will probably use the koralias for a month or so til I get it all together.

Also been thinking on how I want this tank to look at the end. In my head I envision a top of the line, clean and sleek looking tank. With a ton of colorful SPS and clams and a RBTA with schools of little tiny fish. So hard to verbalize what i see in my head. But I have such high aspirations, I know I'm gonna be disappointed at some point but I am dying to try. LOL

Any ideas, comments or even critiques are welcome. I love talking to all of you guys!

Thanks for reading all this drivel!

I like the "final picture" for this tank. Are you going to try to keep the coralline off the back wall and what not? I think that would look good for the look you described .

 

[carey]

Yeah, I guess I will have to. I'm even thinking of leaving the back wall clear, I havent decided 100% yet. I will have the single powerhead so it should be easy to clean the algae daily and scrape where needed. I will however get it on my overflow cover. That may end up looking stupid, with a tall column of purple amongst all clear glass. Might have to paint the back glass to make it seem not as drastic.

 

[redsea]

I think clear or painted it will look good. I love the look of rimless tanks, they look so clean and stylish! They are more expensive though, so that kind of leads me away from them. Maybe one day I will get a rimless pico or something.

 

[carey]

My rimless Pico was what got me to thinking bigger, then I got the 20g rimless and quickly found out it wasn't big enough. lol Rimless tanks are really nice but more work i think. To keep that pristine look you need to be on the algae on the glass all the time and you have to have an ATO, it's a must or it ends up looking crappy as the water evaporates.

 

[redsea]

My rimless Pico was what got me to thinking bigger, then I got the 20g rimless and quickly found out it wasn't big enough. lol Rimless tanks are really nice but more work i think. To keep that pristine look you need to be on the algae on the glass all the time and you have to have an ATO, it's a must or it ends up looking crappy as the water evaporates.

Yep, I definitely understand what you are talking about. I can't wait to get the JBJ ATO for my 125g. I think I will hook it up to a huge garbage can so I can fit a lot of water into it. Was it difficult to setup?

 

[carey]

The JBJ is one of the easiest things I have put to work. lol I use a 10g tank for the water reservoir, it fits under the sump quite nicely. You can have it set up in about 5 minutes or so.

 

[redsea]

The JBJ is one of the easiest things I have put to work. lol I use a 10g tank for the water reservoir, it fits under the sump quite nicely. You can have it set up in about 5 minutes or so.

Sounds nice and simple! Thanks, that is great news.

 

[carey]

So I was daydreaming my rockscape today and I picked a few rocks in the 125g that I am going to take for it, about 40lbs.

I also think I want to get 10lbs or so of the tonga branch rock from BRS and try to get some height out of this rockscape. I think I will be using epoxy to get a good structure, I do have almost 24 inches of depth. If anyone is interested here are the rocks I am moving over, full of purple coralline for the most part and pretty porous.