From 46 bow to 25g Cube

[andrewguilfoy]

Andy's 25g Cube

 

Equipment

 

- Drilled Marineland 25g Cube

- Glass-Holes 700 GPH overflow

- Eshopps R-100 Fuge/Sump

- Maxi Utility 3000

- K3, K2.

- Eheim Jager 200w

- ASM Mini Skimmer, with modified pump for silence

- DIY Aquastyles 55 LED, I'll get into this later..

- Reef Keeper

- Avast Marine ATO, running an eheim compact 300

 

 

 

Live Stock

 

- 15 lbs special reef grade dry

- 15 lbs fiji pink dry

 

 

Live rock from my Bowfront

 

- 35 lbs dry live rock (bleached and dried out)

- 15 lbs fiji live

[andrewguilfoy]

Okay change of plans. I'm drilling this ####er. Bought my Glass-Holes 700 gph kit today.. Should be plumbed, drilled, and wet, around christmas/before new years. Fingers crossed. I have a ton of questions, so stay tuned!

 

[saltohio]

Okay change of plans. I'm drilling this ####er. Bought my Glass-Holes 700 gph kit today.. Should be plumbed, drilled, and wet, around christmas/before new years. Fingers crossed. I have a ton of questions, so stay tuned!

 

 

I love the 46 Bow tank look, perfect size.

This is my second tank goal.

Good luck, it's going to look great.

[andrewguilfoy]

I love the 46 Bow tank look, perfect size.

This is my second tank goal.

Good luck, it's going to look great.

 

Thanks man. Same, the Bow front tanks are awesome. Besides the bow front's I REALLY like the 90 gallon wave aquariums by aqueon. They are really sharp, but way more money. I've never had a tank this large. It will be a new experience. More work, but thats why I'm putting in a sump this time around

[Spirofucci]

Nice tank! Yep, keep us posted on the build.

[andrewguilfoy]

 

New fans!!!

 

The lines to the old fans to my surprise were AC.. so it was running two AC fans.. kind of weird. SO in order to wire the new fans (x2 Antec Tricool PC fans) I had to mod an AC adapter to the lines to get my DC power for the new fans. Works great! everything is humming perfectly.

 

 

 

On a side note. Square pin CF bulbs are kind of expensive compared to my old T5HO.. Anyone know where I can get bulbs cheap?

[JoelRHale]

I had the same problem when I had my current USA satellite that used square pins. I think occasionally they go on sale but other than that I found $25-30 about the best I could get 65w bulbs.

[andrewguilfoy]

ugh yeah I feel you. It's whatever. If I weren't spending so much on drilling and sumping the tanker I would focus more on lighting. Right now it's running 4x96w which is more than enough. Really want T5's again though..

[JoelRHale]

What's stopping you besides already having this light? Do you think you could sell/trade it for a decent T5?

[andrewguilfoy]

What's stopping you besides already having this light? Do you think you could sell/trade it for a decent T5?

 

Nothing really.. CF bulbs aren't bad, it still is a lot of wattage. When you're talking to other people though, no one really seems stoked to get a CF fixture I guess. So many color blending options with T5. I could try.. Why are you interested?

[JoelRHale]

Ha, I just upgraded to LEDs about a month and a half ago and don't see myself ever going back to anything else.

[FlCandy]

Man I have the same tank! RE the lights, I know it's $$$ to get them but I am swearing by the T5HO I have. I am getting it new bulbs but I am getting GREAT growth on my Birdsnest, Frogspawn, zoas, Florida Rics and they were powerful enough to bleach my Yumas that were on the sand bed.

 

Check out the classified's forum or on Craigslist, I bet you can find a good Light for cheep.

 

Check out my thread, I am getting ready to do the SUMP/Overflow myself but I am going HOB with the overflow, this will happen after we build the new stand, hopefully by the new year/mid January.

 

LOVE the bow look. Good Luck and Welcome!

[boxboy]

I also have a Fluval Vicenza 180 Bow Front with sump, Ill be watching, please dont drill 2 holes right next to each other, thats how mine is and really the waters surface will suffer unless you have more power heads running..

overflows that are on each end of the tank. much much better for flow IMO

 

 

do this

 

NOT this

 

also oveflow pipes that are only 1inch wide are not big enough.. Ive have found out the hard way lol

[boxboy]

looking forward to seeing this thing up and running, hope you have fun with your build.

[andrewguilfoy]

Ha, I just upgraded to LEDs about a month and a half ago and don't see myself ever going back to anything else.

 

Haha even better jealous.

 

 

Man I have the same tank! RE the lights, I know it's $$$ to get them but I am swearing by the T5HO I have. I am getting it new bulbs but I am getting GREAT growth on my Birdsnest, Frogspawn, zoas, Florida Rics and they were powerful enough to bleach my Yumas that were on the sand bed.

 

Check out the classified's forum or on Craigslist, I bet you can find a good Light for cheep.

 

Check out my thread, I am getting ready to do the SUMP/Overflow myself but I am going HOB with the overflow, this will happen after we build the new stand, hopefully by the new year/mid January.

 

LOVE the bow look. Good Luck and Welcome!

 

Thanks man, will do.

 

 

I also have a Fluval Vicenza 180 Bow Front with sump, Ill be watching, please dont drill 2 holes right next to each other, thats how mine is and really the waters surface will suffer unless you have more power heads running..

overflows that are on each end of the tank. much much better for flow IMO

 

 

do this

 

NOT this

 

also oveflow pipes that are only 1inch wide are not big enough.. Ive have found out the hard way lol

 

The over flow hole itself from glass-holes is huge IMO.. Im not sure if it's 1-1/2" might be bigger. Anyhow it takes a hose the same size as my above ground pool and I think I should be okay still trying to figure out returns. I drilled the overflow box on the center of the tank, it was kind of a coin toss. Just have to figure out if I want two returns on each side, or one on just one of the sides. Two returns sound way better Might go with a Quiet One 4000 now..

 

Up high

 

Down low

 

There is a little play from the position I can shimmy it to until I tighten it to the glass. Right now I just have it hand tight. I can have it right against the brace or about 1/4 inch from the brace. It looks weird from the center brace but I Think it will be okay. I notice some people questioning it's existence from the aqueon 46's not having one at all. However, it does "sag" a little because its empty. If you lightly tug on the front bow, it does lift up and tighten up support the weight. So it stays

[FlCandy]

Yeah dont touch the brace, I went and researched it and if you take it out your basically waiting for the tank to fail.

 

I would put it higher, so when you have a cover on it there is no way for the fish to jump into it.

 

Nice overflow!

[boxboy]

1+ on the Quiet One 4000 or ECOPLUS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP work great and also very quiet.

 

1+ Yeah dont touch the brace. you may get a wet floor if the tank bursts.

 

I like the overflow, wish mine was that way lol just dont forget a emergency oveflow, just in case lol.

and make sure that your return pipes have ball valves, so you can balance the rate of water return against the overflow rate of flow.. Im sure you know this anyways tho..

[andrewguilfoy]

Yeah dont touch the brace, I went and researched it and if you take it out your basically waiting for the tank to fail.

 

I would put it higher, so when you have a cover on it there is no way for the fish to jump into it.

 

Nice overflow!

 

I was thinking the same thing. It will also get my water line higher above the frame. More water the better

 

1+ on the Quiet One 4000 or ECOPLUS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP work great and also very quiet.

 

1+ Yeah dont touch the brace. you may get a wet floor if the tank bursts.

 

I like the overflow, wish mine was that way lol just dont forget a emergency oveflow, just in case lol.

and make sure that your return pipes have ball valves, so you can balance the rate of water return against the overflow rate of flow.. Im sure you know this anyways tho..

 

 

No you make a good point with the ball valves. At first I was looking into the Hydor Seltz because it was variable. But if I add the ball valves I don't even have to worry about that..

[boxboy]

Will your sump have a fuge?

Do you know what your stocking plans will be?

[lynxer]

I know some that have had good luck replacing the center brace with a peice of clear acrylic.

 

 

food for thought..

[andrewguilfoy]

Will your sump have a fuge?

Do you know what your stocking plans will be?

 

I ordered a pre-made sump from Eshopps.. Specifically the R-100. It has space for a fuge, but I haven't figured out that part yet. I'll probably run some cheato, a little live rock rubble, etc.. I also ordered a ASM mini skimmer.. I hope that will be enough. Some people like them other people think they are cheaply made, personally if it's anything better than this seaclone 100 I have laying around, i'll be happy. It rates at up to 75 so I should be okay..

 

Stocking.. I haven't even thought it through haha. I've grown softies before in a 17.4. I have the larger volume now.. I am in love with angels, I might keep one or two. I have 35lbs of "dead" live rock. I gave it a bath in bleach 2 days, water 2 days, then water again 2 days, then dried it out for about two weeks. (it was a technique by a guy over at 3reef.com) Checked my params in the bucket, it was dead. So I'm treating that as dry base rock, and I'm going to seed it from some stuff at the LFS..

[siwelk]

Nice build so far.

 

I'd go with dual 3/4" returns, on either side of your overflow.

That's what I plan to do on my build using a GH-style kit.

[boxboy]

Id be carefull with angels sometimes they pick at corals.

35lbs of is good, Im trying to get 75- 80 pounds into mine lol so far up to 48pounds only 8 of it was dead rock rest LR. and yes seeding alot of dead rock with live a little LR is very good stuff. alot cheaper too lol

as for the skimmer im sure it will work out, I got a no name one from my guy for $45. used with pump and that does very well for its size.

cheato, a little live rock rubble in fuge is perfect, then you can add some critters in there like bristle worms ect .

[andrewguilfoy]

Nice build so far.

 

I'd go with dual 3/4" returns, on either side of your overflow.

That's what I plan to do on my build using a GH-style kit.

 

Thanks man! Yeah you hit the nail with the hammer. I need to buy another diamond bit though. Then i'm pokin' holes again.

 

 

Id be carefull with angels sometimes they pick at corals.

35lbs of is good, Im trying to get 75- 80 pounds into mine lol so far up to 48pounds only 8 of it was dead rock rest LR. and yes seeding alot of dead rock with live a little LR is very good stuff. alot cheaper too lol

as for the skimmer im sure it will work out, I got a no name one from my guy for $45. used with pump and that does very well for its size.

cheato, a little live rock rubble in fuge is perfect, then you can add some critters in there like bristle worms ect .

 

yeaaah i'm still getting to know different types of fish and what not. You live and learn. Last time I just had a pair of clowns and thats just plain easy as cheesy.. I've done damsels, gobies, had a royal gramma once (I named her grandma) but was unsuccessful.. for some reason other people haven't had a whole lot of luck with them either? I have no idea. She got sick.. and then so it goes..

75-80lbs Eh? How big's your tank?

[boxboy]

Same foot print as your tank. I'm just going over board lol. I've built up a rock wall island across the whole tank. It just bugs me to see any background or pipes lol. Its normail to have 1.5 pounds per gal. It does Not all have to be in display area.