Java's 18" Cube

[JavaJacketOC]

FTS 10/15/2015

 

 

It's been a while since posting about my 5 gal pico....that's because I decided to set up my 18" Cube and transfer everything over

 

This tank is about 8 years old and was previously established for about 3 years before I had to take it down to focus on going back to school, career, etc. It was sitting in storage so I decided to clean it up and give it a go. It's a Clear-For-Life Acrylic Euro Brace. I don't love the brace but since everything works and passed the leak test, I decided not to spend 300.00 on a new tank just yet.

 

Tank

• 18x18x18 Clear-For-Life Euro Brace with corner overflow
• Maggie Muffler on PVC pipe (absolutely silent and the best 15.00 ever spent)
• CPR CR500 Sump, added filter sock and first chamber is housing Cheato, second chamber has Miracle Mud
• Eshopps Cube Refugium Sump, Cheato and Miracle Mud in fuge chamber
• Aqua-C Urchin Skimmer
• NeoTherm 75w
• Hydor Smart Level ATO

 

Lighting

• Maxspec Razor Nano 16k

 

Water Circulation

• Hydor 1100 Utility Pump for return
• Jebao RW-4 (Else Mode with Night mode)

 

Livestock

 

Fish

• Chalk Basslette
• Allardi Clown
• Springer's Damsel
• Talbot's Damsel
• Pearly Jawfish

Coral

• Branching Hammer
• Pulsing Xenia
• Pink Millipora
• Yellow Tenuis
• AstroTurf Mushrooms
• Green Yuma
• Monti Digitata (recovering from monti eating nudis and not doing so well)
• Monti Setosa
• Sour Apple Monti Cap
• Fire and Ice Zoas (not really but looks like it)
• Grey with Pink Mouth Zoas
• Purple and Green Paly's
• Nuclear Green Palys
• Yellow Mouth, Green Plate, Rusty Skirt Zoas
• Lobo
• Purple Maxi-Mini
• Green.Orange Maxi-Mini
• Mayan Sun Favia
• Blue Mushrooms
• Purple Stylo
• Green Brain

[JavaJacketOC]

Pic Dump, sorry for the exposure, taken with an iPhone.

 

 

Purple Stylo

 

 

 

Setosa and Sour Apple Cap

 

 

 

Yellow Mouth, Green Plate, Rusty Skirt Zoas with creeper Porcelain Crab

 

 

 

Zoa/Paly Garden

 

 

 

Lobo, mouth is much more orange in person

 

 

 

Blue Shrooms, Nuclear Green Palys, Purple Maxi-Mini

 

 

 

Orange/Green Maxi-Mini

 

 

 

Mayan Sun Favia

 

 

Toxic Splash Branching Hammer

 

 

 

Yellow Finger Leather

 

 

 

Neon Green Brain

 

 

 

Pink Milli

 

[JavaJacketOC]

Current sump setup using a modified CPR CR500, this has been a great little sump but it is small!

 

 

 

I've been considering upgrading to a bugger sump but challenges with stand space have always been present and aside from ordering a custom sump (i.e. $$$$) there haven't been many options.

 

This has been ordered

 

[JavaJacketOC]

Sump is already out for deliver. #excited

[Justind823]

Nice. How much bigger is that sump from you current one?

[JavaJacketOC]

Nice. How much bigger is that sump from you current one?

 

The CR500 holds about 6 gallons total but the problem is that it only fills about half full. The Eshopps holds about 11 gallons and most of the chambers should be about 3/4 full.

 

It came today, gotta love next day shipping....here are some un-boxing pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leak Testing

[JavaJacketOC]

The design seems cool, honestly not sure how efficient it is to have the fuge and skimmer actions happen at the same time vs. skimmer then fuge.

1. Water enters the first chamber from the overflow and immediately starts flowing into the fuge area
2. Once the water level reaches the skimmer sock height the fuge area is just about full and from the filter sock chamber it flows into the skimmer section
3. The fuge area has a grate at the top that overflows into an area that fees into the return pump area (you can see the space in the last picture above)
4. The skimmer section has grates that feed into the return pump area about half way up the side

I would prefer that all the water go through the filter sock I don't know if feeding into the sock directly would cause an issue with fuge area.

 

Going to try and get this installed tonight, will post pics when I'm done.

[JavaJacketOC]

Up and running. I like the sump, it feels very solid but given the size and shape I think I would have preferred clear inner chamber wall dividers. Obviously I didn't set the sump up the way it's intended but I think I'll need easier access to the fuge and "back chambers" more than I will the skimmer area.

 

[JavaJacketOC]

GM NR...I snapped a full length shot of the tank and sump last night while getting ready to feed...thought I'd share.

 

Now I just need to figure out where to hide all my cords and the ATO res.

 

[gena]

Everything looks awesome! I'll have to remember that little sump for the future .

 

Really nice clean setup you have .

[JavaJacketOC]

Everything looks awesome! I'll have to remember that little sump for the future .

 

Really nice clean setup you have .

 

Thanks Gena!

[JavaJacketOC]

Evening all...was bored this weekend and made the rounds to a couple local fish stores

 

Found this pink chalice in a 10.00 tank

 

 

 

Some nice zoas

 

 

 

Yellow Cucumber

 

[JR!]

wow what a cool build. really into this one

[JavaJacketOC]

wow what a cool build. really into this one

 

Thank you sir

[JavaJacketOC]

Have been lacking on keeping the thread up to date...a few pictures from new residents after the last post

 

"Goldmember" Chalice

 

Gold Maxima (actually has more of a reddish gold tone but could not capture the color correctly)

 

Pink Flowerpot

 

Mayan Sun Favia (always hungry so don't get to see the pattern much)

[vlangel]

Nice tank, and sump. Gotta love trim and tidy!

[JavaJacketOC]

Nice tank, and sump. Gotta love trim and tidy!

[nismo_sky32]

Are you still running the eshopps sump? Just picked one up and wondering how you like it

[JavaJacketOC]

Are you still running the eshopps sump? Just picked one up and wondering how you like it

 

Hi. I am still running this sump. Overall I like it however I think it would be better used with higher flow return pumps. I'm using a Hydor Utility 1100 but because the water channels 2 routes simultaneously the fuge has very low flow. I've experienced issues with slime algae over my cheato when it becomes moderately dense.

[nismo_sky32]

Thanks for the input. What's the gph on the hydor 1100? I'm currently looking for a different pump for the sump

[JavaJacketOC]

Thanks for the input. What's the gph on the hydor 1100? I'm currently looking for a different pump for the sump

 

I believe it's around 300-350 gph after head pressure loss

[metrokat]

How do you like that sump?

[metrokat]

 

Haven't tested for a couple weeks but the last few times I've tested it's been 8.2 PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate = 0. Calc was 420, Alk was 8

 

Mag tested today, was 1290

Brought this forward from my thread.

This tank isn't new right? Because ammonia and nitrite tests aren't needed after your tank has been running cycled for a while. The fish waste and left over foods produce ammonia as they break down but as part of the tanks filtration and biological function, it processes these without blinking.

 

Nitrate 0 and phosphate 0 even after feeding means the tank needs more food. I would not dump a whole bunch in to achieve this however - I would consistently feed a little bit every day and slowly ramp up the amount you feed. Shut off pumps and target food very small particle foods for the corals. LPS need larger food like brine or mysis or pellets but not SPS and softies.

 

When I feed the corals I leave the pumps off for at least 30 minutes.

 

Hope that encourages polyp extension. Also acropower is a good amino acid to use - it encourages a feeding response, so the polyps start to come out, then when you feed, the coral is able to capture the food.

[JavaJacketOC]

Brought this forward from my thread.

This tank isn't new right? Because ammonia and nitrite tests aren't needed after your tank has been running cycled for a while. The fish waste and left over foods produce ammonia as they break down but as part of the tanks filtration and biological function, it processes these without blinking.

 

Nitrate 0 and phosphate 0 even after feeding means the tank needs more food. I would not dump a whole bunch in to achieve this however - I would consistently feed a little bit every day and slowly ramp up the amount you feed. Shut off pumps and target food very small particle foods for the corals. LPS need larger food like brine or mysis or pellets but not SPS and softies.

 

When I feed the corals I leave the pumps off for at least 30 minutes.

 

Hope that encourages polyp extension. Also acropower is a good amino acid to use - it encourages a feeding response, so the polyps start to come out, then when you feed, the coral is able to capture the food.

 

 

Thanks, I will give this a try. I haven't used anything like acropower but I like to feed/supplement a few different things so maybe I'll hadd this into the rotation.

[Gary.F]

How's the flow? Do you use the intermittent setting on the RW-4?

What settings are you using on the Razor?

 

Sorry for the question barrage.

 

That green Monti Cap looks like it has grown up to the glass so somethings going right in there even if the polyps aren't bothering to come out and say "thanks".