Slinger's 25 gal Cube

[GunslingerGirl]

Hey again everyone!

So I am picking up a 18" cube from the LFS on Wed. I have a makeshift metal stand I will be putting together while I leak test. Essentially two metal tables with a solid hunk of wood on top. Going to do a second test for weight by slowly adding a couple of gallons and rock as we go along.

Current FTS

 

1/7/2017

 

Equipment
 

 

Tank
Mr. Aqua knockoff/Marineland?
18" by 18" by 18"
25 gallons

Lighting
Par 38 bulb

Filtration
10-15 lbs live rock from previous tank
10-15 lbs dry rock from basement/garage storage, soaked during leak test and bleached
Aquaclear 110 fuge mod with Oceanbox surface skimmer (to be bought)

Flow
Koralia 425 x2


I plan to run this tank with between 1 -2" of medium grain sand
20lbs of dry sand
5-10 lbs of old sand, washed, from old tank

Livestock (planned) *Already owned SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS CASH ALLOWS
 

 

Fish
*Ocellaris clown, misbar- "Milo"
*Yellow Watchman Goby
(Firefish)
(Flasher or Fairy wrasse)
(coral beauty or half black angel?)

Invertebrates
*Candy Pistol Shrimp- RIP
(Pom pom crabs)
(Nem shrimp)
*various hermits and CUC

*emerald crab

*pink hitchhiker rock crab who lives in the AC

Anemones
(flower nems)
(maxi mini nems)
(Bubble tip)

Corals
(zoas/palys)
(acans)
*Hammer (purple and green)- RIP
(shrooms)
(various softies/other LPS)
 

Welcoming feedback on the setup/ bioload/ fish choices!

~Slinger

[jack1978]

Everything sounds good.....I'd skip the angel / coral beauty if it were my tank....pretty good chance they'll eat your coral. Unless you know this and just want to roll the dice :^ )

I've always wanted a Lemon Peel Angel.....

Take a look at the Possum Wrasse.....very cool little fish.

[GunslingerGirl]

Everything sounds good.....I'd skip the angel / coral beauty if it were my tank....pretty good chance they'll eat your coral. Unless you know this and just want to roll the dice :^ )

I've always wanted a Lemon Peel Angel.....

Take a look at the Possum Wrasse.....very cool little fish.

That's why there's a question mark lol I love angels but I just don't know if they fit the style of the tank. Lemon's are cute but still carry the risks of angels yea?

 

I have always wanted a fairy/flasher wrasse but never had the tank.

 

I want another show fish to go with the wrasse which is why I choose an angel... but I doubt I'll be able to take that risk.. I like my acans and zoas more lol

[jack1978]

That's why there's a question mark lol I love angels but I just don't know if they fit the style of the tank. Lemon's are cute but still carry the risks of angels yea?

 

I have always wanted a fairy/flasher wrasse but never had the tank.

 

I want another show fish to go with the wrasse which is why I choose an angel... but I doubt I'll be able to take that risk.. I like my acans and zoas more lol

Same here.

If you want a super cool fish with huge personality, check out the "Mimic Puffer". It's actually a filefish, but looks almost identical to the saddle puffer. I've had mine for a few months now, leaves everything alone in my tank.....only eats pods and Mysis. Diver's Den has had them recently.

 

I have a few pictures of mine scattered through the last few pages of my thread.

[GunslingerGirl]

Same here.

If you want a super cool fish with huge personality, check out the "Mimic Puffer". It's actually a filefish, but looks almost identical to the saddle puffer. I've had mine for a few months now, leaves everything alone in my tank.....only eats pods and Mysis. Diver's Den has had them recently.

 

I have a few pictures of mine scattered through the last few pages of my thread.

But wouldn't a mimic feel inclined to snack on the crustaceans in the tank? Pom pom/ nem shrimp safety is key.

Although I guess there IS a small risk with the wrasse in the tank...

[jack1978]

But wouldn't a mimic feel inclined to snack on the crustaceans in the tank? Pom pom/ nem shrimp safety is key.

Although I guess there IS a small risk with the wrasse in the tank...

 

No guarantee........one fish may be fine, and the next may have a hanker'n for some shrimp.

After watching mine for the past few months, I would try a shrimp or crab.

[GunslingerGirl]

Well we will see where it all leads. I'm a long ways off for too concrete stocking plans anyway. After all I can't put them in my imaginary tank lol

[GunslingerGirl]

Got the tank today! Gonna get it wet after I clean it out.

 

And a picture of the very confused dog.

 

[GunslingerGirl]

Tank is wet. Going to give it over night and some of tomorrow for the leak test. Usually I like to do a few days... but I have family coming into town with the rest of my stand. Well everything but the slab of wood. Have to go to home depot or something for that. I'd have my father in law cut me a slab of glass but I don't want to deal with getting it 4 hours away.

 

Thinking I'm going to order 30 lbs of Caribsea Super Reef. I like the bigger grains and the spread of sizes. Should be nice for the pistol to play with.

 

Found my trusty rock hammer so I can make some rubble for the pistols house. Might have to have a vote of what to kill. I'm so attached. I bought 20 lbs of dead coral skeletons a few years back and I think it'll be kinda cool to have live coral growing on old stuff.

 

Going to run it bare bones for a couple months and then add the aquaclear with no carbon and add carbon if I see fit. I'm also going to get the surface skimmer from oceanbox. Think that'll be nice. Until then I will use my ghetto surface skimmer. lol

 

 

Any suggestions welcome!

[GunslingerGirl]

Leak test passed! Picked up my custom lid from the LFS. Going to fit it on tomorrow. Also have my dry rock. Going to soak it since it's been in the garage.

[Snow_Phoenix]

Wohoo! Nice start - upload more pics when the rock/sand is in, please!

[GunslingerGirl]

Wohoo! Nice start - upload more pics when the rock/sand is in, please!

Will do!

 

Sand should be here tomorrow. I am going to get some 5 or 10 gallon buckets and get some pre made saltwater from the store. I am too lazy to mix to start and I don't want to buy that much distilled.

 

Going to soak the dry rock and see how much I have...

 

Maybe I will upload a picture of my pieces before they go into the bucket lol

[GunslingerGirl]

 

That's the "rock". So you can see I have a lot of dead corals, a larger rock (which will match the large rock in the 5 gallon), some medium rocks... and even a barnacle. Which I think would be cool if the pistol choose to live in. Just saying.

And that wavy piece is going to look soooo cool covered in zoas.

[teenyreef]

Those are some great pieces! This tank is going to be great

[GunslingerGirl]

Those are some great pieces! This tank is going to be great

 

Aww thanks! That means a lot!

 

I'm hoping to make an inverted U. Or at least a super cool cave.

Also just bought a used par 38 bulb from another user. Can't wait to get started!

 

So light- on the way- half check. (Kinda going to need a second one later on for better coral spread)

 

Sand- half check

 

Rock- check and soaking

 

Skimmer I am feeling is the hydor slimskim nano (up to 35 gallons)... anybody want to chime in on that one?

[Snow_Phoenix]

I like those dead SPS pieces. If you could somehow make some GSP stick to the tops of the skeleton much later on, you could make a 'tree'(s) in your tank.

 

Can't back up the skimmer since I've never seen that brand over here. But I guess it should be okay.

[Anden]

Nice hope to see more

[GunslingerGirl]

Nice hope to see more

 

Thanks! Sand is on the way today!

 

Going to grab some big buckets and get some water either today or tomorrow.

[GunslingerGirl]

Got my sand today... not what I was expecting them to send. They sent me aragonite 1-4 mm.

 

Wanted only up to 2 or 3 mm.... but will this suffice? I feel like returning it will be a huge hassle.

[jack1978]

Aww thanks! That means a lot!

 

I'm hoping to make an inverted U. Or at least a super cool cave.Also just bought a used par 38 bulb from another user. Can't wait to get started!

 

So light- on the way- half check. (Kinda going to need a second one later on for better coral spread)

 

Sand- half check

 

Rock- check and soaking

 

Skimmer I am feeling is the hydor slimskim nano (up to 35 gallons)... anybody want to chime in on that one?

Great skimmer. I used one in my BC 29.

The only negative is keeping the water level constant. I was topping off manually. ....and lazily. ...so, waterlevel would rise and fall.

 

I would highly recommend setting up an ATO....to keep your salinity from swinging and to keep your skimmer skimming happily.

 

Again, great skimmer.

[GunslingerGirl]

Great skimmer. I used one in my BC 29.

The only negative is keeping the water level constant. I was topping off manually. ....and lazily. ...so, waterlevel would rise and fall.

 

I would highly recommend setting up an ATO....to keep your salinity from swinging and to keep your skimmer skimming happily.

 

Again, great skimmer.

I'm going to ghetto-rig an ATO. I did it once with a gallon jug and some tubing lol Gravity fed and closed pressure insured it kept up and never overfed. Little annoying but will suffice for a month or so until the next wave of money freedom comes in. I don't have a job as I am a full-time student so I have to watch how much I spend or else I won't have enough for rent at the end of the month.

 

I am going to run it without the skimmer for awhile. I want to just get the clown moved over... let the tank sit, give it some ammon-lock like stuff for a few weeks. Keep up with water changes... and eventually add the skimmer and an ato.

 

Maybe around Christmas I can get the skimmer, RO/DI and ATO. I have no intentions on moving faster than maybe adding a fish in that time. I want to let everything go slow and eventually get to the good stuff (corals and macros and pistols!)

But good to know somebody else likes this brand.

[GunslingerGirl]

Worried about the sand size for a sand goby... I don't want them to rub up against it and hurt themselves...

 

Anybody have anything on that matter? I bought 30 lbs of the stuff since it was on sale online... but was sent the next size up. Damn Amazon.

[GunslingerGirl]

Just found out the rock I rinsed in my tap water.. probably has chloramine.. FML.

[jack1978]

Just found out the rock I rinsed in my tap water.. probably has chloramine.. FML.

I wouldn't stress much on it.

[GunslingerGirl]

Thanks jack

 

Yea I'm just pissed because I was told we had one company by the landlord when we didn't.... I can tell it is going to be a blast to live here for 4 years

Might pick up some amquel or something just in case. I have fw too anyway so it'll get used.