nanoreef-R Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Hey all, I've been looking to set up another tank and wanted a something small and esthetic. I looked into the Fluval and Innovative Marine tanks, but I was really going for an AIO with a canopy to ensure a clean look. I came across the JBJ Cubey and decided to give it a try. Overall Design: Perhaps what I love most about the tank is it's clean look. While rimless tanks do indeed look beautiful when empty, they easily become cluttered and unsightly after a few months of reefing. The Cubey on the other hand makes most equipment disappear under it's hood or in the filtration chambers. Here is a photo for size comparison: The feeding door is small but will allow a turkey baster or other feeding device through to allow feeding of inverts (or maybe even a fish). It remains too small an opening to spot feed corals, but the hood opens easily and can be held open during tank maintenance. Cons: The overall plastic quality is reflective of the $85/$105 price tag. The hood's plastic is "light" to say the least and pushing or pulling a little too hard could result in a tear. The fit between the rim of the tank and the lighting hood also needs work. All in all, none of these drawbacks are serious problems and have not impeded my overall positive experience with the aquarium. Lighting: The tank has only been set up for about 10 days, and I have yet to add corals, so I can't provide any growth or reaction details. The 54 low-wattage LED's seem bright, and are configured as shown. Time will tell wether or not the light can support a variety of corals. The light runs warm to the touch and is protected from the water by a screwed-in plastic cover. The only unsightly aspect of this light is the strong blue streak it creates on higher placed live rock. This is due to the middle LED array being solely blue. I will attempt to place fluorescent corals under this streak in order to make use of this blue light. It is also unfortunate that the tank comes with three light switches and only one power cord. This severely limits the lighting possibilities and pretty much prohibits any sunrise/sunset automatic simulation. Filtration: The rear chambers are pretty well organized for such a small tank. The three chambers measure 2", 3" & 3" respectively, each approximately 2.75" across. The first chamber will fit most 25 & 50 Watt heaters (water level in the chambers is around 8"). The second chamber can serve as a refugium or media area, and flows into the third chamber, filled by a pump that puts out 60 GPH. Keep in mind that the total water volume is 3 gallons, and so it's more like 60 GPH in a 2 gallon tank. Judging by the things I've seen floating throughout the tank, this return is enough flow for most corals. All in all I'm extremely happy with the tank and can't wait to add corals and perhaps a couple LEDs. Link to comment
bdevillier19 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 looks like a good tank however that blue streak is a bit of a bummer. maybe a small piece of light defuser panel from lowes or homedepot will help to break that up. hopefully without killing the light output. how wide is the hood inside? would a 12" stunner strip fit? Link to comment
nanoreef-R Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 looks like a good tank however that blue streak is a bit of a bummer. maybe a small piece of light defuser panel from lowes or homedepot will help to break that up. hopefully without killing the light output. how wide is the hood inside? would a 12" stunner strip fit? Definitely not. The lighting fixture itself is 6" and the entire tank is a mere 12... Link to comment
bdevillier19 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Definitely not. The lighting fixture itself is 6" and the entire tank is a mere 12... well if thats the case i guess its time for a DIY fixture Link to comment
nanoreef-R Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 well if thats the case i guess its time for a DIY fixture What I think would be ideal for this tank is the Rapid LED 6 LED dimmable kit. The only problem is I haven't yet figured out a way to remove the hood from the rest of the tank, and there would be no way of adding a heatsink... Just bought some coral's, will update on their progress under the stock lights. Link to comment
bdevillier19 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 i thought read somewhere that the top was removable. i think jbj says that on their website when you look up the owners manual for the cubey Link to comment
Reeftech Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Ive been waiting to see a build on one of these.Looks like you got a good start there. The best thing i like about this tank is that its a aio with square lines.No more horrible bow front with curved corners. 1 Link to comment
nanoreef-R Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 i thought read somewhere that the top was removable. i think jbj says that on their website when you look up the owners manual for the cubey That would be great. I threw my manual away but remember seeing it on their website. I'll give it a look, thanks! Edit: The manual does say the "top part" can be removed. Just tried this following their instructions but with little success... Link to comment
Reeftech Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Any updates on this tank?Im really considering one. Link to comment
Reeftech Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 How did you deal with the bottom intake grill being so low. Link to comment
jdavis28 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Great Review, awesome pictures. Any updates on the tank? Seriously 60GPH, sounds like a serious current in there. Link to comment
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