After 9 years away...a 30 gallon cube begins. Update10/22/18 better pics added to update

[Privateer]

So I left the hobby about 9 years ago due changes in my mother's health and the requirements there didn't allow time to care for a tank. My wife and I started discussing starting another reef and what we wanted several weeks ago. I always said I would never do another aio , or a tank that wasn't drilled. I told her a 30ish gallon cube was what I would want and it would have to be  drilled. That same day I found a reef ready  30 gallon frag tank from Deep Blue Professional on Craigslist , brand new for $125,...sold...the guy had a used Chinese black box LED and a customer bracket he threw in for another $75.

 

 

So I needed a stand and my carpentry skills are seriously lacking but I found Simpson Strong Ties and couple days later came up with this.

 

 

I picked up a Mag 5 for a return pump and an Ice Cap k2-50 skimmer.

 

 

Decided to use a 15 gallon tank as a sump and installed some baffles plumbed it with a Herbie drain, and will be using the center chamber as a fuge.

 

 

 

 

 

I have about 25 lbs of dead rock and a small piece of live. I decided a "cove" look might be nice, with lots of caves and hidy holes.

 

 

So I'm 7 days into the cycle, ammonia is 20ppm...water is a tad cloudy right now, I suspect that's the ammonia. The skimmer is putting out tons of microbubbles and I'm hoping this go away as the skimmer breaks in. I do have the skimmer running but it is not collecting anything so it will not disrupt the cycle.

 

I pulled the optics from the LEDs for a more even spread and covered the red and green LEDs, hopefully I can replace those with white of some type.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up will be circulation pumps.

 

All thoughts and suggestions are appreciated.

[specore]

I love these scapes.   So many possibilties!

[sadie]

Very nice!!

[Frag Factory]

This is fantastic, I love the industrial looking stand. Bad ass.

 

 

 

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome back to the community @Privateer! 👋

 

That's a sweet deal on your new tank, nice work on the build. Very clever use of Simpson ties for the tank stand, I had never considered that solution before! You should make a little post in our DIY Project Forum to share the advice 🙂 

[Privateer]

On 7/13/2018 at 5:03 PM, Christopher Marks said:

Welcome back to the community @Privateer! 👋

 

That's a sweet deal on your new tank, nice work on the build. Very clever use of Simpson ties for the tank stand, I had never considered that solution before! You should make a little post in our DIY Project Forum to share the advice 🙂 

Thanks all.....the Simpson Ties are so easy!!.....Just get your wood cut to whatever the size ya want and the ties hold it all together...if you use high quality screws it will support a lot of weight.

 

Still cycling... ammonia and nitrites are high...nature sure isn't in a hurry

[FISHnChix]

Pretty neat.. following along

[1891Bro]

@Privateer at 20ppm ammonia the establishing of the cycle is gonna get slowed down. Change water to get them under 5ppm to speed thing up. If you’re not in a hurry just hold tight and nature will take its course. I stared at that 6th pic for a few minutes wondering how you got the sand to look like one of those zen rock deals but then I realized it was just a towel. 

On 7/13/2018 at 1:51 PM, Frag Factory said:

This is fantastic, I love the industrial looking stand. Bad ass.

 

 

 

I’ve worked in coal, gas and, nuke powerhouses, multiple car plants (foreign and domestic), water treatment plants, even a place that made the cardboard six pack bottle holders. Nothing industrial about wood. At all.  Gotta agree that the stand does look very nice         

[Privateer]

10 minutes ago, 1891Bro said:

@Privateer at 20ppm ammonia the establishing of the cycle is gonna get slowed down. Change water to get them under 5ppm to speed thing up. If you’re not in a hurry just hold tight and nature will take its course. I stared at that 6th pic for a few minutes wondering how you got the sand to look like one of those zen rock deals but then I realized it was just a towel. 

I’ve worked in coal, gas and, nuke powerhouses, multiple car plants (foreign and domestic), water treatment plants, even a place that made the cardboard six pack bottle holders. Nothing industrial about wood. At all.  Gotta agree that the stand does look very nice         

Sorry... forgot the decimal point... ammonia is 2.0 ppm

[MrsK]

Nice build, following along. Welcome back to the addiction.

[Privateer]

I found this ATI Sunpower dimmable 4x24 brand new in the box with 4 new ATI bulbs on eBay and won it for just over 2 hundred. I think this will work out better than the unknown Chinese LED.

 

 

Ammonia is finally zero, waiting on nitrites now.

 

[McCune]

Nice pick up with the light. A Nanobox retro would be awesome in the fixture 

[1891Bro]

25 minutes ago, Privateer said:

I found this ATI Sunpower dimmable 4x24 brand new in the box with 4 new ATI bulbs on eBay and won it for just over 2 hundred. I think this will work out better than the unknown Chinese LED.

 

 

Ammonia is finally zero, waiting on nitrites now.

 

Summanabitch, I’m gonna have to try your style if I ever go big. Find the deals. Don’t molest that light with retros. Supplement maybe, but don’t modify. Now quit penny pinching and finish this ####er up. 

[Privateer]

Picked up an Ice Cap 1k gyre this morning and promptly created a sand storm in my tank. As soon it clears back up and I learn to interpret the hieroglyphics in the instructions, I'll try to get it set up half way decent. I do think that this will be a great pump for my tank.

[Privateer]

Finally got through the cycle, water parameters are good. Added a couple of snails a few hermits and a small zoa frag.

 

[Christopher Marks]

So it begins! Congrats @Privateer!

[Privateer]

Haven't really added a whole bunch to the tank but I did get an ATO system, from autotopoff.com...nice product if on a budget, and I added some shrooms...2 small rocks with around 18 mushrooms... Im taking it slow as far as bioload...figure the slower the better there.

 

 

 

[Privateer]

I ordered from Live Aquaria for the first time and got a nice Fiji yellow Sarc, and a small Devil's hand. Good experience there. I picked up a small frag of zoas as well. Getting small spots of coralline on all rocks. So far ,so good.

 

 

 

 

[Privateer]

Well.... I decided to redo the post as the pics kinda sucked....since the last update I've figured out the Devil's Hand was actually a Finger Leather. It is really turning out nice, he's a really nice pinkish purple,and he has nealry doubled in size.

 

 

I've added several zoa frags and all seem to be growing, some slower than others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past weekend I picked up a Neon Green Nepthea, and a Devil's Hand.

 

 

Candy canes

 

 

 

And this guy...Starry Blenny...he thinks he owns the tank...will not allow any Hermit crabs near his territory, and tips over any frags or rocks that I place near HIS mushroom garden.

 

 

Blennies mushrooms

 

 

 

Tank is doing well, seeing decent coralline growth , and Mico fauna is appearing as well. Overall I'm happy at this point.

 

[Privateer]

Thought I'd post some progress pics. I've added a few things, and dressed up the stand a little.

 

I added a frogspawn it has 2 heads and if what I read online..a third is on the way...it's grown nice. 

 

 

I added my fist sps , an ora stylophora. I am seeing considerable growth on it.

 

 

These are my candy canes, started out as 3 small heads but they have really grown. I added some alveapora which is visible in the bottom of that pic, it's growing nicely as well.

 

Neon green nepthia has grown as well the devil's hand.

 

 

I closed up the stand with some distressed leather fabric for a different look, and added a small shelf unit holding all the controllers and power strips.

 

 

Finally...the FTS....far from done and not as stellar as some tanks...but it's working and growing so I'm happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jack1978]

Tank is looking great!