[4corners]

Hey everyone. Here is a couple of pics of my new 50 gallon cube. It has been running for 45 days. I will post again soon with all the stats. Having problems posting, so I want to see if this works.

 

[Dave's Not Here]

Nice look. Yes, it works.

 

[4corners]

Well I guess that post worked so here are the stats. My goal is to transfer livestock little by little from 2 maxed out biocubes as this tank matures. I am already enjoying the benefits of a bigger tank!

Equipment:

24wx24dx20h frameless 10mm
Custom DIY hood w/ 4 fans (2inflow 2outflow on controller)
18 gal 5 compartment sump
1 Hydor 240
2 Hydor 425
1 Hydor 600
Hydor Smartwave controller
1 Kessil 360w led light w/ Spectral Controller
1 20" 2 bulb t5
1 20" led strip
125w Jager heater
SCA 301 skimmer
2 cf 10w 50/50 sump lights

Filtration:

chamber 1 -4" sock bioballs/ceramic rings
chamber 2-protein skimmer
chamber 3-heater, macro algae & softy frags
chamber 4-small refugium to DIY filter
chamber 5-return pump (room for media bags chemical filtration etc.)
Parameters:

temp-78.3
salinity-1.0255
ph- 8.1
amn -0
nitrite-0
nitrate-0
phosphate-.125
kh 7-8.5
mg-1290
ca-380 -420

Livestock:
Fish & Inverts
Fish
2 Ocellaris Clownfish (CB)
4 Spotted Cardinalfish
1 Six Line Wrasse
1 Orchid Dottyback(CB)
Snails (populations vary but a target if you will)
4 Astraeas
2 Bumble Bee
3 Nassarius
5 Nerites
4 cerith
Crabs (populations vary but a target if you will)
5 Blue Legged Hermits
2 Red Legged Hermits
Other Inverts
Brittle & Asterina Sea Stars
Feather Dusters
Pseudocorynactis
Sponges
Bristleworms

Corals
Softies
Long Polyped Toadstool (Sarcophyton)
Pulsing Xenia (Xenia)
Green Star Polyps (pachyclavularia)
Mushroom (Discosoma) Red, Blue, Purple and Green
Ricordea (Ricordea Florida) Green
Ricordea (Ricordea Yuma) Green, blue and orange
Yellow Polyps (Parazoanthus)
Colony Polyps (Palythoa) Various Colors
Colony Polyps (Zoanthus) Assorted Colors
Organ-pipe (Tubipora musica)

LPS
Acans (Acanthastrea) Assorted Colors, Red, Orange, Pink, Blue
Trumpet Coral (Caulastrea) Neon Green, Red & Green
Duncan (Duncanopsammia)
Frogspawn (Euphyllia) Purple Tipped Branching,Green Tipped
Sprungs Stunner (Echinopora)
Flowerpot coral (Goniopora) Lime Green/ Purple & Green
Brain coral (Favites) Green & Red,Purple & Green,neon green
Pineapple coral(Blastomussa wellsi) Ultra orange, Red & Green
Crust coral(Leptastrea) John Deere and Gates of Hell
Miami Hurricane Chalice (Echinopora)

SPS
Montipora Plate(Montipora Sp.) Red, Green
(Psammocora) Toxic Green, Watermelon
Cauliflower coral(Pocillopora damicornis) Pink & Green
Mystic sunset Monti (Montipora Sp.)Blue & red
Birdsnest (Seriatopora hystrix)Pink & Green
Green polyped Sunset Monti (Montipora Sp.)Red & Green
Purple Stylophora(Stylophora Sp.)Purple
MACROALGAE (in sump)
Halymenia
Gracillaria
Caulerpa

Substrate:

40+ # liverock
1 inch aragonite

Thanks for looking and any comments welcome (updated 11-16-2016)
4corners

 

[4corners]

Thanks Creamhorses

I see you are a mod so maybe you can answer this:
When I have been trying to post on my other computer I receive a notice of needing one more character in post. My post is then lost or erased. could there be a setting on that machine that needs adjustment? Any ideas?

I might add the 1050 powerheads are a bit powerfull. They would blow barespots in the sand at first. The controller alternating them on/off seemed to help this. In hind sight I would have went with less powerfull ones. In my experience I have only hurt corals with too much flow rather than otherwise.

4corners

 

[blazend]

Nice clean tank! If you dont mind sharing some pics after its live stocked that would be great.

 

[4corners]

Thanks blazend. I added a picture of the sump up and running . I put together an acrylic and eggcrate divider with floss to minimize return pump buildup and isolate macroalgae and other small organizisms to sump. Always a work in progress right. I should post pics of my biocubes before I start transfering stuff. I'm sort of waiting for coraline algae to start before moving much further on the 50.

4corners

 

[4corners]

Update on Progress

Hey Everyone

I have been busy slowly transferring over stock from both biocubes. A little at a time, week by week during water changes. It has been a chore to do this. Removing GSP is the worst!! :ac15:It is hard to get at the liverock on the bottom . All the top live rock growth has to be checked and moved first.

The Kessil is way powerfull compared to pc so most of the coral is scattered on the sandbed acclimating. This reminds me of moving into a new house, with crap everywhere, realizing you need to get rid of some stuff. Goal is to complete this by late Feb. Moving slow seems to be the key. I've been lucky thus far so hopefully all goes well. I definitely have a respect for those of you that have done this before. On a side note the new wrasse loves to eat the stray critters (poor things don't stand a chance).

It is all good quality time in the hobby, I love it !

 

[4corners]

More moving of livestock underway

Still transfering livestock but thought I'd update again. Looking a little more like a reef now. I'm planning on building a hood/canopy when I free up my wood-working tools from a kitchen remodel.

 

[pmarkj]

Still transfering livestock but thought I'd update again. Looking a little more like a reef now. I'm planning on building a hood/canopy when I free up my wood-working tools from a kitchen remodel.

I liked the sparse build you had initially and how you spread the corals about. However, your last build is very nice too. Sometime height and hiding spaces are good especially depending to the breed of coral and fishes.

Nice job 4corners!

 

[SilliSwilli]

Still transfering livestock but thought I'd update again. Looking a little more like a reef now. I'm planning on building a hood/canopy when I free up my wood-working tools from a kitchen remodel.

Still new to the hobby. What is the Coral at the very top? I love it! Also is your sump a DIY or did you buy it pre-made?

 

[4corners]

I liked the sparse build you had initially and how you spread the corals about. However, your last build is very nice too. Sometime height and hiding spaces are good especially depending to the breed of coral and fishes.

Nice job 4corners!

Thanks pmarkj. The tank is only going to look less sparse as I still have a lot of livestock to move over. I kind of thought with everything acclimating on the bottom it looked more like a frag tank. You are right about keeping some good nooks and crannies. Those wrasses really like to cruise through tight corners and small spaces. So cool to watch.

Still new to the hobby. What is the Coral at the very top? I love it! Also is your sump a DIY or did you buy it pre-made?

Hi SilliSwilli, I am still pretty new to this hobby as well. I learn something new in the hobby every week when I have the time to play with it. The coral at the very top is Xenia-thanks for noticing. The sump came as part of the set up but I did a lot of DIY to put in a PVC drain and valve with a filter sock. I also modified the last chamber with a partition before the return pump. For sump lights I built a housing and installed two pc ten watt bulbs.

 

[chillwill007]

Very nice. Love the simplicity of the kessil. Makes these rimless tank look so elegant

 

[4corners]

Hey thanks chillwill007. Kessil makes a great product. I'm still looking for the "sweet spot" , running about 1/3 on.
Building a canopy for it . I have to post more pics, updates.
My two 14gals are looking a little naked right now but have some plans for them.

 

[4corners]

Here is a couple recent shots of the 50gal @ 150 days in.
I seem to be seeing by far the best coral growth in euphyllia and stunner chalice. Acans and caulastrea not so much. They might be still adjusting but I want to see those tentacles out. Acan color looks great under LED but extension is lacking. New lights, new tank, time will tell I guess. Everything survived the move over so I'm happy.
I have a couple more pieces of live rock to move that need to first be cleaned up a bit.

Biocube( #1) is under constuction. It seems to have become a frag/growout type thing. The other( #2), I'm waiting for shrimp eggs while battling some cyano. I need to update that link.:idea:

 

[4corners]

Canopy Build in Progress

I finished a kitchen counter remodel and have been working on a canopy. There isn't much for plans out there that I thought would be suitable. I pretty much had to wing it there. The main reason is to avoid condensation while cutting down on evaporation. Is that even possible? We'll see. I wanted to stay low profile with it as well as retaining the acrylic top. In the future I might need some accent lights ,pick up a t5 unit ,fans who knows. Hiding the water line might be cool too. We will see how it turns out.
The pictures are of the insides of the 4 sides ready to be glued.

 

[4corners]

Gluing and Test Fit

Being glued

Test Fit
Luckily the measurements were good and can now finish and paint.
I will definitely be needing the fans (80mm)for ventilation. Condensation is still likely. They should arrive in a few days.

 

[4corners]

Finish painting and holes/wiring for fans

After a short Vegas trip (saw a lot of aquariums) I finially have been able to spend time completing this canopy build. The wiring took a little time to figure out and a few holes to drill for fans but when paint has cured it should go together nicely. Smaller holes are for powerhead cords and other additions. Water changes might be a little more difficult with the height difference. Thinking of mounting at least one led strip in front but that is down the road.
It should be complete in a couple days, time permitting.

 

[pmarkj]

Cool canopy there 4corners! Can't wait to see it all come together.

 

[4corners]

Finished product

The canopy is on! Fans in back push in and fans on sides exhaust. Back fans have filters to keep dust out. I have the fans cycling 1 min on then 1 min off. Overflow trickle noice is gone now which is another plus. I'm sure there will be mods down the road but for now I'm happy.

 

[ChiWing]

Looks great! Nice job :thumbup: