Cjtabares’ 45gal cubish build

[Cjtabares]

have started to set up my tank I have had previously set up, with a few changes and updates.

Equipment:
45gal (24x24x18) tank
2 15gal sumps
Apex classic
1 mp10 esw
24” 4 bulb Aquatic Life T5 fixture
-think I will be adding a Radeon rx15 g6
Super Reef Octopus 1000-Int
Vertex Zeovit reactor

The plan is to start a fishless cycle in the next few days when the rest of the supplies I order come in. Will be using Microbactor7 to seed the tank with some bacteria. My stock list plan is:
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Purple Firefish
Royal Gramma
Diamond watchmen goby or Randall's prawn goby
Adorned Wrasse(maybe)
Long nose hawkish(maybe)

As for corals I am planning an SPS dominated tank, really like Birdsnest corals. A few from Jason fox have caught my eye. Not sure what else I will put in for coral.

Don’t think this one is a birdsnest.

I plan on running the basic Zeovit, the Zeolite, ZeoBac, ZeoStart, and ZeoFeed. Planning on dosing All-for-reef and amino acids, keep the fish well feed, and am toying with the idea of dosing Phos-feed. Hoping to use Zeovit to keep nutrients down, while being able to provide everything with ample nutrition.

This is where I am so far.

In the coming weeks I plan to add sand to the tank, get it cycled, and finish the stand. I plan on going pretty simple with the stand, just some poplar ply panted, using magnets to keep them attached to the steel stand, but still allowing for easy removal.

I thinks that it for now. Thanks for reading, and feel free to ask any questions.

 

[Cpage101]

Coming along nicely.

 

[Cjtabares]

Coming along nicely.

Thank you. Everything I need to start should be here today. Hopefully I have it going this weekend.

 

[Duds]

Nice setup! I like your dual sump setup good thinking and use of space.

 

[Cjtabares]

Nice setup! I like your dual sump setup good thinking and use of space.

Thank you. Wish I had a little more room, but it works well enough.

 

[Cjtabares]

BRS order came in. Hopefully I can get the sand in today and get some RODI water made so I can start the cycle this weekend.

 

[Cjtabares]

rinsed the sand and got it in the tank. It’s at about 2.25”, don’t think I need the 2nd bag of sand. I like how this looks, and should still be enough for the fish that need a sand bed.

 

[Cjtabares]

Waiting on a few things for my RODI unit so I can fill it up. I have worked on wiring and the apex, just need to find the best way to hide these wires.

 

[Reefried]

You could get some wire/cable management trays and paint then the same color as the wall. Put them right about the baseboard. Or just get white and put it on the baseboard.

 

[Cjtabares]

Got the tank filled and started the cycle. Used microbactor7 and ammonia, added them last night. I got a nitrate reading this morning, seemed fast. I also definitely did not rinse the sand enough.

 

[Chris.sturgis]

Looks like a nice little build! I would disregard that nitrate reading since you just set it up and hanna nitrate HR checkers have a +- accuracy window and are not accurate near 0.

 

[Cjtabares]

Looks like a nice little build! I would disregard that nitrate reading since you just set it up and hanna nitrate HR checkers have a +- accuracy window and are not accurate near 0.

Thanks! Yeah, I am going to just keep testing ammonia until it starts to come down.

 

[Cjtabares]

I finally added some fish to this tank. 2 clown fish for now. Son chose the misbar, and wife chose the other.

 

[Cjtabares]

A few small updates. Finished the stand with some plywood I attached magnets to, lets me access the whole area under the tank. Thought if I used doors it would make it even more difficult to do anything in the sump.

Primed and painted it.

 

[Duds]

A few small updates. Finished the stand with some plywood I attached magnets to, lets me access the whole area under the tank. Thought if I used doors it would make it even more difficult to do anything in the sump. View attachment 203412View attachment 203413

Primed and painted it.
View attachment 203414

Slick I like that!

 

[Cjtabares]

Got a good deal on a used AI Prime and some T5 bulbs, thanks @dz6t , I installed those and set the lights to my liking. It is 4 blue+ bulbs, and a modified version of BRS ab+ setting on the AI Prime. Got a few beginner friendly corals to see how it goes, a birds nest, and a stylophora. He even hooked me up with a monti cap.

 

[Cjtabares]

Slick I like that!

Thanks, I like the way it came out, simple (keeps the attention on the tank), I was really happy with the color too.

 

[Reefried]

Looking good!

 

[Cjtabares]

So the edges of the stand started to chip so I decided to put on a trim. Happy the way it came out, now just to paint them.

 

[Cjtabares]

Some pics of the coral.

And of the urchin picking up some decor.