50 Gallon Cube Build

[ProtoNate]

Not new to the hobby, but new to anything larger than 20 gallons.

Found a SCA 50 Gallon Cube for an unbelievable price, so I'm moving on up from my 14 gallon IM Nuvo.

Water and sand went in last night, just waiting on rockwork to get here this weekend. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Equipment:
SCA 50 Gallon Cube
SCA Stand
SCA 20 gallon sump
Kessil a360we Tuna Blue
Eshopps skimmer
Stock unbranded return
Caribsea special grade sand
Caribsea life rock
Tunze ATO
Marine orbit pro refugium light

Thanks for looking!

 

[shadesatsetbreak]

Remove the water and sand until your rock gets there!

 

[ProtoNate]

Remove the water and sand until your rock gets there!

I'm just warming up the tank for a few days, I really don't think it'll be that big of a deal. Any bacteria that don't find a place to live should just go dormant. Sump and overflow are empty to makeup for displacement when the rocks finally come.

 

[inletfish]

I'm just warming up the tank for a few days, I really don't think it'll be that big of a deal. Any bacteria that don't find a place to live should just go dormant. Sump and overflow are empty to makeup for displacement when the rocks finally come.

as long as the water is circulating you should be just fine

 

[Zack K]

Following along on this journey! Cant wait to see where this goes!

 

[inletfish]

oh im ridicuously impressed with my jebao return pump. like 56 bucks on amazon and this tank is now the quietest ive ever had. jbj45 you can check out my build if you like

 

[ProtoNate]

as long as the water is circulating you should be just fine

I've got a few power-heads and a Finnex keeping things going. The bacteria in the bags of live-sand and bottle I added would still be in the bag and bottle if not in the tank, so I figure not much has changed for them. Any that don't find space to land should just stay dormant.

 

[ProtoNate]

oh im ridicuously impressed with my jebao return pump. like 56 bucks on amazon and this tank is now the quietest ive ever had. jbj45 you can check out my build if you like

I was thinking of making that the first upgrade. It's just some chinesium unlabeled pump.

 

[inletfish]

I was thinking of making that the first upgrade. It's just some chinesium unlabeled pump.

do it. try the jebao pumps. i think i put a link in my thread. controllable, super silent and you can buy one and a backup for half the cost of one other pump. also got their ai powerhead knockoff, works splendidly

 

[inletfish]

i got the

Amazon.com : Jebao DCW-2000 dc water pump with sine Controller 528GPH 20W 8.2ft high lift for aquarium marine reef fish tank Circulation : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Jebao DCW-2000 dc water pump with sine Controller 528GPH 20W 8.2ft high lift for aquarium marine reef fish tank Circulation : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

and a

Amazon.com : Jebao SLW Series SINE Wave Flow Wave Maker Pump with Controller for Aquarium Fish Tank (SLW-20) : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Jebao SLW Series SINE Wave Flow Wave Maker Pump with Controller for Aquarium Fish Tank (SLW-20) : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

very happy with both products

 

[ProtoNate]

i got the

Amazon.com : Jebao DCW-2000 dc water pump with sine Controller 528GPH 20W 8.2ft high lift for aquarium marine reef fish tank Circulation : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Jebao DCW-2000 dc water pump with sine Controller 528GPH 20W 8.2ft high lift for aquarium marine reef fish tank Circulation : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

and a

Amazon.com : Jebao SLW Series SINE Wave Flow Wave Maker Pump with Controller for Aquarium Fish Tank (SLW-20) : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : Jebao SLW Series SINE Wave Flow Wave Maker Pump with Controller for Aquarium Fish Tank (SLW-20) : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

very happy with both products

On a bit of a budget now, so I'll have to save the wave-makers for another day, but I picked up this bad boy. I forgot that I use to have a Jebao on my 20 gallon long. Went with this model purely because it comes with a barbed fitting and I have a short section of soft-tubing on my return.

 

[inletfish]

On a bit of a budget now, so I'll have to save the wave-makers for another day, but I picked up this bad boy. I forgot that I use to have a Jebao on my 20 gallon long. Went with this model purely because it comes with a barbed fitting and I have a short section of soft-tubing on my return.

i probably wouldnt mind if mine had more flow, if i decide to get sps, but im not thinking so at this point

 

[ProtoNate]

i probably wouldnt mind if mine had more flow, if i decide to get sps, but im not thinking so at this point

I'm trying to decide if I really want to get into SPS or not, and if I did, if I would have to upgrade the lighting. I could get another a360, but I'm not sure that I really want to.

........being under-powered also keeps me from buying tons of expensive coral.

 

[shadesatsetbreak]

I'm just warming up the tank for a few days, I really don't think it'll be that big of a deal. Any bacteria that don't find a place to live should just go dormant. Sump and overflow are empty to makeup for displacement when the rocks finally come.

I wasn't talking about bacteria. You have to move the sand to put in rocks, and you'll invariably have to remove some water as you put in rocks. So why not just keep it out until rocks show up?
And what exactly does warming up the tank entail?

Edit: also use the jebao powerheads, huge fan! Er ..powerhead

 

[ProtoNate]

I wasn't talking about bacteria. You have to move the sand to put in rocks, and you'll invariably have to remove some water as you put in rocks. So why not just keep it out until rocks show up?
And what exactly does warming up the tank entail?

Edit: also use the jebao powerheads, huge fan! Er ..powerhead

Well, half was that I was excited and my sand came before the rockwork, half was that I wanted to jump start cycling.

not too worried about having to remove sand and I have 20Gs of empty space in the sump and another 5 in the overflow.

.......But it really boils down to me being a zealot.

 

[shadesatsetbreak]

.......But it really boils down to me being a zealot.

I have two tanks that are ready to go, everything except rocks. It has taken every ounce of willpower I have (not much) to resist just filling the things with water and flick on the lights to watch them be pretty....pretty empty.

I figured that's what "warming up the tank" meant haha

 

[ProtoNate]

I have two tanks that are ready to go, everything except rocks. It has taken every ounce of willpower I have (not much) to resist just filling the things with water and flick on the lights to watch them be pretty....pretty empty.

I figured that's what "warming up the tank" meant haha

I see we are cut from a similar cloth. I just have much less willpower.... Haha

 

[mattzang]

welcome!

i have the 50 gallon from SCA as well, it's a cool tank. my main piece of advice would be to ditch the return jets and replace with some legit loc line. i didn't and after a year and a half or so, they tend to get clogged with funk and you have to take them off and pull the jets off, which isn't nearly as annoying as putting them back on.

 

[ProtoNate]

welcome!

i have the 50 gallon from SCA as well, it's a cool tank. my main piece of advice would be to ditch the return jets and replace with some legit loc line. i didn't and after a year and a half or so, they tend to get clogged with funk and you have to take them off and pull the jets off, which isn't nearly as annoying as putting them back on.

Thank you!

do you have a tank build thread?

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I have a 50g cube, and I really enjoy it (even though it's not doing great at the moment). Following along!