Drawbacks to Cube?

Uptightjoker · Jul 8, 2019

Hi reefers,

I was planning on buying a 75 gallon tank from the LFS to start my first saltwater tank.. however I just found a 60 gallon cube on facebook marketplace for $150 (Tank, Stand and Eshopps sump). This seems like an insanely good deal, and I was thinking about jumping on it but wanted opinions/ideas on limitations/issues with a cube vs standard measurements, or if there were any (other than layout restrictions and being better to have front and side view vs just front view on the tank).

Anyone have thoughts/opinions?

BeejReef · Jul 8, 2019

That sounds like a really fantastic deal.

I don't own a cube, but really like the look of them.
One thing to consider is just livestock. If you're big into swimming fish, there is no "long side," for a tang-style fish to stretch its legs. You're probably not going tang in a 75 anyhow though.

Uptightjoker · Jul 8, 2019

yeah, I thought about that, but so far the only for sure thing I've got is I want a pair of clowns.. I'm leaning more towards light on fish, with lots of corals.. which of course means lots of good aquascaping

I was thinking if i centered the cube on a wall I could have it viewable from 3 sides and be able to make some nice setups for lots of surface area of rock without feeling like anything is hiding in the back

ReeferReefer · Jul 8, 2019

Good tank size and is the biggest you can go without needing a second light fixture.

Syed123 · Jul 8, 2019

Pros of a 60 gallon cube:

Easy to light, you really only need one pendent style LED/Metal Halide fixture. Even a T5 Fixture you really only need a 24", 4-6 bulb fixture.

Easy to maintain. Cleaning is simple. Have a center rock formation and clean the sand or glass around it.

Flow is much more affordable. The number of power heads you'll need versus a 4 foot 75 will be lower and less overall flow rate. 2 power heads would be good enough.

Easy to find a place for it at home. It's 2 foot by 2 foot vs 4 foot by 18 inches. Less real estate needed.

Cons:

Limited stocking compared to a 75.

Less water volume.

Less flexibility with a sump.

From personal experience a Cube aquarium is cost effective.

Devaji · Jul 8, 2019

my 2 cents.
love cubes for lighting options like said above easy to light with 1 fixture. the down side is, does it have internal over flow? will take up so much space. i had a 90 cube-ish 36x24x24 hated the internal over flow would have been perfect if it was drilled.

in the need I found i like the look of long tanks over cubes. personal choose tho lots of cube lovers out there.

post a pic of the tank in question and we tell ya what we think.
hows the stand MDF? still sounds like a good deal...

Uptightjoker · Jul 8, 2019

Thanks for the input

I thought it seemed good but wasn't sure if there were any major issues/flaws with a cube other than like you said.. limited stocking because there's less length. and personal preference... one of the biggest deciding factors for me right now is cost.. I know it's a patience and no cutting corners kinda thing, but if I can pick up a tank that is good at a decent price, that will cut alot of cost off initial investment, especially since it comes with a sump and stand.

Devaji said:
my 2 cents.
love cubes for lighting options like said above easy to light with 1 fixture. the down side is, does it have internal over flow? will take up so much space. i had a 90 cube-ish 36x24x24 hated the internal over flow would have been perfect if it was drilled.

in the need I found i like the look of long tanks over cubes. personal choose tho lots of cube lovers out there.

post a pic of the tank in question and we tell ya what we think.
hows the stand MDF? still sounds like a good deal...

It does have an internal overflow and that was one thing I was concerned about was how much that took up... it looks like it takes up quite a bit but not like an overwhelming amount of space. picture attached from when the tank was still setup.

I also got confirmation from the seller that he will fill it up before I go pick it up so I can inspect for scratches/leaks/cracks before buying.

mr9iron · Jul 8, 2019

I love cubes. Here is my 93 cube which is about 14 weeks old. Filtration is a Trigger Systems Triton cube sump with a Santa Monica Rain 2 algae scrubber. The tank is skimmerless and the only light is a Kessil 350we.

However, I just got the Aquatic Life T5 Hybrid which I will be installing soon.

Super Fly · Jul 8, 2019

The only issue when I had a 60 cube was how cramped/narrow the stand was whenever trying to do any work in the stand. Very hard to reach all the way to the back. If u r handy, adding doors to the left & right side of stand would help a lot. Good size to start/learn with and esp if you just plan to have clowns n not go crazy adding too much livestock. BTW, that's a pretty good deal.

Uptightjoker · Jul 8, 2019

I didn't think about working in the stand.. I might just cut the sides out and leave it open for now.. I live alone and don't get much company, and I personally don't care about the looks of the stand as much.. it's one of those things to me that's more of a "as long as it functions and isn't horrendous" things..

I'll definitely have more than just the clowns, but that's the only thing I REALLY want (I actually mostly want corals, but definitely want some fish with them and clowns seem pretty easy)

I'll be going to check out/pick up the tank Saturday! Super excited to start!

Halal Hotdog · Jul 8, 2019

I am not a fan of cubes purely due to the fact that even large ones have dimensions not appropriate for most tangs and larger fish. Many years ago, when I first started, I looked purely at cost to determine which tank to get. After many years I consider what I want to keep in a tank prior to making a purchase.

Uptightjoker · Jul 8, 2019

Halal Hotdog said:
I am not a fan of cubes purely due to the fact that even large ones have dimensions not appropriate for most tangs and larger fish. Many years ago, when I first started, I looked purely at cost to determine which tank to get. After many years I consider what I want to keep in a tank prior to making a purchase.

I appreciate that feedback, and I think that makes sense.. I long term want to have a nice, long flowing reef that is just gorgeous.. but for my first tank I wanted to start easy and I figured a couple clowns and maybe some PJ cardinals or something and corals.. my bigger interest comes from the corals and unless I'm wrong that relies more on how you aquascape and less on size (obviously a taller tank has less fooprint to place rocks/corals vs same volume long tank). A cube definitely isn't my dream tank, but I think it's going to be good to start.. especially for the price.. then down the road I can start looking at my "dream" tank

Halal Hotdog · Jul 8, 2019

Uptightjoker said:
I appreciate that feedback, and I think that makes sense.. I long term want to have a nice, long flowing reef that is just gorgeous.. but for my first tank I wanted to start easy and I figured a couple clowns and maybe some PJ cardinals or something and corals.. my bigger interest comes from the corals and unless I'm wrong that relies more on how you aquascape and less on size (obviously a taller tank has less fooprint to place rocks/corals vs same volume long tank). A cube definitely isn't my dream tank, but I think it's going to be good to start.. especially for the price.. then down the road I can start looking at my "dream" tank

Definitely not a bad idea, and cubes are perfectly fine for a coral heavy tank. Just be mindful about fish you purchase and it should serve you well for years.

snorklr · Jul 8, 2019

if you get it at a good enough price at least you can break even if you sell it later

ryeguyy84 · Jul 8, 2019

I loved my cube but hated the room in the stand. The only sump (standard tank sump) I could fit was a 10g so I added a remote fuge which worked great.

Other than that it was easy to maintain and light.

Devaji · Jul 8, 2019

Uptightjoker said:
Thanks for the input I thought it seemed good but wasn't sure if there were any major issues/flaws with a cube other than like you said.. limited stocking because there's less length. and personal preference... one of the biggest deciding factors for me right now is cost.. I know it's a patience and no cutting corners kinda thing, but if I can pick up a tank that is good at a decent price, that will cut alot of cost off initial investment, especially since it comes with a sump and stand.

It does have an internal overflow and that was one thing I was concerned about was how much that took up... it looks like it takes up quite a bit but not like an overwhelming amount of space. picture attached from when the tank was still setup.

I also got confirmation from the seller that he will fill it up before I go pick it up so I can inspect for scratches/leaks/cracks before buying.

good looking tank! I wish I had R2R when I bought my 1st used tank 10 years ago...
good on you and the seller to filler her up so you can check it out. corner overflows I fell are better then dead in the center for some reason.
you could always take it out the overflow & silicone glass over the holes and drill for a better = quieter over flow. as is it's prob. gonna be some slurping and gurgling happening. not the end of the world but once you have a full siphon drain with E drain there is go going back.

yeah inside small stand to kinda suck ok not kinda they do, but at least it comes with a sump.

Super Fly · Jul 9, 2019

Uptightjoker said:
I didn't think about working in the stand.. I might just cut the sides out and leave it open for now.. I live alone and don't get much company, and I personally don't care about the looks of the stand as much.. it's one of those things to me that's more of a "as long as it functions and isn't horrendous" things..

I'll definitely have more than just the clowns, but that's the only thing I REALLY want (I actually mostly want corals, but definitely want some fish with them and clowns seem pretty easy)

I'll be going to check out/pick up the tank Saturday! Super excited to start!

LOL! And for that price, u can't go wrong. check out CJ's Aquarium when he had/started w. a 45cube to see what's possible in a small cube reef...

Uptightjoker · Jul 9, 2019

Super Fly said:
LOL! And for that price, u can't go wrong. check out CJ's Aquarium when he had/started w. a 45cube to see what's possible in a small cube reef...

Exactly! It's a great price to start, and the guy actually filled it with water yesterday and sent me some pictures and is going to leave it full until I come to check it out/pick up on Saturday. Thank you for the video! That tank is amazing I might look at more of his videos now

. Hoping to have everything but lights by the end of the month!