Joining the Club - 50g Starfire Cube

Jimbo662 · Jan 6, 2015

From what I've read it should be about 15g.

Calmbeast · Jan 6, 2015

Cool. I just ordered this setup last night. Can't wait to upgrade from my sumpless 35gal. I'll continue to follow along. I saw one reviewer on Amazon say that the acrylic overflow started to come apart. Did you experience this issue?

Jimbo662 · Jan 6, 2015

No issues with my overflow. I did however think they goofed when they built it. There is a set if wiers down low on the box. If you feel the inside of the overflow you can't feel the slots. They built it where there is a gap between the plastic facing and the glass wall inside the overflow. Water enters the wier at the bottom and flows up and over the glass into the overflow.

Calmbeast · Jan 8, 2015

How's the new tank? Have you added salt and substrate yet?

Jimbo662 · Jan 9, 2015

Finally got the salinity to the right level on Wed. Yesterday I started doing a water transfer...draining 5g from each tank and putting it in the other tank. Going to do that several times a day until the transfer. This should make it easier on the corals / fish when transferring them since they'll basically be in the same water and I'll just have to temp acclimate them. Planning on working on the sand this weekend since the weather is going to be pretty crappy around here. I'm mixing up a 5g bucket of salt water so that I can rinse the sand before putting it in the new tank.

Calmbeast · Jan 12, 2015

Sounds like you are moving right along. Do you plan to have a refugium in the sump with any micro algae?

Jimbo662 · Jan 12, 2015

I got the sand in the tank and filled most of the center section with rubble from my existing sump. Waiting a couple of days to insure there's no cycle. need to move my apex cabinet in between the systems so I can get one of the Kessil's moved before I move any corals. Will hopefully get that done tomorrow. Not doing a fuge.

Calmbeast · Jan 17, 2015

I see now why you went with your own plumbing. Your setup looks really nice. What type of pvc did you use?

Jimbo662 · Jan 17, 2015

Just the standard schedule 40 (i think) from Lowe's. I did buy the economy gate valve from BRS. I'd bought the more expensive one the last time and it's difficult to make minute adjustments because turning the knob is pretty difficult. With the economy valve it's much easier to adjust. I need to take some pics. I've got most of the corals moved over. Need to work this weekend on moving rock and the rest of the corals and decide which fish I'll keep and which get sold.

Jimbo662 · Jan 18, 2015

Spent today moving the last of the corals, rock and clowns. I just need to move some snails and my blood shrimp and sell the rest.

reefugee · Jan 19, 2015

Nice looking tank.

If I remember correctly, the tank doesn't use standard size bulkhead. How did you get schedule 40 to work with the bulkheads?

Jimbo662 · Jan 19, 2015

Got new bulkheads too. The ones that came with it didn't have threads on the bottom...I like to screw the plumbing to the bulkhead rather than try to glue them.

Calmbeast · Jan 19, 2015

yea, I noticed that as well. did you get the bulkheads from lowes or BRS? Tank is looking really nice!

Jimbo662 · Jan 19, 2015

BRS...couldn't find them at Lowe's. Thanks. I didn't do much with the rocks since I'll be moving two weeks from today I'll have to just redo it all over again. Once I get the rocks redone I'll then work on coral placement.

Fishmania21 · Jan 19, 2015

Wow, that is a very nice sump you have there. Is it built or bought

Jimbo662 · Jan 20, 2015

The sump came with the tank...package deal with the tank, stand and sump.

Fishmania21 · Jan 20, 2015

I'm in love with that Kessil u have up there...have u ever used other type of LED, and what ur thought about them

Calmbeast · Jan 20, 2015

I hate to be a pain, but was wondering if you could post some more detailed pictures of your plumbing when you get a chance? I've never attempted this before and your setup looks really nice. Thanks!

Jimbo662 · Jan 20, 2015

Fishmania21 said:
I'm in love with that Kessil u have up there...have u ever used other type of LED, and what ur thought about them

I had the AI Vega Colors on my last tank. I could never get them dialed in correctly and failed miserably with SPS. I absolutely love the Kessils. Just set the intensity and color and you're done. here's a pic of a birdsnest I got around May. It's now about 5" in diameter. You get great shimmer from them too. I got the red monti around the same time. If you notice in the top right corner the bump...that's the original piece that was on the plug...you can see the roundness of the plug there too.