The 60 gallon cube I wanted

[carlson]

I was out of the hobby for about a year after my last 75 gallon aquarium flooded. I knew I would be back before long. I couldn't stand not having a reef tank in my apartment. I decided I wanted a 60 gallon cube due to it's perfect size for me. It has enough room to put the corals you want in the tank and not too much room to take-up space in your living room. I found a deal on Facebook Marketplace that came with mostly everything to setup the tank and drove to pick it up.

Equipment List:
Tank - Aquarium Masters RR 60 Gallon Cube
Stand- Unknown brand with controllable power bar built in to the top
Sump: Trigger Systems Crystal 18" Cube
Skimmer: Reef Octo 110
Return: Jabeo DCP 3000
Light: Gen4 Radion XR15 Pro
Heater: 2 Hydor Heaters on a single temperature controller (works great)
Flipper Magnet
Dosing: Aquaforest Component 1, 2, and 3.
Testing: Salifert NO3, PO4, NO4 testkits. RedSea Reef Masters test kit.
Salt: RedSea

I plumbed the tank and filled it with water on 05/08/20, making the tank now 1 month and 30 days old. Quite a lot has happened since it was filled. I cycled the tank quickly with Seachem Stability, which works great btw, and had my first 20 frags in the tank 2 weeks after starting it. I am maintaining the parameters with Aquaforest component 1, 2, and 3. I am currently adding 20ml on Monday, Wednesday, and friday.
Here is a pick before it was setup.

Here is a pick after adding water

And here is a picture today, 2 months later...

The tank now has around 30 frags. Mostly SPS and some LPS and Softies. The tank also inhabits a 6 Line Wrasse, a Lawnmower Blenny, a Royal Gramma, 10 Hermits, 10 Turbos, and an Emerald Crab. The tank had Diatoms for around 1 week after setup. At one point the entire back glass had algae on it but the Blenny and Turbo Snails made quick work. I am now worried about what to feed the Blenny to keep him happy.

Here is the sump. It is simple but more than does the job. I am having to feed pretty heavily to keep a presence of nitrate in the tank and it is still only about .02.

 

[WIReefer]

Welcome back to the salty side!

 

[carlson]

Here are some shots showing the great polyp extension I am getting on all my SPS.

Most of them are also growing, some faster than others.

 

[carlson]

Welcome back to the salty side!

Thanks!

 

[WIReefer]

Thanks!

Frags are all looking great!

 

[carlson]

Frags are all looking great!

Thank you very much!

 

[WIReefer]

Thank you very much!

You are very welcome!

 

[carlson]

Coral Collages from my tank at 2 months, 20 days. I have only had one coral death in my tank. It was a green slimer. I am almost certain it was from stress during transport. Other than that I bleached a couple of corals but they have both been growing back. They die a lot quicker than they return haha. I only have 25 frags/colonies in the tank right now. 1 nps, 3 soft corals, 3 lps and the rest are sps. I am not sure if I want to let the tank grow out right now and everything fill in completely or try to stuff more frags In the tank. I am still manually dosing. So far I am very happy with part 1,2 and 3 from AF. I have not had ti do a water change in a long time, maybe a month, and I am feeding twice a day to try and keep the nitrates up to 1-3. I still have the same 3 fish as my initial post. The lawnmower (Stan), the 6 line (Lenny), and the fairy basselet that was recently named Val

 

[carlson]

I would really love to add 1 tang, and 3-4 Anthias to the tank eventually. I'm not sure what type of tang I will get, I want a purple but I am also fearfully of spending that much money on something that is so prone to ich and velvet. Also, I have heard that Anthias need to be fed several times a day so I have to consider that as well.

 

[Powderclownanthias]

I would really love to add 1 tang, and 3-4 Anthias to the tank eventually. I'm not sure what type of tang I will get, I want a purple but I am also fearfully of spending that much money on something that is so prone to ich and velvet. Also, I have heard that Anthias need to be fed several times a day so I have to consider that as well.

Anthias need at least 125 gallons and you have to get at least 5 specimens, pseudanthias squamipinnis ( lyreteil ) usually accept all kind of food .

 

[carlson]

Well some pretty big events have happened in the 60g cube diaries. A velvet outbreak occurred in the tank, so I had to tear the whole thing apart in order to catch the fish. The fish are in a 20g long qt. After I caught the fish I could not get the aquascape back to the way it was so I just decided to change it up. The tank has more swimming room now, more height, and more room for corals (will post pics later). Im running seachem stability as well as seachem matrix biofiltration on the tank. For the fish I am giving them Neoplex (a broad spectrum antibiotic) and copper power. I am pretty confident they will be fine as long as ammonia levels don't get too high in the tank. Unfortunately now the tank is going to be fallow for many days to come, but when it it time to add the fish back I can be confident it is disease free, and add some more sensitive fish.

 

[carlson]

 

[Powderclownanthias]

Well some pretty big events have happened in the 60g cube diaries. A velvet outbreak occurred in the tank, so I had to tear the whole thing apart in order to catch the fish. The fish are in a 20g long qt. After I caught the fish I could not get the aquascape back to the way it was so I just decided to change it up. The tank has more swimming room now, more height, and more room for corals (will post pics later). Im running seachem stability as well as seachem matrix biofiltration on the tank. For the fish I am giving them Neoplex (a broad spectrum antibiotic) and copper power. I am pretty confident they will be fine as long as ammonia levels don't get too high in the tank. Unfortunately now the tank is going to be fallow for many days to come, but when it it time to add the fish back I can be confident it is disease free, and add some more sensitive fish.

I reccomend you to start running a large UV lamp , it gonna help and prevent for future problems with parasites.

 

[PacoPetty]

Welcome back!

 

[carlson]

The fish are all doing great right now. I think the antibiotic is probably what made the difference because last time i treated with just copper it didn't go well.

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

Update?