Tank Build! 93 Gallon Cube Build

Current Specs for this tank are:

Tank: 93 cube tank, corner overflow 30x30x24
Lighting: ATI Sunpower T5 24" 8 bulb
Skimmer: Reef Octupus 150SSS
Sump: Trigger Emerald26 custom size
Return: Mag 5
Ato: Dual controller switch from autotopoff.com
Refugium: None
Filtration: Biopellet Reactor, Dual Reactor (Carbon & GFO), Filter Socks
Rock: Mix and match - but mostly Florida Dry Reef Rock
Sand: Mix and match
Flow: Maxspect Gyre XF150
Controler: Apex Jr with 1 Energy Bar 4 and 1 Energy Bar 8

Going to try and reuse most of the gear from the current 65 gallon tank that this will be replacing.

The Reason:
I've never really been happy with the setup of the 65 gallon tank I had in my bonus room. I don't feel like it's large enough (happens a lot in this hobby). I feel like it's set up awkwardly to where it takes up more room than it should and the stand doesn't fit the sump and overtime that noise just gets to me. So I began the process of trying to upgrade the tank. I wanted more room, Sara wanted the window back for some plants. I settled on a 93 gallon cube for taking up the right amount of room and size.

Bought a 93 gallon cube from Coral Haven that was used for half the price I could have bought a new one on for. A friend brought it down to DSM for me. So I never actually ended up seeing the tank myself before it arrived in my garage. Turned out pretty well! No scratches to deal with or coraline algae to remove.

Here are some pics of the tank and stand.

For the sump I am having Trigger Systems build me a custom Emerald 26 that is 15" wide. I shopped around for about a week and in the end it was a very nice cost for the size. And the skimmer department will be 10.25 x 10 so that will fit most skimmers that I'll use for a larger tank.

Turns out I also had 90 pounds of dry rock already in my garage so they are sitting and cycling in a brute can with a pump. I'm going to use some choice rock from the 65 gallon and some of the dry rock to make it all work. Thanks to to some of the prior tank builds I'll use some six10 poxy to help with the rock structure.

 

As I mentioned in @jeremy's 120 gallon tank build thread, I'm finding the stocking to be the hardest decision making part. The coral was easy, I wanted to do an LPS tank that would hopefully show case torches, and hammers, with some frogspawn and other misc LPS corals. (See easy, right?) I already have an "SPS tank" and so if anything there may be some SPS corals that bleed over to the new cube, but as for right now, this tank won't be a SPS dominate tank.

But back to my favorite item, fish. For those that know me, you know I like fish more than coral. Colorful fish, useful fish, personable fish, and the more fish the better. But there is no room for a 200+ gallon tank so we make due with the new cube.

Currently the 65g has:
Tomato Clown Pair with their 4 or 5 nems.
Tomini Tang
Melanurus Wrasse
Lawnmower Blenny
Rusty Angelfish
Snowflake Eel (only about 13" long so far)
Banggai Cardinalfish

I think I'm going to rehome the Cardinal when I do the upgrade. He's a decent size and I don't think adding new cardinals would be a good idea. But I'd rather use the bioload for a different fish. Therefore, the rest is a pretty basic beginning stock of fish (aside from the eel).

But if you look around at everyone's tank, you'll see that people stock things differently, some only have a couple of fish, others add as much as they feel comfortable with making sure that the tank doesn't get too crowded. It's like the speed limit, it may say 35 mph but we're all doing 40, 45, or even 50 mph. Of course, having 5 chromis is a lot different than having 5 yellow tangs but you get the idea. It would be interesting to hear others thoughts, so feel free to chime in.

 

New skimmer came today. All unboxed and put together. Just waiting on the new sump.

 

It's finally here!!! After what seems like years of waiting.

 

Huge thanks to @tangers for the plumbing help. We got a lot done on Saturday. Next Saturday is the big move and switch.

 

Saturday we set up the tank. @Zoobie and @tangers were there to assist and they made it a very fast and efficient process. We had the old tank torn down, new tank set up, plumbed, @tangers even helped with the aquascaping and starting a little after 7am, they were finished just before 11am. Spent the next 3 hours hooking up the lights and apex and then cleaning up. There was a lot to clean up.

Had to manually cut down a pipe on the skimmer as it was too long and the sump was too tall to fit it in otherwise, everything still works great, it's now just "custom"

Tank looks amazing, plumbing is super quiet, and there is a subtle humming from the return pump but that just lets me know everything is still working. Using a par bulb over the fuge 24/7 and it gives off a nice purple glow that lights up the bottom edge of the tank at night. I need to remember to get a picture of that.

Saturday night, I shifted over some coral frags to the new tank. Helps add some color to the tank. During this time I discovered that my 5 anemones were actually 7, and of that 7 one had decided to go rogue and has left anemone island to join the mainland. It is currently residing in a very awkward spot but I guess this one just does what it wants.

Sunday we also went to Nebraska Aquatic Supply just to get out of town for a bit. Picked up 2 dottybacks and 3 blue-green chromis. All are super small but they add a nice element of movement and new life to tank.

 

Sara took more pictures during the event but these are from Sunday.

 

I never take enough pictures. Well most of the softies were kind of pissed off tonight but the fish were out and about. Here's a current update on what things look like.

I have a couple more gorgonians arriving tomorrow so we'll see where they end up

 

Updated tank specs in the first post. Bold is everything new.

I was using Jebao PP-4's on the back walls for awhile but decided it was too much flow so now I've switched back to just one Gyre. I've talked about this in other threads but cube tanks are hard to get the flow right on. The walls are too close together for most large pumps, but you have a lot of volume you need to move.

 

Current Stocking List:

Pearlscale Butterflyfish
Tomato Clown Pair
Black Sailfin Blenny
Lawnmower Blenny
Orange Spotted Goby
Yellow Tang
Blue/Green Chromis (1)
Melanarus Wrasse
Blue Headed Wrasse
Red-Stripped Pacific Hogfish
Caribbean Hawkfish
Multicolor Dwarf Angelfish
Boxer Shrimp
Rainbow BTAs (13?)