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Advice? Is the "Cube" aquarium worth the $$

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by IanB1015, Jun 7, 2016.

  1. Jun 7, 2016 #1
    IanB1015

    IanB1015 Inactive User

    38
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Hi everybody!

    My name is Ian and i am a former GIRS member who has been offline for sometime now. I couldn't reactivate my older account so I am starting fresh!

    I currently am looking to start a new reef and I have been out of the game for a number of years and want to know everyone's advice on the matter.

    I have been looking to start up a 50-55 Gallon reef due to size restraints and time needed to allocate cleaning and maintenance. I currently work for the US Government and unfortunately downtime doesn't happen naturally. I am most interested in learning about cube type aquariums as my first experience taught me a lot but ended tragically.

    My first reef was a 30 Gal (29 Gal) Oceanic BioCube (back when those were cool) and i had a pretty sweet setup, even did my own retrofit changing from fluorescent lighting to LED's. In the end, i had a piece of live rock tumble down while on vacation and cracked the bottom of my tank. This led to everything dying and me having to clean up a very sticky mess when i got home! No Bueno! ;)

    I have found a 50 Gal cube tank made my SCAQUARIUMS.com which comes pre-drilled for sump applications and has all of the required pieces needed (or at least it seems) to get off the ground running in the right direction. Mostly i want to know if this would / could be a good start into the hobby again and if the $$ for a cube tank that is drilled for sump application is really going to be worthwhile in the end. The company also gas an Eco-tech Marine version that comes with the featured tank stand and sump combo as well as an Eco-tech package of lighting, mp10w power head and a wireless bridge (which after some YouTube research seemed pretty cool).

    WOULD i need anything else with either of these options out of the gate other than heat / cooling options and maybe a better protein skimmer? (Don't worry, i am using egg crate on the bottom of my tank this time to better spread out weight and the risk of any tank cracks!).

    Anyone's time and knowledge would be greatly appreciated as i have not done this in many years!

    Thanks again!
    Ian Burns

    (also) Is there a place where i can sell my un-used 38 acrylic tank and un-used aqueon sump??o_O
     
  2. Jun 7, 2016 #2
    Buku Ankeny, IA

    Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    Just depends on how far you want to get into it. Personally I would look into a nicer sump and return pump. I have the 90 cube and I have a Trigger TideLine 30 sump coming tomorrow for it. Return pump is a Ecotech Vectra M1. Only thing i don't like about the SC is the plumbing, it must be metric. The overflow kit is kind of cheap and uses hoses to and from the sump. I like my tanks to be hard plumbed. Other than my thoughts on that you should be covered equipment wise. May have to get another MP-10 for more flow.

    As far as selling your items, make a thread on here.

    Also can't comment on the stand quality. I had one custom made for my tank.
     
  3. Jun 7, 2016 #3
    IanB1015

    IanB1015 Inactive User

    38
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    Good things to keep in mind, i guess from first glance they seemed to be a good build quality. However it does not hurt to get an outside opinion.

    Would you have any advice on where to get a good cube plumed tank?
     
  4. Jun 7, 2016 #4
    Fence13 Des Moines

    Fence13 Experienced Reefkeeper

    1,226
    Des Moines
    Ratings:
    +300 / 1 / -0
    Just take your time. First, find the tank you want. What is the biggest cube you want for your size allotment? Once you find the cube (with stand) then you can take measurements to find a nice sump for it that will fit and still give you room to work. Once you have those two items down, plumbing shouldn't be too hard. There is at least one good plumber in DSM that is a fellow reefer here in DSM.

    There are a couple of cube build threads that were started earlier this year, take a look at them to see if you find anything you like.
     
  5. Jun 7, 2016 #5
    Roman Cedar Rapids, IA

    Roman Experienced Reefkeeper

    1,277
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +321 / 3 / -0
    I have two 93 gallon Marineland rimless cubes. I built my own stand. I really like the looks of them. On the scaquariums tanks I have heard they use a small non standard hole for their bulkheads and the bulkheads aren't very reliable. On the stands they use mdf. It is a very heavy and strong material to build cabinets out of as long as no water ever penetrates it. I personally wouldn't use it myself but there are lot who do.
     
  6. Jun 7, 2016 #6
    IanB1015

    IanB1015 Inactive User

    38
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    +0 / 0 / -0
    Great advice! I am looking into the cube threads to do some additional research!

    Also i went back through some old notes i had from another member long ago, i used a company called GlassCages.com to custom build an acrylic tank with an overflow and stand and it seems i can get what i want either glass or acrylic for a fraction of the cost and they'll ship it to my door. Pretty neat!
     
  7. Jun 7, 2016 #7
    Buku Ankeny, IA

    Buku Well-Known ReefKeeper

    597
    Ankeny, IA
    Ratings:
    +202 / 4 / -0
    If you don't mind doing it yourself its a good tank. My drain is a standard 1" bulkhead and my return is a 1/2" HD bulkhead. I would rather use HD on both and would of also liked a 3/4" return instead. That being said it should still be fine. Just took me awhile to figure out how to hard plumb it.

    Ive heard a lot of bad about glass cages just by looking in forums. So I never looked into them.

    The stand I had built for my SC 90 cube is out of maple and walnut


    IMG_2861.JPG
     
  8. Jun 7, 2016 #8
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

    8,876
    West Des Moines, IA
    Ratings:
    +1,818 / 14 / -0
    I have notices plastered all over the site regarding accessing old accounts, somehow, they still get missed
    Tip - Accessing your GIRS account
    No big deal but let me know your old username and/or email address (send me a PM, don't post it here) and I'll locate the account and merge it into this one. That way all of your content from your old profile will roll into this one (posts and PMs and everything)
     

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