Our 45g cube

[mnat]

Ok, so we started this thread in July of last year so it was completely lost. Seeing as how I liked this build thread I figured I would just start it over and you guys will get a super fast roughly one year build. I looked into malulu's method but it only returned about 2 pages of the 17 page thread. Also I think I can do this is about a half hour.

Onto the actual build:
45g non drilled tank
Standard stand
Aqua C remora HOB skimmer
CPR HOB fuge
Aquatinics TX5 5 bulb t5 (bulbs back to front ATI blue+, ATI aquablue, ATI purple, Ati aquablue, ATI blue+)
MP40 (turned down obviously) was put in to replace mp20
BRS Dual reactor (added down the line) running rox carbon and BRS GFO pellets
Marine magic dual doser (added down the line) dosing alk 8.3 an calcion both from Brightwell

Live rock was all cycled and added from our 20g tank so it is now three years old. Clean up crew is a motley assortment of nassarius snails, chestnut nassarius snails (big suckers), ceriths, nerites, trochus, blue legged hermits and scarlet hermits. There are also some emerald crabs running around in there to help combat our fight with bubble algae. They will be removed when this tank is moved hopefully shortly.

Corals: From every category, LPS, SPS, zoas, and NPS. Honestly too many to list out as many of you know and will see in the pictures. SPS is probably at least 50% of the tank and doing well.

Fish: (None of these guys are over 2 inches and we have zero aggression so far)
Pair of spawning mandarins (trained onto frozen for 2 years plus)
Pair of picasso clowns
Four barnacle blennies
Pair of bangaii cardinals (tank raised we got them as babies)
Sunburst Anthia
Helfrichi Firefish
ORA gold assesor basslet
Yasha goby

 

[mnat]

Picture time:
This was what the tank looked like upon setup, we used cycled live rock and Dr. Tims for an instant cycle.
Filled with water and rock

FRAG TIME!!!!

 

[mnat]

Random frag pictures from the beginning:

 

[mnat]

 

[mnat]

 

[mnat]

I skipped over a bunch of stuff but that should at least give you guys an idea.

 

[magic]

My they grow up so fast. That felt like a ride in a time machine. Nice save on the thread by the way!

Bob

 

[GregW]

Looking great Mike. I see your corkscrew coral is "corkscrewing" again.

 

[mnat]

Looking great Mike. I see your corkscrew coral is "corkscrewing" again.

Yeah we think it is a flow related thing, not sure. It is actually tuned 90 degrees and is shooting off to the side now but in a nice corkscrew fasion.

 

[mnat]

Took a bunch of pics yesterday so here goes some more:
Frag rack:

I call this one SPS garden:

Hulk Chalice:

Anthia:

Cardinal:

FTS:

New really cool frag:

 

[mnat]

Baby's Breath Favia:

Barnacle Blenny:

Orange Sherbert:

Cornbred mummy eye:

No namer from AO:

League of Legends:

Raptors Peace Favia:

My green pink lemonade:

Acan:

Zoos:

Clam:

Cardinals:

 

[mnat]

Bubble gum monster:

Another barnacle blenny:

Mandarin:

Darth Mauls:

Acans:

Fruit Loops:

Purple Stylo:

Raspberry lemonade:

Hawkins:

Purple hornets:

More acans:

Random rainbows:

 

[Tazmaniancowboy]

We lost the Pic of your angel with wings doing maintenance

 

[adesimone1]

Looks Great there is a lot of cash in that tank, love those chalices.

 

[mnat]

We lost the Pic of your angel with wings doing maintenance

Looks Great there is a lot of cash in that tank, love those chalices.

I wish I could say there wasn't, but that would be a flat out lie. The addiction obviously took control of my wallet as well.

 

[howze01]

What's the orange zoa/paly with the white freckles? That thing is awesome!

 

[NikkiT]

I believe those are utter chaos zoas.

 

[howze01]

So nice! Thanks Nikki

 

[NikkiT]

So nice! Thanks Nikki

No problem
They seem to grow pretty quickly, I want to say we've had them for about 2 months and that mike initially bought 2 polyps.

 

[NikkiT]

A bit more info on the mobile tank inhabitants:
Fish: (None of these guys are over 2 inches)
Pair of spawning mandarins (trained onto frozen for 2 years plus)
Pair of picasso clowns (female came to live with us in late 2008, male in October 2009)
Four barnacle blennies (April 2011)
Pair of bangaii cardinals (tank raised we got them as babies in January I think)
Sunburst (spring 2010)
Helfrichi Firefish (fall 2010)
ORA gold assesor basslet (September 2009)
Yasha goby (march 2010)
ORA neon goby

Other inhabitants include a maxima clam, 4 cleaner shrimp, 4 peppermint shrimp (when the shrimp release larvae, they provide a good source of live food for the mandarins) one pistol shrimp (exiled to the fuge) and a porcelain crab and Christmas tree worms. As Mike said, there are also three emerald crabs who do battle with the bubble algae, and lots of snails and hermits to help keep the tank clean.