# 93gal frameless cube build



## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Hi,

I appear to have a case of MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome). I'm looking to replace my Oceanic 30 gallon cube and 10 gallon tank with a single new, larger tank, without too big a footprint. I can't go more than about 30" wide and 30" deep, so I am looking into getting a larger cube for that space. 

The 30gal cube and 10gal two tanks will probably be relocated to my mechanical room as QT / spare tanks, unless my wife lets me put the 30 cube in the foyer (haha, fat chance of her letting me expand beyond the man-cave/fish display room).

The Perfecto/Marineland frameless 93 gallon cube seems to fit the bill. I ordered this tank from my LFS, as well as the base cabinet and glass lids. Dimensions of the tank are 30"Wx30"Dx24"H

Cube Column Glass Aquariums and Tanks | Marineland

I'm thinking about using Finnex fixtures -- What do you recommend -- maybe two 30" fixtures? Any suggestions? I do NOT plan on doing CO2 injection (keep it low-tech) but i want my plants to do well.

Amazon.com: Finnex FugeRay Planted+ Aquarium LED Light Plus Moonlights, 24-Inch: Pet Supplies 

Also, what about substrate, maybe eco-complete? If i do that, should I paint the back of the tank black or will the tank be too dark? I had this problem with my 180 and ended up changing out the substrate to improve the lighting in the tank...I could also do a fluorite red substrate...

-Zeke


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

What kind of light level were you hoping for? Low, med...? At first glance I'd say a Ray2 and a Planted +. Even with the 2 fixtures, 30" high is going to be hard. Maybe two Ray 2?


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

It's actually not a true "cube". it's 24" high, the other dimensions are 30". Shooting for medium light if possible. Don't want to do CO2 injection, want to keep low-tech.

So these two fixtures? 

Finnex 30" RAY2 Daylight Fixture
Amazon.com: Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 30-Inch: Pet Supplies

Finnex 30" Planted Fixture
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GH9HSC6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Why not two planted fixtures? Would that just result in more yellowish lighting or something?

-Zeke



jrman83 said:


> What kind of light level were you hoping for? Low, med...? At first glance I'd say a Ray2 and a Planted +. Even with the 2 fixtures, 30" high is going to be hard. Maybe two Ray 2?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I can't recommend a light as I'm all current true lumen pros and they are pricey,but why no co2?Ever since I discovered sump/overflow filters I have struggled to find the next thing that I didn't regret investing in that would really help my tanks and I've found nothing better than co2!Even a milwaulkee regulator and 20lb tank should be well under $150 and OH SO WORTH IT for plant people.I held back thinking it was a lot of money but in honesty I regret waiting as long as I did!My tank grows to no end now.ferts are cheap and pretty easy and we got some great members to help out along the introduction.I have not lost a fish due to co2 since I started.Plants that survived for over a year without much growth are 20x now.I'm trading /selling plants almost as often as fish now?
So why no CO2?It really isn't that hard.just another avenue of exploration and discovery,with rewards.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I'm liking these lately but haven't added any new tanks that I need to purchase lighting for;
Aquarium LED Light Reefbar 24" 2ft 8000K White 18W Freshwater Planted Cichlid | eBay
Hit the link and scroll to bottom of page ,they offer real info on their lighta and are way more affordable than the currents.I really wish I had found them before I spent thousands on my currents!


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

I'm not ruling out CO2 in the future, just saying it's not an initial requirement. My plants are doing just fine in my 30gal cube with no CO2... Probably because the 35 BN plecos (about 1" now) put out a LOT of waste ;-)

-Zeke




coralbandit said:


> I can't recommend a light as I'm all current true lumen pros and they are pricey,but why no co2?Ever since I discovered sump/overflow filters I have struggled to find the next thing that I didn't regret investing in that would really help my tanks and I've found nothing better than co2!Even a milwaulkee regulator and 20lb tank should be well under $150 and OH SO WORTH IT for plant people.I held back thinking it was a lot of money but in honesty I regret waiting as long as I did!My tank grows to no end now.ferts are cheap and pretty easy and we got some great members to help out along the introduction.I have not lost a fish due to co2 since I started.Plants that survived for over a year without much growth are 20x now.I'm trading /selling plants almost as often as fish now?
> So why no CO2?It really isn't that hard.just another avenue of exploration and discovery,with rewards.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Just need to say I have 0 regrets and think the benefit is overwhelming for planted tanks.The whole co2 thing leads back to stupid questions everyday that I just hold back on ,because I'm not sure there are real answers.
But I wonder how/why I "need" to inject co2 to match up with nature?Where does co2 in the amount I inject come from in nature.The water and atmosphere want to be in balance so most tanks take in co2(from the atmosphere) just like oxygen,yet no one injects o2?
I'm blown away by how some things that should be obvious are not?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Its just a matter of what you are wanting to do. It is great to have CO2 tanks mixed with non-CO2. I look at adding CO2 as continuing on in your learning evolution and experience in this hobby. It allows you more flexibility for higher light, which in turn gives you shots at some of the best looking tank/s you have ever had because your other tanks may have been limited. I like not being limited. I can pick any plant and I know before even considering that light and CO2 will not be the factor that kept me from getting it in my tank.


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Suppose I plan to do CO2, in that case, what lighting would you suggest for a high-light situation, same fixtures but more of them? E.g. 4 Finnex fixtures (2 planted, 2 daylight?)

The reefbar fixtures seem to be only 24" or 36"... would be better if they had a 30" size. price is pretty darn good though, nice find.

-Zeke



jrman83 said:


> Its just a matter of what you are wanting to do. It is great to have CO2 tanks mixed with non-CO2. I look at adding CO2 as continuing on in your learning evolution and experience in this hobby. It allows you more flexibility for higher light, which in turn gives you shots at some of the best looking tank/s you have ever had because your other tanks may have been limited. I like not being limited. I can pick any plant and I know before even considering that light and CO2 will not be the factor that kept me from getting it in my tank.


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

What do ya'll think about using two 30" Aqueon modular LEDs instead of two finnex (one daylight, one planted) for a low-tech setup with low-medium light (for now anyway, can always add more lighting later?)

I'm thinking of doing two daylight modules + 1 colormax module for each Aqueon modular LED.

I do like the aesthetics of the finnex fixture more (smaller size probably fits better with the overall 'frameless' aquarium look, total cost is a little lower...

-Zeke


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

After lighting is figured out , my next question is filtration. This frameless tank has no overflow option, and does not easily permit a sump design like my other 2 larger tanks (75 and 180), so I think I will be going the canister route. 

Unfortunately, it seems like the Fluval FX5 canister filter is no longer available and the FX6 is out, but the price has gone way up by like $100! I paid $250 for my current FX5 (which at the time I thought was a pretty good deal), and now i see the FX6 for $340 on amazon. At that price point I think I would consider the Eheim 2262...My gut tells me to bite the bullet and go with the Eheim 2262...I feel like the 2217 might not be enough filtration in the long run if I overstock the tank later on. What do ya'll think? 

Thanks,
-Zeke


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

I bit the bullet on filtration and ordered two eheim 2217s. I will use 2 hydor 200w inline heaters (1/2" hose barb) One on each eheim output hose . Total overkill but I do ultimately plan to overstock this tank.


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

This tank is up and running! I went with 5 bags of fluorite as substrate as I do want to go the planted tank route for this tank. Took forever to rinse in my utility sink. Tank was still cloudy at first, but cleared up after a few hours.

The Eheim 2217s took me a little while to figure out how to configure. My initial impression with the filters was quite good, though their documentation was basically useless. As usual Google saved the day. I'm using the stock media, minus the carbon pads. 

I set up a 200W Hydor inline heater on the 1/2" output of each Eheim 2217. This should make adjusting tank temps a lot easier than the traditional heaters I'm used to. Also I think the inline heating should probably help improve temperature uniformity within the tank.

I situated the intakes on the rear right and left corners of the tank. I arranged each spray-bar to spray across the top of the tank, from back to front. The amount of water circulation from the 2217s is better than I expected.

As far as biological filtration, I seeded the tank with a mature sponge filter from the previous tank the albino BN plecos were in. I squeezed out the sponge filter in the water and am just going to let it run in the tank.

For lighting, I went with two 30" Finnex fixtures. They seem to fit nicely.


<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140329_204039001_zpsbd311dcd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140329_204039001_zpsbd311dcd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140329_204039001_zpsbd311dcd.jpg"/></a>

I will probably shuffle fish around later, for now I just will let this tank get established.

I also am eyeing CO2 injection but need to save up for that. This setup wasn't cheap.

Here are some pics of the new setup:

<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204630291_HDR_zps2523e87f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204630291_HDR_zps2523e87f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140330_204630291_HDR_zps2523e87f.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204619749_HDR_zps96fc1531.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204619749_HDR_zps96fc1531.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140330_204619749_HDR_zps96fc1531.jpg"/></a>

Filtration: Two Eheim 2217s:

<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140329_204046956_zps4e133dec.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140329_204046956_zps4e133dec.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140329_204046956_zps4e133dec.jpg"/></a>

Initial stocking: 33 albino BN pleco fry (~~1" each), one small electric blue jack dempsey



<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204707619_zpsfa8ca59f.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204707619_zpsfa8ca59f.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140330_204707619_zpsfa8ca59f.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/zwanged/media/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204807100_zps3b7773fd.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b617/zwanged/93%20gallon%20cube/IMG_20140330_204807100_zps3b7773fd.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20140330_204807100_zps3b7773fd.jpg"/></a>


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