Two 60 cubes need stocking...open to suggestions :)

DRC Archive General Saltwater Discussion
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Hi all, I’m new to the club and relatively new to the marine side of Fisk keeping as I’ve only had my RSM130 for just over a year now.

I picked up a marineland rimless 60 cube a couple months ago and have been DIYing the stand, sump, canopy, etc and while looking for a light I came across a guy selling his radion but he also made me an offer I couldn’t refuse for a deep blue rimless 60, stand, sump, reef octopus 110, BRS dual reactor, ato, and tons of extras. (Everything for just 550!!! So I couldn’t say no, lol)

NOW, here is my dilemma…what to do with the additional tank. I plan to do a mixed reef in the original one and my tastes are mostly towards LPSs, but from everyone I speak with it seems most ppl start with softies, graduate to LPS for the first couple years and then get hooked on the SPSs…I can see myself going the same direction.

My thoughts on the 2nd cube are to do a fowlr tank with non-reef safe species, but I know I’m a bit limited with only a 60gal DT n 20g sump. My fiance loves dog face puffers (go figure, she’s the only chick I’ve ever met who likes them more than the porcupine ones, lol…prob explains why she’s with me, lmao). The kids love lions and I love a couple triggers and tangs.

With minimal aquascaping, how many different types of aggressive fish could I keep? I am very good with maintenance and keep up with WCs weekly and monitor all parameters weekly in my current mixed reef.

My other idea was to do a nem tank with a half dozen or so different nems and maybe a couple other stinging corals.

I would love some feedback on what some good choices would be for the second cube :slight_smile:

(Tank build threads to come once they’re all complete so I can post all at once)

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My opinion on the first tank with corals. With the lighting and equipment you got I believe you’ll do fine with the chosen corals whether softies or hard. Most people suggest softies is because they are hardy and good starter corals for beginner and once you’ve learn the points of reef keeping then you can add more harder to keep corals.

As for the second tank FOWLR. 60g is quite small for the type of fish you are planning on keeping, but if you planning on keeping one any way, I think only one will do fine in the tank. Those type of fish do get very large and usually kept in a 100g or higher due to size and amount of waste they produce. Especially the lionfish they are pigs of the ornamental fish. Also the anemone tank, it can be done as long as you have the lighting for it. But not sure what you mean by stinging type corals?

Good luck and please keep us posted. Can’t wait for the tank build thread.

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How successful have you been with the RSM? Have you kept any SPS before?

There are tons of cool SPS safe fish that would eat LPS or inverts like angles, harliquine tusk wrasse, triggers, even your lion fish could work as long as you don’t have small fish and a cave for him.

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my thinking would be to do one of the tanks with low nutrients (sps/ clean water demanding coral) and the other with high nutrients (mixed reef, lps, softies anemones or whatever else). This way you do one water change on the clean tank and use the water you take out to do a water change on the “dirty” tank. just a thought.

I have seen a variety of dwarf lionfish online that can be kept in reef tanks, so long as they have a cave to hide out in.

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As far as success is concerned with the RSM I like to think I’ve done fairly well for a newbie. I had one incident when my heater stuck on and nuked my tank, but aside from that crash about 4 months in I have done pretty well. All my zoas are growing like crazy, the xenia is sprouting everywhere like weeds, my acans are showing new head growth and water quality is “pretty good.” I say that only because I am having trouble keeping my nitrates down (they’re between 40-80 ppm now) but I am pretty sure I have found the cause and am treating the problem not just the symptoms now.

I had a feeling that most people would say the FOWLR idea would be tough because of the small size, but I really like the idea of a clean/dirty tank.

Lighting on one is a Radion and until I upgrade to another radion I’ll be using my reef radiance Lumentek120 pro (I figured for a fowlr or nem tank that LED fixture would be more than enough).

Thanks for all the feedback and advice…I’m really looking forward to making it to one of the upcoming meetings.

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“I had a feeling that most people would say the FOWLR idea would be tough because of the small size, but I really like the idea of a clean/dirty tank.”

Not really, you can have small fish in the tank that would do well. Also just cause it is going to be a fish only you can still have things like button polyps and other easy corals in the tank.

For example a spotted hawk or false eye hawk fish will peach on the corals or in the corals and wait for food they are great fish to add to a smaller tank. Just dont go out and buy a ell or shark like some ppl do lol lOl lOl I think I should shhh about that cause I did that for my first tank ::hitsthefan::

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Damn, you just had to go “there” didn’t ya, lol…that’s where I was planning on rehoming my snowflake who’s been affectionately dubbed Asshole by the family, lmao