MY FIRST SALTWATER TANK! | Setting up the 48 Gallon Fiji Cube

[@adler819]

Movie references always crack me up in the videos.

[@ShadesTv]

I appreciate that you went and took the time to really learn what you were doing before investing in the saltwater part of the hobby

[@ShadesTv]

Ps I would say definitely do a protein skimmer but a refugium could be cool too if you wanted to set it up

[@julierossberger2362]

Rambo is so cute! Hope he was helpful with your coral

[@fishnerds3983]

Welcome to the club lol ,again thank you for being my first subscriber!

[@robertperagine419]

I had salt for 8 years went back to African cichlids and South America tanks .wish you good luck and enjoy them 👍

[@Fifthimagez]

Why did you go back to freshwater

[@NFSManiac1000]

Dope! I completely understand getting dispirited, but I'm glad you stuck through!

[@bigjay4142]

Looking great good choice on the pump and ATO The Ai primes are great lights I have nice coral growth and color with my Ai 16 hd I would definitely run a protein skimmer 👍🏻👍🏻

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you!

[@inventoryking]

Looks awesome.

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks man! I actually watched a lot of your videos about the plumbing to help with this one 👌🏻

[@macafaka2462]

i really enjoyed this tutorial

[@CichlidBros]

Glad you enjoying it 👍🏻

[@clarkoskentos2619]

Very nice

[@lunes-1]

Great you having a 🐟🐠🐬🐋Reef tank👍

[@mbreef7202]

Welcome to the saltwater addiction...👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you!

[@jbrreef9754]

I am excited to watch your journey into reef tanks, and beautiful scape🤙

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks for following along!

[@thepilgrim1581]

The amount of stuff you need for a marine fish tank nowadays is ridiculous and not to mention the cost. I had a small marine tank set up over 8 years ago. Basic T5 marine lighting. No sump. No skimmer. Regular water changes. And it worked a treat. By the way great tank... Looking forward to the update. 👍

[@gregwillis6261]

Great job with the new setup. I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses. Don’t think I’m brave enough to venture into salt water setups so I’ll stick to following yours. 👍🏻

[@hasstinnelson4519]

I started and I only had experience from a 5 gallon fresh water.

[@bronwynashley7690]

100% going to keep up with your saltwater videos! I just started my first saltwater tank December 10, have relatively the same setup, 45g display tank, 7 g sump, 2 ai primes :) can't wait to see your results and compare them to my own

[@CichlidBros]

Awesome - thanks for watching! Best of luck with your tank 👌🏻

[@deenice48]

Nice setup and nice work 👍

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! 👍

[@jash2527]

You won’t regret the Tunze ATO. It has been a lifesaver for my nano cube.

[@markmilano1815]

Looks awesome

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks, Mark!

[@jachoreefer]

Welcome to the salty part of the hobby 👍

[@fiseh7566]

That’s a sick first setup! Good job 👍

[@soonerbutte1813]

looks awesome! The plumbing part looked like a pain.. Interested in the Fiji cube aquariums and this has been one of the only sources I've found on youtube..

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! Hope it was helpful. The tank is still doing well, still cycling. Video to come in a few weeks with fish added

[@WONDERFULREPTILES]

perfect tank saltwater very nice video

[@gregsears2863]

Between skimmer or refugium i choose algae scrubber. Brstv does a big test with them in their ulm series and when i had my reef running it kept phosphates and nitrates at near zero. I actually reduced lighting time for the scrubber to allow some nitrates as some corals seem to like having some in the water. Id check them out

[@kickassaz]

Definitely run a skimmer. Reef octapus do great skimmers

[@coachalecholler]

😱🔥😱🔥

[@CoralReefkid]

Dude, you just may be my new next favorite saltwater youtuber... keep it up cause I’m loving what I’m seeing so far

[@CichlidBros]

Really appreciate that! Thanks for following along 👍🏻

[@MarinneV]

One helpful hint, go more blue spectrum than white on those lights...white burns most your beginner corals as they tend to be deeper/in more low flow areas in the ocean. Check out world wide corals for light maps and coral purchases

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to check them out

[@reefreis4649]

I would add an extra power head, and move them to the back of the thank. It will make them disappear on the black back and optimize your flow. Help with evaporations and help with ph. Also keep your temperature around 80 to 81 and a lower salinity for the cycle period, it helps bacteria reproduce better.

[@Sandman3136]

Great Setup. Great Video. 👍🐠

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks!

[@ronderfulaquariums2978]

Awesome good luck with the tank Troy

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you!

[@mitchsfishes1719]

Awesome set up!! #tankgoals

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks man! Excited to try out saltwater 🤙🏼

[@bobsvatos2656]

Great set up and video. I enjoy watching your videos. I currently have 10 tanks. Fresh and saltwater . I also have a 36 gallon all in one reef tank. One important thing to remember when setting up a reef tank is you definitely want to make sure the fish you put in will not feast on your corals. Just because they say the fish is reef safe doesn’t necessarily mean he will not go after corals. Also if you have to pull the fish out you don’t want to have to tear apart the tank to get the fish. Believe me I know from first hand experience they will hide in the tiniest spot they can find. This is why I have 3 fish in with my corals along with some snails and hermit crabs as a clean up crew. Check out Blue Line Corals in Naperville. Great place to start the hobby of corals at. Reasonable prices and knowledgeable staff.

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you! I'll have to check them out, I've had a few people suggest that location so it must be good

[@jryanwill]

also to some other peoples posts, get a skimmer. it is 100% needed. i'd also go with an algae scrubber you can plumb into the system. there is plenty of how tos online for a cheap diy one.

[@gavinlowery2132]

Nice tank dude! I know it’s your first time but trust me, getting true live rock will jumpstart your cycle and provide so much bacteria and free CUC (bristleworms, brittle stars, etc) so I would recommend it for your next tank

[@Hiskm]

FYI cobalt specifically recommend not to use their heaters in the sump and there will be NO warranty if it fails in the sump

[@dewittgeorge9242]

👍 👍

[@heathweitzel9803]

Tip on the lights I wouldn’t run them over 100% even though brs a b + schedule is a great schedule it will burn your lenses there is a Facebook group for the A I lights if you want to know more. Good luck I just started a 40 breeder reef tank myself keep up the good work and love y’all’s content

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you! I’ll have to look into that. I won’t really have the lights on much until fish/corals go in, but definitely something I need to plan for

[@bradtate10]

The plumbing alone puts me off ever having a salt water tank

[@pokeyh1979]

A skimmer, your good for now though. (Take your time, we all fuck up in the beginning trying to rush it.) save some kash and get you nice skimmer , self cleaning unit with overflow sensor, the works that’s all you’ll need! You already have The RODI, Bulk Reef Supply👍🏻💯

[@parcool9541]

Nice expensive set up😁...what about skimmer?..red sea or Reef octopus or Bubble magus skimmer will be perfect

[@masonj19]

I wouldn't have said a skimmer & a refugium are a one or the other thing. Skimmer is definitely more essential refugium can be added later.

[@Algaewarrior]

Tank is looking great. I really like the scape you put together. If this were my tank I would try to get a Nyos skimmer. I haven't heard one thing bad about them other than the price.

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! I’ll add it to the list to research 👍🏻

[@CodeNfX]

Been wanting to try salt water but need to do tons of research first. I been doing freshwater for 29 years.

[@jeremysalazar6775]

my down fall would be mixing the salt for every water change

[@CarlosRodriguez-lm8vv]

Hi , great setup! Thanks for this video. How noisy is the overflow?

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks! Overall it wasn’t too bad. The gate valve on the drain line is key to be able to tune it right to avoid the draining noise

[@Loci333]

You are using turbo start but didn't mention an ammonia source, if your not adding fish for a month then add an ammonia source to the tank every day until you do, or add fish now, or if you wait a month you will have no bacteria alive when the fish go in. Tanks looks great BTW good job on the plumbing

[@CichlidBros]

Thank you! But yeah, I've been adding food since setup, just didn't mention in the video

[@Loci333]

@@CichlidBros good stuff 🙂, I look forward to seeing how the tank progresses, great start 👍

[@gameisname6937]

Hello, I'm a viewer from Thailand. Your tank aquarium is very beautiful. I would like to know the size of your aquarium, width, length and depth.

[@kickassaz]

Turn the light off while cycling for a month. You'll limit the ugly stage while nitrates and phosphates stabilise. You can also get some prime presets lighting schedule s uploaded to the light through the ai web portal, will take the guess work out.

[@briancopple4238]

Hahaha, it’s Herbie Hancock 😂😂

[@raycooper2287]

Nice tank, what and how are you going to cycle the tank?

[@MrDon967]

i'm from Fiji Islands :D

[@alexesco1521]

Where do you buy that beautiful tank and equipment

[@74100raf]

Very nice. Can you share the price of your build? I'm unable to choose between DIY and AIO tank. Maybe cost will help decide? Thanks

[@umersaleem9388]

Nice set up! Don’t you need to add an ammonia source? Turbo start by itself isn’t going to do anything. Either add ammonia or a couple of clown fish for the beneficial bacteria to feed on.

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks. Yep, I’ve been adding food each day as the ammonia source

[@AlphaOmega-vr8ee]

Just a heads up, if (and when) you get a skimmer, it will go nuts for awhile. It’s because of the CaribSea Liferock. The bonding agent they use makes skimmers go bonkers.

[@CichlidBros]

Interesting and good to know. Narrowing down which skimmer to go with soon 👍🏻

[@joshdlion3209]

So I have the same Fiji cube 15 sump. I have a protein skimmer right now, but Im wondering how I could add a fuge with Chatoe or if it's even possible with the small amount of space. Looking forward to seeing what you end up doing.

[@CichlidBros]

I’m leaning towards a skimmer, but still trying to decide on the refugium part. Thanks for watching!

[@phillipsjo21]

What are the chances you wrote down the measurements of your pipe cuts and could share? :)

[@freakygoblin3068]

No knowledge of your experiences with freshwater fish so looking at it only from the content of this video. Personal preference here but I would also add a temperature controller. Believe bulk reef supply have them but not somewhere I shop living in europe. Wherever possible, avoid having a single point of failure for critical equipment of which your heater is a major one. One major thing missing when adding fish is some sort of top, probably mesh due to lighting. A lot of fish can and will jump. May also want to consider if you are ever going to need to cool the water and how to achieve this (fan cooler?). This can affect the design of any top if you are not going to do it in the sump. Can also affect choice of temperature controller. May want to have lights off during cycle. You haven't mentioned how you are feeding your bacteria whilst cycling. You need some source of ammonia. I would recommend the youtube video "quick cycling your fish tank 24-48 hours - Saltwater Aquarium Budget Build". Equipment list should include some test kits such as ammonia and nitrite for during the cycle

[@CichlidBros]

Noted on the temperature controller. I do have a custom lid being developed and should be delivered before I add any fish. I’ve been adding food to the tank since it was set up and then added the turbo start. I’ll still give the tank awhile to cycle before adding fish though. I’ve been looking into Hanna test kits, and will probably make a decision on a kit soon. Thanks for watching and the advice

[@treyreppe4348]

This isn't my experience (I have no salt water... yet) but from my research on refugiums you have to get the algae from a source and since it's alive its really easy to get pests in (bristle worms is what I've seen on ytb) although I'm not sure if they can make it though the return system, or if you can get many small pieces that will be easier to check or treat for pests.

[@vincentbertherin1475]

Hello, Very nice aquarium. what are the dimensions of your tank? thank you.

[@maverickreefer3255]

Loving it! What are the tank’s dimensions.

[@akfish3343]

Hi, Great video, the drainage pipe going to the sump, the one has a control valve on, is both drains open fully going into the sump , can you explain the purpose of both and if both should be open fully?

[@CichlidBros]

The primary drain had the gate valve slightly closed to help tune the sump. You open/close that valve to keep the desired water line, which is usually just below the emergency drain, which remains fully open

[@lucasagnew4613]

Recently just got the Fiji 32 EXT. I'm thinking I undersized my pumps by going with the syncra 1.5 instead of the 2.0. From what I can tell you plumbed both returns to a single pipe and are using one single pump? I'm curious if I should return my 1.5 and do a 2.0 like you did or if I should use both 1.5 and do independent runs to each rerun nozzle.

[@Danthemant1000]

Missing one of the most important things...a lid or a mesh covering.

[@CichlidBros]

Yep. I have a custom lid being made and should have it before fish are added

[@jmzmrz674]

Should’ve used FritzZyme Turbo Start to cycle the tank faster

[@CichlidBros]

That is what I used

[@jmzmrz674]

@@CichlidBros 👍🏼 once is done cycling try keeping this acropora alive with its 3 colors Jasón fox flame acropora if you can keep it alive any coral will thrive in your tank

[@mytotsarehot]

Not your first, I watched you build a waterbox saltwater tank lol

[@CichlidBros]

It was my first. Youre probably referring to my brother, as we are the Cichlid Bros after all…

[@coraljunkies3567]

May I ask what mode and % you run your mp10 pump?

[@jryanwill]

ditch the refractometer, get a hanna salinity checker.

[@brandonellis4422]

Does your ATO line have a siphon break in it? Otherwise it might back siphon the sump into the ATO reservoir.

[@CichlidBros]

Yep it did have one, so all good

[@BahamaLlamaCoral]

Following along!! My only advice, go slow.

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks for following! Definitely going to take it slow and make sure it’s fully cycled, and so that I can fine tune salinity and equipment. Excited to keep learning 👌🏻

[@aravindharaja9864]

Brother, please help. I'm building a tank with dimensions 66in x 15in x 24in (lxbxh) which is 102 gallons . This is maximum depth I can give because of lack of space. Is the dimensions okay to have Oscars? How many Oscars can I keep in this custom tank?

[@jamesgang94591]

Goo0d looking tank, but why not run your powerhead cords south instead of north before running them to the rear??

[@CichlidBros]

That’s the recommended installation for the MP

[@asiinaction3054]

You must be Rich 😄

[@CichlidBros]

Nope, I just spend literally all my money on aquariums lol

[@adrian8967]

Where did you get the RODI water tank reserve at? I need so.ething about that thin

[@CichlidBros]

It came with the package from Fiji Cube. You might be able to order it separately on their site

[@MrOilmoney]

What Auto top off tank is that?

[@CichlidBros]

I had a Tunze at first, but had to replace it. Went with a Duetto later on

[@MrOilmoney]

@@CichlidBros What ato reservoir tank is that?

[@CichlidBros]

@@MrOilmoney it came with the ensemble from Fiji Cube. It was a 7 gallon reservoir

[@sgt.pepper4274]

How's that fine sand working for you? LOL

[@CichlidBros]

It’s actually working well and I love the look of it

[@sgt.pepper4274]

@@CichlidBros Yes, I agree the look is awesome--many said the same thing before the needed flow from their wavemakers for their corals, and to stir up detritus. I can't count the number of people who have ended up removing that fine sand because it ended up blowing all over the tank and became an absolute nuisance. Live and learn: it helps make the hobby interesting. p.s. It's easier to remove it now than it will be once you have the system populated with corals and fish. Caribsea Fiji Pink sand really looks nice and works well. GL.

[@thepenetrator2006]

Keep it natural mate. Take about 5 months before all phases pass. Im 6 months into my set up. I just did marine first. Fresh water never looks as good as marine once corals are in.

[@evoryann]

First thing you do when cycling a saltwater reef tank, turn on the lights just full blast 12 hours a day. Have at it... lol jk!!!

[@CichlidBros]

Haha. Yeah I only turned on the lights for the video but have kept them off the past few weeks

[@evoryann]

@@CichlidBros haha no im sure, its very nice though man keep it going. Like most reefers you will become obsessed and im sure we're all excited to see what comes of this tank. 👌

[@damnimsolucky7]

😅impressive

[@CichlidBros]

Thanks!

[@jeremygotair]

Skimmers are horrible to clean plus not very nice looking

[@estebanjc1]

pay attention, don't clean the glass of aquarium with sponge not not! use a tunze , you can scratch the glass. i see in your video son cleaner of sponge ! square ! Take care ! The return Pump its not good , so much noise , the heater it's not exact, the move pump yes its ok, perfect , and the light ok ok. But.... what about the noise of the water fall down to the sump, make a noise ?. And i saw the door of the sump it's not correctly, it's no iqual like other one up ...other down !. sorry but i like all perfect . ! What about the skimmer is very very important , to extract the proteins , and oxygenate the water. i don`t saw it in your table . Thanks for sharing your experience Sorry if am so much critical , but your going to change a lot thing with the pas os the time Sorry Sorry :D