Darkxerox's '25 budget build

[Darkxerox]

So after moving my tanks out of my parents' place, my mom thought it was too quiet and not as blue! Enter my old nano:

Overall Budget Goal: <$500
Ongoing Costs: $335/$500
Date Tank Cycle Began: 03/22/25
Tank Manufacturer & Model: 12g JBJ Nanocube DX (free)
Equipment List:
Light(s): 12" AI Coral Glow ($100)
Pump(s): Tunze Silence 1073.008 (free)
Heater(s): 50w Jager (free)
Wavemaker(s): none
Doser(s): no dosing
Controller(s): Ranco temp controller ($95)
Filtration: Activated Carbon in a bag (free)
ATO: Lid/none
Sand: Carib Sea Special Grade (free)
Rock: 5 lbs ($40 from Salty Bottom Reef)
Additional items: none

Zoas, pipe organ, and clove polyps from @Arvin R ($40)
Gorgonians from @The_Lazy_Reefer (Reefer's code)

3x Sexy Shrimp and micro fauna from @under_water_ninja ($60)

Rock lived in the sump of my other tank for months but the sand was dry after shutdown for a few weeks. The plan is zero dosing, minimal feeding, almost no topoff due to the lid, and the ability to leave for a week plus without having to do anything. Soft corals only and some snails and an urchin later to be added.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Another 26+ year aquarium. Awesome.

 

[Darkxerox]

End of April update, my mom has been doing a great job of keeping the tank so far. Still very clean. Added a chunk of live rock from the 90g shutdown that has tons of sponge and life. Glued the corals down and the gorgs already rooted themselves:

Added a pom pom crab I had for years (let's add $25). And the cabbage leather lets call another $25 so $385 total running cost. Other corals were from swaps (mushrooms).

Zoas already multiplying!

 

[ReyDeFarts]

No update for May.

DQ for Q2 showcase

 

[Darkxerox]

June update, tank did great with my mom caring for it while I wasn't there for 6 weeks. She's been murdering vermetids with a spike and everything is still alive/growing:

Definite growth of the pipe organ coral and the gorgonian in the back.

Added a Duncan frag from High Tide so running total is now $410.

 

[Darkxerox]

Little bit of recession on the Duncan, so did a big water change (5gal). Swapped out the chemipure bag (free via SWA'a freebies). No other additions or changes. Shrimp are still doing well as are the crabs:

Bubble algae seems to have come in on the cloves so I'll need to bring an emerald next time I'm up there.

 

[Darkxerox]

Added a DBTC Koji Wada last night from @CaseyP !

 

[Darkxerox]

September update, chugging along (last photo was August at midnight).

Got some nice bubbles on the mushrooms. Temp has gotten high on hot days with the lid on, but otherwise the shrimp and crabs are all doing well. There's an insane amount of mysids and copepods running around due to no fish.

 

[psidriven]

June update, tank did great with my mom caring for it while I wasn't there for 6 weeks. She's been murdering vermetids with a spike and everything is still alive/growing:

Can I hire your mom to exterminate my vermetids?

 

[Darkxerox]

Spooky Halloween update:

Easiest tank ever! No dosing, no top off even. Just water charges.

 

[Alexander1312]

Spooky Halloween update:

View attachment 74410

Easiest tank ever! No dosing, no top off even. Just water charges.

You mean you have not done an ICP on this ? Looks great.

 

[Darkxerox]

Got my mom a cleaner shrimp and still love the personality on these. $35 so total is $445 now.

 

[Darkxerox]

Got some big bounce action on the yuma

things looking good overall, might have to zoa trim in 2026: