20g WaterBox Cube - Softie Simple Secondary Aquarium

[Nburg's Reef]

I decided to 'reboot' my main Red Sea Reefer 450 into a SPS dominant with LPS and wanted to remove all of my leather coral and non zoa/ricordea softies. But, I can't just get rid of my softies as I love them as well, so a simple 20g cube is perfect to get my softie fix. Since I had some pretty big pieces, this thing filled up super quickly! I used 50% dry rock and 50% rock that's been in my main tank for a little over 18 months and some live sand from two little fishies.

Since there should be filtration right away, I started by soaking the dry rock with bottled bacteria and aquarium water for about a week to get any die off out of the rock, then added it to the tank. After a few days, I added a single leather, my huge green sinularia, to see if it did well. It molted right away but once it sloughed off its outer layer, it opened up brighter than ever. Over about a 2 week period, I added all my leathers and now this thing is full. My gorgonians were too big so they already got a trim.

I don't want a complex system so just the basics: light, flow & heat.. only thing unnecessary is the ATO, but I won't run a tank without using a Tunze 3155.
Equipment:

• Waterbox 20g cube
• AI Hydra 26HD
• AI Nero 3
• Sicce 0.5 return
• 75w Eheim Jager heater
• Tunze 3155 ATO
• All managed with a DJA switch board

I have 'most' of the corals I am going to add in the tank, but will add some of my ricordea, baby RFAs and maybe some zoas.
Corals:

• Neon green Sinularia
• Pulsing Sinularia
• Spaghetti Sinularia
• Joker (Japanese) Toadstool
• Willow Toadstool
• Long polyp green Toadstool
• WWC Blue "rainbow sprinkles" Cespitularia
• Pulsing Xenia
• Neon Capnella Kenya Tree
• Branching GSP
• Blue mouth GSP
• Pink bushy Gorgonian
• Purple Gorgonian
• Tracey Morgan Gorgonian

As of right now, no fish, but will be adding my yellow tail damsel and maybe 2 other nano sized fish depending on what I can find. Maybe a blenny and something else colorful.

First setup:



First Corals:


Under the hood - tried to get everything stuck to the top of the stand so there is lots of room. I don't have my ATO resevoir yet, but I will clean up the ATO wires once I get it. I saw Jake Adams on reefbuilders do all their tanks this way an love it. Currently doing it for my RS Reefer, but a lot more cords to deal with!




And Today: getting GHA so I know I am at least good on the nitrogen cycle. I added a snail and a hermit, but will need a bigger CUC real soon!


And the sides:

 

[blaxsun]

Very nice. How do you like the Waterbox compared to the Red Sea? Unless I'm mistaken, that looks to be a Red Sea 750XXL beside it...?

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Well the 20g AIO cube is not exactly apples to apples comparison, but they look like the same style and build quality. Not sure on the larger water box systems, but their nanos are nice. The water box stand is coated in a little textured coating that seems more resistant to dings, and the RS is completely smooth. The RS stand looks nice when clean but shows salt drops more and is harder to clean. Otherwise not much difference.

the RS is a 450 (59”x20x22”) I think is used the zoom out feature on the iPhone so it might have a little fish eye effect making it look bigger.

 

[Devaji]

perfect! I love these small tanks there perfect for "project tanks" like this. I am a softie fan as well love gorgs too.

maybe add 6 line as the only fish cuz there a holes or you gonna keep it fish free?

I have a small peninsula reef just for that. but took it down to set up my 1st FW planted with he WB2420
somehow I got a 2 tank rule.
love all the plants in your home too. is that a banana tree i see?

 

[Nburg's Reef]

I have a yellow tail damsel that was banished to my sump so I’ll likely add him last. He’s was fine with known fish but bullied newbies at feeding time for a week or so. I was going to add him back to my main system once I was done added but he can live in the 20g. I love 6lines but may want something like a blenny for added algae eating.

 

[New&no clue]

I did the same thing, I have a 180-gallon mixed reef, but then I have a 30-gallon AIO softy tank. It is effortless without a lot of equipment, and it just does its thing.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I decided to 'reboot' my main Red Sea Reefer 450 into a SPS dominant with LPS and wanted to remove all of my leather coral and non zoa/ricordea softies. But, I can't just get rid of my softies as I love them as well, so a simple 20g cube is perfect to get my softie fix. Since I had some pretty big pieces, this thing filled up super quickly! I used 50% dry rock and 50% rock that's been in my main tank for a little over 18 months and some live sand from two little fishies.

Since there should be filtration right away, I started by soaking the dry rock with bottled bacteria and aquarium water for about a week to get any die off out of the rock, then added it to the tank. After a few days, I added a single leather, my huge green sinularia, to see if it did well. It molted right away but once it sloughed off its outer layer, it opened up brighter than ever. Over about a 2 week period, I added all my leathers and now this thing is full. My gorgonians were too big so they already got a trim.

I don't want a complex system so just the basics: light, flow & heat.. only thing unnecessary is the ATO, but I won't run a tank without using a Tunze 3155.
Equipment:

• Waterbox 20g cube
• AI Hydra 26HD
• AI Nero 3
• Sicce 0.5 return
• 75w Eheim Jager heater
• Tunze 3155 ATO
• All managed with a DJA switch board

I have 'most' of the corals I am going to add in the tank, but will add some of my ricordea, baby RFAs and maybe some zoas.
Corals:

• Neon green Sinularia
• Pulsing Sinularia
• Spaghetti Sinularia
• Joker (Japanese) Toadstool
• Willow Toadstool
• Long polyp green Toadstool
• WWC Blue "rainbow sprinkles" Cespitularia
• Pulsing Xenia
• Neon Capnella Kenya Tree
• Branching GSP
• Blue mouth GSP
• Pink bushy Gorgonian
• Purple Gorgonian
• Tracey Morgan Gorgonian

As of right now, no fish, but will be adding my yellow tail damsel and maybe 2 other nano sized fish depending on what I can find. Maybe a blenny and something else colorful.

First setup:



First Corals:


Under the hood - tried to get everything stuck to the top of the stand so there is lots of room. I don't have my ATO resevoir yet, but I will clean up the ATO wires once I get it. I saw Jake Adams on reefbuilders do all their tanks this way an love it. Currently doing it for my RS Reefer, but a lot more cords to deal with!




And Today: getting GHA so I know I am at least good on the nitrogen cycle. I added a snail and a hermit, but will need a bigger CUC real soon!


And the sides:

Looks great!!

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Ugly stage is already well under way with some hair algae growing on all the dry rock, while the rock from my other system is mostly clean. I ordered a radial filefish and a jester goby from Biota, so I will see if the Jester goby takes to the GHA.

I have a feeling this tank will go thru the uglies just as fast as it cycled... its like on fast forward. I excpet diatoms and dinos any day now.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Long time since I’ve updated. Finally got fish in the cube and the coral are really filling in. Baby clown, royal gramma and an eyelash blenny. I do need to trim the green sinularia and weed a little Xenia but otherwise love the look of things taking over. I did find some blue clove polyps which I’m happy about… as long as they stay out of my other system. I think they will look great in this tank and shouldn’t bother anything I’ve already got in here too much except for some Zoas (which are multiples from my DT).
FTS with all blue:

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Most of my softies were open so it’s a good chance for a video walkthru

 

[DAniel559]

Amazing. Where do you source most of your leathers if you don't mind me asking? I'm working on a leather tank at the moment.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Amazing. Where do you source most of your leathers if you don't mind me asking? I'm working on a leather tank at the moment.

Some I had, some were from locals, but some of my more obscure or unique leathers came from MarineFarmers.com. Pablo has a good selection of softies which are hard to find these days due to low demand for high priced softies. Others, like the finger nepthea and 'willow' toadstool came from biota.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Update: haven’t done much since last posting - minor trimming and added some RFA from my main tank. Still growing strong!

 

[Nburg's Reef]

Update: nothing major but Added some Ricordea from my main tank and took out a few Zoas that were struggling. I may cut these ric rocks up and place individual polyps around the rock work.

Looking good with the evening blues! Of course not all leathers are open at the same time.

 

[Nburg's Reef]

update vid