And so the plunge into another tank has begun.
Quick background on me. I've had everything from 6ft Puffer only tanks, with puffers up to a foot in length, down to 2.5 gallon pico tanks while I lived in the UK. Then about 6 years ago I moved back to the US and took a break from the marine scene. However we recently bought a new home (should be unpacked by 2022) and I decided it needed a couple of tanks. After spending hours... ok days... errrr weeks looking at current tanks, equipment and lighting I started making the list of tanks that I liked and were within a healthy budget of under 1000.00 (cause nothing about this hobby is cheap). I am also confined to a smaller size as the tank will be sat between the couch and the recliner so people in both locations can see and enjoy it. Yet for it not to stick out so far off the wall that it becomes its on wall blocking people from having a conversation.
So I started looking on Craigslist and FB Marketplace in my area to see what was about. Not a whole lot. Came across a Fluval 13.5 with skimmer, koralia nano, and heater for 100.00. I liked it, read up on it more, looked at the dimensions and a few things stuck out. First depending on how I oriented it someone would be looking at the blacked out pump end. Try it as a peninsula style and it became that wall between people. Next I could not find a stand to fit the thing that I liked. I saw some re-purposed furniture and the such, but nothing that made me go WOW I like that.. ok I'm sold.
Next I looked heavily at the Nuvo 10 AIO model. Spent several days researching this particular tank. Made a complete list of all equipment that I would want using other peoples lay outs and the tank would fit just about every aspect of what I wanted, except the budget. Sure the tank is only 200.00 for the new kit version, but when you add in light, mp10, ATO, dosing pump, stand and all the other odds in ends to get it up and running you are bumping more towards the 1500.00 range for all the bells and whistles. In fact owning a Nuvo 10 and a Nuvo 40 there isn't all that much of a price difference when all said and done.
I even looked at going ultra low tech with a aqueon 10g, HOB filter, LED light and refugium. This would have been the cheapest route, but again fell into the size issues of it sitting to far off the wall.
So I was basically in a Goldilocks situation in tanks. Everything was so close, yet just not quite right.
Then while browsing SaltWaterAquarium.com last night and looking through the clearance section and came across a 7 gallon cube by Waterbox . It is marked as Discontinued. So for 89.00 I was able to get a starfire glass rimless AIO cube. I admit I know little about WaterBox tanks. They seem to have their own fan base like many companies do. So I google the tank and found a full layout of the dimensions which are roughly 12 inches square and the display section itself is 12L x 10D. So not a lot of room in the rear chambers (about 2 inches front to back).
There isn't a lot of info or even threads on this tank on the various reef forum sites. I'll assume it is that it makes more since to go with a 10 gallon cube and the foot print isn't that much bigger and neither is the price tag.
So lets start the list and the prices of stuff. If only the tank was the highest priced item in our hobby.
Waterbox 7G Cube : 89.00
Tunze 3152 Nano ATO : 76.50
KPS Wave maker: 120.00
Large Bucket Coral Pro Sea Salt: 66.00
Cobalt Aquatics Mini MJ 606: 30.00
10lbs of Live Sand: 15.00
5 Stage RODI w/TDS meter (used): 67.00
Refractometer (used): 15.00
Kessil A350w w/gooseneck (used): 120.00
Inkbird ITC-306T Heater Relay: 30.00
Hydor 50w Theo: 15.00
Salifert Master Reef Testing Combo Kit: 75.00
Flipper Nano Cleaner: 25.00
Aqueon 50w Preset heater for water mixing: 8.00
Water Mixing Pump: Free (old pump out of tank that will be replaced with the MJ606)
JB Weld WaterWeld epoxy for Liverock sculpting: 4.50 x3
Stand: Unknown Yet (Guess 100.00, hoping under 50.00)
Live Rock: Unknown (Guess 50.00)
Odds and Ends Yet to come: 50.00
Total damage: 965.00
So I have fallen in under my 1000.00 budget, but just barely. Most of what I have bought though can be used in future upgrades. So if I do decide on a 10 gallon at a later date I won't have to buy much in the way of equipment. A bit of for sight on my part.
As for stocking wise in the tank. Given that I have a A350W for lighting it only makes sense to go the LPS and SPS route. Fish, well I know a yasha gobie and pistol shrimp pair for sure and most likely one other goby (or two if I go with extremely small ones). Then of course the CUC which will be a 5 gallon crew. To keep up with the bio-load I'll be doing 2 gallon water changes which will be roughly 40%. Water volume is only 7 gallons and by the time you add rock, sand and equipment that is going to eat up space.
Once all the equipment comes in I'll get a photo of everything and then the fun begins... well it doesn't till I decide on what to do for a cabinet/stand. Anyone have any ideas? (No we don't have an Ikea near me). Stand will need room to hide the ATO tank and electrics.
and now the wait begins......
Quick background on me. I've had everything from 6ft Puffer only tanks, with puffers up to a foot in length, down to 2.5 gallon pico tanks while I lived in the UK. Then about 6 years ago I moved back to the US and took a break from the marine scene. However we recently bought a new home (should be unpacked by 2022) and I decided it needed a couple of tanks. After spending hours... ok days... errrr weeks looking at current tanks, equipment and lighting I started making the list of tanks that I liked and were within a healthy budget of under 1000.00 (cause nothing about this hobby is cheap). I am also confined to a smaller size as the tank will be sat between the couch and the recliner so people in both locations can see and enjoy it. Yet for it not to stick out so far off the wall that it becomes its on wall blocking people from having a conversation.
So I started looking on Craigslist and FB Marketplace in my area to see what was about. Not a whole lot. Came across a Fluval 13.5 with skimmer, koralia nano, and heater for 100.00. I liked it, read up on it more, looked at the dimensions and a few things stuck out. First depending on how I oriented it someone would be looking at the blacked out pump end. Try it as a peninsula style and it became that wall between people. Next I could not find a stand to fit the thing that I liked. I saw some re-purposed furniture and the such, but nothing that made me go WOW I like that.. ok I'm sold.
Next I looked heavily at the Nuvo 10 AIO model. Spent several days researching this particular tank. Made a complete list of all equipment that I would want using other peoples lay outs and the tank would fit just about every aspect of what I wanted, except the budget. Sure the tank is only 200.00 for the new kit version, but when you add in light, mp10, ATO, dosing pump, stand and all the other odds in ends to get it up and running you are bumping more towards the 1500.00 range for all the bells and whistles. In fact owning a Nuvo 10 and a Nuvo 40 there isn't all that much of a price difference when all said and done.
I even looked at going ultra low tech with a aqueon 10g, HOB filter, LED light and refugium. This would have been the cheapest route, but again fell into the size issues of it sitting to far off the wall.
So I was basically in a Goldilocks situation in tanks. Everything was so close, yet just not quite right.
Then while browsing SaltWaterAquarium.com last night and looking through the clearance section and came across a 7 gallon cube by Waterbox . It is marked as Discontinued. So for 89.00 I was able to get a starfire glass rimless AIO cube. I admit I know little about WaterBox tanks. They seem to have their own fan base like many companies do. So I google the tank and found a full layout of the dimensions which are roughly 12 inches square and the display section itself is 12L x 10D. So not a lot of room in the rear chambers (about 2 inches front to back).
There isn't a lot of info or even threads on this tank on the various reef forum sites. I'll assume it is that it makes more since to go with a 10 gallon cube and the foot print isn't that much bigger and neither is the price tag.
So lets start the list and the prices of stuff. If only the tank was the highest priced item in our hobby.
Waterbox 7G Cube : 89.00
Tunze 3152 Nano ATO : 76.50
KPS Wave maker: 120.00
Large Bucket Coral Pro Sea Salt: 66.00
Cobalt Aquatics Mini MJ 606: 30.00
10lbs of Live Sand: 15.00
5 Stage RODI w/TDS meter (used): 67.00
Refractometer (used): 15.00
Kessil A350w w/gooseneck (used): 120.00
Inkbird ITC-306T Heater Relay: 30.00
Hydor 50w Theo: 15.00
Salifert Master Reef Testing Combo Kit: 75.00
Flipper Nano Cleaner: 25.00
Aqueon 50w Preset heater for water mixing: 8.00
Water Mixing Pump: Free (old pump out of tank that will be replaced with the MJ606)
JB Weld WaterWeld epoxy for Liverock sculpting: 4.50 x3
Stand: Unknown Yet (Guess 100.00, hoping under 50.00)
Live Rock: Unknown (Guess 50.00)
Odds and Ends Yet to come: 50.00
Total damage: 965.00
So I have fallen in under my 1000.00 budget, but just barely. Most of what I have bought though can be used in future upgrades. So if I do decide on a 10 gallon at a later date I won't have to buy much in the way of equipment. A bit of for sight on my part.
As for stocking wise in the tank. Given that I have a A350W for lighting it only makes sense to go the LPS and SPS route. Fish, well I know a yasha gobie and pistol shrimp pair for sure and most likely one other goby (or two if I go with extremely small ones). Then of course the CUC which will be a 5 gallon crew. To keep up with the bio-load I'll be doing 2 gallon water changes which will be roughly 40%. Water volume is only 7 gallons and by the time you add rock, sand and equipment that is going to eat up space.
Once all the equipment comes in I'll get a photo of everything and then the fun begins... well it doesn't till I decide on what to do for a cabinet/stand. Anyone have any ideas? (No we don't have an Ikea near me). Stand will need room to hide the ATO tank and electrics.
and now the wait begins......
