Bringing back a tossed Waterbox Reef 100.3

[jayq16]

Not my first tank but bringing me back into the hobby earlier than expected…and that’s great! You can check out my previous build a Red Sea 250 that I had to take down when I moved back in 2019.

Fast forward a few years later and I’m now settled, married, and with 2 amazing kids under 3. My wife and I agreed that I can jump into a reef tank again when our girls were 5, but lucky her ;) on our evening walks we found a waterbox reef 100.3 on the curb free to a good home so we’re starting a few years ahead!

This was back in August. It was missing the bottom overflow unions which took me a month to get since waterbox doesn’t make this model any longer and I had to order direct from China.

There was also a chip in the sump, minor and probably fine, but gave me an excuse to upgrade to a Trigger 26 gal sump :)

On to the build details.

Filtration:
Trigger platinum 26 gal
Boys quantum 160 skimmer

Flow:
Echo tech vectra L2
Mp40 x2

Lighting:
Radion g6 pro x2
AI blade Grow
AI blade Glow

Heater: IM Helio 400 watt

ATO:
Trigger Sapphire 5 gal sump
Tunze Osmolator 3

Battery backup/UPS: Anker C1000

Scape:
50 lbs or so dry Marco rock
8 lbs TBS

Livestock:
Ocellaris perc pair
Tasha goby
Helfrichi fire fish
Lawnmower Blenny
Bangai cardinals x3
Conch, hermits, snails

Coral:
This is where I get in trouble, Vivid aquarium is close to me

SPS

Pink Cadillac
Confetti
Ultimate Purple monti
Green cap monti
Oregon tort
Bali shortcake
Strawberry shortcake
Terra red
Toxic table
Green slimmer
Beach bum
Rising Phoenix
Pink Floyd
Orange passion
Walt Disney
Home wrecker
Millie
PC Rainnow
Firecracker
OG Avenger
Fox flame
Blue Millie
TGC Cherry bomb

LPS
Acans
Dragon tamer torch

And one bubbletip

 

[MushroomMan101]

Wow, your scape looks amazing! Great job

 

[jayq16]

Have my mixing station up and running finally, thanks to all those who came before so I could copy designs and instructions

 

[tbrown]

Beautiful tank! You should make this a Build Thread and get your badge!

 

[tbrown]

I'm not sure how to do it on the app:

 

[jayq16]

I'm not sure how to do it on the app:

Oh ya thanks for the instructions! I think I did it

 

[mmorrison55]

Looking good!

 

[kevgib67]

Looks great, well done!

 

[tbrown]

Oh ya thanks for the instructions! I think I did it

Yep! You now have a badge people can click to take you here!

 

[jayq16]

Update here. Moved about 6 weeks ago which is not ideal on an SPS tank (or any for that matter) under a year old. I thought I was in the clear, 4 weeks everything was looking great. All fish survived and coral didn’t skip a beat. I noticed brown on the sand about 3 weeks in and assumed it was diatoms on the new sand i replaced with the move. Turned on skimmer and started my water change routine again and likely dropped my nutrients and turned into Dino’s :( I believe the prorocentrum variety - attached a photo. I have been doing daily UV sweeping (from 3D reefing) on sand since Friday. Dosing nitrate and phos to keep around 5 and 0.05 as best I can, daily fluctuations but keeping it up. I’ve added a ton of pods, daily phyhto, and different bacteria’s.

Unfortunately so far I have lost my confetti and Oregon Tort, my bubble tips are shriveled all up and very unhappy. Hoping to turn this around in the next week so I don’t lose anything else. Super bummed