Doostur's Waterbox 230.6 - Mixed Reef Build

[MrWheelock]

Trident shipped and on it's way to @SneakyTortuga ... should have it tomorrow!

Time for some left overs, some drinking and setting up more apex stuff!

I spent all my "extra" money on secret santa. Grats @SneakyTortuga we know you'll put it to good use!

 

[Doostur]

I spent all my "extra" money on secret santa. Grats @SneakyTortuga we know you'll put it to good use!

I spent $50 on my gift. Not sure the norm.

 

[MrWheelock]

I spent $50 on my gift. Not sure the norm.

I felt like being extra nice. Had I spent a little less it'd have a trident but meh... I'm not home to set one up anyway so no rush.

 

[esther]

Time to start my build thread. Waterbox 230.6 was delivered a couple of weeks ago. Delayed a bit due to Hurricane Dorian. This will be setup in our new beach home we purchased.

This was the last 230.6 made. Thanks to Angela for pulling some strings and making the white stand happen (Originally black). And thanks to Jessica for all the help so far and quick replies! (and for helping score a Trident at Macna!!!)

Goal will be a mixed reef / SPS dominant tank.

Will begin setting up over the next couple of days... More pictures to follow.

Build so far:

- Waterbox 230.6
- 4x Radion XR30 G4 Pros w/ RMS mounts & Diffusers
- 4x Vortech MP40wQD
- Reef Octopus ELITE 200-INT SSS w/ VarioS-4 skimmer pump
- Reef Octopus VarioS-8 return pump w/ Vivid Aquarium Random Flow Generators (nozzles)
- Kessil H380 HALO II Refugium LED w/ Gooseneck - Full Refugium will be setup in sump
- Complete Neptune Apex Wifi System w/ Trident, ATK v2, 2x DOS, WAV (If needed), LDK Kit, Flow Sensors, Breakout Box, WXM, Display Module etc & Amazon Fire HD 10 for display
- BRS 150 GALLON PER DAY WATER SAVER DELUXE PLUS RODI System w/ Norwesco 65 Gallon RO/Salt tanks. Will use Apex Dos for Automatic Water Changes
- 150 pounds of Dry "Live" Rock
- 100 pounds of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji & 100 pounds of Special Grade. 50/50 mix for 1.5-2 inch sand bed.
- Cycling with Red Sea Mature Kits (3 needed)

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Delivery 08/30.

I tore into the flat rectangle box before snapping pictures. Didn't arrive like that!

10/22

10/26

10/28

10/31

11/2

11/3

11/9

11/10

11/11

11/15

11/19

This is awesome. Going to follow along. We'll be building our 220 once we get it at the end of December.

 

[esther]

Any suggestions on how far off the back wall I should setup the stand/tank? Factoring in I'll be using 2 MP40s on the back glass. Dry sides sides stick out about 2-3 inches.

Maybe just enough to get the dry sides in and out?

How are your MP40s working for you on the back glass? We bought two as well and don't really want to put them on the sides. How deep is your sand bed? We were thinking of making it only about an inch.

 

[esther]

Varios 8 return too powerful. Rated for 2700gph... a beast. Running on lowest setting and although I have it dialed in pretty well, I think there is room for improvement.

Swapping out pump to a Ecotech Vectra M2 rated at 2000gph.

I would go for a Varios 6 but rated for 1720gph. Want a little more than 1700. Sucks, I prefer the Varios pumps with built in cut off switches. I'll just add a cut off switch in apex to shut down vectra.

We bought the Varios 8 for our tank. Is it really too powerful? We're planning on running the triton method, so we wanted at least 10X turnover.

 

[esther]

Happy Halloween! ;Spiderman;Vamp;Mask

Pictures added to first post.

Cycling flying along. Spot on with Red Sea Mature Pro kit predictions. Ammonia almost 0. Nitrates almost zero. Kit calls for cleaner crew today. Will wait a few extra days just in case. Never seen cycling speed along so fast but this is the first time using live sand. I think it makes a huge difference. Currently on day 10. Rock getting some brown as expected. Some good clean up crew food!

Will start working on my Apex/electronics cabinet. This is what I'm going with. Wife approved.

Everything seems to be more consistent flow wise. Maybe everything is breaking in. Nearly silent at 1100 gph return. Having second thoughts on mp60. May leave 40s.

Where did you get cabinet?

 

[esther]

My filter socks are getting clogged every 1-2 days. As a result water backs up in the first chamber, lowering the water level in the other chambers which throws off my auto top off. When we replace the socks, the water goes back to normal but by then the auto top off has already added additional RO. I'm open to suggestions.

Just replace both filter socks with "mesh" style socks. Definately wont catch as much stuff but wont clogged as easy.

Decided to plumb my BRS GFO/Carbon reactor to my manifold. Needed a little more power for better GFO tumbling. The stand alone cobalt wasnt cutting it.

Also my chaeto has grown out of control in a little over a week. Got rid of those dang socks. Went to cups and running floss. I hope I can go a week without needing to swap out. Socks caused water to back up, lowering water level in other chambers, and throwing my ATO out of wack.

Where did you get your cups to replace the socks?

 

[esther]

Trident shipped and on it's way to @SneakyTortuga ... should have it tomorrow!

Time for some left overs, some drinking and setting up more apex stuff!

Cheers! lol

 

[TheOne]

Trident shipped and on it's way to @SneakyTortuga ... should have it tomorrow!

Time for some left overs, some drinking and setting up more apex stuff!

Ok, now I gotta run to the store. Love some ole smoky moonshine. Apple pie is my pick. I think I saw watermelon while we were staying in the Smokies this summer. Good on ya for hooking up a R2R member with a Trident. I believe in Karma and also paying it forward so I know good Karma is coming your way for that. I would have grabbed it up but luckily I was able to get one this week. I've been following this since I have a reefer 750xxl that is similar. Really liking what you've done so far.

 

[Doostur]

How are your MP40s working for you on the back glass? We bought two as well and don't really want to put them on the sides. How deep is your sand bed? We were thinking of making it only about an inch.

I have switched to the side. MP40s are fine. But I was running my front MP40s are over 50% which I dont like doing. Switched the fronts to MP60s. I prefer the bigger mass of flow at 35%. Sand is 2 inches or so.

We bought the Varios 8 for our tank. Is it really too powerful? We're planning on running the triton method, so we wanted at least 10X turnover.

I was running it at the lowest setting and my plumbing forced me to step it down to 1 inch. So the bottle neck was already created. I guess it would be ok if you have a manifold which you can run reactors etc. Which now I'm doing. I do prefer looking at the data of the cor20 on my apex.

Where did you get cabinet?

Ikea!!! Scroll down for different color combos etc: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/besta-...white-glassvik-white-frosted-glass-s49047826/

Where did you get your cups to replace the socks?

I got so sick of my socks i ran to world wide coral and over paid. $28 each!!! but I had enough of my socks and just use regular pillow floss from walmart now. So much better.

Here they are at Saltwater aquarium at a killer deal for the pair.

DUAL 7" High Flow Filter Media Cups (CLEAR) - Generic

Free Shipping on Everything, Rewards, Free Swag, Price Matching & Free Returns.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Cheers! lol

CHEERSS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Doostur]

Ok, now I gotta run to the store. Love some ole smoky moonshine. Apple pie is my pick. I think I saw watermelon while we were staying in the Smokies this summer. Good on ya for hooking up a R2R member with a Trident. I believe in Karma and also paying it forward so I know good Karma is coming your way for that. I would have grabbed it up but luckily I was able to get one this week. I've been following this since I have a reefer 750xxl that is similar. Really liking what you've done so far.

I been trying to tell Mr @SaltyGroves the same thing. I'm a true believer in Karma.

I was drinking midnight moonshine but it has too much cinnamon and too strong. Smoky is a little better. I usually get the real stuff from the mountains but I'm out Gotta stick to the taxed uncle sam version. LOL.

Did you get that stand kit installed?

 

[TheOne]

I been trying to tell Mr @SaltyGroves the same thing. I'm a true believer in Karma.

I was drinking midnight moonshine but it has too much cinnamon and too strong. Smoky is a little better. I usually get the real stuff from the mountains but I'm out Gotta stick to the taxed uncle sam version. LOL.

Did you get that stand kit installed?

Yeah, it took about 15 min to install. I guess it's better than nothing, ha. My tanks been up for almost two years so I'm not losing sleep over it.

I've done worse damage leaving my rodi unit on all day. Flooded an entire room. Don't ask, ha. On the positive I was wanting to replace the carpet with hardware floors anyway. This was on my newly built house and I'm sure my neighbors thought I was crazy dragging newly laid carpet out. My wife was happy because she didn't want the carpet to begin with. Sometimes you gotta see the cup as half full.

Anyway my cup is about to be half full cause wife said she would pick me up sum moonshine on the way home in a lil bit. Yeah, she's a keeper x1000.

 

[Doostur]

Got to 2nd MP60. I prefer the 60s wider wall of flow @ 25% vs the mp40 at 50%.

Pushes way more consistent water IMO but the 60s are definately overkill.

I'll be selling 2 MP40wQDs if anyone is interested. 1.5 years old but with only 6 months of use.

Below is my simple schedule on reeflink. I guess now I'll setup the wxm module for apex.

 

[Doostur]

Much better. MP60 and MP40 on each side . Cable management complete!

 

[Doostur]

MP40 on its way to @TheOne The other MP40 is sold to @diaz2010 - Both have been sold.

People ask me what I feed my fish. Well the trick is to give them a little of this and that...

Put everything in a little RO. Wait for it to thaw. Then strain all that additive phosphate junk. Then add to a bowl of RO with a splash of garlic and reef roids!

 

[klimfish]

Very clean with the cable management, I like it. Also good call on the varied diet, so many overlook this, even with corals.

 

[Doostur]

Very clean with the cable management, I like it. Also good call on the varied diet, so many overlook this, even with corals.

Thx

It's an easy to to make sure everyone eats... even the stubborn ones. For dry food I mix a bunch of different pellets in one AFS and a flakes in another AFS and feed a small amount twice a day. I over feed right now till my fish get use to the tank. New fish, and stress don't mix well. Only think you can do is overfeed them to keep them happy.

For corals I mix a little RO with Akropower, reef roids and oyster feast.

PS... I still haven't setup my apex WXM to control my ecotech stuff. I'm slacking....

@SneakyTortuga how you liking the Trident?

 

[Doostur]

Playing around with a 4th XR30.... Its growing on me.

 

[Doostur]

Those of you thinking of 3 vs 4 lights. Yes 4 is overkill but I can run them at such a low intensity to achieve the same par and eliminated so much shadowing. Coverage is amazing.

Picked up one of these silly things in order to raise my skimmer. I need to raise my waterline in order to address a minor siphoning issue from my atk. And yes I have the air break installed. By raising it, I can keep my RO container filled higher. However I needed to lift my skimmer a bit. Its happiest at about 8.5 inches of water.