I'm returning to the hobby and have purchased a second-hand Waterbox 130.4, which I'm picking up this weekend.
Return pump: Neptunian Cube DC-6000 (6000lph) (came with tank)
Heaters: 2x 200w Eheim Jager (will this be enough? I also have a brand new 100w Eheim Jager, and my house stays at 18-21c all year round)
Skimmer: Aqua Excel AE-601 (came with tank)
Powerheads: initially I have 1 Nanostream 6045 and 2 sun sun JVP-101s from an old tank, and I've got to decide what I want. I kind of like the idea of a proper wavemaker, but I was thinking maybe 2 Nero 5s and keeping the Nanostream for some extra flow - very keen for suggestions. I feel a bit morally opposed to the price of MP-40s, if I'm honest - they're NZ$890 which is around USD$550 and that just feels a bit outrageous.
It will likely be a few weeks before I get whatever I end up with, because there's not a lot of stock in the country and overseas shipping takes a couple of weeks at least.
Filter: Klir Di-4
Sand: Seachem Meridian, 2.5cm sandbed
Livestock - very keen for feedback!
I'm thinking:
Corals:
I'm thinking this will be an LPS tank with a zoa/shroom garden, at least for the first year/18m. I just love the willy-wonka look. I know for sure I want some hammers because I love them. Eventually I'd like some SPS, but we'll see.
Poor dog had to be tethered while we were cutting the carpet
Laying out the tile, + helper dog
Green tape marks the tank
All sealed.
Return pump: Neptunian Cube DC-6000 (6000lph) (came with tank)
Heaters: 2x 200w Eheim Jager (will this be enough? I also have a brand new 100w Eheim Jager, and my house stays at 18-21c all year round)
Skimmer: Aqua Excel AE-601 (came with tank)
Powerheads: initially I have 1 Nanostream 6045 and 2 sun sun JVP-101s from an old tank, and I've got to decide what I want. I kind of like the idea of a proper wavemaker, but I was thinking maybe 2 Nero 5s and keeping the Nanostream for some extra flow - very keen for suggestions. I feel a bit morally opposed to the price of MP-40s, if I'm honest - they're NZ$890 which is around USD$550 and that just feels a bit outrageous.
It will likely be a few weeks before I get whatever I end up with, because there's not a lot of stock in the country and overseas shipping takes a couple of weeks at least.
Filter: Klir Di-4
Sand: Seachem Meridian, 2.5cm sandbed
Livestock - very keen for feedback!
I'm thinking:
- a small school of anthias or fire fish
- a lawnmower blenny
- some sort of sandsifting goby (maybe a diamond goby?)
- maybe a pair of percs
- a leopard wrasse
- maybe some other type of wrasse
- eventually, a pair of mandarins
- a cleaner shrimp
- some turbo snails
Corals:
I'm thinking this will be an LPS tank with a zoa/shroom garden, at least for the first year/18m. I just love the willy-wonka look. I know for sure I want some hammers because I love them. Eventually I'd like some SPS, but we'll see.
Progress so far:
- I've set up the RODI and started making some water.
- I've got more than enough dry rock, and I'll be making an aquascape during the week.
- I've started washing the sand
- We live in an apartment, and instead of having the tank on the carpet, we've pulled up the carpet and put down the flooring. We're thinking of getting a drain installed so I can do waterchanges right down the drain. I'm keen to automate as much about waterchanges as possible. Some progress pics:
Poor dog had to be tethered while we were cutting the carpet
Laying out the tile, + helper dog
Green tape marks the tank
All sealed.
- We're getting 4 extra power-points wired up over the next few days
- I'm thinking of plumbing in a 3 or 4 way manifold right away for some reactors or something eventually
- I plan to have an external ATO, and turn the ATO area in the sump into a refugium. No one in NZ is breeding or selling pods, so if I want a few pod-feeders, I'll need a specific wee area to breed them. I'm considering setting up a specific pod tank.
- I need to figure out a way for the cats to get up onto the bookcase - they use that as a way to get into a mezzanine floor we've built for them