My first (saltwater) tank: Waterbox Frag 60.3+

[bartikus]

New to the forum! Someone mentioned on my intro post to start a build thread, so here goes!


EQUIPMENT:

Tank: Waterbox Frag 60.3
Lights: 2x AI Hydra 26 HD
Return: EcoTech Marine Vectra S1
Powerhead: EcoTech Marine Vortech MP40wQD
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155
Heaters:. 2x Cobalt Aquatics Neo-Therm 200W


UP FOR DEBATE:

Skimmer or Refugium?

-Skimmer chamber volume is only ~7% system total volume, so I don't think from what I've read that this will make a good fuge size.

-If I do go with a Skimmer, it will most likely be the Reef Octopus Classic 110 INT.


STOCKING PLAN:
Fish:
-Ocellaris clown x1
-Black & White Ocellaris clown x1(*)
-Bicolor Blenny x1
-Royal Gramma x1
-Six (or Four) Line Wrasse x1
-Saddle Valentini Puffer x1(*)

(*) If people reading this think the Valentini is a bad idea, then I will get the B&W Ocellaris instead. I will introduce both clowns at the same time (first) in that case.

Inverts:
-Rainbow BTA x1
-Astraea Turbo Snails
-Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
-Feather Duster(s)
-Maybe a Maxima clam down the road? We'll see. Definitely need to research more on clams.

Corals:
Corals I am less set on. I definitely like motion, so torches, hammers, etc. are going to be my focus. Also, I know it gets hate from how easily it can take over a tank, but some GSP is definitely a must. I intend on having several small rubble rock islands in my scape to try and prevent the spread.

My equipment seems like I'll have the lighting and flow for some SPS too, so I'll see where my confidence is at in terms of how well (or terribly wrong) this plan is going. My main concern is the depth of the tank not really allowing for SPS grow-out more than a few inches vertically.




I'll be going on vacation in June, so don't expect any updates to this build log until early July, which is the earliest I plan to start getting the system wet. I deliberately did this to ensure I take the setup and establishment of this tank slow. What I will be doing from now until then is installing my RO/DI unit, finalizing my stocking plan, deciding whether I'll go with a fuge or a skimmer, playing with my light settings, and probably moving my rocks around a million times.


I would appreciate and welcome any feedback, be it your opinion on skimmer vs fuge, my stocking plan, my aquascape (I'll follow up with pics in a bit), my equipment choices, or anything else!

Cheers!
~Chris

 

[steelwrap]

Welcome to R2R

 

[bartikus]

Sump WIP pics. My other hobby is building custom gaming PCs, so cable management is just second nature to me. Taking it slow, wiring things in neatly and non-permanently through the use of VHB mounting anchors with velco wraps zip-tied to them.

Some notes about the pics:
-I realize having the APC surge protector mounted on the left where the overflows come down into the sump might be where the most chance of splashing might be, but due to the geometry of the sump and plumbing, it has to be that side. At least each outlet has a sliding cover built in, which I will close on all the unused outlets.
-I plan to have the Vortech controller mounted next to the Vectra controller, so what you see there is my drill template taped on the door so I don't forget where I put it.
-Sure, VHB mounts are technically removable, but the Very High Bond is nothing you're gonna easily be able to re-position. See the power brick for one of the Hydras velcro'd up in the top left? I didn't have the plug to the outlet plugged in, and placed the VHB mounts too far to the left. Whoops...

 

[bartikus]

Aquascape: feedback appreciated!

Does this look like the fish in my stocking plan would be happy here?

Note: I won't be adding the live sand until the day I plan to fill the tank. I have ordered 20lbs of the CarribSea Arag-Alive Indo-Pacific black & white coarse sand, and a 10lb bag of the medium grained black Hawaiian, also from CarribSea. I plan to mix them entirely and then use as much as is required for about a 0.75"-1" bed. 30-35lbs should be enough based on the sand bed calculator I found on Marine Depot.

 

[bartikus]

And finally, lights on! I have no idea to set these up, but I have the next two weeks before my vacation to figure that out, and at least some time during the cycling where I shouldn't need them at all. (If anyone has experience with the AI Hydra 26 HDs in a 12" shallow tank and wants to share settings, I'm all ears!)

Also realized the tapestry I had in another room was way more fitting of a backdrop )

 

[bartikus]

Welcome to R2R

Thank you! Its great to be here!

 

[jsker]

That is a sweet tank, I am kind of having tank envy now

 

[Hemmdog]

Nice tank !

 

[Mudder]

Looking good!!

 

[Janci]

That looks great.
Love those dimensions.

 

[salty_trout]

I spy bassnectar! Welcome to reef2reef!

 

[salty_trout]

Stocking plan looks fine. Id go with a protein skimmer since you won't have a lot of nutrients for a while. May starve your fuge.

 

[Auquanut]

Sweet setup. And that tapestry really ties it all together. Also like you rock placement. Plenty of surface area for corals.

 

[BeejReef]

Such a clean install. I'm very jealous of your cord management! VERY JEALOUS ;Shifty

 

[bartikus]

Alright, back from vacation, update time!

I finally have all my equipment and test kits, and I was hoping to finally get the tank wet today, however...

Unfortunately I still can't get the system up and running just yet. My RO/DI unit has a massive leak between chambers 1 & 2, and while I am tempted to just go get some distilled water from my local grocery store, I really don't want to waste all that plastic when I haven't heard back from MD yet about whether or not the faulty part is easily replaceable.

I thought maybe you fine folks might have some suggestions for me.

 

[bartikus]

Alright, so after that last post MD is sending me a replacement part that should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, on Saturday I set the RODI unit off to the side and decided to get the tank up and running using water purchased from my LFS.

I started off with purchasing just one 5 gallon container to transport water in, then bringing it home to test (rather be paranoid than sorry). Everything I tested checked out: salinity 1.025, ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm.

So I threw in my live sand: 20lbs carribsea aragalive Indonesian black mixed with 10 lbs of the same brand Hawaiian black for a little more black. I finished my rock work and four more trips later I had the tank filled up with extra saltwater in case the RODI isn't fixed by the time I have to do my first water change, as well as an extra 10 gallons of fresh for ATO.

This is where I have questions.

I let the cloudiness settle for 24 hours, and once I was happy that my dual heaters were dialed in (set 1 degree apart) I then added 2ml of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride (label says 4 drops per gallon or 1ml per 20 gallons--tank took about 45 gallons to fill so I figured under-dose to be safe). I immediately added my bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only with the return pump off to let it settle on my rocks in both the display and sump (had some leftover rock that fits nicely beside my skimmer).

My skimmer and powerhead, as well as lights, have all been off all this time, as well as my filter socks removed.

I have tested daily, and have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, however I now have about 2-3ppm Nitrate. Am I cycled already? It seems way too good to be true... I wasn't expecting to start stocking for another two weeks.

If I am cycled, I assume that it's time I should turn on my skimmer to start removing that nitrate, insert my filter socks, and start phantom feeding just to keep the bacteria fed.

My gut says it's not cycled... But I also went overkill with live sand as well as Dr Tim's, so I really don't know.

 

[bartikus]

Alright, so after that last post MD is sending me a replacement part that should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, on Saturday I set the RODI unit off to the side and decided to get the tank up and running using water purchased from my LFS.

I started off with purchasing just one 5 gallon container to transport water in, then bringing it home to test (rather be paranoid than sorry). Everything I tested checked out: salinity 1.025, ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm.

So I threw in my live sand: 20lbs carribsea aragalive Indonesian black mixed with 10 lbs of the same brand Hawaiian black for a little more black. I finished my rock work and four more trips later I had the tank filled up with extra saltwater in case the RODI isn't fixed by the time I have to do my first water change, as well as an extra 10 gallons of fresh for ATO.

This is where I have questions.

I let the cloudiness settle for 24 hours, and once I was happy that my dual heaters were dialed in (set 1 degree apart) I then added 2ml of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride (label says 4 drops per gallon or 1ml per 20 gallons--tank took about 45 gallons to fill so I figured under-dose to be safe). I immediately added my bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only with the return pump off to let it settle on my rocks in both the display and sump (had some leftover rock that fits nicely beside my skimmer).

My skimmer and powerhead, as well as lights, have all been off all this time, as well as my filter socks removed.

I have tested daily, and have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, however I now have about 2-3ppm Nitrate. Am I cycled already? It seems way too good to be true... I wasn't expecting to start stocking for another two weeks.

If I am cycled, I assume that it's time I should turn on my skimmer to start removing that nitrate, insert my filter socks, and start phantom feeding just to keep the bacteria fed.

My gut says it's not cycled... But I also went overkill with live sand as well as Dr Tim's, so I really don't know.

 

[bartikus]

Alright, so after that last post MD is sending me a replacement part that should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, on Saturday I set the RODI unit off to the side and decided to get the tank up and running using water purchased from my LFS.

I started off with purchasing just one 5 gallon container to transport water in, then bringing it home to test (rather be paranoid than sorry). Everything I tested checked out: salinity 1.025, ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm.

So I threw in my live sand: 20lbs carribsea aragalive Indonesian black mixed with 10 lbs of the same brand Hawaiian black for a little more black. I finished my rock work and four more trips later I had the tank filled up with extra saltwater in case the RODI isn't fixed by the time I have to do my first water change, as well as an extra 10 gallons of fresh for ATO.

This is where I have questions.

I let the cloudiness settle for 24 hours, and once I was happy that my dual heaters were dialed in (set 1 degree apart) I then added 2ml of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride (label says 4 drops per gallon or 1ml per 20 gallons--tank took about 45 gallons to fill so I figured under-dose to be safe). I immediately added my bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only with the return pump off to let it settle on my rocks in both the display and sump (had some leftover rock that fits nicely beside my skimmer).

My skimmer and powerhead, as well as lights, have all been off all this time, as well as my filter socks removed.

I have tested daily, and have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, however I now have about 2-3ppm Nitrate. Am I cycled already? It seems way too good to be true... I wasn't expecting to start stocking for another two weeks.

If I am cycled, I assume that it's time I should turn on my skimmer to start removing that nitrate, insert my filter socks, and start phantom feeding just to keep the bacteria fed.

My gut says it's not cycled... But I also went overkill with live sand as well as Dr Tim's, so I really don't know.

Ah, I left out an important detail: 24 hours after the first dosing of the ammonia chloride, when I tested and saw 0 ammonia, I dosed the same amount again. This was yesterday afternoon. Now I'm anxious to get out of work and test again.

 

[bartikus]

Alright, so after that last post MD is sending me a replacement part that should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, on Saturday I set the RODI unit off to the side and decided to get the tank up and running using water purchased from my LFS.

I started off with purchasing just one 5 gallon container to transport water in, then bringing it home to test (rather be paranoid than sorry). Everything I tested checked out: salinity 1.025, ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm.

So I threw in my live sand: 20lbs carribsea aragalive Indonesian black mixed with 10 lbs of the same brand Hawaiian black for a little more black. I finished my rock work and four more trips later I had the tank filled up with extra saltwater in case the RODI isn't fixed by the time I have to do my first water change, as well as an extra 10 gallons of fresh for ATO.

This is where I have questions.

I let the cloudiness settle for 24 hours, and once I was happy that my dual heaters were dialed in (set 1 degree apart) I then added 2ml of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride (label says 4 drops per gallon or 1ml per 20 gallons--tank took about 45 gallons to fill so I figured under-dose to be safe). I immediately added my bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only with the return pump off to let it settle on my rocks in both the display and sump (had some leftover rock that fits nicely beside my skimmer).

My skimmer and powerhead, as well as lights, have all been off all this time, as well as my filter socks removed.

I have tested daily, and have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, however I now have about 2-3ppm Nitrate. Am I cycled already? It seems way too good to be true... I wasn't expecting to start stocking for another two weeks.

If I am cycled, I assume that it's time I should turn on my skimmer to start removing that nitrate, insert my filter socks, and start phantom feeding just to keep the bacteria fed.

My gut says it's not cycled... But I also went overkill with live sand as well as Dr Tim's, so I really don't know.

 

[bartikus]

Alright, so after that last post MD is sending me a replacement part that should be here tomorrow. In the meantime, on Saturday I set the RODI unit off to the side and decided to get the tank up and running using water purchased from my LFS.

I started off with purchasing just one 5 gallon container to transport water in, then bringing it home to test (rather be paranoid than sorry). Everything I tested checked out: salinity 1.025, ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 0 ppm.

So I threw in my live sand: 20lbs carribsea aragalive Indonesian black mixed with 10 lbs of the same brand Hawaiian black for a little more black. I finished my rock work and four more trips later I had the tank filled up with extra saltwater in case the RODI isn't fixed by the time I have to do my first water change, as well as an extra 10 gallons of fresh for ATO.

This is where I have questions.

I let the cloudiness settle for 24 hours, and once I was happy that my dual heaters were dialed in (set 1 degree apart) I then added 2ml of Dr. Tim's ammonium chloride (label says 4 drops per gallon or 1ml per 20 gallons--tank took about 45 gallons to fill so I figured under-dose to be safe). I immediately added my bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only with the return pump off to let it settle on my rocks in both the display and sump (had some leftover rock that fits nicely beside my skimmer).

My skimmer and powerhead, as well as lights, have all been off all this time, as well as my filter socks removed.

I have tested daily, and have not seen any ammonia or nitrite, however I now have about 2-3ppm Nitrate. Am I cycled already? It seems way too good to be true... I wasn't expecting to start stocking for another two weeks.

If I am cycled, I assume that it's time I should turn on my skimmer to start removing that nitrate, insert my filter socks, and start phantom feeding just to keep the bacteria fed.

My gut says it's not cycled... But I also went overkill with live sand as well as Dr Tim's, so I really don't know.