Rick's Reefing Adventures 25G floating Peninsula

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

Welcome to my build thread! After two years, I’m excited to share that I’ve finally upgraded to a larger tank. To keep things organized, I’ll start this thread with the key details and the most recent pictures right here in the first post. Updates and progress will be shared in the posts below. Stay tuned!

Instagram for more pictures: RicksReefingAdventures

TANK
- Waterbox Peninsula 25
- Red Sea net lid

MIXING
- OLD (Red Sea Blue Bucket)
- NEW (AquaForest Reef Salt)
- RODI system with booster pump and inline TDS meter

LIGHTS
- 2x AI Prime 16HD + shade on a hanging kit

FILTER/CIRCULATION
- Activated Carbon
- ReefnRolls automatic fleece roller
- AI Axis 40 with dual RFG
- AI Nero 3
- Tunze Doc 9001 (Currently not in use)

SAND/ROCK
- 16.5 lbs of AquaForest Bio sand
- BlueMarine Floating rock kit
- 4 lbs of live rock

Temperature Control
- 2x 150W Tetra Heater
- D&D temperature controller
- Cooling fans

TESTING
- H2Ocean Refractometer
- Salifert tests
- Hanna Phosphate
- Hanna Nitrate
- Hanna ALK

MOST USED ACCESSORIES
- Flipper nano
- Syringes

CORALS
EUPHYLLIA:
Euphyllia Paraancora - Ultra Neon Groen
Euphyllia Glabrescens -- Groen
Euphyllia Glabrescens – Dragon soul
Euphyllia Paraancora - Purple gold stem
Euphyllia Paraancora - Purple gold tips
Euphyllia Paraancora - Two tone
Euphyllia Yaeyamaensis – Ultra green
Euphyllia Yaeyamaensis - Orange ultra
Euphyllia Paraancora - Ultra Neon Oranje

ZOANTHUS:
Zoanthus Pink Diamond
Zoanthus La lakers (yellow)
Zoanthus Lord of the rings
Zoanthus Nirvana
Zoanthus Blue Walters
Zoanthus Pink Vampire
Zoanthus Water Melon
Zoanthus Mind Tricks

LPS:
Caulastrea SPP Blue
Caulastrea Fluo Green
Caulastrea SPP Green
Caulastrea Star Mint

SOFT:
SP
GSP
Acanthastrea Rood

- FEEDING
- Frozen mysis
- Hikari marine pellets
- Nori
- AquaForest Zoa food
- EasyReefs EasyLPS


DOSING
- All for reef 1.5mL spread through 3 doses.
- AquaForest Power Elixer 5mL a day.

FISH
- 2x Clownfish
- 1x Bangaii cardinal

INVERTS
- Blood shrimp
- Percnon Gibessi
- Urchin
- Hermits
- Snails
- Strawberry conch

TO-DO'S
- Get a second shade


PICTURES

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

--- UPDATE ---


The tank is finally set up! It was quite the process since it had to go in the same spot as my old tank. To make it work, I had to drain the old tank, move it a few feet, and refill it quickly to prevent the corals from drying out. Thankfully, it only took about 10 minutes, and the new tank is now in place.


However, I’ve already run into a couple of issues (of course, haha).

1. Cable Throughway: This is an original Waterbox cabinet, so why on earth doesn’t it have a cable throughway? There’s no way to route the cables, so I’ll have to figure out a solution for that.
2. Scape Compatibility: I’m really happy with the scape, but I didn’t account for the hanging mechanism. Because of it, the skimmer no longer fits, and neither does the lid. I originally planned to use a Waterbox lid, but that’s not going to work. Kraken Lids might be an option, though they’re quite expensive.

I’m also trying to skip as much of the cycling process as possible. To prepare, I placed sponges and bioballs in my rear chambers a week ago and decided to use AF Bio Sand. Once the new tank is filled, I’ll move the sponges and bioballs over, which should help minimize the cycle. The plan is to transfer all the corals, including a large zoa-covered rock. I’m unsure of the timing, though, since I don’t want to move the corals into an uncycled tank, but that rock already holds a lot of beneficial bacteria.


One thing I didn’t fully think through is the equipment swap. Since I’m reusing the same gear (like the ATO and pumps), I’ll need to wait until the new tank is cycled to make the transfer. However, once the new tank is cycled, I won’t be able to get behind it easily for the cables. That’s another issue to tackle.


Next steps:

• Modify the cabinet for cable management (cable throughway).
• Start working on hanging the lights. For now, I can only hang one since the other is still over my old tank, but that should be fine for the cycling process.

Stay tuned for more updates!

 

[ColorMeGone]

I think this is going to turn out Sweet. Luv the floating rock look!

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

--- UPDATE ---

Lights:
The hanging kits are finally installed! I currently have only one light hanging since the other is still on my smaller tank, but it already looks amazing. I still need to manage the cables, but I'll take care of that once the other equipment is set up.

Sand:
This was my first time using regular sand instead of aragonite, and wow—it was a nightmare to clean. That said, it looks fantastic now! However, next time, I’ll definitely go back to aragonite. Initially, I thought I didn’t have enough sand, so my plan was to transfer some aragonite from my small tank once it’s emptied, clean it, and mix it with the sand in the new tank. Surprisingly, I think I might actually have enough sand. It’s definitely a thinner layer compared to my smaller tank, but I kind of like the look.

Cycle:
Three days ago, I added AF live sand to the tank. Along with that, I included two bags of bio-balls and two seeded sponges from my other tank. So far, I haven’t noticed any algae or other issues. I added a few pellets on the first day and again today, but my nitrite and ammonia levels are still at 0. Maybe I’ve managed to skip the cycle entirely! I’ll give it a few more days to be sure, but I think the tank might be ready to go soon.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

— Update —


• Cable Management: I put some effort into tidying up the cables, and it looked fantastic—at first. Unfortunately, the tape I used completely failed, so I’ll definitely avoid that brand next time. The cables are also a bit longer than I’d like, which makes it less neat, but it’s acceptable for now.

• New Lid: I originally ordered the Waterbox lid, but the delivery time was ridiculously long. I ended up going with a Red Sea lid instead. It wasn’t the easiest job to put together and took quite a while, but the final result is worth it—it looks amazing.


• Lighting: Both lamps are finally up and hanging! The setup looks great, but I realized I need a second shade since I currently only have one. The cables are pretty rigid too, so I’ll have to figure out how to deal with that.

• Rock Transfer: The only piece I transferred from the old tank was my zoa rock. While I love the colors, I’m unsure if I’ll keep it. I’m worried it might disrupt the “floating” look I’m aiming for. What’s your opinion—keep it or let it go?

• GSP Wall: My old tank had a full back wall covered in GSP. I spent hours cutting it into pieces and gluing it to the new tank’s back wall, but it just wouldn’t stick. It kept falling off over and over again. For now, I’ve pushed a few pieces into the sand and hope it’ll grow upward instead.


• Old Tank: I’ve officially cleaned and sold my first tank. It felt a little bittersweet letting it go, but I’m excited for this new chapter.

• CUC Upgrade Needed: The diatoms have started to appear, but my cleanup crew is pretty sparse right now—2 nassarius snails, 2 hermits, a crab, and an urchin. I’m still deciding what additions to make, so I’d love any recommendations.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Oooo I love the floating aquascape design!

 

[ColorMeGone]

The Zoe Garden looks great, but it does throw off the floating look which I think is Great! Maybe just leave it in for a while to help establish the new rock. :thinking-face:

 

[TheWB]

Loving your new tank here so far.
I like the zoa rock and think you should keep it.
The floating rock look is really cool but I’ve seen some others with nothing on the sand and they look a little strange to me. The bottom needs something and the zoa rock looks great.

 

[lewis19]

Nice build so far mate! I’ve got a similar setup with the Waterbox 25 that I’ve just started as well, so I’ll be following along for tips and tricks!

How do you find the Axis 40? I was fiddling with my stock return earlier and now it makes a humming sound so looking to upgrade.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

Oooo I love the floating aquascape design!

I know right! When I saw this I knew I had to get it but it didn’t fit in my old tank. Never had such an good excuse to upgrade

The Zoe Garden looks great, but it does throw off the floating look which I think is Great! Maybe just leave it in for a while to help establish the new rock. :thinking-face:

Yea I will definitly keep it for now, as it also gave me a spot for my candy canes. Going to order some more zoa’s and when it’s all covered I’ll decide if I’m keeping it haha.

Loving your new tank here so far.
I like the zoa rock and think you should keep it.
The floating rock look is really cool but I’ve seen some others with nothing on the sand and they look a little strange to me. The bottom needs something and the zoa rock looks great.

Thank you! For now the next stocking plan is to fill the shade under the floating rock with acans. I love the colors and they don’t mind a low par.

Nice build so far mate! I’ve got a similar setup with the Waterbox 25 that I’ve just started as well, so I’ll be following along for tips and tricks!

How do you find the Axis 40? I was fiddling with my stock return earlier and now it makes a humming sound so looking to upgrade.

Awesome! Can’t wait to see your progress. The stock pumps are pretty terrible. I upgraded from the 15G to the 25G and had the Axis 20 in the 15G and I was pretty unimpressed. Decided to try the 40 on this one and it’s great. The only issue I ran into is draining the pump chamber. I use a fleece roller, which is good but does slightly block the amount of water passing through. This means I can’t run the pump any higher then 50%, but combined with a wavemaker it’s more then enough TBH. The stock pump is good for mixing new water, but that’s all it’s good for.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

UPDATE​

Unfortunately, I’ve been sick for a while. I got hit with pericarditis, so everything I do has to be taken slowly. Definitely not how I wanted things to go, but for now, it is what it is.

ReefnRolls​

I’ve been tinkering with my automatic fleece roller, but I can’t seem to get it set up just right. It looks like something is blocking part of it, which isn’t a huge issue, but I’m going through rolls faster than I should. I reached out to the manufacturer for some advice—still waiting to hear back.

Frags & Corals​

The zoa rock has really grown on me, so I’ve decided to keep it and add even more zoas. That said, my urchin had other plans and stole some, so I sold those off and ordered some flashy new ones—still waiting for them to arrive.

As for my floating rock, the original plan was to fill it with hammers and frogspawns, but now that I have two torches, I absolutely love them. So, I’m going for a 50/50 mix. Once they grow too big and start touching, I’ll decide which Euphyllia stays and which goes—but that’ll take some time.

In other news, all the GSP fell off the back wall... big surprise there. I glued the pieces onto frag plugs and stuck them in the sand, with some touching the glass. I have more than I need, so I’m giving some away for free.

Cabinet​

I finally tackled the cable management! It’s still not as neat as I’d like, but definitely better. The struggle with smaller tanks is having the same number of cables but less space to hide them. For now, it’ll have to do—after all, I’m the only one who looks inside the cabinet.

I still need to install a shelf and some lights in there. I have a black-filmed plank ready to go, but since I can’t use a saw at the moment… yeah. So, for now, all the fish food is sitting on the cabinet next to it. I did order some cheap lights that turn on when the door opens, so that should help.

Stocking​

I got another fish—a Banggai cardinal! It’s still a juvenile and pretty shy, but once the lights dim a bit, it starts swimming out in the open. The only issue is that I haven’t gotten it to eat yet—no luck with mysis or anything frozen. Since I mostly feed frozen, I’ll try some live food and see if that works. Fingers crossed.

I decided to get just one to avoid aggression, especially since they were too young to sex.

I also upgraded my clean-up crew:
6x Bumblebee snails
6x Trochus snails
6x Nassarius snails
1x Strawberry conch

This squad should help my urchin, shrimp, and crab keep things clean.

Lights​

Still need to get the shade and fix the cables… whoops.

Dosing & Skimmer​

I’ve decided (yet again) to remove my skimmer. Turns out my low pH was caused by low alkalinity. I’m now dosing AFR to bring it back up. Based on my calculations, I’m using about 0.2 KH per day, so I’m manually dosing while I monitor levels. Once everything checks out, I’ll hook it up to a doser—same plan for my AF Power Elixir.

 

[Rick's Reefing Adventures]

UPDATE!

---

New Fish​

I couldn’t resist—I got another fish! I’ve always wanted a purple firefish, and when I found one at a store a bit far from home, I just had to get it. For now, I’m officially done stocking the tank. The only other fish I’d consider adding is a dragonet, but only if I can find one that 100% accepts frozen food.


The firefish is pretty shy. My clowns are leaving it alone, so I’m not sure why it’s acting this way. I’ve never seen a firefish so sensitive to light and movement before. The good news is that it’s eating and looks healthy, so I’m hoping it just needs more time to acclimate.

---

Cardinal​

The cardinal is becoming more active—or at least as active as a cardinal can be. It’s now out in the open most of the time, which is good enough for me.

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ReefNRolls​

After some back-and-forth with the company, they gave me tips to improve the ReefNRolls, and it’s working much better now. I do need to keep my pump at a max of 30% (roughly 7 times turnover), but the flow from my Nero is great. I’m considering getting another one just to add a bit more random flow.

---

Algae​

I’m dealing with some kind of algae bloom. I have to scrape the glass daily, and the water is annoyingly cloudy. Parameters and corals are fine, so I’m not sure what’s causing it. I’ve ordered a UV sterilizer to help clear things up.

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Cabinet​

I finally finished the cabinet! I added a nice shelf to store my dosing containers and food, so they’re no longer cluttering the space in front of the TV. The shelf matches the cabinet perfectly, so it looks like it was always meant to be there.

---

Doser​

With the new shelf in place, I was able to set up the doser again—no more manual dosing! One container is filled with AF Power Elixir, and the other with All For Reef (AFR). I’m still dialing in the AFR dosage. Without it, my alkalinity drops quickly, but when I started with 5mL per day, it was rising too much. I’ve gradually reduced it to 2mL daily, and I expect this will lead to a slight decline, eventually stabilizing at around 2.5mL per day.

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Urchin​

If this little troublemaker breaks off one more frag (despite glue, putty, and more glue), I swear I’m going to eat him...

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New Torch​

I scored a new torch coral from Marketplace for an absolute steal! It was displayed under normal lighting, so it didn’t show much color. It was sold as a golden torch, but under my lights, it looks a lot like my Dragonsoul torch. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what it is, but either way, it looks amazing!