Sammy's Waterbox 100.3 Build

Sam25 · Feb 26, 2020

Hey guys and and girls, this is my attempt on a build thread for my upcoming new tank. I want to do this to help provide more content in the community for a 3 foot long tank. I have been reading this website for a while now and appreciate the value of everyones experience and all those who share them. I picked the waterbox 100.3 because it fitted my space and I like how deep the tank is, also the sump seems huge.

A little bit about me, I started becoming serious about this hobby 5 years ago when I got a 40 gal breeder from Petco on their dollar-per-gallon sale and transitioned from fresh water to marine. As a total novice I didn't do much research and thought I could translate the fresh water world to marine. I had a canister filter, a heater, and a fluvial marine light bar. My only goal at the time was to own fish as that was the draw to the marine world for me. I didn't do much research and that lead to the LFS loving that I'm coming in every few months for a new fish. As the year went on I got more and more intrigued in the beautiful corals on display and got adventurous and got myself an anemone (I know not a coral). Well that didn't turn out so well... lets say he also got adventurous and wondered way too close to the power head. So that was the end of the 40 gal.

Two years ago I moved into a smaller apartment and with all the downtime from work, I decided I was ready for round two. I got myself a Fluvial Evo 13.5 because of the smaller footprint and I like the AIO idea. I did a little more research then and had a good tank runing for just shy of a year until disaster struck. While I was on a work trip and my significant other tagged along, our dog sitter came into our apartment and realized it was unusually hot and rescued our dog to her apartment. Maintenance claimed that the HVAC system reseted randomly defaulted to heat in mid summer! luckily our dog was ok but the tank temperature rose so high that everything was dead when I came home later that night. So thats the end of the Evo and quickly moved out.

A few months after, staring at an empty Evo in our new apartment, I decided its time for round three. This time more successful than before. With the stock light, I got corals going and fish thriving. I posted the livestock and talked a little about it on the fluvial Evo thread. And now one year later, I'm ready for a bigger thank. This time my significant other and I are doing it together. The 100 gallon Waterbox is slightly delayed and they said it should arrive late March to April, so that gives us time to research exactly how we want to run this tank and buy equipment which I will post all about it. Stay tuned.

Round 1 my 40 gal breeder FOWLR

Round 3 my current 1 year old Fluval Evo 13.5

100.3 as of Aug 2020

100.3 May 11 2021 (its been a while since I have updated, lots of changes and will be posting the process)

Barnabie Mejia · Feb 26, 2020

what a journey so far! in to see what is in store!

Rik01 · Feb 26, 2020

I'm in the middle of a 100.3 build also, good luck with yours i'll be following your build

esther · Feb 26, 2020

Congrats! Looking forward to following along.

Sam25 · Mar 4, 2020

Reefing Plan and Equipment:

Time for the inevitable discussion on equipment. I’m planning on doing a mix reef tank with mostly LPS, an Acan/Zoa garden in the bottom, a Maxima Clam, and some SPS at the top. I’ve looked into various reefing method and I think I will run a refugium to keep nitrates and phosphates in check and will dose BRS 2 part to maintain Alkalinity and Calcium. The Waterbox 100.3 sump does not come with a baffle for a refugium area but the lady at Waterbox gave me an idea to order a magnetic baffle from Octo Aquatics for around $100. I am trying to keep it simple. I like the Triton Method and the Red Sea Reef care recipe and if anyone is running these method, sharing your experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Main Lighting:

As most lights are designed for a 24”x24” space it was guaranteed that I’ll have to buy 2 units to mount over the tank until I came across my LFS and they have 2 Kessil AP700 over their 5 foot tank. I looked into the AP700 and it claims a single light unit can cover up to 36” tank which would be perfect and I also like the slim look of that light. There was lots of reviews on the light and many positive notes on the color and simplicity but there were negatives about controllability thought the app.

I thought about but getting the light that bundled with the water box, the AI Hydra 32HD, but there were very limited review on the lights. I wast sure if it was just new or not many people use this light fixture.

I asked many LFS and even made a visit out to LAX Aquarium and not only do they recommend the Ecotech Radion XR but they used them in the stores. It was almost pretty much perfect timing as later that next week, Ecotech released the Radion G5 and preorder started. I gave in to the hype and preordered 2 Radion XR15 Pro. I chose the Pros because I do like the whiter looking tanks as i believe the it gives better color and attention to the fish in the tank. When it came in, i couldn’t resist myself to test it out on my current Fluvial Evo. when i fist turned it on, it was so bright and powerful that my significant other wondered if I mistakenly ordered LED flood lights. After pairing it with the new Mobius app, I got it tuned down and placed it over my existing tank. The colors are amazing and made the stock lighting on my Evo feel and look inferior.

The Other Equipment:

As I essentially plunged myself in to the Ecotech ecosystem (and was way to confused on how the Neptune Apex works) I decided I will continue the path of Ecotech and AI products as they have both mobile apps. I got 2 AI Nero 5 pumps on sale and awaiting on the AI prime Fuge for the refugium and two Ecotech Versa for my dosing pumps.

As for the return pump, I went with the Sick Silent 5.0. After a little bit of research, i did not find a major benefit in a variable DC return pump (maybe I just don’t know why you would need to change the speed that much).

The Waterbox sump includes an ATO reservoir and i chose the Tunze Osmolator 3155 to regulate and pump the water.

For the skimmer I actually picked up a Vertex Omega 150 on clearance… thats how I chose that one.

Right now all the equipment is stacked in the corner of the kitchen and it is tempting me to tinker with them. I reached out again to Waterbox and they notified me that there is not new information on ETA of their stock shipment and its still showing “late spring”… so ill continue to wait. It did cross my mind and consider getting the new Red Sea Refer 300XL instead but I think id really like to have the bigger sump in the Waterbox.

DothanReefer · Mar 17, 2020

Love what you're doing, sounds like you've got some experience in this under your belt!! The Fluval looks amazing!!! Love the Radions!

I am also starting a 3ft build and am currently considering the WB Marine70.3, WB Reef100.3 or the Red Sea Reefer 300 XL. As you know the WB systems are awaiting arrival on a boat somewhere in the Pacific probably, and the Red Sea 300 is available now in the color we want - black. I see you ordered the WB 100.3, but considered the RS. I'm thinking the 100.3 is just a little out of budget and also 2" wider, which I think would really make it stick-out too far in the spot we've chosen. So, i wanted to ask you, between the WB Marine 70.3 and the RS 300 XL, which would you choose and why? My biggest concern with the WB Marine is the filter socks being up in your face on the backwall of the aquarium (noise, smell, splash, etc...). I just can't make my mind up and i'm beginning to lean towards the RS because of the in-sump, 4" filter socks and higher water volume ----- but dang, i really love the Waterbox design too. Frankly, i'm envious of you're Reef 100.3 and you can bet i'll be tracking/watching this build thread closely as i'll be going through a lot of it at the same time....might even do a build thread myself, tho, me being a first-timer not sure many people want to see a whole bunch of mistakes.

Trying not to make a big mistake choosing the wrong system. Geez, am i over thinking this?

Sam25 · Mar 18, 2020

DothanReefer said:
Love what you're doing, sounds like you've got some experience in this under your belt!! The Fluval looks amazing!!! Love the Radions!

I am also starting a 3ft build and am currently considering the WB Marine70.3, WB Reef100.3 or the Red Sea Reefer 300 XL. As you know the WB systems are awaiting arrival on a boat somewhere in the Pacific probably, and the Red Sea 300 is available now in the color we want - black. I see you ordered the WB 100.3, but considered the RS. I'm thinking the 100.3 is just a little out of budget and also 2" wider, which I think would really make it stick-out too far in the spot we've chosen. So, i wanted to ask you, between the WB Marine 70.3 and the RS 300 XL, which would you choose and why? My biggest concern with the WB Marine is the filter socks being up in your face on the backwall of the aquarium (noise, smell, splash, etc...). I just can't make my mind up and i'm beginning to lean towards the RS because of the in-sump, 4" filter socks and higher water volume ----- but dang, i really love the Waterbox design too. Frankly, i'm envious of you're Reef 100.3 and you can bet i'll be tracking/watching this build thread closely as i'll be going through a lot of it at the same time....might even do a build thread myself, tho, me being a first-timer not sure many people want to see a whole bunch of mistakes.

Trying not to make a big mistake choosing the wrong system. Geez, am i over thinking this?

Hey DothanReefer,

They are all solid options, It all comes down to what are your goals and plans. Including what are you planning on keeping; Fish only, Corals (soft, mix, sps). also the method of reefing (equipment) cause sump real estate highly depends on this.

I also did looked into the WB Marine 70.3 but I'll give my input on why i decided on the 100.3. The 70.3 has a full back wall that that cuts into the 20" width so I'm guessing it might be 4" cut into the tank with the 2.75" socks so your display is only 16" width, which is no big deal and you can always aquascape any size to look amazing. I think the benefit of having the socks in the back vs the sump is that it clears up space in the sump for other equipment that you want to run.

Red Sea Reefer 300XL is similarly size to the WB 100.3, I believe, but for my plan the sump is a little small. I want to have the option to run a protein skimmer as I want to heavily stock my tank with fish, but also have room for a refugium. The RS sump technically have space for both but it is too small for what I want. I purchased the skimmer on a liquidation sale and the foot print is rather large. now the RS or even the Nyos skimmer would fit perfectly in there.

Ultimately I choose the 100.3 because the wall it will be against is recessed and can accommodate the depth but I would not be able to reach the back easily for mx of the filter socks. the 100.3 also now comes with the bigger sump offered with the 130.4 and that was the selling point. I can fit my protein skimmer and have a refugium behind it. Unfortunately there is still no news on when I'll get the tank as my last communication with WB, they told me "late spring." not sure what that means... May, June, before the start of the summer solstice? this would be a great time to be setting up a new tank as we are all social distancing (unfortunately I still have to go to work... or thats fortunate, not sure yet)

So once you have your plan its easier to determine which tank fits you best. feel free to ask questions. I've been researching a lot lately while I am waiting for this tank to arrive. don't think you're too new to start a build thread. It's a great way to post progress, questions, and receive good trick and tip to be successful.

Fezbearer · Mar 19, 2020

Sam25 said:
this would be a great time to be setting up a new tank as we are all social distancing (unfortunately I still have to go to work... or thats fortunate, not sure yet)

I was looking at starting my first tank up for the same reason. I'm working from home right now, so I have plenty of time to work on a tank while I'm doing job related stuff. Ah well, I guess this allows me to do more research and planning.

samnaz · Mar 19, 2020

Going all out on this build, how exciting. I think the water box will absolutely be well worth the wait, as hard as it may be now. As someone already mentioned, extra time for reading and researching and planning is never a bad thing and could even help make your build better and or easier. ;-)

Sam25 · Mar 22, 2020

samnaz said:
Going all out on this build, how exciting. I think the water box will absolutely be well worth the wait, as hard as it may be now. As someone already mentioned, extra time for reading and researching and planning is never a bad thing and could even help make your build better and or easier. ;-)

Yea definitely. I've been wanting a bigger thank ever since my ego has been doing well. Just wanted more real estate. So after lots of BRS youtube and R2R research I think I'm for my dream tank.

Sam25 · Mar 22, 2020

Got an update on the Waterbox 100.3. It should be shipped out the week of April 20th!!!

Sam25 · Mar 25, 2020

Today's Topic is RO/DI

When I started my current Fluval Evo, I purchase premixed RO/DI and Salt water from my LFS. it was easy because i filled 2 five gal jugs every other week. Over time as my tank was filled up with coral and fish and I felt less the need to go to the LFS and my water change schedule deteriorated. As the fish and corals all did fine, I change my water once a month.

Now for this build, buying and transporting 100 gallons of water will not be practical and so I caved in and purchased an RO/DI unit. two challenges to overcome. My city uses Chloramine to treat the water and I am in a rental apartment and would rather not drill into pipes to plumb.

I Purchased the 6 stage from Bulk Reef Supply and i have a good place by my shower that I can place it. I rearrange the chambers to better fit my area and did the plumbing connection accordingly.
1. Sediment Filter 2/3. Carbon 4. RO membrane 5/6. DI Resin.

The shower is where I decided to attache the system. It's where I can access it the easiest and I can have the fill bucket in there too just incase I forgot about it and it over flows. So BRS supplies two fittings; one for the bathroom sink faucet and one for garden hose/utility sink. to make it work for a shower, I purchased a shower diverter (link below) so I can use the shower and have the option to divert the water to the RO/DI system when needed. Then it is attached to the Garden house attachment using a brass adapter I found on amazon (link below). Im not too concern with the brass as it does leak copper into the water but the water system here in this city dates back to 1801 and there are way more to worry about. hopefully this RODI set up will eliminate all that issues. When I make RO/DI water, I turn the shower on to full cold, let that run for a bit then divert the water to the RO/DI unit to insure that i don't accidentally run hot water to it.

Lowes: Shower Diverter

https://www.lowes.com/pd/AquaSource-0-5-in-Chrome-Shower-Diverter/1000284087

Amazon: Shower to Garden Hose adaptor

Sam25 · Apr 17, 2020

Waterbox and UPS just contacted me and my 100.3 will be delivered this coming Monday! Good timing as now ill be keep busy during this social distancing.

Aquascape

I dug out my two large rocks from my 40B and gave it a bleach bath for a week and dried them out for two weeks on my balcony. Hopefully all the chlorine have evaporated. The two rocks were not enough ti fill up the space so I ordered 20lb more from BRS.

After a whole week of moving rocks in different position, I settle on this one that I like.

The tank will sit by the corner. L side will be by the wall

Picture do not show that there are 3-4 inch between the "glass" and rocks. Objective is to create as much surface area from top view so that there can be maximized coral placement.

From the sofa I will view this tank from this angle so this was very important. I arrange it so the taller rock is the background and that the "channel" between the rock is visible from this angle.

"Secret" cave view from the left corner.

Mattiejay6 · Aug 18, 2020

Bump for an update! @Sam25

Sam25 · Aug 21, 2020

Sorry for the long period with no updates. This pandemic, work, and, life in general has made everyday long but also every month go by so fast. The next few post and updates will be slightly accelerated as I will try to catch up on my progress throughout the past few months. I have posted current pic of the tank in my first post of this tread.

Today's topic is aquarium arrival, set-up, and first impression (April 2020)

The shipment came in late afternoon at the end of April and I quickly started to assemble the tank. The base cabinet came in like flat pack furniture and assembles like that of Ikea furniture. But unlike Ikea furniture, the instructions were very vague. I would have preferred a thicker instruction book like that of Ikea or Lego where each page has 1 or 2 steps and detailed image/pictorial rather than the overview depictions of where all the pieces should go. Nevertheless after a few hours, I got the stand set up and ready for the tank.

With the aid of my partner, we manage to pry open the shipping crate and lift the tank into place and slide the sump into the stand. The tank is incredibly heavy. I fitted LED strips that i purchased from amazon on ceiling of the stand so that i have a light to work on the sump. They are relatively cheap and only used two strips to fully light the tank. The plumbing is incredibly easy, no need for cutting or epoxy. Everything just slides right in and screws up tight.

Initial impressions is this tank looks amazing with clean edges on the glass and great finish on the doors and side panels. I really appreciate the ATO chamber integrated into the sump and located in the front, makes it easy to fill up with 5 gal jugs. Also if the ATO fails on the on position, I can rest assure that it ill just over flow back into the ATO chamber as the perimeter wall of the sump is taller than all the other walls/baffles inside the tank.

After a full day of admiring the tank empty, I have a long few days to get it filled up with water.

revhtree · Aug 21, 2020

Looking great!

MPCReefer · Sep 14, 2020

Hey, Sammy. Great looking setup. Any recent updates? Very interested in what you decided on the refugium as I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a 100.3 myself with a similar plan to yours.

Sam25 · Sep 16, 2020

MPCReefer said:
Hey, Sammy. Great looking setup. Any recent updates? Very interested in what you decided on the refugium as I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a 100.3 myself with a similar plan to yours.

Hey there, I need to get better at updating and blogging.

Building a Refugium

I've seen many people turning the ATO reservoir into a refugium but that added complexity in more pumps and I value having the ATO reservoir more. I initially started with having the fuge right before the return chamber and purchase corse wire blocks to make "baffles" and to trap the chaeto in place. to light it I purchased an AI prime Fuge. Challenges were that the flow in that middle chamber is very slow and that the chaeto did not "tumble," rather it got stuck sitting in a corner dead zone. I had a hard time keeping the chaeto alive as well. I wasn't sure if I was jumping the gun and purchasing chaeto too early in the tank life span, around 1.5 months in, but they all turned grey and broke apart.I tried adding it into a basket and having actually baffles to redirected the water to increase flow but still failed to sustain chaeto in this setup.

One day I came across a BRSTV video on an Tunze macro algae reactor and realized that this may be a perfect application. I quickly sold my AI Prime and purchased the algae reactor. I chose this option because it is self containing, light is on the outside, and it generates its own "tumbling" water flow. I have installed it in the front of my sump so I can monitor the chaeto growth and so far it has sustained the chaeto but not much growth. The tank is essentially only 4 months old so there may not be too much going on to grow the chaeto, not sure or I'm not giving it enough nutrients. I have read that reactors are designed to have more intense direct lighting and thus I run it 10hr reverse from main DT. So far so good, we shall see if it is sustainable long term.