tgrab 's Waterbox Infinia 125.3

[tgrab]

The Infinia 125.3 I ordered back in November finally arrived so I figured it's time to get a build thread started. This is my first saltwater aquarium in about 15 years.

I got the tank set up a few days ago and here is the first round of pictures.

The aquascape I put together ended up looking a bit more minimalist than I had intended so I might add a bit more before the tank gets too far along. Figuring out lighting is also definitely a work in progress.

So far I'm happy with the setup overall but the space in the electrical part of the cabinet was smaller than I had anticipated. It also would have been nice to have some more space in the area with the sump for some additional storage.

I neglected to take pictures of the tank before it was completely set up but everything was super well packaged.

I can add a full equipment list and stocking plans later.

 

[blaxsun]

Like your sump layout.

 

[tgrab]

Like your sump layout.

Thanks! The only part I played was deciding whether to put the skimmer or the refugium first. The rest came that way.

 

[blaxsun]

Good spot for the MarinePure blocks. Is that where the refugium is going?

 

[tgrab]

Good spot for the MarinePure blocks. Is that where the refugium is going?

Yes, that's the plan. I have an order from IPSF coming tomorrow with some ulva and gracilaria among other things.

Here's what I have for equipment:

M2 vectra 2000gph return pump
2 reefwave 25s
JBJ 500W heater
Apex EL
Neptune ATK
Reef octopus regal S150
2 xr15s

 

[MD51]

Do the Infinia stands come pre-assembled?

Was gonna downsize but am now debating between the Infinia 125.3 or the Reef 100.3

Setup looks Great - Good Work!

 

[tgrab]

Do the Infinia stands come pre-assembled?

Was gonna downsize but am now debating between the Infinia 125.3 or the Reef 100.3

Setup looks Great - Good Work!

Yeah, it is pre-assembled. I was looking at the reef 100.3 also but went with the infinia because it was the biggest system volume that fit in the space I have available.

 

[tgrab]

My order from IPSF came in yesterday. Once again I neglected to take pictures of the unboxing but here's what I ordered:

Mix n match:
Bristle worms
Tang heaven red
Tang heaven green
Wondermud
Liquid N-reducer
Nerite grazers
Littorinid grazers
Amphipods
Live sand activator

Super special:
Mama mia worms
Live reef plankton
Coralline algae booster
Free micro brittle starts and extra pods

I took out the filter socks before adding the plankton. I'll put them back in a few days but I figured thay might give the plankton a chance to establish a bit. Or maybe it will be a waste but who knows.

I've been running the tank with a 12 hour light schedule since it was set up. I realize this might encourage the ugly phase but my plan is to lean into it and try to get ahead of things by boosting biodiversity as much as possible. I have an order of ecopods and phyto coming from Algaebarn this week and I plan ordering rubble from Aquabiomics the next time it's available.

I'm hoping that running the refugium from the start and dosing phyto will help stay on top of nutrients in the tank and outcompete less desirable things.

 

[MD51]

Can you take some close up shots of the silver interior - leaning towards the silver stand vs black.

Ty

 

[tgrab]

Can you take some close up shots of the silver interior - leaning towards the silver stand vs black.

Ty

Hopefully this is helpful. I'm not sure whether it's the same silver as the silver stand.

 

[tgrab]

So far the tank cycle seems to be progressing pretty well. Some of the rock in the tank is used rock from my LFS with some dried out organic material on the outside. I figured this could be an ammonia source for cycling and so far it seems to be working. Here are my ammonia and nitrate numbers from the past weekish. I have the tropic marin test kits.

March 17: 0.1 ppm ammonia, forgot to check nitrate
March 18: 0.02 ppm ammonia, 1 ppm nitrate
March 19: 0.02 ppm ammonia, 7.5 ppm nitrate
March 20: 0.02 ppm ammonia, 10 ppm nitrate
March 21: 0.02 ppm ammonia, 7.5 ppm nitrate
March 22: 0.02 ppm ammonia, 5 ppm nitrate

I haven't done a test to see how fresh saltwater or RODI turn out with the ammonia level, but I suspect I am pretty close to being cycled.

I switched from having my refugium light on 12 hours roughly opposite the main lights to leaving it on 24 hours a day on March 20 to see the impact it would have on pH overnight. I plan on leaving it on 24/7 for now but I may change the schedule if nitrates drop too low.

My order of ecopods and phyto from Algaebarn is set to arrive tomorrow and I am considering going to the LFS to grab a coral or two to try to get some more biodiversity into the tank.

 

[MD51]

Hopefully this is helpful. I'm not sure whether it's the same silver as the silver stand.

Thank You

 

[tgrab]

My order for algaebarn came today. I added the ecopods and roughly 45 ml of the phytoplankton. My plan is to dose 25 ml or so everyday moving forward. I'm hoping to get the microfauna population going strong and maybe even have the phyto help with nutrient uptake before I add any fish. I'm still planning on adding a couple corals this weekend.

Not sure how much traffic this gets but I'm open to suggestions on corals. Here's a general list of things I'm considering for the tank long term:

Hammers
Frog/octospawn
Alveo/gonipora
Leather toadstool
Clove polyps
Lobos
Sinularia
Kenya tree
Xenia
Zoas
Mushrooms/ricordea

 

[Devaji]

nice tank! I am loosely considering that same for a project tank.
what are your overall thoughts on the infinia? work the price bump?

it dose look like the controller board is a bit small for all the goodies we have these days.

how did you find the ISPF stuff worth the $$?

 

[tgrab]

nice tank! I am loosely considering that same for a project tank.
what are your overall thoughts on the infinia? work the price bump?

it dose look like the controller board is a bit small for all the goodies we have these days.

how did you find the ISPF stuff worth the $$?

Thanks! I like it overall, but it is definitely a bit cramped for space in the stand. I don't plan on adding dosing pumps at this point, but I don't really know where I would fit them in regardless.

The IPSF stuff also seems to have been worth it. I'm not sure whether the plankton I bought added much to the tank at the time, and some of the snails (littorinids) like to leave the tank. Otherwise everything I ordered was great. I've been running the tank on the AB+ setting since day 1 on as 12 hour cycle and the I haven't had any issues with nuisance algae or anything else that is ugly aside from a dusting of diatoms. I also add ~30ml live phytoplankton every day and I the refugium has been running since day 3 or so.

 

[tgrab]

Here's a full tank picture from this morning.

 

[Devaji]

yeah I hear you space is hard in the smaller tanks. basically you need a gear cabinet at that point might of gone with a 4' tank then when ones in think 4' might go 6' well at least that is how my mind works but space and money does not always agree with this line of thought. ha

 

[tgrab]

yeah I hear you space is hard in the smaller tanks. basically you need a gear cabinet at that point might of gone with a 4' tank then when ones in think 4' might go 6' well at least that is how my mind works but space and money does not always agree with this line of thought. ha

Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't have room for a 4' otherwise I would have gone with one. The infinia was the largest system volume I could fit in the space I had available and I'm super happy with it aside from the cabinet space.

 

[MD51]

Do the sides of the overflow box next to the return nozzles have etched wier teeth?

 

[tgrab]

Do the sides of the overflow box next to the return nozzles have etched wier teeth?

No