The End of an 8 Year Reefing Hiatus - New Waterbox 220.6 Build

[sanzz18]

Hey guys! I am finally setting up a reef tank after 8 years or longer of not having a saltwater/reef tank. To make a story short, I was young, impulsive, and shut down my tank after some really bad luck. I sold off all my equipment and never looked back. In the end, I knew once I moved out of my parents house, got older, and bought a house, I would get back into this hobby at some point. Fast forward to right now, my wife and I built a beautiful home, and finished the basement after living in it for just over a year. I am now possibly a month from getting my new Waterbox 220.6 setup wet and being a part of my dream hobby again. I just got to figure out how to get this beast into my basement, but almost got that covered. I will be updating this thread with everything I have done/have so far over the next few days.

Tank

• Waterbox Reef 220.6 System​

Equipment/Dry Goods

• Neptune Systems Cor-20 Return Pump​
• Reef Octopus Regal 200INT Protein Skimmer​
• Inkbird WiFi Aquarium Heater Controller​
• BRS 300W Titanium Heaters (x2)​
• Neptune Systems Apex Controller System​
• Neptune Systems DOS System (for auto water changes)​
• Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 ATO​
• Aquatic Life 61" Hybrid Fixture​
• T5 Bulbs (still need to buy once I figure out bulb selection)​
• Ecotech Marine Radion XR15 G5 Blue LED Light Fixtures (x4)​
• Ecotech Marine VorTech MP40wQD Pumps (x3)​
• MarcoRocks Reef Saver Dry Rock (140lbs)​
• CaribSea Aragonite Special Grade Dry Sand (x4 = 160lbs)​
• Neptune GRO Refugium Light​

Future Upgrades

• Neptune Systems Trident Water Analyzer (still want eventually)​
• Klir Di-7 Drop-In Fleece Filter System (tried and hated it)​

Mixing Station

• Brute Can 55 gallons (x2)​
• Pan World 40PX Magnetic Water Pump​
• BRS Blue PVC 3/4"​
• Misc BRS PVC fittings 3/4"​

Livestock List (Updated: 5/21/22)

Fish:

• Achilles Tang​
• Purple Tang​
• Hippo Tang​
• Naso Tang​
• Squaretail Bristletooth Tang​
• Foxface​
• Picasso Clownfish​
• Snowflake Clownfish​
• Tri-Color Fairy Wrasse​
• Yellow Coris Wrasse​
• Cleaner Wrasse​
• Purple Firefish​
• Copperband Butterfly​
• Pajama Cardinals x3​
• Springeri Damsel​
• Disbar Anthia​
• Midas Blenny​

​

Inverts:

• Cleaner Shrimp
• Fire Shrimp x2
• Peppermint Shrimp (1 in display; 4 in sump for aiptasia control)
• Trochus Snails
• Turbo Snails
• Cerith Snails
• Dwarf Cerith Snails
• Nassarius Snails
• Fighting Conch x2
• Various Hermit Crabs

 

[sanzz18]

The general tank location back in May when the basement wasn't finished...

Last week, basement finished since mid-summer and the Waterbox 220.6 stand put together (the bump out to the left of the stand is where the pipe was on the unfinished pic...

 

[shandoee]

Wow, that is the basement? Great work, it looks nice!

 

[sanzz18]

8 years ago... not the best picture but here's the old 125g...

 

[sanzz18]

Wow, that is the basement? Great work, it looks nice!

Yeah man that's my basement. I got a workout area, gaming desk, just need TV/surround sound system (wires hanging from the ceiling are speaker wires), couch, and finally my tank. I will never leave the basement lol.

 

[shandoee]

Yeah man that's my basement. I got a workout area, gaming desk, just need TV/surround sound system (wires hanging from the ceiling are speaker wires), couch, and finally my tank. I will never leave the basement lol.

No tv needed as you have the tank for your entertainment lol. All you need is a fridge, you definitely will not leave lol.

 

[KrisReef]

Welcome back!

 

[sanzz18]

No tv needed as you have the tank for your entertainment lol. All you need is a fridge, you definitely will not leave lol.

You're 100% right! Some beer or bourbon will be perfect!

Welcome back!

Thanks!

 

[sanzz18]

Here is some before and after pictures of the future mixing station area.


This room is where the furnace and water-heater in the picture above is. It is also the room the mixing station will be located.

Working on the dry fitting in the furnace/mixing station room. Also the soffit in the ceiling (in the picture below) that leads from that room all the way over towards the sink, I installed a direct PVC line to fish RODI line over to the tank so I have direct access to the tank. This is so I can fill up my ATO reservoir as well as to use my Neptunes Dos to do auto water changes. In the bump out to the left, I have direct sewer line access that the old saltwater will drain into. Unless for emergencies, there should be no reason for me to bring water outside of the mixing station room and bring it to the tank manually.

Measured out a "dipstick" so I can better guestimate how much salt to add in 5 gallon increments. Will reinforce the 5 gallons marks with some sort of vinyl eventually.

Installed a utility sink. Had to have a pump installed at the bottom of it to push it up to the level of the sewer line.

 

[Pkunk35]

Epic! I just got back after 6 years, welcome back! Hah I’m still workin on the house and 100+ gallons tho! Lookin forward to following along, looks like you are well researched!

 

[sanzz18]

Epic! I just got back after 6 years, welcome back! Hah I’m still workin on the house and 100+ gallons tho! Lookin forward to following along, looks like you are well researched!

Thank man! I am trying to remember everything and learn as much new stuff as I can. I am trying to make it as low maintenance as possible. Good luck with your future tank!

 

[sanzz18]

Most of this stuff was scored on Black Friday (dry rock not in picture). Still need to buy T5 bulbs, Vortechs, XR15s, test kits, and bacteria/ammonia. At this point, all I really need is the bacteria/ammonia and a Vortech to get this tank wet and start cycling. That and still need to get this tank into my basement.

Skimmer fits perfectly.

 

[debug3000]

This hobby needs a ton of work for sure Keep yourself busy!

 

[sanzz18]

The moment of truth... The tank made the 50ft walk, without stopping, to the backyard. Then down the Bilco door stairs, and finally into the basement.

Four of us, suction cups, 2x6s to slide the tank down the stairs, and tow rope, made this move as easy as it can be.

Starting to do little things to get equipment all together.

I will continue to update as stuff gets done.

 

[John Bolden]

wow

 

[Espino963]

Beautiful!! Any updates?

 

[sanzz18]

Hey everyone. Sorry for leaving everyone hanging on this build thread. Plan to update you guys on how everything is going by this weekend. Wife and I had a baby just as this tank was getting cycled and obviously have been super busy.

 

[sanzz18]

I am going to throw a bunch of posts/pics to show you what has been going on with the tank since its been up. Then I will do my best to keep it updated going forward.

 

[sanzz18]

This is back in January 2021. I was all on board with the hype of the NSA aquascape. Completed it and didn't love it as much as I thought I would. Plus thought of the lack of hiding places for fish. So I scrapped this idea, sold the pieces off and did a standard aquascape that I liked way better.

This was how the aquascape came out at first.

Getting it wet.

Made the mistake of not rinsing the sand thinking I can get away with it. Ended up draining all the water out, sucking the sand out with a gravel vac while draining, and rinsing the sand. Twice the work for no reason. So learn from me if you think it is worth skipping this step ya'll .

Everything happens for a reason, I ended up adding that large rock on the right island and loved it way more. Then filled her back up once and for all.

Love the T5/Hybrid with Radion XR15 Pros - Gen 5.

 

[sanzz18]

Had a pretty fun time dealing with dinos from for a couple months starting around late February 2021 going all the way into April/May 2021.

Here is a link if anyone wants to see what I was going through:

The Dinos Battle Continue - Need A little More Guidance

I made a post about a month ago about battling uglies/dinos (def had some amount of Dinos) in my 220.6 WB. My nitrates and phosphates were bottomed out at 0. I started feeding heavier, stopped water changes, and turned off my t5s/only used the xr15 pros. It seems to have improved since then but...

www.reef2reef.com

In the end, making sure nitrates and phosphates were no longer bottomed out (dosing nitrates and phosphates), turning off skimmer, feeding heavy all helped; but running a UV sterilizer at the proper flow rate it was got rid of them. You have to make sure you identify the dinos correctly some don't respond to UV sterilizers as they do not go into the water column at night.

Here is how I had my UV sterilizer setup, and actually still do. I am going to move it to the bottom as soon as I get the motivation to lol.