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Alright, I am calling this the "Quid Pro Quo" build of a Waterbox 130.4. Why? Because I promised my wife that I would release the funds to buy her dream handbag (a Chanel) in exchange for letting me build my dream reef tank!
Warning: I travel alot for business so I expect progress to be very slooooow. Come back in February or March if you don't have the patience to watch paint dry!
About me: I have been in the hobby since 2000. Like most people, I started out small with a 15-gallon nano. I then upgraded to a 75-gallon mixed reef. Here is a picture of my old 75G:
I had to give up the tank when my company asked me to move to Japan. So I have been out of the hobby for nearly 14 years (I just moved back to Boston). Back then, I was a much poorer (but better looking) version of my current self. So everything was DIY. The lights were a retrofit kit of power compacts from Champion Lighting, which I later upgrade to MH. I built my own stand with just a hand-held circular saw. The sump, float valves, ATO … everything was done on the cheap. The only thing that I splurged on was a EuroReef skimmer which cost me like a month's salary. Fast forward 20 years and I am happy to say that I am now financially secure (but worse looking) and I am ready to build my dream tank with no expenses spared.
My philosophy for the new tank:
The “Quid Pro Quo” Blueprints
Here I will just rundown the equipment list. I will explain the reason for each of my choices in subsequent posts as well as the alternative products that I did not choose. I have spent over one year researching and planning for this tank. And yet I still feel unprepared and constantly second-guessing my choices!
Above the stand:
In the basement:
Thanks for following along
Jim
Warning: I travel alot for business so I expect progress to be very slooooow. Come back in February or March if you don't have the patience to watch paint dry!
About me: I have been in the hobby since 2000. Like most people, I started out small with a 15-gallon nano. I then upgraded to a 75-gallon mixed reef. Here is a picture of my old 75G:
I had to give up the tank when my company asked me to move to Japan. So I have been out of the hobby for nearly 14 years (I just moved back to Boston). Back then, I was a much poorer (but better looking) version of my current self. So everything was DIY. The lights were a retrofit kit of power compacts from Champion Lighting, which I later upgrade to MH. I built my own stand with just a hand-held circular saw. The sump, float valves, ATO … everything was done on the cheap. The only thing that I splurged on was a EuroReef skimmer which cost me like a month's salary. Fast forward 20 years and I am happy to say that I am now financially secure (but worse looking) and I am ready to build my dream tank with no expenses spared.
My philosophy for the new tank:
- I may not live long enough to see another tank so I am going to build this one as if it were my last one.
- No more DIY. Life is too short and so are my skills. Some people are great with their hands and creating beautiful stuff. I am not one of those people.
- Full automation. I travel nearly 40% of the time so I need the reef to be as self-sufficient and bomb-proof as possible.
- Mixed reef with a heavy emphasis on SPS and clams.
The “Quid Pro Quo” Blueprints
Here I will just rundown the equipment list. I will explain the reason for each of my choices in subsequent posts as well as the alternative products that I did not choose. I have spent over one year researching and planning for this tank. And yet I still feel unprepared and constantly second-guessing my choices!
Above the stand:
- Tank: Waterbox 130.4 in white
- Lighting: Custom ordered Giesemann Spectra (48” inch, two 250w MH, four 54w T5s, integrated moonlight, custom metallic silver finish). This unit is wired for 220v so I am also buying a Krieger transformer rated for 1700 watts (Giesemann recommended a minimum of 1500 watts).
- Powerheads: A pair of Maxspect Gyre XF350 with their controller
- Rocks: 180 lbs of Tampa Bay Saltwater aquaculture live rock
- Sand: Undecided; either TBS live sand or Tropic Eden aragonite. Enough for 2 inches or so.
- Salt: Tropic Marine Pro Reef
- Sump: I will use the Waterbox sump on Day 1, but I plan to upgrade to Geo’s SU24R or perhaps a SU46R-Pro-Plus later down the road once I finish my basement fish room project.
- Protein skimmer: Deltec 1000i
- Skimmate locker: Avast Davy Jones Skimmate Locker
- UV: Pentair Aquatics 25w Smart UV
- Return pump: Abyzz A100
- Heater: Finnex 300w controlled by Ranco ETC1110000
- Cooling fans: GHL Propeller Breeze 3 (4-fan)
- Emergency back-up power: IceCap battery back-up for the Gyre’s
- Long-term back-up power: I am still planning this out, but the general concept is to use an inverter with a deep cycle marine battery with battery tenderer to keep the battery fresh.
- Controller cabinet: Undecided. The 130.4 does not give you a lot of space to work with on the dry-side. So this project may need to wait until I finish my basement fish room.
In the basement:
- RODI: BRS 7-stage with water saver and booster pump with XP Aqua RO/DI Flood Guardian as failsafe
- ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155 combined with GHL high and low sensors as failsafe
- Kalkwasser reactor: Geo KR618
- SW mixing station: This is about as DIY as I will go. Two Brutes with the re-circulating plumbing powered by Pan World 40px.
- AWC: GHL Maxi dosers for daily replacement of 2% of water volume (two gallons per day)
- QT: I will be re-using an old ADA 5.5-gallon planted tank that was another money-pit obsession I had back in the day. One of the perks about living in Tokyo was having direct access to ADA stores. Here is a bit of eye-candy for any of you guys that are into ADA equipment:
- I will be using B-Ionic 2-part dosing to start with.
- Cleaning magnet: Tunze
- Test kits: Reef Foundation, Salifert, etc
- Frag system in the basement
- Refugium in the basement
Thanks for following along
Jim
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