Waterbox 100.3 Build

[dwair]

Hello all, starting my Waterbox 100.3 Reef build thread.

Tank/Stand/Sump - All Waterbox
Lights -
Skimmer - RO Classic 152-S
Reactor - Nyos Quantum w/dock
Flow - Icecap 4k Gyre + 2x MP10WQD
Return Pump - Ecotech Vectra S2

Think thats it for now as far as equipment goes, Already got the tank/stand/sump in and qutie abit of the equipment, still waiting on Return Pump/Turbostart/and abit more rock to come in on Wednesday. Going to start mixing water tonight!

Few Pics for your enjoyment.

 

[Bryan68]

Congrats on the new build, I'll be watching.

 

[dwair]

Did some rockscaping. What do you think

 

[dwair]

We are wet!

 

[dwair]

 

[dwair]

Forgive the overflowing skimmer, brand new so trying to get it broken in for the next few weeks. Forget who was asking about the plumbing, but here is my sump/plumbing and all the goodies.

Still working on getting a control board all nice and neat and wire management, so I can get the power bricks and drivers off the floor.

Also built a stand for the skimmer tonight, water level was abit high.

And my Tunze ATO took a crap on me so yay doing top offs manually for awhile lol

 

[dwair]

Definitely kinda regretting a deeper sand bed, when I finally do a WC, think I’m going to try to remove some of it. My gyre keeps moving it all around, it’s set to random during the day, this is what I came home to tonight, it was flat this morning lol.

 

[dwair]

Well finally decided to test full range, had wanted to wait until I fed "Steve the Clown" which I did yesterday with some brine shrimp, which he enjoyed. Was nice to see him immediately eat without hesititation. I didn't feed him the first day he came, just wanted to let him chill. Plan on feeding him every other day, 1 day brine shrimp, second day, these fancy loaded high end pellets that James @EpicAquaria recommended. When he gets abit bigger I'll start adding in Mysis, James said he's abit to small right now and I agree. Still gettting his proteins off the brine for now. Let him grow up abit.

The tests - Disclaimer First time I've tested full range. However I've been testing Ammonia since the day I added Bio-Spira and Live Rock. I also have a Seachem Ammonia Badge in the DT right now, along with testing with Red Sea Ammonia Test as well.

I've put a "range" on these results as to be honest I hate color matching and don't feel like I ever get a "clear" result. BIG reason I've got Hanna Checker kit for when I start testing Alk/Calc/Phosphates.
PH Test - 7.8-8.0
Nitrite Test - 0.2
Nitrate Test - 2
Ammonia Test - 0.0 According to Seachem Badge - 0.0-0.2 according to Red Sea Ammonia Test.

I've been keeping a log of everything I'm doing to the tank. Forcing myself to write it down so if something bad happens or changes within the tank, I can reference what I did wrong LOL.

 

[keywestreefer]

Definitely kinda regretting a deeper sand bed, when I finally do a WC, think I’m going to try to remove some of it. My gyre keeps moving it all around, it’s set to random during the day, this is what I came home to tonight, it was flat this morning lol.

Thanks for the updates Do you regret the deeper sand bed or the sized particulate you choose? Could you have upped the grain and potentially been ok?

 

[dwair]

Thanks for the updates Do you regret the deeper sand bed or the sized particulate you choose? Could you have upped the grain and potentially been ok?

Great question. I honestly did not mean to have the sand bed as deep as I did, I put 80lbs and should have really only put like 60lbs. My issue was I did the tank setup differently than I've done in the past. In the past I would put the sand in first, then rockscape ontop. This time I had some shelf/foundation rocks and I wanted them to be on barebottom for maximum stability, so I put the scape in first, then the sand, so I ended up not needing as much as I had. I LOVE the grain size. I wouldn't change that.

I'm also playing with the flow, I've never had a Gyre before, so I'm learning how it acts in the tank now before I get coral in the tank in a few months. I've also got a MP40 coming Monday, so I've got to figure out the best settings for both and placement. I actually ended up moving the gyre vertically today to see how it interacts with the sandbed over the next few days.

 

[keywestreefer]

Great question. I honestly did not mean to have the sand bed as deep as I did, I put 80lbs and should have really only put like 60lbs. My issue was I did the tank setup differently than I've done in the past. In the past I would put the sand in first, then rockscape ontop. This time I had some shelf/foundation rocks and I wanted them to be on barebottom for maximum stability, so I put the scape in first, then the sand, so I ended up not needing as much as I had. I LOVE the grain size. I wouldn't change that.

I'm also playing with the flow, I've never had a Gyre before, so I'm learning how it acts in the tank now before I get coral in the tank in a few months. I've also got a MP40 coming Monday, so I've got to figure out the best settings for both and placement. I actually ended up moving the gyre vertically today to see how it interacts with the sandbed over the next few days.

I have read about the vertical placement. I think I am going with Tampa Live Rock so I will have the sand in first so it is ready for the live rock arrival. Thanks for all the posts and keeping up with this. How's Steve? Did you put him in day one with water?

 

[dwair]

Steve is doing great, for some reason he is loving to hang in corners right now. As I type this he's hanging out in the bottom right corner next to the Hammerhead mag cleaner lol. I think he likes to stay next to the sides cause they are kinda mirrored, so he thinks there is another clown in there lol. Poor guy going to be lonely for a month, but he's got the entire tank to himself for a month.

I debated on Tampa Live Rock myself, great decision, although personally I would have gone the KP Aquatics route. I truly wanted to do that, but it was going to cost me around $600-$800 for the rock, it would have been worth though. The reasoning I like the KP Aquatics route is they are down in the Keys instead of the gulf, and Aptasia free. I've also seen nothing but amazing reviews with KPA. Not that you asked my opinion or anything LOL.

I put Steve in day 2, not even 24 hours after I put in the bio-spira. I think I dosed the Bio-spira at like 6pm, then Steve got delivered around 9:30am the next morning. I did a 30 min float for temp acclimation, then I did the cup acclimation for about 20 min. They shipped him in actually pretty high salinity water, was 1.027 according to my Hanna Tester, and my DT salinity was 1.024, so wasn't too stressful on him to acclimate. He got fed for the first time yesterday with some brine shrimp and immediately started going after them. Extremely healthy and gorgeous. Can't recommend TSM Aquatics enough, I wanted to go with them after I researched their extensive QT process. All of my fish will be from TSM Aquatics.

 

[keywestreefer]

Steve is doing great, for some reason he is loving to hang in corners right now. As I type this he's hanging out in the bottom right corner next to the Hammerhead mag cleaner lol. I think he likes to stay next to the sides cause they are kinda mirrored, so he thinks there is another clown in there lol. Poor guy going to be lonely for a month, but he's got the entire tank to himself for a month.

I debated on Tampa Live Rock myself, great decision, although personally I would have gone the KP Aquatics route. I truly wanted to do that, but it was going to cost me around $600-$800 for the rock, it would have been worth though. The reasoning I like the KP Aquatics route is they are down in the Keys instead of the gulf, and Aptasia free. I've also seen nothing but amazing reviews with KPA. Not that you asked my opinion or anything LOL.

I put Steve in day 2, not even 24 hours after I put in the bio-spira. I think I dosed the Bio-spira at like 6pm, then Steve got delivered around 9:30am the next morning. I did a 30 min float for temp acclimation, then I did the cup acclimation for about 20 min. They shipped him in actually pretty high salinity water, was 1.027 according to my Hanna Tester, and my DT salinity was 1.024, so wasn't too stressful on him to acclimate. He got fed for the first time yesterday with some brine shrimp and immediately started going after them. Extremely healthy and gorgeous. Can't recommend TSM Aquatics enough, I wanted to go with them after I researched their extensive QT process. All of my fish will be from TSM Aquatics.

Good to know about KPA- I haven't even received my tank yet... soooo... not to late to change my mind. Honestly I have not moved into the live rock phase of my research, but I know I am going to use it. Ohhh... KP is in the keys and me too. Save on shipping LOL

 

[dwair]

Good to know about KPA- I haven't even received my tank yet... soooo... not to late to change my mind. Honestly I have not moved into the live rock phase of my research, but I know I am going to use it. Ohhh... KP is in the keys and me too. Save on shipping LOL

Oh God, if you are already in the keys, thats an easy Decision then. Do your research, but everything I came up with said KP was the best. GL with that.

 

[X-37B]

Well finally decided to test full range, had wanted to wait until I fed "Steve the Clown" which I did yesterday with some brine shrimp, which he enjoyed. Was nice to see him immediately eat without hesititation. I didn't feed him the first day he came, just wanted to let him chill. Plan on feeding him every other day, 1 day brine shrimp, second day, these fancy loaded high end pellets that James @EpicAquaria recommended. When he gets abit bigger I'll start adding in Mysis, James said he's abit to small right now and I agree. Still gettting his proteins off the brine for now. Let him grow up abit.

The tests - Disclaimer First time I've tested full range. However I've been testing Ammonia since the day I added Bio-Spira and Live Rock. I also have a Seachem Ammonia Badge in the DT right now, along with testing with Red Sea Ammonia Test as well.

I've put a "range" on these results as to be honest I hate color matching and don't feel like I ever get a "clear" result. BIG reason I've got Hanna Checker kit for when I start testing Alk/Calc/Phosphates.
PH Test - 7.8-8.0
Nitrite Test - 0.2
Nitrate Test - 2
Ammonia Test - 0.0 According to Seachem Badge - 0.0-0.2 according to Red Sea Ammonia Test.

I've been keeping a log of everything I'm doing to the tank. Forcing myself to write it down so if something bad happens or changes within the tank, I can reference what I did wrong LOL.

A log is great. I use one on each system.
Feed the clown small amounts 2-3 times a day every day. It will thank you for it and is needed imo.
I feed 2 cubes 3-4 times for my 11 fish.

 

[dwair]

A log is great. I use one on each system.
Feed the clown small amounts 2-3 times a day every day. It will thank you for it and is needed imo.
I feed 2 cubes 3-4 times for my 11 fish.

You think that much? I didn't want to overfeed, as thats like the number 1 thing I've seen people say is we all overfeed. I know I overfed my 180g lol.

 

[dwair]

 

[windemerejack]

Overfeeding is also a good thing to raise nitrate and phosphate if they are too low.
Small feeding more often is better than large feeding once or twice a day.
Nice tank btw. Have you got a stocking plan made up yet?

 

[dwair]

Overfeeding is also a good thing to raise nitrate and phosphate if they are too low.
Small feeding more often is better than large feeding once or twice a day.
Nice tank btw. Have you got a stocking plan made up yet?

Thank you, I agree it is a nice tank, very happy with it.

Stocking plan so far is 1 more clown to bond with Steve
Yellow Tang
Kole Tang
Lawnmower Blenny
Six Line Wrasse.

Thats it for fish. Eventually I'll have to rehome the tangs as my tank really isn't big enough for them when they grow up, but they'll be fine while they are small and can eat my algae that is bound to come! lol.

Coral stocking - I have no idea yet. I'm on the fence of doing a Euphillya dominated tank or finally take the plunge and do an SPS dominant tank. I've got 3-4 months to decide lol. Been back and forth so much on this. Just thinking I'm not ready to do SPS, not knowledgeable enough. I've been doing research for about 5 years for an SPS tank and still don't think I can do it lol.

I had a couple monti's/acro's in my old 180g build, they did alright, but its 1 thing to have 2-3 frags and quite another to have a tank full of them!

 

[jk_s124]

Nice looking tank! I think the aquascape came out great!