reefer_06374
Community Member
Hello everyone! I have been going back and forth over the last several months about putting up a build thread and finally decided to do it! I have been around fish tanks most of my life, started with freshwater and stuck with it until I went off to the Air Force. I was fortunate enough to have been able to get to see parts of the world I never even thought of going to before, both good and bad. The good took me to Okinawa, Japan, and that is where my love for saltwater tanks and corals began! I had a few different tanks during my time there. I spent as much time under the water when I had the time. The life forms on the reefs over there always amazed me, and I told myself one day that I will have a small part of that in my house when I settled down. Since then I have had various tanks of almost all of the standard sizes, both fresh and salt. Since building this house though, my daughter asked for a clown fish tank, and boom a 65 gallon Reef Ready tank showed up. I decided to tank that down and get everything in to a Waterbox 50.3 AIO. The goal there was to just keep certain corals and fish alive while building what I consider to building my dream build (on a budget).
So, we started acquiring pieces and parts. The plan was to start off with exactly what we wanted, even if that took awhile. I have actually gone back and forth on display tank size. However, our LFS had a 130.4 on display for awhile, and we all loved the dimensions. Well, I had the opportnity to buy that tank and jumped at it. I have been working on getting all the plumbing together and figuring out how to make this system everything I have wanted. It took some doing to convert the metric plumbing that WaterBox uses to standard plumbing, but should work out well. I have drawn it out several hundred times it seems.... and I think I have it close to what I truly want. I should be able to do a hands free water change. I still have a ways to go and need to order a few parts to get it wet, but it’s closer than I thought I would be at this point.
Tank-Waterbox Platinum Reef 130.4 (Plumbed to basement)
Stand- Currently standard Waterbox Stand (will be skinned out later)
Sump- Modified Aqueon 75 Gallon tank with JAX Racks Kit
Frag Tank- 45 Gallon Deep Blue Frag Tank (may switch to Waterbox frag....)
Display Lighting - (2) AI Hydra 32’s (probably adding a third
Frag Tank Lighting- (2) AI Hydra 32’s
Main Return Pump - Ecotech Vectra L2
Protein Skimmer - Bubble Magus Curve 9 Elite
Powerheads - (3) AI Nero 5’s
Heaters - BRS Titanium- (1) 300 W (1) 600 W
MacroAlgae Reactor - Skimz MBR157
Media Reactor- NYOS Torq with 2.0 Body
ATO- Tunze Osmolator
Controller- Eventually going with the GHL controller starting with the KH Director
Custom Water mixing staton with 6 stage BRS RO/DI
Photos attached are from various stages of the build. Will be working on the aquascape in the very near future!
So, we started acquiring pieces and parts. The plan was to start off with exactly what we wanted, even if that took awhile. I have actually gone back and forth on display tank size. However, our LFS had a 130.4 on display for awhile, and we all loved the dimensions. Well, I had the opportnity to buy that tank and jumped at it. I have been working on getting all the plumbing together and figuring out how to make this system everything I have wanted. It took some doing to convert the metric plumbing that WaterBox uses to standard plumbing, but should work out well. I have drawn it out several hundred times it seems.... and I think I have it close to what I truly want. I should be able to do a hands free water change. I still have a ways to go and need to order a few parts to get it wet, but it’s closer than I thought I would be at this point.
Tank-Waterbox Platinum Reef 130.4 (Plumbed to basement)
Stand- Currently standard Waterbox Stand (will be skinned out later)
Sump- Modified Aqueon 75 Gallon tank with JAX Racks Kit
Frag Tank- 45 Gallon Deep Blue Frag Tank (may switch to Waterbox frag....)
Display Lighting - (2) AI Hydra 32’s (probably adding a third
Frag Tank Lighting- (2) AI Hydra 32’s
Main Return Pump - Ecotech Vectra L2
Protein Skimmer - Bubble Magus Curve 9 Elite
Powerheads - (3) AI Nero 5’s
Heaters - BRS Titanium- (1) 300 W (1) 600 W
MacroAlgae Reactor - Skimz MBR157
Media Reactor- NYOS Torq with 2.0 Body
ATO- Tunze Osmolator
Controller- Eventually going with the GHL controller starting with the KH Director
Custom Water mixing staton with 6 stage BRS RO/DI
Photos attached are from various stages of the build. Will be working on the aquascape in the very near future!
I want one too so I can advertise for Waterbox
