Waterbox 50.3 in Barcelona

VladimirE · Dec 25, 2020

Hello and thank you for reading this! This is my first build thread. My name is Vladimir and I'm a Russian guy who lives in Barcelona, Spain. After eight months of success with 10 gallons nano reef tank, I decided to build a bigger one, and (unfortunately) 50.3 gallons AIO is the largest size I can reasonably fit into the flat.

I'm in no way an expert, and my main goal with this thread is to document the building process so that I'll be able to see all the steps the tank been through, to look back and see where I did right and where I did wrong. However, I will be happy if the thread helps someone with their build, because honestly there's not much information on this particular model. Thank you for all the replies and sorry for my far from perfect English : -)
Pic: aquascape made from two 9 kg boxes of CaribSea Life Rock Shapes glued with Aquaforest Stone Fix in the tank prior to filling.

ReeferB28 · Dec 25, 2020

Nice setup man. What are your plans for the reef?

VladimirE · Dec 25, 2020

Mixed reef with some easy SPS on top and LPS/softies in the mid-low areas.

AnotherReefHobbyist · Dec 25, 2020

Barcelona was my favorite place in Spain to visit, Before this Covid thing happened.......

Following!

ReeferB28 · Dec 25, 2020

What about equipment wise?

VladimirE · Dec 26, 2020

Most of the equipment is on the picture. For this build I choose:

Vectra S2 return pump + Barb & Screen Kit which was needed to connect Waterbox return tube*
Maxspect GYRE XF330 flow pump
Tunze 9004 DC skimmer
Smart ATO Duo + HydroFill Ti 5g reservoir
Aqua Medic twin temperature controller
300 Watt Aqua Medic Titanium Heater**
Aquamedic Artic Breeze 4 fan
Innovative Marine Auqa Shield UV Sterilizer***
Jumpguard Pro 120x75 mesh guard + Neat Aquatics Screen Top Feeding Portal
3D-printed custom Filter Cup
Coral Box backup battery V2 for the flow pump
Bakibo Smart Plugs x4 for automation****
Seneye Reef V2 to track cycle and measure PAR once I have the light
Lenovo Smart Tab M8 to serve as the hub for both of my tanks wireless equipment

I'm still waiting for Kessil AP9X light and Xepta Autobalance KH controller. Once I have the Autobalance installed and running, I plan to buy Abex expansion module to control Ca, Mg and nitrates as well.

* — This is an overkill for the tank, but my goal was to make the tank as silent as possible. Currently it is running at 10% of speed and I can't hear it even if I try.
** — A bit of overkill as well, but the tank is close to the balcony door that's always open, and it gets quite cold here in the winter.
*** — I realize that it's more of a toy then a useful piece of equipment, but I was willing to give it a try.
**** — These are the smallest size smart plugs I could find and they fit nicely into the power bar without obstructing adjacent outlets.