Waterbox AIO 64.5 - Build Thread

[johnacharles93]

Hello Everyone!

I am back in the hobby after about a 12 year hiatus. I built a tank back in 2011 and maintained it until I sold it when I graduated from Ohio State. Surprisingly, my old build tread is still active and you can find it here (46 Gallon Bow Front - Build). Looking back on this, I reflected on how much I have changed, how much technology changed, and all of the innovations in tech inside of the reef space.

I have other hobbies, primarily building, upgrading and modifying upgrading *** (Audi, Porsche, VW) cars for friends and family, but have been looking for something else to add to my plate outside of work. Somehow, a reef tank popped up on my Youtube and I got the itch to get back into the hobby.

So that being said, here is where I am starting:

Tank + Stand:

• Waterbox AIO 64.5 Stand and DT

Filtration:

• Waterbox AIO "system"
  • Not sure what I am doing with this, but have bigger plans than just a filter sock and carbon.

Lighting:

• AI Prime 16s (4)

Flow:

• Nero 5 (2)

Controller:

• Neptune Apex Pro
• Tunze ATO

Livestock:

• Biota hippo tang (1.5 inch)
• Mandarine dragonet
• Cole tang (4 inch)
• Snowflake storm clown pair
• Midas Blenny
• Royal gramma
• Bicolor angel
• Green chromis (3)
• Pink spot goby
• Blood shrimp
• Pink Antheas
• Various snails, crabs

I am going for a super clean, modern looking tank with as much "hidden" equipment as possible. I am wanting to upgrade the filtration but not sure that I want a HOB or to drill holes to run a sump. Thought about trying a glass lilly pipe for this to keep stuff off the rim of the tank and hiding a sump under the stand. I am not sure what I am going to do yet. Hundred plus of hours on YouTube has not helped me yet make up my mind yet.

Open to suggestions on any front. I don't have a lot of coral at the moment, but I am looking to grow primarily SPS. I do know that this tank is close to being overstocked, so I am working on rehoming some of the fish and making some changes.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Rocks reef]

Sounds like you have a solid plan for your tank?
Any pics of the tank that you could share? You know, we all like tank pics!

 

[BiggF!sh]

SEND IN THE PICS!! Also, always remember, you reef what you sow. Welcome back!

 

[NC AL]

I enjoy WB 65.4! Take a look at my build thread if you are interested.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along! Can't wait to see pictures!

 

[kevgib67]

From what I understand, people want pictures, give the people what they want! Fellow Ohio State University graduate here, O-H!

 

[johnacharles93]

OH-IO baby!!!

Pictures attached below! I know these are terrible but I’ll get some better ones after I get my camera out and aquascape looking right.

 

[johnacharles93]

I was able to snap some pictures of my corals I currently have. Not the best photos either, but I will get some quality picture once I get my GHA sorted out.

 

[johnacharles93]

A few notes since the tank has been set up.

• Currently battling with GHA and it is getting out of control.
  • I dosed 400mg of Fluconazole Sunday afternoon. ( I will come back with an update on how this worked or didn't work in a week or two.)
• I bought 7 new corals from the @WWC Live Sale.
  • Not one of these came from the "live sale", but were all discounted heavily so I tried it out.

Heres what I will be adding:

• WWC Yellow Tips Austera Acropora
• Neon Green Star Polyp - (NON-WYSIWYG)
• Mystery Frosted Ricordea - (You will receive ONE NON-WYSIWYG Frag)
• WWC Thunder Struck Acropora
• Jason Fox Outerspace Psammocora
• Lady Liberty Acropora
• WWC Dolla Tree Acropora

Probably should have waited on dosing the Reef Flux before these arrived but who knows, maybe some of these will survive and I will be happy?!

Any suggestions or advice would be great!

 

[johnacharles93]

On top of the corals listed above, I just added some additional items to the tank:

• Interstellar Glitter Disco
• WWC Dream Catcher Duncan
• Jason Fox Outer Space Psammocora
• Red Bubble Tip Anemone

I currently have 28 different corals in the tank. No idea if this is too many or not, but they are there and most of them look pretty happy!

All levels have stabilized besides my magnesium. It is around 1000-1100 ppm but I plan on starting to dose this next week.

Thanks!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

On top of the corals listed above, I just added some additional items to the tank:

• Interstellar Glitter Disco
• WWC Dream Catcher Duncan
• Jason Fox Outer Space Psammocora
• Red Bubble Tip Anemone

I currently have 28 different corals in the tank. No idea if this is too many or not, but they are there and most of them look pretty happy!

All levels have stabilized besides my magnesium. It is around 1000-1100 ppm but I plan on starting to dose this next week.

Thanks!

Congrats on the BTA

 

[johnacharles93]

Congrats on the BTA

Thank you! It is taking some time for him to open up, but I think he is doing relatively well. Unfortunately, my clowns want nothing to do with it...

 

[johnacharles93]

A couple more updates:

I just added a Sicce Shark 300 to one of the filter reservoirs in replaced the sponges and carbon that were previously in place. I am having issues with diatoms in my sand bed even though my N03 is around 10ppm and P04 are around .03 ppm.

Also started doing Magnesium since I have added so many corals to the tank. I think I am around 28 total pieces and my Trident is reading 1088ppm. I am aiming for 1300 ppm, but haven't hit that mark yet.

 

[johnacharles93]

Quick Update:
BTA is dying or close to it... No idea what happened there, but all the sudden it closed up and is refusing to open. If he doesn't come back to health this week, I am going to remove it.

On the positive note, I added a Flame Fin Tomini Tang. He is taking a little while to come out and acclimate, but it looks great in the tank and is getting along with everyone but the Scopus Tang.

 

[johnacharles93]

Not sure if talking to myself here is doing much, but its nice to have a log to look back in 10 years.

I added two Rock Flower Anemones (green and red) to the tank and they look great!

I moved my BTA to the top of a rock and moved one of the Nero 5s so it wouldn't get blasted and it has been much happier.

The Tomini Tang hides behind the live rock pretty much 24/7. I can occasionally see him at night.

Thinking about moving up to a 120 gallon tank with a sump.... TBD

 

[johnacharles93]

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Looks like your corals are doing great!

 

[johnacharles93]

Thank you! They would be doing better if I could get my PH to climb higher than 8. I’m thinking about adding a CO2 scrubber.

 

[johnacharles93]

3D Printed some parts for the tank today. I printed hoods/diffusers for my AI Primes and some anemone guards for the Nero 5s. Found some files on Thingiverse, but ended up converting the STLs into solids and making some modifications.

 

[johnacharles93]

Documenting some photos of growth. Most of everything is growing pretty steadily. I have been battling GHA and finally got that under control using Fluconazole, carbon, and PhosGuard.

I left the PhosGuard in the tank for too long (forgot it was in there) and stripped the tank clean. Double 0's on N03 and P04... Which ultimately lead to a dino outbreak.

I have been dosing Microbacter7, NeoPhos and NeoNitro for a couple days, and that has seemed to help. I 3D printed a version of the UV wand, and bought a light on Amazon. I have been doing that for about a week and have noticed positive results. Can not indefinitely conclude wether or not it was the UV or the supplemental dosing but the combination has surely been working.

I just placed a pretty large order with Corals.com and worldwidecorals.com as well. I will add photos of the new additions next week!