Waterbox to get me through retirement...

[BillyW]

Still in the Army and currently away from my tank and hating it, and going through forums and everyone has a tank build so I figured I might as well start mine. Late to the game, but better than never, and will add pictures when I can.
Bought the tank in Hawaii to do a FOWLR because getting coral there was either illegal, or not coral I wanted.
Went with a Waterbox 130.4 because getting a good tank on the island was difficult and EXPENSIVE. Had it there for about a year an a half and then PCSed back to Texas.
This started the Acro dominated tank that I had been wanting for awhile, and will have to last me until I retire from the army in hopefully less than 18 months.

Tank: Waterbox 130.4 with Fijicube Sump

Controlled by apex with several sensors and a Trident.

Lights are currently an 8 bulb ATI Powermodule
Was trying to get a regular 8 bulb so I could have someone mod it but wasn't able to find one until recently so now I have to dig through all the spam messages to find who was able to mod it about a year ago. That's a future Billy problem.

Skimmer is a LifeReef SVS24 powered by a Sicce 9.0 - Was powered by a Vectra but have had two die in about as many years so trying Sicce out.

Circulation right now is 2xMP40's on the back wall, a Panta Rhei on one side, and an Orbit on the other. If I can find another used ECM42 Pro used I definitely will.

Return Pump is a Sicce 5.5, was previously a COR15 but after running the UNS reef, and the FOWLR tank and this tank it finally died about a month ago, and for what it did, I felt that Sicce was much cheaper and so far is doing great.

Random stuff - ATO is being run by an original ATK which seems to work well as long as you replace the sensors every few years, Heater is just a BRS Titanium controlled by APEX.

Have the small GEO Calcium Reactor for ALK and CAL, which is being ran by a Versa that hasn't skipped a beat so far. I also have the GEO Kalk Reactor but can never get it right so pulled it and my PH hates me now, but I would always get build up on the end of the line and it would then build up pressure and leak, never could figure it out.

2x DOS currently dosing the Dalua CVE+ which is expensive and I may not continue, and the other three are dosing Tropic Marin NP-Bacto-Balace, and the Pro Coral K+ and A-.

I have a BRS Reactor that I sometimes run Carbon, but not usually, I also have the Poseidon Ozone Reactor but saw minimal impact when I pulled it off because I need another outlet.

RO/DI - Spectrapure MAXCAP with the manual flush and a booster pump.

Current SPS:
PC Rainbow (Acropora SP.)
BC Firecracker (Acropora Tabling)
JF B33 Bomber -
WWC Hollywood Dreams -
PTR Loki Moki - Mille
Garf Bonsai (Acropora Secale)
TSA Snozzberry (Acropora Pectinstus)
AV99 Orange Crush (Acropora SP.)
LCH Radioactive
RR Wolverine (Acropora)
TSA The Fuzz
TGC Orange Creamsicle
Route 66 Merlin Staff (Acropora Donei)
RR Pink Cadillac
TSA Carolina Reaper
BK Chem Fruit Loops
RR The Vihn
Golden Basket Mars Attack
LRO Lunar Lemon (Acropora SP.)
Blue Balls - Freebe - no idea what it is
Big blue - Freebe - no idea what it is
A tiny piece of a mariculture coral that I got from the fish store. He killed the colony so no idea what it is, where its from or anything. Its basically a booger right now still but getting some color.

Other corals:
ORA Cherry Red Goniopora Coral
3 Torches that have fancy names I forget
Some Zoas that I forget their names
Super ****** deep dark red mushroom my daughter wanted at Dallas Reefapalooza.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Thanks for your service. I retired from the AF in 2022. It’s nice not having to move if you don’t want to. Tank sounds nice. Got any pics?

 

[BillyW]

Here are the photos she sent me a few days ago, so they’re the most current. Taken with her iPhone and no filter. I’ll see if I can find a few others I have on my phone.

 

[BillyW]

Quick video, if it works, videos here are always questionable.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Quick video, if it works, videos here are always questionable.

If I’m not mistaken I think you can’t play videos on the iPhone…which is what I have, so can’t see the videos.

The photos look good.

 

[jhadaway]

That is a great list of acros. I’d love to see a shot of the bk chem fruit loops. Its hard to find a real version not doctored up. Good luck!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Quick video, if it works, videos here are always questionable.

Videos work on the app! Just not the website on iOS

 

[BillyW]

That is a great list of acros. I’d love to see a shot of the bk chem fruit loops. Its hard to find a real version not doctored up. Good luck!

I will look back through my photos and see if I can find one today after work, if not I will get one when I get back for you!

That's the problem with many acro's, and corals in general, doctored up pictures!

 

[jhadaway]

Exactly! I always try and find a colony on r2r to see what it really looks like. That bl chem is really unique at the farms…

 

[BillyW]

Finally got home late Friday night. Tried to change out my bulbs, and the ballast must have went bad or something because the front two lights on my ATI powermodule no longer work now. I ordered a new ballast so fingers crossed I can get it switched out and that will fix it so I can get it back up and running.

If that works I will try to get some better pictures. If not I don't know, T5 for life...

 

[BillyW]

New ballast, new bulb combo, like a whole new tank. Super white so most won’t like it, but I love it. No filter required on my phone now either!

A few pictures of the ballast replacement and some fresh shots, will definitely get more by the end of the week!

 

[BillyW]

That is a great list of acros. I’d love to see a shot of the bk chem fruit loops. Its hard to find a real version not doctored up. Good luck!

It’s still tiny, but that’s what I got, slowly starting to cover the plug. No filters, under T5. Bottom pic you can see the RT66 Merlin Staff for color references.