Waterbox20 AIO

[Coralogy_]

Hello everyone! I've been an avid fish keeper for a long time, primarily on the freshwater side, but I'm excited to dive into the world of saltwater. I was inspired by a close friend who is in the hobby. Anytime I went to his place, I would stare at his tank the entire time, so I figured it's time to setpu my own. Saltwater tanks have always intrigued me, and now I have the time and resources, so now is as good a time as any.

I've decided to opt for a smaller tank for my first saltwater, contrary to expert advice. But I have a couple of reasons behind this decision.
1. I live in an apartment which limits my available space, and with two existing nano-sized freshwater tanks, a smaller saltwater tank fits seamlessly into my setup.
2. I've always had a soft spot for nano tanks, and I can always consider an upgrade down the line if the need arises.
3. I don't know how true this is, but I am hoping that I am able to save some money by going smaller and then if I choose to go bigger, I can transfer all that stuff over.

I've chosen to pace the initial setup since I'll be moving to a new apartment in mid-February. It doesn't make sense to establish the tank now only to dismantle and transport it in two months. Currently, I'm in the process of gathering equipment and working on the hardscape. The plan is to set up the entire system and start the cycling process after the move. Fortunately, my friend has generously agreed to provide some bio-media from his established tank. This should facilitate a smoother cycling process by introducing beneficial bacteria.

Below, I'll share my equipment list, my stocking choices and coral selections.

Equipment List

• Aquarium: Waterbox 20
• Light: AI Prime 16HD
• Return Pump: Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0
• Heater: Would like to purchase a titanium heater. For now, I have a standard heater with temperature dial on top.
• Wavemaker: AI Nero 3
• ATO: XP Aqua Duetto 2
• Filter Media
  
  • First Chamber: Filter floss instead of filter socks, small ceramic media balls, and activated carbon.
  • Second Chamber: Sponges, heater, and larger sticks of ceramic bio filter media.
  • Third Chamber: Was planning on leaving it empty, but open to suggestions!

CUC & Fish List

• 2 Mocha Storm Clownfish
• Either a Red-Spotted Dwarf Goby or Neon Goby?
• Pistol & Goby Pair
• Blood Red Fire Shrimp
• A few snails - Astrea, Nassarius, and Cerith snails

Coral List

• GSP
• Zoas - varying types
• Mushrooms - varying types
• Toadstool Leather
• Clove Polyp
• Cany Cane
• Duncan
• Torches
• Hammers
• Frogspawns
• Bubble Coral
• Rock Flower Anemone

I completed the hardscape yesterday. My friend had some extra rock lying around and I was able to glue various pieces together creating this scape. It doesn't look like it through the photos, but I've intentionally incorporated numerous holes throughout the scape. The holes are mostly for the fish, but I believe it'll help with flow and avoiding dead spots, hopefully. I think I'll try and get this rock cycled in a bin and then when I move, I can add the sand, the cycled rock and begin the cycling process of the tank. I plan on doing frequent updates on this thread down the line. It's nice to share it with people who appreciate the hobby. Stay tuned and let me know if y'all have any recommendations on anything!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Looks great! Following!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Hello everyone! I've been an avid fish keeper for a long time, primarily on the freshwater side, but I'm excited to dive into the world of saltwater. I was inspired by a close friend who is in the hobby. Anytime I went to his place, I would stare at his tank the entire time, so I figured it's time to setpu my own. Saltwater tanks have always intrigued me, and now I have the time and resources, so now is as good a time as any.

I've decided to opt for a smaller tank for my first saltwater, contrary to expert advice. But I have a couple of reasons behind this decision.
1. I live in an apartment which limits my available space, and with two existing nano-sized freshwater tanks, a smaller saltwater tank fits seamlessly into my setup.
2. I've always had a soft spot for nano tanks, and I can always consider an upgrade down the line if the need arises.
3. I don't know how true this is, but I am hoping that I am able to save some money by going smaller and then if I choose to go bigger, I can transfer all that stuff over.

I've chosen to pace the initial setup since I'll be moving to a new apartment in mid-February. It doesn't make sense to establish the tank now only to dismantle and transport it in two months. Currently, I'm in the process of gathering equipment and working on the hardscape. The plan is to set up the entire system and start the cycling process after the move. Fortunately, my friend has generously agreed to provide some bio-media from his established tank. This should facilitate a smoother cycling process by introducing beneficial bacteria.

Below, I'll share my equipment list, my stocking choices and coral selections.

Equipment List

• Aquarium: Waterbox 20
• Light: AI Prime 16HD
• Return Pump: Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0
• Heater: Would like to purchase a titanium heater. For now, I have a standard heater with temperature dial on top.
• Wavemaker: AI Nero 3
• ATO: XP Aqua Duetto 2
• Filter Media
  
  • First Chamber: Filter floss instead of filter socks, small ceramic media balls, and activated carbon.
  • Second Chamber: Sponges, heater, and larger sticks of ceramic bio filter media.
  • Third Chamber: Was planning on leaving it empty, but open to suggestions!

CUC & Fish List

• 2 Mocha Storm Clownfish
• Either a Red-Spotted Dwarf Goby or Neon Goby?
• Pistol & Goby Pair
• Blood Red Fire Shrimp
• A few snails - Astrea, Nassarius, and Cerith snails

Coral List

• GSP
• Zoas - varying types
• Mushrooms - varying types
• Toadstool Leather
• Clove Polyp
• Cany Cane
• Duncan
• Torches
• Hammers
• Frogspawns
• Bubble Coral
• Rock Flower Anemone

I completed the hardscape yesterday. My friend had some extra rock lying around and I was able to glue various pieces together creating this scape. It doesn't look like it through the photos, but I've intentionally incorporated numerous holes throughout the scape. The holes are mostly for the fish, but I believe it'll help with flow and avoiding dead spots, hopefully. I think I'll try and get this rock cycled in a bin and then when I move, I can add the sand, the cycled rock and begin the cycling process of the tank. I plan on doing frequent updates on this thread down the line. It's nice to share it with people who appreciate the hobby. Stay tuned and let me know if y'all have any recommendations on anything!

Nice looking aquascape!

 

[kevgib67]

Very unique and interesting rock scape, looking forward to watching this build. Well done!

 

[Coralogy_]

I finally moved into the new place and set up the tank on 2/16/2024. I added FritzZyme Turbo Start 900 Saltwater and Fritz ammonia to bring the tank up to 2ppm. Today is the fourth day of the cycle. I've been testing the water, and ammonia is converting to nitrate. Hopefully, within the next week or two, it'll be processing 2ppm ammonia in 24 hours.
Below are some photos of the tank. The first day was naturally cloudy, but things have cleared since then. Lights are currently off for the cycling portion to reduce potential algae growth. Once the cycle is complete, I will add a pair of clownfish.

 

[Coralogy_]

Update on the Waterbox 20 reef tank!

Losses
It's been a pleasantly surprising journey with my Waterbox 20 reef tank. Despite being just three months old, it's been a smooth ride with no major issues. The only minor concern is the lime-green algae on my rocks, but the growth of coralline algae is a reassuring sign. The only losses I've experienced so far are a few Nassarius snails and, unfortunately, three sexy shrimp over the weekend.

I have two ideas on what could have happened to my sexy shrimp. My first thought is that the sexy shrimp weren't receiving enough protein in their diet, resulting in failed molting. My thinking behind this is that I noticed the shrimp hardly moving like they were molting, and I saw half a sexy shrimp molt in my filter area. My second theory is that I recently added a few lava rock pebbles to get a mushroom to attach. Lava rock is known to have some trace elements of copper, which is toxic to inverts. I didn't realize this until after adding it to the tank. However, no other invert in my tank was impacted. So, I can't say for sure, but those are my two ideas.

Fish & CUC List

• 2 clownfish
• Tailspot Blenny
• Clown Goby
• 1 Cleaner Shrimp
• 9 Blue Hermit Crabs
• 3 Astrea Snails
• 3 Turbo Snails

Coral List

• Various Acans
• Various Zoas
• Various Mushrooms
• 2 Octospawns
• 3 Hammers
• 2 Torches
• 1 Duncan
• Blue Stylophora
• Various Birdsnests
• Green Hulk Digi

Maintenance
My maintenance routine involves weekly water changes, 25% at a time. Currently, I'm not dosing as my corals seem content and my levels are mostly within the desired range. The alkalinity could be higher than the current 6.7 dKh, but since my corals are thriving, I'm hesitant to make any changes. I've also been dosing phytoplankton due to the current cultures I have set up (Nanno, Tetra, Rotifer, and Tisbee Pods).

Overall, I am incredibly happy with the progress I have made with my first tank. I have a few more corals I would like to add, and then it will become a waiting game to allow everything to grow out. I can already see a few more nano tanks in my near future. I would like to do a nano softy tank and possibly a nano macro algae tank.