Anthony's Waterbox Reef 180.5

[anthonyt987]

This will be my largest tank to date, I started a thread on SCR so thought I'd share here.

Equipment

Radion XR30 Blue x 2
Ice cap gyre 4k x 2
Sicce Syncra SDC 9.0
NYOS Quantum 160
XP Aqua Duetto
Inkbird WiFi Aquarium Heater Controller
BRS 300W Titanium Heater ( will be getting another later)

Livestock list so far, I will be transferring fish over from my 50 lagoon

-kole tang
-powder blue tang
-orange shoulder
-watanabei angel
-borbonius anthias
-clownfish pair
-starcki damsel
-black cap basslet
-5x lyretail anthias
-midas blenny
-mccoskers flasher wrasse
-potters wrasse if possible
-radiant wrasse
-spotted mandarin


Tank is scaped and sand is in. Will get better photos once I install the lights. I had cycled some rocks in brute but ran into the issue of rocks drying in the process of cementing it. So most of the rocks dried up, might have been wet in the inside? maybe had like a total of 15lbs that were wet but also had few media bags filled with matrix.
added 2ppm of ammonia 10/4/21
added the matrix 10/5/21 and the photo of the test below was on 10/6/21
10/7/21 added 2 bottles of instant ocean bio spira
10/8 added about 1ppm of ammonia



This is the result of the test today, ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 20

so I believe the tank is cycled, but no fishes yet cause theyre still quarantining

 

[rowdyreefing]

Nice aqua scape! The fish will be much happier in the larger tank!

 

[thewedge]

Looking good! Just finished my cycle and moved my 2 fish over to my 180.5. Good luck!

 

[anthonyt987]

Built a controller board for some cable management

 

[blaxsun]

Looking great! If you ever decide to incorporate a Neptune Apex, the Sicce SDC can be controlled through the Apex via IOTA. Something I also recommend is a spare impeller so that when you clean every 3-6 months you can just stop the pump, give the inside a quick scrub with a toothbrush, throw the new impeller in and be back online in 10-15min. Then scrub the old impeller and let it soak for a few hours in some EzeClean (or equivalent).

 

[anthonyt987]

Looking great! If you ever decide to incorporate a Neptune Apex, the Sicce SDC can be controlled through the Apex via IOTA. Something I also recommend is a spare impeller so that when you clean every 3-6 months you can just stop the pump, give the inside a quick scrub with a toothbrush, throw the new impeller in and be back online in 10-15min. Then scrub the old impeller and let it soak for a few hours in some EzeClean (or equivalent).

honestly thinking of replacing this pump, its so loud and its only running at 5%

 

[thewedge]

Looks good! What material did you use for the board? I like the scape

 

[Just a Wrasse.]

Nice scape!

 

[anthonyt987]

Looks good! What material did you use for the board? I like the scape

Just some drawers/door front from ikea. costed $35 with tax

 

[Sleepingtiger]

this is going to be a mixed reef?

 

[anthonyt987]

this is going to be a mixed reef?

yeah most likely

 

[blaxsun]

honestly thinking of replacing this pump, its so loud and its only running at 5%

There's definitely a hum. Mine is more from vibration than anything else. I placed 4-5 silicone pads under my pump and it helped a bit.

 

[anthonyt987]

this is going to be a mixed reef?

yeah most likely

There's definitely a hum. Mine is more from vibration than anything else. I placed 4-5 silicone pads under my pump and it helped a bit.

I hear thats a solution but for a $400 pump its kind of a bummer

 

[blaxsun]

I hear thats a solution but for a $400 pump its kind of a bummer

I also have a Sicce SDC 6 - whisper quiet for the most part. It's still quieter than the Radion fans...

 

[anthonyt987]

I also have a Sicce SDC 6 - whisper quiet for the most part. It's still quieter than the Radion fans...

I only found radions to be loud when running over 75-80%

 

[anthonyt987]

In tank stock:
-Starry Blenny
-Pink Streak Wrasse

In qt
- clownfish pair
-kole tang
-blue hippo (probably will get rid of cause it'll get too big)

Future stock:
-candy hog
-vanderbilt damset (3 or 5)
-bellas goby pair
-starcki damsel
-midas blenny
-golden rhomboid/lineatus
-flasher wrasse
-radiant wrasse
-exquisite wrasse or scotts fairy
-lunate crescent wrasse
-borbonius anthias
-fat head sunburst
-yellow tang
-powder blue tang
-black cap basslet
-spotted mandarin

 

[thewedge]

Hi. Do you have a cover on the tank, or plans to get one?

 

[anthonyt987]

Hi. Do you have a cover on the tank, or plans to get one?

Yes I have a lid

 

[thewedge]

Yes I have a lid

Cool. Mind if I ask which? I'm still scoping out options. I did the diy route for my 65g, but I'd kind of like something nicer. Of course that means $$$. I'm holding off adding any more fish until I get this handled. I know the 2 I have in there are not jumpers, but I'm a fan of wrasses.

 

[anthonyt987]

Cool. Mind if I ask which? I'm still scoping out options. I did the diy route for my 65g, but I'd kind of like something nicer. Of course that means $$$. I'm holding off adding any more fish until I get this handled. I know the 2 I have in there are not jumpers, but I'm a fan of wrasses.

Red sea DIY, not really hard to make but will be your cheapest option. All the other custom made ones are obviously a lot nicer, but probably going to be spending $250+