Shiny new waterbox 65.4

[AioGuy]

After a year in the hobby and several upgrades I had a plan to build a reef that I thought would maximize my space, give my family a great view and still be manageable with my schedule. So after a lot of deliberation I came to the 65.4, 4 foot of reef with shallow layout. So on the interwebs to have it sent out. On the day of arrival I was quick to get it assembled. I fitted the sicce 3.0 return pump and mounted the two nero3s on both ends for my flow, stuck some kraken reef filter cups with floss for the mechanical filtration and an ehiem jager heater to keep it warm and i went with 3 ai prime 16hds to spread some light on the subject. Next I added 40lbs of heavy grade live sand and mixed up 60 gallons of red sea blue bucket salt water and filled it up enough to get the filter system running and let it sit over night. After a parameter check and adjust I added the 80lbs of live rock and gave it a few days to settle in, all went well so the next step was to add all the frags and fish I had stockpiled and as much coral as I could steal from my other systems which turned out to be around 60 frags a sixline, firehawk, royal gramma, damsel and foxface. Next was to get the kamoer x1 up and running with a schedule to dose tropic marin all for reef and the reefbreeders ato set up to keep the parameters all stable. I could not decide on a skimmer for awhile but have now added a tunze 9004 because I know from experience in other aio systems it works and decided to join the hype a threw on a 15w aquauv sterilizer running at around 300gph. The reef has been up and running for almost 3 months now and doing well and to keep things manageable I got rid of two tanks and kept a 38 fijicube aio for a clown tank I am working on now and will also start a build on soon!

 

[Jedi1199]

Looks great!! I think you have done a fantastic job on this upgrade. Congrats!!

 

[RiptideAquaculture]

Great job with the progression shots! good build thread!
~

 

[nemo2182]

Hello, new to this forum, and joined because of this thread...Ive just purchased a 65.4, but to setup as a freshwater show tank. I would like to ask a couple of questions to @AioGuy

1. From what Ive seen the rear box is not equal on both sides, meaning where you mount the pump is not center of the box. I have purchased a Sicce Syncra SDC 6.0, with a flow rate of between 2000-5000 LPH. What is the best position to get an equal return on both Chambers?

2. Do you get any issues with the weirs being so high up not collecting waste? Ive always run my filter intakes close to the substrate. Is it just different for Reefs and will I get any issues? Or will I be fine with the 10x + flowrate?

3. Will I need powerheads for freshwater? I am going to be running nano fish only, purely for the low bio-load and maximise my livestoke

Any pictures of the box unit would be very helpful. Seems I have a long wait to get the tank to me in UK and Ive not found many pictures or info around on the AIO 65.4

Thanks in advance

Nathan

 

[AioGuy]

Hello, new to this forum, and joined because of this thread...Ive just purchased a 65.4, but to setup as a freshwater show tank. I would like to ask a couple of questions to @AioGuy

1. From what Ive seen the rear box is not equal on both sides, meaning where you mount the pump is not center of the box. I have purchased a Sicce Syncra SDC 6.0, with a flow rate of between 2000-5000 LPH. What is the best position to get an equal return on both Chambers?

2. Do you get any issues with the weirs being so high up not collecting waste? Ive always run my filter intakes close to the substrate. Is it just different for Reefs and will I get any issues? Or will I be fine with the 10x + flowrate?

3. Will I need powerheads for freshwater? I am going to be running nano fish only, purely for the low bio-load and maximise my livestoke

Any pictures of the box unit would be very helpful. Seems I have a long wait to get the tank to me in UK and Ive not found many pictures or info around on the AIO 65.4

Thanks in advance

Nathan

The 65.4 is a great setup for a reef the 4820 would probably be a better setup for freshwater but you can make the 64.4 work.
1 there are 6 rear sections the outside two are for filter socks or media cups with floss. The next two sections are for a skimmer and media reactors and heaters and the next two are the return chambers, the return nozzles are both plumbed into the right hand side chamber of the two. I have a 750 gph sicce 3.0 and it is about as much flow as the system can handle and keeps the display filled up to the max
2 reef tanks use the top wires to skim the surface differently than freshwater tanks filter from the substrate.
3 You will need some powerheads to blow the detritus from the substrate to the surface as we discussed the reef tanks filter from the surface.
Hope this helps you get your 65.4 set up and died in!

 

[Kiwi reefer]

That Tank is looking great! loving the progesssion shots, Keen to see further progression as this tank continues to mature.

 

[nemo2182]

The 65.4 is a great setup for a reef the 4820 would probably be a better setup for freshwater but you can make the 64.4 work.
1 there are 6 rear sections the outside two are for filter socks or media cups with floss. The next two sections are for a skimmer and media reactors and heaters and the next two are the return chambers, the return nozzles are both plumbed into the right hand side chamber of the two. I have a 750 gph sicce 3.0 and it is about as much flow as the system can handle and keeps the display filled up to the max
2 reef tanks use the top wires to skim the surface differently than freshwater tanks filter from the substrate.
3 You will need some powerheads to blow the detritus from the substrate to the surface as we discussed the reef tanks filter from the surface.
Hope this helps you get your 65.4 set up and died in!

Thank you @AioGuy

So what is the design idea with out-flow pipe going into only the right chamber? Does this not mean that the right side of the box returns water better than the left?

I did look at the peninsular, but I want a tank against the wall, not as a divider, so wouldnt of worked for me. Plus I had to keep the boss happy, as after I got my 12 gallon, she said dont ask about getting a bigger tank haha, 18 months down the line im move up to 55 gallon (metric)!!! Plus the AIO 65.4 is beautiful from the front. I wanted a Oase Highline originally, but it had some notable flaws. Also the rimless look is perfect. One thing I hate about normal rimless tanks is that everything is on show, so you lose the aesthetics. The waterbox gives me the ability to hide all the messy bits. That said, you have suggested powerheads, which will have to sit on side of tank annoyingly, unless these can be fitted on the box side facing out? Guess that wouldnt flow around tank as well

Nathan

 

[AioGuy]

The other side of return is baffled like the other chambers so that one is available to put use for additional gear, not affecting flow at all.
You may be able to move the powerheads to back wall if you can face them down to substrate.

 

[AioGuy]

A little update on the 65.4. I have since switched the skimmer for an ice cap k1 50 as I started carbon dosing to keep nutrients in order. I added some sticks to the rockwork and upgraded the return to a jebao dcp 3500 and the wavemakers to jebao slw 30s to keep the water moving with corals growing in. And also gave the lights a boost switching from ai primes to a reefbreeders photon and the system is doing so well, coral growing, fish running out of space so I think its time to start a new system in the next few weeks so be on the look out for a new build maybe forcing me to change my profile name!