Waterbox Nano Owner's Thread

[DanielHerrera]

Hello everyone,

 

I am new to the forum and since I was not sure where to present myself, I figured I would do it here since I am also a new owner of a Waterbox Nano. I am in the process of setting up a Waterbox 10 gal and I am quite excited about it.

 

I will eventually upload pictures 😁

[DanielHerrera]

Hi all,

 

Here is a link to my Waterbox 10 built!

[shaner014]

Coming soon....

 

 

 

 

 

WaterBox 20AIO

AIPrimeHD

EcoTech MP10QD

CadLights PLS-50 Elite 2

IM MiniMax Desktop (Biopellets)

Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 Return

Cobalt NeoTherm 150W

CaribSea Liferock

 

[DanielHerrera]

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good substitution for the stock pump of the 10 gal Waterbox? I think the stock pump could use an upgrade. 

[shaner014]

1 minute ago, DanielHerrera said:

Does anyone have any suggestions on a good substitution for the stock pump of the 10 gal Waterbox? I think the stock pump could use an upgrade. 

 

The Sicce Syncra 0.5 or 1.0. Measure and check dimensions to be sure on the 1.0.

 

 

[Reefkid88]

On 12/7/2018 at 10:25 AM, shaner014 said:

 

The Sicce Syncra 0.5 or 1.0. Measure and check dimensions to be sure on the 1.0.

 

 

Can you link your build thread here please ?! I'm to lazy to look for it -__- 

[shaner014]

2 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

Can you link your build thread here please ?! I'm to lazy to look for it -__- 

 

Not started yet. Still building... 

[Reefkid88]

Thats the point of a build thread though..🤨

[Obi Juan kenobi]

Just getting back into the salt game, my last tank was a 120g mixed reef some 5 years ago. Going with the waterbox 20g Kessil a80 and mp10. Will start a build thread as soon as I get it. Pic is of my last reef.

[shaner014]

Went all in. No regrets.

 

[shaner014]

[Lula_Mae]

I just saw on the Saltwater Aquarium website that the 4 and 7 gallon ones are being discontinued.  Hopefully they'll re-release with adequately sized back chambers lol.

[aquaticsealfie]

we stock all these little gems on our website, visit us today at Aquatic Sealife and see the entire line.

[Brianr24]

Great to find this thread I’m in the middle of researching and trying to decide on the 20 or 15 cube. Also the harder decision I’m trying to answer is the a160 or ai prime hd. I just noticed the price went up 20 bucks on the cube plus packages on water box aquarium site. Maybe I lean to kessil cuz that. 

I really like the 15g I’m just afraid to be sorry and wished I went a little larger. It’s hard to decide solely on you tube vids. Better to see in person. Needless to say im not good at these decisions lol.

[Brianr24]

On 5/17/2018 at 1:14 PM, Brandon0921 said:

Still trying to figure out the lighting (my rockscape is not the best for a nano I’m now realizing), but here’s where I’m at!

 

Equipment:

kessil a80

Smartato micro

top-lids fusion vent w/ feeder door

Brs reef safer dry rock

tropic eden dry sand mesoflakes 

Gfo/carbon/filter floss/ceramic rings

 

Livestock:

3x sexy shrimp

2x bonded pair gold coral banded shrimp

2x Bali x ORA clownfish

1x Pom Pom crab

1x black widow anemone

2x bta’s

 Misc frags

 

 

Tank looks great! How is that light working out for the nems? And wher did you get that nice cover? Thx

 

[shaner014]

6 minutes ago, Brianr24 said:

Great to find this thread I’m in the middle of researching and trying to decide on the 20 or 15 cube. Also the harder decision I’m trying to answer is the a160 or ai prime hd. I just noticed the price went up 20 bucks on the cube plus packages on water box aquarium site. Maybe I lean to kessil cuz that. 

I really like the 15g I’m just afraid to be sorry and wished I went a little larger. It’s hard to decide solely on you tube vids. Better to see in person. Needless to say im not good at these decisions lol.

 

Unless you’re absolutely limited by space, get the 20! Otherwise the 10 and 7 save you more dough all around and fall more into the “cute little reef” aesthetic. The 20 is a more “normal” nano size and allows a bit more flexibility. 

 

That lid above is a “TopLids” or “Safe Top Lids”

[Brianr24]

12 minutes ago, shaner014 said:

 

Unless you’re absolutely limited by space, get the 20! Otherwise the 10 and 7 save you more dough all around and fall more into the “cute little reef” aesthetic. The 20 is a more “normal” nano size and allows a bit more flexibility. 

 

That lid above is a “TopLids” or “Safe Top Lids”

Yeah you kind of hit nail on the head. I’m trying to thread the needle of enough water volume so not to be too limited but also not be an obnoxious look in the room. It’s also going to be my only tank I’m going to break my 29g down. I don’t want two tanks. Plan on a clown and nem tank with possibly a few corals.no sps

[Reefscape]

On 12/15/2018 at 2:37 PM, shaner014 said:

Went all in. No regrets.

 

What light is that ur using?

[shaner014]

5 hours ago, TheonlyDaan said:

What light is that ur using?

 

@DaveFason makes an incredible series of lights known as “NanoBox”.

 

This is the NanoBox Duo + M. One generation old currently, as it doesn’t have the separately controllable Mint channel, but by all means about as nice a light as you can get for my needs. The aesthetic factor puts it in another level! Not to mention I have been able to shoot the creator/manufacturer a text on multiple occasions with quick and helpful advice! Mind you... I bought the light second hand. Yes this is a sales pitch, because the man makes an amazing product and is an active member here and goes above and beyond constantly to help. I’m not sponsored or anything lol, but the least I can do is share my experience for what it’s worth, as I didn’t put the money for the light in his pocket, maybe my reviews will help generate some more sales for him! 

 

Cheers! 

[Reefkid88]

👏

[Hutchie]

On 10/31/2018 at 12:48 PM, Azure Phoenix Reefing said:

I'm currently in the phase where I'm deciding on which aquarium and equipment I'm going to choose. Seeing as this will have quite the impact mid to long term, I'm reading up as much as possible.

 

Right now, I'm either going for a Red Sea Max Nano AIO (20g), or a more out of the boxcustomizable option. Over here in the Netherlands it is quite hard to find a decent nano tank with a sump in the back, however the Waterbox Cube 20g seems like a nice contender. I have a few questions though for our fellow reefers who own or have experience with a Waterbox.

 

How moddable is it in terms of the chambers in the back? i.e. can the filter sock easily be replaced with a media rack or the pump(s) in the back, is there enough room for the more silent third party pumps? I'm planning on buying the Tunze 9001 skimmer, together with the Tunze Osmolator later on, I'm guessing there should be enough room, however I'd like to be sure before buying, seeing as I am completely new to the reefing hobby. As for the lighting, I am thinking the AI Prime HD.

 

Am I missing something? Do you guys perhaps have any other tips concerning the Cube 20? Love to hear from you guys and cheers for the feedback!

Azure heb je ondertussen al besloten om er één te kopen? Ik krijg hem a.s. Maandag binnen. Ben nog opzoek naar de officiële kast, maar die is in NL niet leverbaar helaas. Dus moet hem online bestellen. Mocht je de Cube20 hebben aangeschaft ben ik erg benieuwd naar je bevindingen.

[Hutchie]

On 12/21/2018 at 3:05 PM, aquaticsealfie said:

we stock all these little gems on our website, visit us today at Aquatic Sealife and see the entire line.

Why don’t you sell to the Netherlands?

[Reefkid88]

On 12/21/2018 at 9:05 AM, aquaticsealfie said:

we stock all these little gems on our website, visit us today at Aquatic Sealife and see the entire line.

That's funny the company I work for is based out of the same city lol !!! 

[Azure Phoenix Reefing]

18 hours ago, Hutchie said:

Azure heb je ondertussen al besloten om er één te kopen? Ik krijg hem a.s. Maandag binnen. Ben nog opzoek naar de officiële kast, maar die is in NL niet leverbaar helaas. Dus moet hem online bestellen. Mocht je de Cube20 hebben aangeschaft ben ik erg benieuwd naar je bevindingen.

I have indeed bought the Cube20, I'll write you a small "review" later today or tomorrow.

The short answer however, is that I'm quite happy with it!

 

So yeah, I'll edit this post, since I am not a big fan of double posts. So here goes.

 

I bought the Waterbox about 2 months ago. It was done cycling about 5 weeks after the initial buy and has livestock in it for exactly a week now. Two clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and a cleaner shrimp (Lysmata Amboinensis). Now, as for the Waterbox. I like to split my experiences with it into to parts. The aquarium itself and the supplied accessories.

 

The aquarium itself is wonderful really. It feels well built, the Starphire glass looks really nice and the overall design is very clean and "simple", in a less is more kinda way. Yet I do have some issues with it, the measurements in particular. In my honest, yet newbie-ish, opinion, the sump in the back is kinda small and not in balance with the frontal part, or display. I mean, when you go for a nano tank, you know you will lack some space for equipment, especially if the sump is in the back. However, with the Cube20, I feel like a couple of centimeters extra, would make a world of difference. Last week I tried to set up a skimmer, the Hydor Slimskim, which should be one of the smaller skimmers, didn't fit all that well, and the resonance of the pump, made this annoying, pretty much unbearable low humming noise  (which made me return the skimmer). While, according to most reviews the Slimskim should be dead silent. Same goes for the return pump. I have one the smaller Tunze pumps, which barely fits. The filter sock is alright, yet, I am eagerly awaiting the release of the Intank media rack. Then again, I have seen fellow reefers in this thread with a Cube20 and for example a Cadlights skimmer that fits and read somewhere else the tanks are handmade, meaning there is a difference in measurements among individual tanks. On a scale like this, even .5 centimeters makes quite a difference, so I might just have a tank with a smaller sump part.

 

Now, the accessories, like the bio balls, the carbon and the filter sock, feel kind of cheap and currently I am only using the filter sock, until the Intank media rack for the Cube20 is released. I mean, for the price, I wouldn't expect anything else really. Also, keep in mind, that the supplied return pump, is only available in the US. Over here in the Netherlands, you will receive the Cube20 without a return pump.

 

So yeah, being my first reef tank, I am really happy with it and enjoying the hell out of it every day. Would I buy it again? Probably not, I feel like the back part of the nano tank is just a tad too small to be really useful, other then the smallest versions of equipment or a refugium for example (which I am considering at the moment). The sad part is, that over here in the Netherlands, there aren't all that many alternatives. I mean, the Red Sea Max nano is slightly bigger, comes with more equipment, bit is quite a bit more expensive as well. Manufacturers like Fluval or Innovative Marine aren't readily available over here.

 

So yeah, there you have it, my two cents. My honest two cents really. I am very content with the Waterbox and even though I have some issues with it, I'd gladly recommend it to anyone looking for a smaller tank, where you can save some money on supplied equipment and choose your own favorite manufacturers of skimmers, ATO, Lights etc.

 

I plan on continuing my "Azure Melancholia" thread soon, where I will add more of my experiences with the reef aquarium hobby and specifically the Waterbox aquarium and other equipment I currently use and plan on adding in the future. If you have set up your Waterbox, throw me a message about your experience, I'd like to read your findings as well!

[Fishy snowman]

Just wanted to Share my 4 gallon Waterbox.  Been running since September. So far so good