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SkiCat's WaterBox 10 aka “Storm's Rainbow Anemone Haven”


SkiCatTX

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Thanks for the tips on the flow for the Waterbox 10. I have one that has just finished cycling and know I am going to have to work on that.

 

What is the yellow finger leather with the mini me beside it? Stunning. 

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On 1/24/2019 at 10:06 PM, Newstead said:

Thanks for the tips on the flow for the Waterbox 10. I have one that has just finished cycling and know I am going to have to work on that.

 

What is the yellow finger leather with the mini me beside it? Stunning. 

Hi Newstead, and thanks for reading!

 

I don’t actually know, I’ve had that in various tanks for probably over 15 years. the larger colonies drop pieces regularly so I take bags of frags to the LFS for credit at regular intervals. It has proven to be extremely hardy, even surviving hurricane Ike, and a later catastrophic die off event I had 5-6 years ago...

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11 hours ago, Newstead said:

If you ever decide to sell & ship, let me know! Please!

huh, I really should. Considering getting a frag rack and formally plugging for trade or sale...

 

Will do!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Buildout: Lighting

 

So far I am not happy with the A80 Blue light. Its signature very small LED footprint and single round lens creates a significant disco effect, which I don't particularly like. Compared to my JBJ tank which I have a Radion XR30 Gen4 Pro on with diffusion lens. That is rock solid color, with almost no discernible LED flicker. It's also way under powered at 15 watts. I would love to put a Radion on this tank as well, but that's probably overkill.

 

Likely an AI Prime HD would be better at about 45 watts, but since I have an older Apex, I can't  control that light. I may just get one anyway and control it with its app for now.

 

In the mean time, I have fashioned a DIY diffuser for the A80. I'm sure this, along with my egg crate lid, cuts too much light, but the disco effect is just too distracting in my office. I noticed that the A80 has 4 small screws on the bottom front face, which turn out to be M3 machine thread. I figured if I used 2 M3 nylon standoffs, I could attach a filter over the light.

 

A80 Diffuser

 

I got a small piece of 1/16" acrylic from a craft store for $1, cut it to size to be slightly larger than the light circle from the A80 at about 3/4", and then sanded it on one side with rough sandpaper. I drilled two holes at the location near the back of 2 of the M3 screws.

 

A80 Standoffs

 

Then attached the acrylic.

 

A80 With Diffuser

 

Works like a charm! Unfortunately, the reflected light is pretty bright in the room now as it hits the diffuser, and I'm certain it cuts even more light from the tank, but the disco effect has been cut by more than half.

 

Probably not a workable long term solution for a reef tank even at this size, but I figure if I get an AI Prime for this tank, then I'll just use the A80 for a QT tank.

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Quick update on the Innovative Marine NuvoSkim DC, I'm loving it!

 

I'm getting maybe an ounce a day of (fairly wet) skimmate. I could raise the cup just a little I guess, but as long as I replace the bit of water regularly I'd rather just get it out. The image is maybe 3 days.

 

IMG_6255.thumb.jpeg.66d49aecd297f1fcb41ba5065a6a65aa.jpeg

 

I am still having a bit of trouble getting the NO3 and PO4 up. Both have been effectively undetectable in this tank since I set it up. I keep adding slightly more feeding each day, and even get a bit of algae, and possibly some diatoms (which I'm watching closely). I also removed some of the Matrix and ceramic media, I think I put a bit too much in initially seeded from another tank. That started a bit of brown algae as well, but I'm hoping that will even out in a couple days.

 

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DIY Refugium

 

Continuing my pattern of DIY tinkering, I decided to have a go at adding a nano refugium. While having a refugium on a minimally stocked small aquarium like this one is probably not strictly necessary, I wanted to give it a try. They are all the rage now, and are appearing everywhere. The idea is not new, I had one of sorts on one of my tanks almost 20 years ago, though at the time it was mostly to house inverts, sand, rock, copepods, etc., and was counter lit to help with pH, not just to grow algae for nutrient export as many are today.

 

Looking at existing external reactors and large sump models, I figured I could do something on the cheap that would fit inside the back of this small 11.8 gallon tank. Many people scrape off some of the black coating and mount a light outside, or put an LED light directly in a sump chamber, however, I would prefer not to grow significant amounts of algae, especially coralline algae, inside the AIO sump, so I wanted some material that blocks the light, and that I can remove easily.

 

What I decided on was a colored BPA-free plastic cutting board that I found at a local grocery store (I would have preferred black, but blue will do…). I just rolled it up, sized to just fit into the middle chamber of the WB10, then drilled a few holes and connected the ends with black plastic cable ties.

 

WB10 Skimmer

 

For good measure I also cut a few notches into the bottom for flow, so it can't sit flush with the bottom of the chamber.

 

Fuge Tube

 

To keep the algae inside the tube, I cut a small piece of egg crate into an oval shape, attached it with some more cable ties, then inserted a small oval of black plastic filter sponge. The sponge has the largest sized openings I had, so as to allow flow and copepods to freely exit, but hopefully keep Chaeto in for the most part. (I did clean the edges up a bit from the pictures).

 

bottom

 

For the light, I used a single Santa Monica GEM5 LED grow light which are typically used in an algae turf scrubber. These are 10w, 12v red LED grow lights specifically tuned for algae growth, and they are completely submersible. The light is pretty powerful, but hopefully will work in this situation, perhaps I can run it for fewer hours if necessary. I was originally concerned with heat, but they are not hot to the touch when running dry, and after watching it closely for a few days, it raises the tank temp less than 1 degree F, and I can put an additional small fan on the tank that runs with the refugium timer if I need it. It would only run in the middle of the night when the tank tends to be cooler anyway.

 

GEM5

 

 

I had to move the IM NuvoSkim DC to the first chamber where it fits just fine as well. After inserting my little hacked up Fuge tube into the middle chamber where it fits completely submerged, I placed a small bit of sponge on the right side to give it a bit of pressure against the left side where the water overflows from the first chamber. Then I placed a larger square of black sponge over the entire contraption, which blocks the light from shining up.

 

All in all it seems to be a fine solution, and noone will ever see it unless I remove it for cleaning! Now I just need to get some Chaeto to put in it...

 

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Hmm what is your mechanical filtration with the skimmer now in chamber 1?

 

Does Chamber 2 keep a steady water height? 

 

I have a Cube 15 on order and will probably be getting a somewhat similar setup to yours!

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Interested to see how it works for you - I ordered the new InTank media basket for the 2nd chamber, but it has removable shelves in case you want to run it as a refugium. If your chaeto works, I may turn it into a refugium and put one of their baskets in chamber 1 for media. Wish I was good at DIY like you, but I am hopeless. Tried a DIY media basket on my Biocube years ago, but it was a mess and the InTank basket made all the difference for me on that tank. 

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20 hours ago, flypenfly said:

Hmm what is your mechanical filtration with the skimmer now in chamber 1?

 

Does Chamber 2 keep a steady water height? 

 

I have a Cube 15 on order and will probably be getting a somewhat similar setup to yours!

Should have mentioned that, I have a decent sized bag of Matrix and ceramic cubes under the skimmer, holding it up to the right height. I would have preferred to have anaerobic media prior to the skimmer (so they don't get overly oxygenated), but there was no way really to do that if I wanted the skimmer before the fuge (so it doesn't skim any pods that try to leave the fuge for the DT). Plus the center chamber is slightly larger.

 

As for water height, it does in my case because I have a SmartATO that keeps it there. There is also a baffle on the return chamber a bit lower down than the one on the first chamber (which does keep a constant height with a high overflow).

 

Here is a link to a document that shows some internal images for a few WB tanks:

 

http://www.waterboxaquariums.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/WaterBox_Manual_2017.pdf

 

If you Google "waterbox manual" quite a few documents come up.

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20 hours ago, Newstead said:

Interested to see how it works for you - I ordered the new InTank media basket for the 2nd chamber, but it has removable shelves in case you want to run it as a refugium. If your chaeto works, I may turn it into a refugium and put one of their baskets in chamber 1 for media. Wish I was good at DIY like you, but I am hopeless. Tried a DIY media basket on my Biocube years ago, but it was a mess and the InTank basket made all the difference for me on that tank. 

I keep hearing that was coming, but last I checked it wasn't available, at least I didn't see it online. Will have to check that out.

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Uh Oh, Dinos?

 

I noticed some brownish formations in lit areas on the sand in the WB10 which appeared to me to be dinos, so I scooped up some of them and sent them off with my microbiologist wife to be examined. She grabbed a video in her lab. Looks to me to be 

Ostreopsis Dinoflagellates (dark ovoids connected like balloons), what do you think? Lighter colored matter is fine sand. There is a clear worm with a bunch if them inside and a bunch of other life in there as well...

 

 

Also grabbed this image of a water flea with what might be a stomach full of dinos...

 

Ylrx1lIQRJqmW4rsKusqJw_thumb_5b40.jpg.bf35102dcec829bf0758182ecb83f480.jpg

 

There is no obvious sign of them in my JBJ tank, though they are likely just in there and not enough to cause any problems. Likely will have to take some measures. Definitely need to increase Phosphates, start UV, and consider a blackout period before they start taking over...

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Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on the new NuvoSkim DC skimmer. I'm considering it for my 25g lagoon. 

This thread here describes "an okay but not overwhelmingly good picture" of the skimmer: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/innovative-marine-skimmer-showdown.532676/It seems similar to what you have posted here.

What's your verdict after longer usage? Would you get it again? My main alternative would be the much bigger Aquamaxx HOB 1.5. What do you recommend?
 

Is it quiet?
 

Thanks!

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17 hours ago, pieceofreef said:

Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on the new NuvoSkim DC skimmer. I'm considering it for my 25g lagoon. 

This thread here describes "an okay but not overwhelmingly good picture" of the skimmer: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/innovative-marine-skimmer-showdown.532676/It seems similar to what you have posted here.

What's your verdict after longer usage? Would you get it again? My main alternative would be the much bigger Aquamaxx HOB 1.5. What do you recommend?
 

Is it quiet?
 

Thanks!

Hi pieceofreef, 

I love it so far. It is very quiet, only a slight hum when you put your head right up to the tank. I plan to get a couple more for when I want to run a skimmer in my QT tanks. I love that it is DC, hardly uses any power, and is never going to b a shock or stray voltage danger for the tank.

 

Note that I believe there are two versions of the IM NuvoSkim DC. I have the smaller “desktop” version I think it is called. You might want the slightly larger size if it fits your tank.

 

Also, in fact I have an older generation of the Aquamaxx HOB Skimmer which I also like on my JBJ tank. It has worked great for maybe 4 years nonstop with only maybe a yearly cleaning. It is also pretty loud and at least the one I have it pretty huge on the side back of the 28 gallon tank, so a it of an eye sore compared to the tiny NUVOSkim that fits entirely in the AIO sump.

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19 hours ago, flypenfly said:

Hmmm if that's a trash bag, you might want to make sure your tank gets some air though... 

Hehe, yeah, the black plastic is only on the glass, then there is a black cloth over the top, it’s completely open in the back and the skimmer is running as well.

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Blackout's over and everyone is doing well. In fact my tanks have never looked better. Water tests fine, but I went ahead and did a 40% or so water change. The sand is completely clear no signs of Dinos or Cyano. I have read that it can come back in 3-4 days so we'll see if it stays, but so far I'm happy.

 

1688536685_G0JtMXMTFqSo6mKRoeTMQ_thumb_5b4e.thumb.jpg.71161183848397ff07be92485508f069.jpg

 

BoPSow0eTfWvDygGmdhoGg_thumb_5b53.thumb.jpg.0adcdeadbc3e41d63a56c664a8c4f899.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok, time to set up the Refugium. Got a golf ball sized Chaeto ball and some Pods from Algae Barn. Most of the pods will go into another tank, but I thought I'd pour a few of them in the WB10 as well.

 

1758660237_4bMXAQsQ5ajiq9c9NAqUw_thumb_5b38.thumb.jpg.569cc9039afb57e124e250e833dc0021.jpg

 

The DIY Fuge in the center chamber with the light on.

 

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_5b49.thumb.jpg.985cd4ebc79d2ce6cd5e57b9104caf3d.jpgUNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_5b4a.thumb.jpg.4a4fe2acac8c609cfece26f67b1b5f8d.jpg

 

 

 

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It's been two weeks and the Chaeto is still alive, so that's something! It has grown maybe a little, but not doubled or anything, and it is quite dark green in color. I'm currently running the light at 4 hours, I might up that a bit and see what happens.

 

I've been struggling to get the Phosphate and Nitrate to ideal levels, it's a bit higher than I'd like at about .1 and 20ppt respectively.

 

Also, I have been testing Iodine and dosing a bit in both my tanks, as it drops to undetectable within hours after dosing and I have read that Iodine and Iron can be depleted with Chaeto causing die-off.

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Oh, and I also got an AI Prime HD for this tank. I was never happy with the low light output from the A80, especially with the diffuser and tank lid reducing the light output even more.

 

823340970_ln3ReJoQeKyZvt32RGMKg_thumb_5b80.thumb.jpg.cd62b1fe9ac38da0c81f31b7a4041fa6.jpg

 

I'm going to put the A80 on one of my QT tanks, which I'll be setting up shortly now that it's about time to start adding fish to my JBJ28.

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Here's a pic of the Prime HD on the tank. I have both on there right now and plan to gradually acclimate from the A80 to the HD over a couple weeks, then I'll take the A80 off and put in on a QT tank.

 

IMG_6389.thumb.jpeg.de7cafb882c1a49658c7b4a694be2c97.jpeg

 

Still loving that IM skimmer. I have to empty it about twice a week and it's nearly all the way up on the adjustment of the cup. Not as dark as I would expect from a larger sump skimmer, but it is working hard.

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Just got a PolypLab macro lens with color filter so I took a few closeup pics with my phone. I'm not a photographer so these aren't all that great, but I'm getting better.

 

The single Duncan polyp has 4 new heads growing around the base after two months in the tank.  

 

Duncan Side

Duncan

 

Pavona is coloring up nicely, even under the A80

Pavona

 

Green Mushroom closeup, very difficult to focus with low ISO.

Green Mushroom

 

Snail with GHA? 😞

Snail

 

Green Frogspawn is getting blue tips! Again, even turning off the pumps it is difficult to prevent motion blur and to focus...

Frogspawn

 

I'm actually not sure what this one is...it has just shown up, a hitchhiker, but growing super fast, all these polyps have appeared since I set up the tank two months ago...

IMG_6378.thumb.jpeg.6974c3bcacce4ac63c3a31e3ce276ed8.jpeg

 

 

 

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And almost forgot the Candy Cane. Nearly every head has split or is in the process of dividing since I moved their rock to this tank. They are just starting to open for their evening feeding.

 

Candy Cane

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