BryanRitchie Posted January 6, 2020 Share Posted January 6, 2020 Picked up a Waterbox 20 Cube this weekend. After looking at several tanks, this was the one my wife liked best, so we went that direction. First wave of purchases being considered: 25 pounds of live sand from Gulf Live Rock 20 pound of premium deco live rock from Gulf Live Rock AI Prime 16HD 1 Oz Clean Chaeto Ebo Jaegar Heater - 150 watt Test Kit (uncertain on brand for cycling and moving forward) Picking up saltwater and RO water from LFS for now Long term, I am wanting this tank to house softies, shrimp, a clean up crew, and a 2-3 small fish. Trying to be patient with the tank and avoiding turbo starts. Rather, I am trying to take the process slow and easy, which is challenging for me. Thoughts and suggestions are welcome. I'm sure I've forgotten several needed items. I have been reading through the forums to learn. I've kept 15 plus tanks (fresh, salt, and reef) over the years, but nothing in the past 12 years. Lighting has really changed over the years. 2 Quote Link to comment
RoyalGramma001 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Can’t wait to see it, you should look into a royal gramma or a type of goby since they grow small and are very hardy Quote Link to comment
RoyalGramma001 Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I would also recommend a 100w heater 150 seems like a lot to me. I use a 100w on my 20 gallon high and it stays at a constant 77 degrees Fahrenheit Quote Link to comment
Lauraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Excited to see how this turns out! Quote Link to comment
SliceGolfer Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 I just set up a WB Cube 20 myself. I am using the stock pump for now, an InTank chamber one media basket, BRS 100w titanium heater with heater controller (highly recommended), MarinePure spheres for extra bio capacity, 10-15 pounds of CaribSea life rock, an XP Duetto ATO, IM 5 gallon ATO reservoir, and a used MP10wes for flow. I use Red Sea for testing the basics, Hanna for Alk & Ca, Salifert for Mg. Some things to think about as you move forward. Good luck on the build! Quote Link to comment
billygoat Posted January 7, 2020 Share Posted January 7, 2020 Hi @BryanRitchie, and welcome to Nano-Reef! I love your decision to begin with real aquacultured ocean rock. I started my own tank just about a year ago with some of Gulf Live Rock's stuff, and I have been extremely pleased with the results. You're likely to get a few obnoxious pests of course, but the number of interesting/beneficial hitchhikers dramatically outweighs the number of bad guys. Real ocean live sand is another cool addition, but to be honest you could easily get away with good old bagged CaribSea live sand if you want to save a few dollars. The rock is the more important part for sure. Remember that the uncured live rock you put in your tank will both start and finish your cycle, since it contains dead organics which will decay in your tank and also plenty of good bacteria to break those organics down. It's therefore not necessary to ghost feed or use an additive like ammonium chloride to cycle your tank, nor should you need to seed your system with a bacterial supplement like Bio-Spira. The rock does it all on its own. 💪 All the equipment you listed looks good too. Down the line you will almost certainly want some sort of wavemaker/powerhead in there for additional flow, but that's not necessary in the very beginning, so you have plenty of time to look into all the various options. I also recommend this power strip in case you don't have one lined up already. The individually controllable outlets with recessed switches are perfect for reefing equipment. 👍 Keep us updated on your build! I'm a huge fan of soft corals, so I can't wait to see what you end up getting. 😊 2 Quote Link to comment
RoyalGramma001 Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 Yeah live rock works great for cycling, it cycled my 20 gallon high tank in a week but different tanks will have different results. 1 Quote Link to comment
BryanRitchie Posted January 8, 2020 Author Share Posted January 8, 2020 I have begun making my purchases: -Went with the Ebo Jaeger 100 watt heater -Salifert Test Kits (Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate) to get me through the cycling process -In Tank 2nd Compartment -20 pounds live rock & 25 pounds of live sand from Gulf Live Rock (thinking I'll need more rock in the future, but playing it by ear) -Generic SaltAquarium Refractometer -I went with a Current USA Orbit Marine LED (Gen 1) with Ramp Timer Pro (not my first choice, but I want to start here and move up a Nanobox, Kessel, or AI) Curious about an RO/DI setup or if picking water from the LFS is cheaper/easier. Anybody have thoughts on a 20 gallon tank? My LFS is about 3 miles away and charges $1 a gallon SW and $0.35 for FW. Also, thinking about picking up the Inkbird ITC-308S Controller. Worth it? Quote Link to comment
SliceGolfer Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 YES on the Inkbird temp controller 1 Quote Link to comment
RoyalGramma001 Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 You should get a hydrometer instead of the refractometer, refractometers are very hard to use for beginners and unless you know how to calibrate it everyday I would not get one.Even though hydrometer are less accurate. 1 Quote Link to comment
SliceGolfer Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 1 hour ago, RoyalGramma001 said: You should get a hydrometer instead of the refractometer, refractometers are very hard to use for beginners and unless you know how to calibrate it everyday I would not get one.Even though hydrometer are less accurate. What? Shenanigans. 2 Quote Link to comment
RoyalGramma001 Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I don’t know I find them easier to use. I guess it’s just my personal preference. 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Lauraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 IME while a hydrometer is a bit easier and quicker to use, the difference in accuracy is MASSIVE and a refractometer isn't really that hard to use. 3 Quote Link to comment
BryanRitchie Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 Put saltwater from my LFS in the tank to make sure the Waterbox setup is up and working. The overflow box is louder than I was hoping it would be. I need to play with it a bit to try and quiet down the rushing water sounds. Heater and lights are up and running as well without any surprises. Hoping the live rock and sand will be here next week. Lastly, picked up a small RODI unit from the classified here from nevets9333. He shipped it out the same day and the RODI should arrive by Monday. Slow and steady wins the race... 1 Quote Link to comment
SliceGolfer Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 Raise your water level in the sump area. Mine is inches from the top of the tank so it runs quietly. 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.