Waterbox 20 cube Equipment Help

[aaronsquires1]

Hey, So i have decided to get a Waterbox 20 which will be going on order as soon as i move into my new flat on Friday!

 

Im going for an SPS dominant Mixed reef.

 

Lighting

 

Ive managed to grab a hardly used Ecotech Xr15 Gen 4 + a diffuser of ebay. This will be mounted from the ceiling.

 

Pumps

For a powerhead ill be getting an Ecotech MP10. As well for the return pump ill be grabbing an Innovative Marine MightyJet DC pump and changing the the return line to a Random Flow Generator.

 

Filtration ideas

For the filtration in the back, Ive decided to make a caddy for the first chamber out of some Plastic Sewing grid. This will hold some Filter pads, GFO/Carbon etc.

 

The next section will be the skimmer/Refugium + heater? 

 

What skimmer do people suggest for the Waterbox? I have my XR15 mounted from the ceiling so no need to work around a lighting mount.

 

Ive looked at the:

• Bubble Magus NAC-QQ Internal Protein Skimmer
• icecap k1-nano (Difficult for me to get a hold of in the uk)
• Tunze Comline DOC 9001
• Hydor slim skim nano 135

 

Any other options would be great, i also would like to be able to shove as much marine pure as i can next to it.

 

and finally the last chamber is for the return pump, ATO and Seneye.

 

Any advice on which skimmer would be great or if a skimmer isnt needed should i just make a refugium? and let me know if ive gone a bit overkill on any other bits? 

 

Cheers, Aaron

 

 

 

 

 

[seabass]

I wouldn't think you'll need GFO to control phosphate.  Remember you don't want zero phosphate (or nitrate).  Also, GFO will bind alkalinity, which is critical for SPS.

 

I would say that you don't want to elevate your (alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium) levels, just replenish them and keep them stable.  A two part dosing protocol may be the easiest way to replenish consumed elements.  I'd use a good salt mix, and target its levels (so water changes just work to help restore levels and keep things balanced and stable).

 

I would think a refugium is unnecessary.  However, I'm still a fan of using a protein skimmer, but couldn't tell you what fits or is the better of what you listed (maybe someone else will chime in).

[jservedio]

What fish are you planning on stocking in the tank? I agree with everything @seabass said, except if you aren't heavily stocking the tank, you probably don't want or need a skimmer either. Your SPS, especially acros, love all that junk and higher dissolved organic matter is going to give you better color and better growth. Obviously, you don't want too much of a good thing, but it's hard to get too much in a nano tank because you are so limited on how many fish you can have. If you are pushing the stocking limits of the tank in terms of fish, as they get bigger or while your SPS are still small, you may end up wanting a skimmer to pull some of it out.

 

Also, for a heater, definitely consider getting some sort of controller like an Inkbird or Ranco or something and use the thermostat on the heater simply as a failsafe. Which heater you choose really doesn't matter all that much - I've used Hydor, Fluval, Aqueon, and Tetra heaters over the years and wouldn't trust the internal thermostat of any one of them.