Rick's Waterbox Peninsula 15

[RickvD]

Hey everyone, welcome to my first steps into the saltwater world. 

 

I've had fish tanks since I was 7-8 years old, they have always interested me a lot. I've had small tanks but also a few bigger tanks over the years. Getting into saltwater has always been something I was very eager to try. Sadly due to the costs I've never had the opportunity when I was younger, and after finally ordering my Peninsula almost 2 years ago, life just kept getting in the way. Now after a few months of saving and collecting all equipment, my tank is finally running (sort off).

 

I've already learned a lot, and I'm very exited for everything that has to come. I hope everything goes according to plan, and I can add fish in a few weeks.

 

Item list so far:

 

TANK

- Waterbox Peninsula 15

- Waterbox Mesh lid

 

SALT

- Red Sea Blue Bucket

 

LIGHTS

- AI Prime 16HD with custom schedule

 

FILTER/CIRCULATION

- Actived Carbon and Filter floss

- Stock Waterbox pump, bought the Sicce but I prefer the stock

- AI Nero 3 with a schedule I found somewhere on this site and changed it to my likings

- Tunze Doc 9001 (currently not in the tank, tried it for a while but it really isn't needed yet)

 

SAND/ROCK

- 10lbs of Aqua Natural Coarse Aragonite

- 15lbs of Dry Rock for the aqua scape

 

Temperature Control

- 150W Tetra Heater

- D&D temperature controller

- Cooling fans

 

TESTING

- H2Ocean Refractometer

- Salifert tests

- Hanna Phosphate

 

ACCESSORIES

- Nano Flipper Float

- Easy Life EasyStart

- 3 types of flakes (bigger clown eats it all, smaller one only eats Mysis and after a few weeks, also accepts one of the flakes.

- H2Ocean ATO

- Buckets / Spray bottles for cleaning

- Gravel Vacuum

 

Dosing

- Red Sea AB+

- Nyos Phosphate+

- Nyos Nitrate+

 

CURRENT STOCKING

- 2 x Clownfish

 

CURRENT CORALS

- 1x Euphyllia Hammer Green

- 1x Ricordea Florida Green

- 1x Acanthastrea Red

- 1x Cyphastrea Meteor Shower

- Zoa garden, will update complete zoa list when I get home

 

ADDITIONAL STOCKING PLAN

- Maybe a sand shifter goby or a Firefish. Noting certain yet.

 

CURRENT CLEAN UP CREW

I had so many great plans on keeping this list updated but if I'm honest I have no idea... I know I have snails and hermits. That's all I know.

- Starfish 🙂

 

ADDITIONAL CLEAN UP CREW PLAN

- 2x Emerald crab

- 2x Sexy Shrimp

 

 

 

(It has gotten quite a bit messier in the cabinet after installing the skimmer and cooling, but the basics still look the same)

 

 

 

(Still need to find a good orange filter...)

 

 

[Woodini]

Off to a good start! I like how clean it is underneath 👍🏿 

Me, personally I would ditch the sponge and bio balls and just run carbon. That’s what I will be doing and have done in the past. Rinse once a month,and replace the carbon every other month. Just a thought, you’re looking good! Will be watching. 

[debbeach13]

Dr Tim's method cycles a tank at 82 so your bacteria should be fine, I think. 

 

 

 

 

[RickvD]

Small update:

 

When 1 thing goes right something else goes wrong...

 

I finally received my package with the last needed supplies like cooling, water testers and some cleaning supplies. The cooling fans I ordered where exactly the size of my tank, 4 fans wide, but they forgot to mention the size of the mounting bracket meaning the cooling fans didn't actually fit... Luckly it was possible to remove one of the fans and put them all back together so now I have 3 fans and it does fit. 

 

I also ordered the right tubes for my ATO, but forgot to order something to put the ATO refill water in... So I'm using a vase for now.

 

After some reading I've decided to remove the skimmer for now. I can't get it running just right, and I'd rather focus on getting the tank running and stable before putting the skimmer back in. Now I just have to wait for my new controller to arrive and I'm ready to get things going.

 

[Band Hunter]

Just ime, 80 degree temp isn’t gonna be a huge deal.  My tank has been at 79.7 all week and everything is happy.
 

Don’t get me wrong heaters going bonkers kills many a tank but you are gonna have some minor swings.

 

i am running a Sicce XStream SDC and accurate 24/7 tank temps on my phone have made me realize swings happen more than I realized.  With both a controller or without.

 

Do you think its your lighting and equipment in your tank is increasing temp, or maybe you don’t run air condition?

 

Could be heater issue and fans might not be necessary after messing with controller calibration.

 

Congrats on the tank!!

[RickvD]

9 hours ago, Band Hunter said:

Just ime, 80 degree temp isn’t gonna be a huge deal.  My tank has been at 79.7 all week and everything is happy.
 

Don’t get me wrong heaters going bonkers kills many a tank but you are gonna have some minor swings.

 

i am running a Sicce XStream SDC and accurate 24/7 tank temps on my phone have made me realize swings happen more than I realized.  With both a controller or without.

 

Do you think its your lighting and equipment in your tank is increasing temp, or maybe you don’t run air condition?

 

Could be heater issue and fans might not be necessary after messing with controller calibration.

 

Congrats on the tank!!

The light definitly heats up the tank a little bit, but not this much. There was a sort of “heat wave” here that I wasn’t prepared for. Now that I have the fans installed the temperature is a lot cooler. Still some swings but not nearly as hot as the tank has gotten a few days ago. 

[RickvD]

The tank is nearing completion of the cycling process and is poised for the arrival of its first livestock. Consequently, this will be the final update until the livestock are introduced.

I have successfully constructed a lid for the tank, drawing inspiration from various tutorials. However, I encountered difficulty in procuring all the necessary components locally in the Netherlands. As a result, I had to invest $40 to acquire the original Waterbox mesh lid. Fortunately, the lid enhances the tank's aesthetic appeal.

 

 

The placement of the lid necessitated some adjustments to the positioning of the cooling system, prompting me to relocate the light clamp to the side. Consequently, I had to find an alternative location for the ATO (Auto Top Off) sensor, among other components. This presented a bit of a challenge, but I managed to arrange everything in a manner that avoids excessive clutter.

 

 

I have finally had the opportunity to install my new temperature controller, and its performance has been exceptional. The temperature consistently remains within a mere 0.2-0.3 degrees Celsius deviation from the desired setting. This is particularly beneficial considering that tomorrow's forecast calls for a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, followed by a drop to 13-14 degrees Celsius the following day.

 

Furthermore, I have slightly lowered the water level in the tank. Previously, it was filled to the brim, but this caused insufficient surface area to be effectively filtered.

 

[RickvD]

Finally got my first live stock for the tank.

 

I've decided to start with a pair of clowns, one small hermit and two snails.

The fish are doing great so far, they are however refusing to eat (instantly spitting it out). If that hasn't changed by tomorrow I'll buy some frozen food and try that.

 

As I'm using the AB+ schedule my tank is always blue, I put the lights on white for a good picture and WOW my tank has a lot of algae. Let's hope my cuc starts to do actual work (just walking around and adjusting at the moment), I think the best plan is to get a little bit of a bigger cuc already, if I don't see enough cleaning in the next few days.
Still having some doubts about the filter. The current filter is the original waterbox filtersock, sponge, carbon and balls. My plan is to remove all of that, and put in a media chamber with floss, sponge and carbon. Then keep the balls in the second chamber under the skimmer (not currently in the tank yet). However I'm not quite sure if that is actually the best way to go. For now all I know my carbon is no longer working (has been in for 3 weeks), and my filtersock is really dirty and should have been cleaned during my pre fish water change.

 

If anyone has some tips for a good filter setup, that would be great!

 

[RickvD]

~~~~~ UPDATE TIME ~~~~~

 

It has been a considerable amount of time since my last thread update, and many significant developments have occurred.

I encountered a major algae problem that proved resistant to eradication. After initiating multiple discussions on forums and even acquiring a microscope, I've determined that some of it is due to Diatoms. I'm gradually gaining control over the situation and cautiously hoping for sustained improvement. Additionally, I've adopted a WorldWideCorals schedule, which is less intense in terms of brightness and appears to be yielding positive results.

 

 

I also faced numerous challenges with regards to snails. Regardless of my efforts, they continued to perish. I lost more than 20 snails before uncovering the presence of a destructive hermit crab. Despite the availability of sufficient shells, it persistently attacked and killed other inhabitants. Since removing the hermit crab, my snails are now thriving.

 

Unfortunately, my aquascape didn't align with my vision. Despite several attempts at reconfiguration, its appearance progressively worsened. Eventually, I opted to invest in a custom-made reef rock, which has proven to be a regrettable decision. The dimensions were inaccurate, sections were fracturing, and the overall appearance was displeasing. I'm currently in the process of pursuing a refund, as the product I received deviated from my order.

 

 

While browsing the fish store, I encountered reef epoxy and decided to give it a try. As a result, my aquascape now closely resembles my original concept, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome. Moreover, in response to my girlfriend's persistent requests, I acquired a starfish, who is remarkably active and lively.

Corals have become an exciting addition as well! I acquired a single frogspawn coral and two zoas. I'm contemplating the acquisition of several more zoas to create the envisioned zoa garden. Here's the layout I'm pursuing—what are your thoughts on it?

 

 

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to make pictures with the blue light on without it sucking. All the pictures look unsharp and you almost can't see the corals color.

In a few days I will start gluing the corals to the rock,

[Rhetoric]

Nice little tank, I like the cave style rock work. 

 

Hermit Crabs are jerks. 

 

Try an orange filter for the photos, can get a cheap one off Amazon.

 

#nanosrule

 

Reef on! 

[banasophia]

Nice tank!! Looking forward to following along. One thing I wanted to ask was whether you ever thought about running it with the the back of the tank against the wall, or facing the desk. How it is right now seems to me to be attracting visual attention to the cords and back of the tank rather than your beautiful reef within. 

 

You'll definitely want to get an orange filter for better photos... when I got one back when I started out it was a game changer for me. I've tried a couple of apps for photographing tanks and they're okay, but I still prefer using filters.

[RickvD]

4 hours ago, Rhetoric said:

Nice little tank, I like the cave style rock work. 

Thanks that means a lot! I’ve had the old scape for months and every time I looked at the tank it just didn’t feel right. I’m super happy how it worked out, and the layout is also great for the corals I have in mind.

 

4 hours ago, Rhetoric said:

Hermit Crabs are jerks. 

Yea 3 of mine are great. 1 was just a dick but now that he’s gone everything is peacefull.

 

4 hours ago, Rhetoric said:

Try an orange filter for the photos, can get a cheap one off Amazon.

Searched it up on google and wow! Ordered one immediately.

 

6 minutes ago, banasophia said:

One thing I wanted to ask was whether you ever thought about running it with the the back of the tank against the wall, or facing the desk.

I have thought about it and I’ve tried different options. I know peninsula is ment to be “see through” but as I’m currently still living at my parents and my room is occupied with all my many hobbies, this was for now the best I could do. Normally the cables are not visible like at all. I was swapping out some equipment so that’s why the cables are visible. One of my hobbies is pc gaming, so cable management is something I’m extremely good in haha. I wanted to go for a cube aio first, but it was to deep and I was afraid to hit the parts standing out into the room. The peninsula is almost the same depth as my tv cabinet so it fits in better.

[banasophia]

28 minutes ago, RickvD said:

I have thought about it and I’ve tried different options. I know peninsula is ment to be “see through” but as I’m currently still living at my parents and my room is occupied with all my many hobbies, this was for now the best I could do. Normally the cables are not visible like at all. I was swapping out some equipment so that’s why the cables are visible. One of my hobbies is pc gaming, so cable management is something I’m extremely good in haha. I wanted to go for a cube aio first, but it was to deep and I was afraid to hit the parts standing out into the room. The peninsula is almost the same depth as my tv cabinet so it fits in better.

Oh man, cable management is definitely not my strong suit, so you are way ahead of me on that. I would still consider turning it the other direction, with the back of the tank on the right instead of the left, so the back of the tank blends in with the desk... but since you're used to looking at it facing this direction, maybe it would be to weird to switch it at this point.

 

I've run a couple of tanks sideways myself... I think it's interesting to see the difference between a tank with a black background vs a white wall behind it. One thing that's cool with a while wall behind it is that you can get lights that light up the wall in different colors. You can check out @Tigahboy's tanks... he had a tank with a light back behind that looked really cool. I think it may have been his 365 contest tank...

[RickvD]

9 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I would still consider turning it the other direction, with the back of the tank on the right instead of the left, so the back of the tank blends in with the desk... but since you're used to looking at it facing this direction, maybe it would be to weird to switch it at this point.

The reason I got the back on the left is because there’s a window there. So if I would turn it around there would be more algae then I could ever get rid of as the sun shines fully into the tank.

 

9 minutes ago, banasophia said:

You can check out @Tigahboy's tanks...

Im pretty sure I’ve seen his tanks before when scrolling around on here.

[RickvD]

Hello,

 

I thought it was time for another update. The tank is finally stabilizing. All the algae is gone after adding copepods. Everyone told me it could take a few weeks, but I added them, and in the first 2 days, I saw nothing. Boom, on the third day, I woke up and all the algae was simply GONE. The moment the algae was gone Coralline algae has been going crazy (in a good way). It's growing on my rocks, glass and even on my snails! Still having some problems getting my phosphates up. I can't get it above 0.03, but those test kits are so hard to read. I ordered a bottle of Phosphate and Nitrate dosing so I could raise my phosphates and also my nitrates just in case they bottomed out. Every now and then, I dose just enough to get it up to 0.1, but since those tests are hard to read, I don't want to overdo it. I know that rising Phosphates to 0,1 every few days and letting it drop back down isn't good for stability It wasn't my favorite option either... I have ordered a Phosphate Hanna checker, so when that arrives, I can really start working on my phosphates.

 

 

My Zoanthids are doing fine. I would love to say great, but I'm too new to this to make that claim. They are all opening up and are colorful. I also got a small hammer frag which I've now glued down because it looks happy. I felt like it was time to remove it from the frag rack, and I feel like I did the right thing as it seems happy. I dose Red Sea AB+ just to make sure the corals get enough nutrients while I work on the Phosphate issues. I also got 1 Montipora and 1 Stylophora because I love the look of some SPS; sadly, they are both dying. I lowered my lights when I got the algae issues, but I have now gone back to the AB+ schedule in the hope it was indeed a lighting issue and that they bounce back. No changes yet, but it has been 2 days. Also, I haven't lost any snails and hermits, however, my clowns have been getting stung by my hammer. I see a big sweeper every now and then, and at the same time, my clowns are getting black spots. They don't seem to be bothered by it, so for now, I'll let it be.

 

 

 

After the last water change, I tested all my parameters, and I'm sadly not too happy with the results. It isn't terrible, but there are some things I need to work on:

• Nitrite: 0.05

• Nitrate: 50. I'm not sure why they went up like this. I think it's because of overfeeding while trying to raise my Phosphates. I will start feeding less, and with dosing Phosphates, I hope my Nitrate will lower itself.

• Magnesium: 1230. It isn't too low, but it's getting there. I will test again right before my next water change to see if it has gotten lower. If it stays at this level, it's fine, as long as it doesn't drop more.

• Calcium: 385. Same as the Magnesium. It isn't too low, but it can't get any lower.

• KH/Alk: 9.9

• Phosphate: 0.03. I can't wait until I receive my Hanna checker. My plan is to have my Phosphates at 0.1. It might be slightly on the higher side, but for my Zoanthids and Euphyllia, it won't hurt. I just hope my already dying SPS will hold on until then and not get mad, as I know they prefer lower Phosphates.

• Ammonia: 0

• pH: 7.4. Also on the low side. There are two options I can try: put in an air pump I have from my freshwater tanks or put my skimmer back in. If I'm correct, either of these options tends to cause higher pH levels.
   

The salt I use is Red Sea blue bucket. I always pre-mix 4.5 gallons and use 1.5 gallons a week for water changes. If anyone has tips to improve my parameters, every little tip is welcome!

 

 

 

 

Edit: Same type of snail, added at the same time. Coralline algae really likes this fella.

 

[RickvD]

So, after a long time, I've decided to post an update on my tank. Many significant developments have occurred, and I will outline all the discussed topics below:

• Dosing
• Dino's
• Coral Growth, Additions, and Placement

Since the summer is over, and the Netherlands experiences a cold climate, I have removed my cooling fans. Due to the limited space, I had to choose between removing the tank cover, the fans, or the skimmer. After installing the skimmer, I noticed some improvements, so I decided to keep it rather than the fans, which won't be needed for at least the next 6 months.

 

DOSING:

I've been struggling to maintain stability in my tank. Corals were not thriving and showed signs of unhappiness. Traditional Salifert tests, especially for Phosphate, were inadequate. After losing my Stylophora and Montipora, I ordered a Hanna checker and discovered that my Phosphates were at an absolute 0. I then acquired Phosphate+ and Nitrate+ and started daily testing and dosing, gradually increasing my Phosphates to 0.1. After 30 days of testing, I calculated the average and began dosing accordingly while testing weekly. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks, my dosing routine changed, and my Phosphates reached 0.2. I stopped dosing for 2 days, and they dropped to 0.02. After that, I dosed back up to 0.1, then added 0.05 Phosphates for 2 consecutive days, resulting in my Phosphates reaching 0.2 again, indicating no usage. I'm unsure about what I'm doing wrong, but each Hanna test costs me €1.50, and I'd love to automate the dosing, which is not possible in the current situation. I'm hoping to figure out the right dosing regimen and automate the process. I've also started dosing 2ML of Red Sea AB+ daily, which has resulted in tremendous coral growth. I'm considering automation for this as well, although a mini-fridge would consume more power, and storing 14ML in a small container for a week's supply doesn't seem ideal.

 

DINO'S:

Due to the prolonged low Phosphate levels, I encountered a Dino outbreak. It was a severe infestation, affecting my corals to the point where they wouldn't even open. For the first week, I dosed peroxide twice a day in combination with Phosphate dosing. After a week, I switched to Phosphate dosing only, and within another week, the Dino's were eradicated. Unfortunately, due to the combined effects of low nutrients and the Dino outbreak, I lost two corals. However, I'm relieved it was only two and not all of them.

 

CORAL GROWTH, ADDITIONS, AND PLACEMENT:

My corals, what can I say? They're growing incredibly fast. I had planned to acquire more Euphyllia for my next order, but I had to delay that and first order all the zoas I wanted. Some of the zoas I already have are growing so rapidly that they'll cover the entire rock in a month or so. Although not all of them are growing at the same pace, if you compare the pictures below with the ones from a few posts ago, you'll see that the one in the middle has almost tripled in size. I hope to receive the last four zoas I desire on Friday so I can place them on garden rocks and let them grow naturally. I'll likely frag some of the corals I already have since they're growing too quickly and might overshadow the smaller zoas.

I've also acquired three new corals, and I'm still deciding on their placement. I'm thinking of placing the Cyphastrea Meteor Shower in a corner on the sand to prevent it from taking over my tank, and it might even grow on the back wall. For now, the Acanthastrea Red will sit at the front of the tank on the sand until I decide whether to keep just it or add more Acans. The Ricordea Florida Green is also currently on the sand, and I plan to get two other colors and create a mini garden. I'm not entirely sure about their placement yet, but I have enough room since I've decided that SPS corals aren't quite right for me at the moment. I've taken some pictures of the corals, and while they may not be amazing, I'm pleased with the results.