LPS Waterbox 50g - The beginnings

[Coolbreeze]

System Beginning - Cycle process

 

 

Current Hardware

 

Display:    Waterbox AIO 50.3 - 35.4"×19.7"×17.77" with Custom Top Lids w/evaporation lid and feeding cup

Stand:       Waterbox  White Stand with Phillips Smart LED strip

Lights:      2 Kessil A360W lights with custom 3d printed hoods.

Skimmer: Tunz Comline DOC Skimmer 9004 DC 

Pump:       Sicce SDC 7.0 Wifi Cintroller

ATO:          Tunze 3155 Osmolator with Innovative Marine Aqua Gadget 5 gal Hydrofill

Heater:     HiTauing Aquarium Heater 500w with Paizoo Outside Digital LED Display

Rock:        Caribsea Liferock Nano Arches (x6)

Sand:        Aqua Forest Bio Sand (2 Bag of 16.5 lbs)

Edited May 12 by Coolbreeze
Updated Hardware list

[Coolbreeze]

I'm currently using Aqua Forest Bio Sand ( 2 bags), Life Bio Media, and Dr. Tim One & Only bacteria to cycle.

[Coolbreeze]

I started the process 2 days ago and here is where we are in the cycle process.

[Airedale.Reef]

Nice set up! I like the aquascape and the progress so far....I am on day 10 of my cycle. Still waiting lol 

 

Do I spy two Kessil 360s? 

[Crawford_T]

Nice! Super nice looking tank, I dig the rock work. 

[mitten_reef]

Looking good. Glad to see you back 

[Kev1n]

Looks great. Very nice scape.

[Coolbreeze]

On 5/7/2024 at 6:12 PM, Airedale.Reef said:

Nice set up! I like the aquascape and the progress so far....I am on day 10 of my cycle. Still waiting lol 

 

Do I spy two Kessil 360s? 

Yes, those are older Kessils and I designed and 3D printed some covers for it.

On 5/7/2024 at 9:53 PM, mitten_reef said:

Looking good. Glad to see you back 

Thanks. Need to get caught up on your display.

 

On 5/8/2024 at 3:41 AM, KevMax said:

Looks great. Very nice scape.

Thanks

On 5/7/2024 at 6:29 PM, Crawford_T said:

Nice! Super nice looking tank, I dig the rock work. 

Thanks

[Coolbreeze]

This weekend I need to set up the Tunze 3155. Once completed I will update with pictures as well as update the current hardware list.

[Coolbreeze]

I have the ATO set up now and right on time as the water evaporation was pretty aggressive. I have also set up the light under the stand and connected it to my home automation system. The system is still cycling so nothing else to report.

[Kev1n]

The ATO setup looks very tidy. 

[Coolbreeze]

On 5/13/2024 at 3:44 AM, KevMax said:

The ATO setup looks very tidy. 

I need to work on the wiring. Currently working on a few ideas in Fusion 360 and if I like what I see then I will 3D print them in ABS.

[Coolbreeze]

We are now in at day 9 and it is progressing along just fine.

[Coolbreeze]

So we are going 3 weeks as of this upcoming Sunday and the ammonia has gone up and not down. After reviewing some forums and talking with the vendor it seems as if my bottle of Dr. Tim was bad or partially bad.  So I ordered some Fritz Zyme Turbo Start 900, received it today, and have already applied it. So now we wait again

[Coolbreeze]

On the plus side, we have gone three weeks on the ATO and only used 50%, so that is a plus. We are starting to get warmer in my area so I should be able to remove the evaporation panel from the cover and continue to see what my evaporation rate will be, so hopefully, this 5-gallon unit will work for at least a week at a time in either summer or winter months.

 

[anizato]

great build man! I love the aquascape.

 

Do you know what fish you want to keep?

 

Interesting thing about Dr. Tim's this is the first time I haven't seen it work. Are you dosing Ammonium Chloride as well? 

Are you testing for Nitrite and Nitrate also?

 

I find it funny how the sand people try to label nitrifying bacteria on their bag, no one is going to cycle their tank with just your sand, chill! 🤣

[Coolbreeze]

On 5/26/2024 at 12:35 AM, anizato said:

great build man! I love the aquascape.

 

Do you know what fish you want to keep?

 

Interesting thing about Dr. Tim's this is the first time I haven't seen it work. Are you dosing Ammonium Chloride as well? 

Are you testing for Nitrite and Nitrate also?

 

I find it funny how the sand people try to label nitrifying bacteria on their bag, no one is going to cycle their tank with just your sand, chill! 🤣

I do have a list of fish that I want to keep in this one. I have two clowns that I have had for three years and I want to get another pair. I also have a dwarf angel and Randall’s Assessor Basslet. I also will be adding Helfrichi Firefish and a few cardinal fish.

 

This is the first time I had a failure with Dr. Tim's, but I received it on several days that were late to arrive and the temperature was higher than normal so I am not surprised that it may have been tainted. Either way, I wanted to play it safe as I am in no big hurry to have it stocked. I'm really going to take my time as I do not want a repeat of the IM 30.

[Airedale.Reef]

3 hours ago, Coolbreeze said:

I'm really going to take my time as I do not want a repeat of the IM 30.

This clearly caught my attention haha. I took the time to find and read you old tank journal on the IM30. I know they are older tanks, and I haven't see too many people that still have one running. Nonetheless, I hope the WaterBox treats you better! 

[Coolbreeze]

On 5/27/2024 at 10:41 PM, Airedale.Reef said:

This clearly caught my attention haha. I took the time to find and read you old tank journal on the IM30. I know they are older tanks, and I haven't see too many people that still have one running. Nonetheless, I hope the WaterBox treats you better! 

I still have the IM 30 and using it just for Quaritine of fish, inverts, and coral. When this and the WB 110 are completed I may take it down and restart it as a Caribbean type of display. Maybe sometime much different than the two current ones. 

[Coolbreeze]

Okay, now we are getting somewhere. Today, it is down to 0.05, so I am going to order some Galaxy pods and Ocean Magik from Algae Barn on Monday; before they arrive, I will do a 50% water change to bring down the nitrate and nitrate, and I may also add in some PNS Pro Bio and PNS Yello Sno for the IM 30.

[anizato]

Nice

The end of the start is near!

[Crawford_T]

My system took close to 30 days to fully cycle with Dr. Tims. Seems you’re in the same boat. 

[colormegone]

It took me several weeks also using Dr Tims bacteria and ammonia.

[Coolbreeze]

I made a slightly change in plan. I really wanted to use as much as possible a natural resources as possible.

 

So I ordered 8lbs live rock from Tampa Bay Rubble Rox and some one bottle of PNS Substrate Sauce. According to its claims it states 

It removes harmful ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and I want to test this by checking the numbers before adding it and during the two weeks you need to add it to your aquarium.

[Coolbreeze]

3 hours ago, colormegone said:

It took me several weeks also using Dr Tims bacteria and ammonia.

 

23 hours ago, Crawford_T said:

My system took close to 30 days to fully cycle with Dr. Tims. Seems you’re in the same boat. 

 

On 5/31/2024 at 8:00 PM, anizato said:

Nice

The end of the start is near!

 

If I can ask did you guys have the same issue with rising ammonia?

 

This is the first time I have seen this and not sure what may have changed from what I have done in the past, maybe the sand is it as this is the first time I used this brand. I changed it mainly for the real white color of it.