BigAl's Waterbox Infinia 150.4 (March 2024)

[BigAl07]

Well after a LOT (way too much) of research I finally dropped the hammer and ordered my Black WB Infinia 150.4 last month. The tank is sitting in my loving room and the stand is "Up" but under construction.

Equipment:

• RedSea DC 7000 return
• RedSea DC 600 Skimmer
• RedSea ReefMat 600
• RedSea ReefWave 45 (2x)
• BRS 300W heaters (2x)
• InkBird WiFi Heater Controller
• RedSea Reef ATO

• GHL Mitras 7206 (2x)
• GHL Flex Mount Type-2 for Mitras (2x)
• Profilux P4 Mega Kit
  • I'm planning a Custom Acrylic Top for the tank once everything is here and installed
  • Also I'll be adding a UV Unit in a few weeks

This is my first time working with a METAL stand! I don't know what I was expecting but the METAL has really given my brain a workout but I think I have my mind wrapped around it now. I've started installing lights etc and Cord Management has been a LARGE priority since day one on this tank. Using "adhesive zip tie bases" is GREAT as well as lots of hook & loop cable ties.

I'll post some pics tomorrow once I get them off my phone.

 

[lapin]

Nice
Yes post some pictures

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Can't wait to see pictures!

 

[BigAl07]

I totally thought I had posted a couple of pictures but apparently I have not. Here's a couple and a short video

 

[mizukage]

Sweet set up! do you have the red sea reefmat 500 or 1200? I can't find a 600 for the fleece roller filter

 

[BigAl07]

Sweet set up! do you have the red sea reefmat 500 or 1200? I can't find a 600 for the fleece roller filter

THANK YOU! We are VERY happy with it thus far

It's a ReefMat 500. If I posted 600 that was my mistake.

 

[mizukage]

Hiya @BigAl07 it's me again because I find your build absolutely fascinating and have a few questions.

How's the tank coming along? have you added any fish and coral yet?

Would you buy the reefmat 500 again or would you go for the reefmat 1200 if you could? how difficult was the install? I'm not a very handy person and am wondering if i could do the same. Looks like you just used a flexible pipe to connect from the middle pipe directly into the reefmat? Is that correct? where can i buy a similar flexi pipe or what do I google to find it?

Lighting: why the GHL mitras? How do you like them?

 

[BigAl07]

Hiya @BigAl07 it's me again because I find your build absolutely fascinating and have a few questions.

How's the tank coming along? have you added any fish and coral yet?

I'm VERY flattered you think so. The tank is doing very well and I'm pleased it's now very quiet and very clear other than cleaning the glass every few days.

Have we ever added fish or coral LOL!
We have added:
several corals (from zoas to SPS) in terms of coral.

• 5 Mollies
• 2 Clownfish
• 4 Pajama Cardinals
• 1 Longnosed Hawkfish
• a robust CUC
• Pods and more pods
• 5 Lyretail Anthias
• Orange Serpent Star
• 2x Brown Serpent Star
• Fire Cleaner Shrimp
• several micro hermits
• and lastly one Rainbow BTA

Would you buy the reefmat 500 again or would you go for the reefmat 1200 if you could? how difficult was the install? I'm not a very handy person and am wondering if i could do the same. Looks like you just used a flexible pipe to connect from the middle pipe directly into the reefmat? Is that correct? where can i buy a similar flexi pipe or what do I google to find it?

I would ABSOLUTELY go with the ReefMat 500 again. I might have gone with the 1200 if I had room but I plan to add a Refugium at some point and the 1200 took up more Real Estate than I was willing to give up. I feel like the 500 has done an impeccable job and it's still on the first "roll" although I'm down to under 5 days until it's time to change it.

Yes it's just black flexible tubing and it came with the ReefMat kit but as best as I can tell it's just "Spa Flex Tubing" nothing special. The ReefMat kit came with lots of adapters etc and I was fortunate enough to one of them was a direct fit with the Waterbox plumbing.

Lighting: why the GHL mitras? How do you like them?

I've been a huge GHL fan for many many years. To be honest, I was a GHL dealer before I got out of the hobby (Reef Bytes was my company) over a decade ago. Many of the members here were loyal customers of mine and I've always been a huge GHL supporter and I even wrote some technical How-To stuff for GHL USA back in the day. Granted a LOT has changed and most everything I wrote is now irrelevant.

So since I have some GHL stuff on another tank and still have some left-over GHL equipment it only made sense to go that route. Also, IMHO, their lights are pretty much Top-Of-The-Line and I didn't want to take any short-cuts with this tank. No-Regrets has been my motto in this build and these lights are pretty much the "heart" of the tank. Everything else was bought/designed with these specific lights in mind.

How do you like them?

To be honest, I don't like them.... I freaking LOVE them!! I would buy the same exact ones over again right now if the situation were to arise. Unfortunately I'm barely using them to their potential as my work (I'm supposed to be retired) has been insanely busy and I don't get to "dabble" as much as I had planned to. I need to change that soon

Thank you for your VERY kind words. You've made my day

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm more than happy to share what I've done and why/how to the best of my ability.

 

[xWascallyWabbit]

Chants from crowd:
Photos! Photos! Photos!

 

[BigAl07]

Here's a quick (and dirty) FTS of the system from last week

 

[rzimm33]

Lookin good! I’ve been anticipating your update since we have the same tank.

 

[mizukage]

Looking great! Good reminder that I’ll need a lid cover for the tank too

 

[BigAl07]

Lookin good! I’ve been anticipating your update since we have the same tank.

Thank you. I absolutely love this tank all-the-way-around.

 

[BigAl07]

Looking great! Good reminder that I’ll need a lid cover for the tank too

It took a while to get, wasn't cheap, and required a lot of precision measuring but it was worth EVERY-SINGLE-EFFORT! Top Lids did an OUTSTANDING job and it fits BETTER than we expected.

The ONLY hurdle, thus far, is that the Eheim WiFi Auto-Feeder we installed (and had the Top Lids custom cutout for) died after only 2 weeks of use. It was an absolute NIGHTMARE to get the vendor the accept it back. We are now using Lifeguard Aquatics IntelliFeed and LOVE it. The problem is it's about 1/2 LONGER than the previous feeder so the Custom Cutout doesn't fit. Top Lids is working with me for a solution right now.

 

[rs1831]

Everything looks fantastic! Do you know how heavy the tank was empty and how was it to move?

 

[BigAl07]

Everything looks fantastic! Do you know how heavy the tank was empty and how was it to move?

First, THANK YOU! We are absolutely LOVING this system and watching it go through the normal stages and mature day by day.

I don't recall how heavy the tank etc is empty but it's REALLY heavy!! It took 2 strong guys and myself to get the tank up on the stand.

 

[mizukage]

@BigAl07 heya sir! Just checking in on one of my favourite build threads. I have the same model but it’s still dry (just finished building the cabinet).

Question: did your stand come with pre drilled holes for the control box ? Mine doesn’t seem to have them and it looks like I need to drill my own if I want to mount it.

For your lid, is it one single piece or two pieces?

 

[BigAl07]

@BigAl07 heya sir! Just checking in on one of my favourite build threads. I have the same model but it’s still dry (just finished building the cabinet).

Question: did your stand come with pre drilled holes for the control box ? Mine doesn’t seem to have them and it looks like I need to drill my own if I want to mount it.

For your lid, is it one single piece or two pieces?

First off THANK YOU for such a huge compliment! That means more than you know.

IIRC I did not initially find the screw holes for the Control Box but for some reason I "think" I recall finding them after the fact. It's been a few months now and we just went through Hurricane HELENE (western NC here) so forgive if I'm incorrect on this. I do KNOW I predrilled them myself.

We faired pretty well (compared to so many others we did GREAT) all things considered. We were without public power etc for 5 days. We have a small portable (wheeled) generator that we were able to use during the day time (shut it down at 10pm each night) and then at night I got up every 2 hours and ran the system off of a large battery backup (BBU) that I use for Field Charging out UAS and Camera equipment. Unfortunately the heaters with the Return Pump were more than the BBU didn't have enough to run both heaters. I ran ONE heater and the Return Pump and a couple of times the temps dropped a few degrees in between "Sessions". I lost some SPS frags and one "Baby Molly" that had ended up in the Sump.


In the big scheme we were beyond lucky and our losses are absolutely FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS!

Here are a couple of pictures of my local area we grabbed while doing Search & Rescue: