HTown Reef - 200g Waterbox Reef LX 270.6 (SPS Dominant)

[Ugin]

Due to Covid and a myriad of life issues, I haven't had a reef tank for the last 2~ years. I plan on going into 2022 strong by setting up a 200g SPS dominant reef tank taking what I've learned over the years, going slow, and doing it right.

The Specs

• Tank: Waterbox Reef LX 270.6 (263g total system volume) 72x30x23
• Lights: ATI Sunpower 60" w/ 2 Reebrite XHO LED's
• Skimmer: NYOS 220
• Powerhead: (4) MP40's
• Return Pump: Vectra M2
• Fleece Roller: ClariSea SK-3000
• Controller: Neptune Apex

Current Tank Shot (2/25/2022)

 

[Ugin]

So after being in this hobby for years, I've never truly considered a reef controller. I just bit the bullet and purchased a Neptune Apex!

I'm a software engineer by trade and have my home setup on multiple IFTT programs (e.g. if the kwh price of electricity is > x, turn off my AC). I feel i should have done this ages ago, but then again my IFTT programs were free and Apex is most certainly not. Looking forward to messing around with it!

 

[Ugin]

Got an update from Waterbox !

 

[Crabby48]

Waiting on a new tank is pretty exciting to me! Following along

 

[Casket_Case]

Heyyy!!! Glad to see you back! Definitely following

 

[fishguy242]

Hi ,nice tank, along for the ride...

 

[TriggerFinger]

I really like the dimensions of this tank, so many aquascaping possibilities! Congrats on the shipping notification!

 

[Ugin]

I really like the dimensions of this tank, so many aquascaping possibilities! Congrats on the shipping notification!

Yes, that's why I went with it. I wanted that extra 30" width and with the relatively new LX series it just worked.

I've got the rock on hand (dry), but until I get my 90g out of the house I'm gonna wait to fake-scape to keep the girl happy.

 

[Crabby48]

I’m jealous of the 30” width. I’m looking forward seeing your aqua scape

 

[sfin52]

Welcome back once salty always salty. We will be here to enable sorry help.

 

[sfin52]

Whats the plan for this tank.
Fish list
Coral
Inquiring minds need to know

 

[Ugin]

Whats the plan for this tank.
Fish list
Coral
Inquiring minds need to know

I'm out of the house, but when I get back I'll write up the plans!

 

[sfin52]

I'm out of the house, but when I get back I'll write up the plans!

Fantastic looking forward to it

 

[Ugin]

Whats the plan for this tank.
Fish list
Coral
Inquiring minds need to know

The Plan
This is going to be an SPS dominant tank with a small island of LPS. I love acropora and will be building most of the tank around that as my end goal. I'm initially going to start with LPS to test the waters with coral, transition to easy to keep SPS (stylo's, birds nests, etc), move to easy to keep acros/millepora, and then eventually dive into the acros/tenuis I crave.

Fish List
This is very much WIP list, but to be clear all of these fish will be prophylactically QT'd. I also plan on putting my inverts in QT as well because I hate myself but I hate diseases/pests more. As a side note, the wrasse section is what's mostly in flux. I want more flame wrasses of a kind, but I'm still not sure what/which.

Coral
Kind of already listed above in the plan

I'm extremely excited to get this project moving. The next steps will be setting up the stand, hanging my light fixture, and putting the plumbing together. I should be getting the tank in Monday and I have a crew of guys with a hydraulic press + glass suction cups coming Tuesday.

 

[sfin52]

The Plan
This is going to be an SPS dominant tank with a small island of LPS. I love acropora and will be building most of the tank around that as my end goal. I'm initially going to start with LPS to test the waters with coral, transition to easy to keep SPS (stylo's, birds nests, etc), move to easy to keep acros/millepora, and then eventually dive into the acros/tenuis I crave.

Fish List
This is very much WIP list, but to be clear all of these fish will be prophylactically QT'd. I also plan on putting my inverts in QT as well because I hate myself but I hate diseases/pests more. As a side note, the wrasse section is what's mostly in flux. I want more flame wrasses of a kind, but I'm still not sure what/which.

Coral
Kind of already listed above in the plan

I'm extremely excited to get this project moving. The next steps will be setting up the stand, hanging my light fixture, and putting the plumbing together. I should be getting the tank in Monday and I have a crew of guys with a hydraulic press + glass suction cups coming Tuesday.

Remember pics or it never happened

 

[Crabby48]

Looks like a good plan. Only wrasse I would be hesitant with is meleanirus. I was the odd ball and had two that killed fish. with a radiant and yellow being more peaceful I would be careful.

big tank you should be ok but

 

[Ugin]

Looks like a good plan. Only wrasse I would be hesitant with is meleanirus. I was the odd ball and had two that killed fish. with a radiant and yellow being more peaceful I would be careful.

big tank you should be ok but

Interesting, in my own anecdotal experiences of other friends keeping melanurus wrasses, they never seemed to have issues. Tbh it's on the bottom of my current wrasse list so I can prob axe that and include something else.

 

[Crabby48]

As I said I was the odd ball. Just a heads up but don’t want to push you away from trying one.

 

[Ugin]

As I said I was the odd ball. Just a heads up but don’t want to push you away from trying one.

Nah it's good man, I'm really not set on it in my fish list and have been considering dropping them already. You just made my self-rationalization move forward a bit faster

 

[Crabby48]

I had a few odd balls. My blotched anthias was the cause of all my aggression and why I lost wrasse. It was one of the first fish and grew fast. It kept my wrasse in a corner witch caused them to start fighting. You never know. First fish I pulled was a powder blue but nope the peaceful fish that swims as bad as a clownfish was the problem