My 235 Custom Waterbox Reef

[jhadaway]

My waterbox 235 is on its last drawing so i thought it was safe to start documenting. This will be an in wall tank that will show the front and one side of the tank. 72x30x25 are the display dimensions. I will be building a fish room in my basement to accomodate this tank and a few other small ones. So far here is the equipment list.

Alufab t-slot stand
2-Simplicity 3200 return pumps.
3-BRS titanium heaters 1300w total
40 watt pentair UV
2-Reef Octopus classic 150 skimmers
2-1” sea swirls split with 2-1” rfgs
2-Sicce Syncra ADV 9 pumps for swirl closed loops
2-Tunze eco 6105’s
2 rfg’s on returns
Hydros maven
Hydros x4
Hydros Sole for kalkwasser
1-72” quanta pro meso blue
2-36” quanta meso blue
2-quanta atlas
1 avasta plank fish feeder
External 30 gallon refugium
Thats the list so far

The rock was purchased on brs as “gems” or clearance. I bought the pedestal rocks and disassembled them giving me a hige flat piece for the base and a piece for stacking. They worked out around 2.50/lb. I also bought 12” arches to use as legs. The plan is to cover the bottom of the tank with rock in places i cant get to and sand where i can. More on that later.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[jhadaway]

4 more hours and one full big bottle of brs glue later im about a quarter of the way done.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

looking good!

 

[jhadaway]

The idea behind the way I am building my aquascape is to avoid my previous mistakes. No rockwork within 6" of the glass. Placing coral so I can keep them within 3" of the glass. I used large flat pieces' of rock as bases pushed together. They are set up strategically so I can always get to the substrate. The flat base rock holes will be filled so no detritus gets in them. Tampa bay crushed coral will take up the rest of the floor space. Each section of rock will be removable as will each "Rock" coral plug. There will be a 6" ring around the outside and 2 patches in the front center of crushed coral 1.5" deep. No coral will be on the substrate. The rock work is no taller than 12'-13" to avoid acropora getting to the top of the water. All of the legs (12" arches and pedestal bases) of the rock structure allow flow from all angles.
The flow will be 2 sea-swirls facing the rocks, each taking a 3' section. I plan on attaching a "Y" splitter and 2 rfg's to get 180 degrees of sweeping. I'm looking to get 2-800GPH rfg's out of each one. 2 Tunze 6105's will push water to the center from the back 2 corners and rfg's will be on both return lines pushing about 1000GPH each. I will probably put in some older tunzes to move move water across the back. We'll see how it goes.

 

[jhadaway]

The trigger has been pulled. The custom waterbox is in production! 72x30x25 with 2 holes for sea swirls in the front eurobrace 4 cutouts for wires on the sides and back. The overflow is in the back center but the pipes extend to the front of the tank since access will be from the back. 2 pump return lines too.

 

[jhadaway]

Outside of 2 more buckets of Marco Rocks mortar to fill some holes, the aquascape is ready to go. I'm going to use some balloons to make a few fish caves and see how it goes. Everything is ordered minus an automated feeder. I'm holding out for an Avaste Marine sale or I may do the new GHL feeder. Still undecided. The scape used 2 big bottles of BRS Gel and 4 of the spray bottles to set it. I'd guess around

13-14 hours so far.
I have my AluFab stand ready to assemble. Here's the equipment list;

GHL- KH Director, 2x- SA 4 head doser, P4, 2x-Maxi 2.2 ( continuous water changes and kalkwasser)
Tunze- 2x ECO 6105's
Sea Swirls- 2x 1" with 2 RFGs each -closed loop
Sicce- 2x ADV 9 -closed loop
Sicce- 2x SDC9 return pumps
Pentair- 40w UV Sterilizer
1500w of BRS Heaters
Reef Octopus- 2x Classic 150 protien skimmers
29 gallon external refugium that will have chaeto and DSB, 50w grow light
1 AI Hydra 64, 5 AI Hydra 32
2- 36" Quanta Meso Blue Bars
1- 72" Quanta Meso Blue Bar
1- 40g breeder hospital tank
20g Coral Grow Out/QT tank with 3-AI Prime 16HDs
black utility sink
50g Brute mixing station

 

[jhadaway]

I bailed on the Hydros equipment and went for some lightly used GHL. My budget got out of control quick and I couldn't pass over some of the deals. Same with the lights. I decided to stick with the devil I know. All AI Hydras.