The "OK, Let's Try This Again" Waterbox Marine X 110.4 Build Thread

[Panda Jerk]

Thank ya!! My attempt will certainly be more messy. Yours is surgeon level.

Thanks man! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. The hinges are mostly useless with the schidt show of wiring lurking behind it. But we don’t talk about that…

Your update pic reminds me I need to post some updates too!

 

[Kodock]

Thanks man! I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. The hinges are mostly useless with the schidt show of wiring lurking behind it. But we don’t talk about that…

Your update pic reminds me I need to post some updates too!

Yes!!! Let’s see what’s moving around by that great aquascape you’ve got!!

 

[Panda Jerk]

Long overdue update... Things are doing pretty well a few months in. Nitrates holding around 20,and Alk at 9.9, Mg ~1500 and Ca ~450. I'm only dosing ESV and thinking about dialing it back a bit just to see what effect it will have. Currently dosing 20ml over 12 hours beginning 2 hours after lights out.

Phosphates are elevated at 0.27 and I suspect it's leaching from the dry Marco rock and I was out of town and my kid's friend was feeding, so I had her drop a cube of Cyclops in each evening. So now there's a flat dusting of green algae on most of the upward-facing surfaces and a little bit of maybe a browner looking algae on the sand toward the end of the light period. I have not done a water change. I'm trying to take that route anyway.

The algae scrubber has been on 18 hour cycles since day 0 and 10 days ago there was finally some evidence of life. It's filling in across the lower part of the screen fast and seems to grow almost daily to the eye. I'm hoping the phosphate comes down over time as this ramps up but it may be wishful thinking.

Some algae yumminess

So far I've been adding smaller frags from my LFS and some from SavageReefers. Been pretty happy with what's shipped so far, and when something goes wrong, RJ makes it right. I've added in a Favites, Platygyre, Firework Clove Polyps, Lobo, 2 Acans, Small Hammer, a freebie tiny Hammer, Frogspawn, Ricordea, GSP and an experimental Goniopora (I know, too soon).

CUC is 15 hermits, 10 Astrea's, 5 Nassarius, 10 Cerith's and a small brittle star.

Fish wise, a mated pair of Occelaris, Coral Beauty and a (Blue??) Midas Blenny. There are 5 Blue Damsels MF'ers that are gone as soon as I can catch the jerks.

NOTE: My photo skills don't pay the bills lol

And the obligatory FTS

 

[Kodock]

Not hijacking your build thread, but thanks a million for the links to the T2020 sockets and slide in nuts so I could finally hang a light in my sump and can finally see!.. and can see how dirty it is lol Much appreciated!!

 

[Panda Jerk]

Not hijacking your build thread, but thanks a million for the links to the T2020 sockets and slide in nuts so I could finally hang a light in my sump and can finally see!.. and can see how dirty it is lol Much appreciated!!

Yeah brotha! That’s stuff is so useful. Glad it helped

 

[Panda Jerk]

Came across a Sebae (Malu??) anemone yesterday at the LFS and well, had to do it. Plopped him in and struggled to get the foot to take hold. Still “floating” in this pic but will dig back some sand this morning and see what happens.

 

[Mike_Saw_75]

Any update?

 

[Stinson Beach Aquatics]

Thank you @Kraken Reef for delivering an amazing lid! This thing is nice. Fit perfectly, cuts exactly where they were planned and I couldn’t be happier with the tolerances. And just in time because my cycle is almost done. Too bad I’m traveling for the next few weeks. Wife will be ghost feeding until I get back.

I know this thread is a bit old but I was curious what mounting system you used on your primes. Are those the mounting arms for the hydras? I prefer the look the solid 90 degree mounting arms over the flex arms.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Curious about updates!

 

[Panda Jerk]

I know this thread is a bit old but I was curious what mounting system you used on your primes. Are those the mounting arms for the hydras? I prefer the look the solid 90 degree mounting arms over the flex arms.

Hey, sorry, been offline for a while here. They are the AI solid mounts.
These ones: https://shop.aquaillumination.com/products/prime-tank-mount

 

[Panda Jerk]

Curious about updates!

Yeah, I'm lagging.... too many pokers in the fire these days

 

[eKirts]

Good to see youre still on definitely looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Stinson Beach Aquatics]

Hey, sorry, been offline for a while here. They are the AI solid mounts.
These ones: https://shop.aquaillumination.com/products/prime-tank-mount

Thank you very much!

 

[jorgeeandreess]

2 prime 16 HD is not too low for this tank?

 

[jorgeeandreess]

2 prime 16 HD is not too low for this tank?

Im just asking because I have the same and when I bought it they said to me I will need 2 hydra 32. I already had a prime so for me buy another prime is cheaper

 

[Panda Jerk]

2 prime 16 HD is not too low for this tank?

Im just asking because I have the same and when I bought it they said to me I will need 2 hydra 32. I already had a prime so for me buy another prime is cheaper

It’s subjective. I’m not an SPS guy so I don’t play the PAR game. They grow softies and LPS just fine. Coralline is popping up everywhere and the algae scrubber is outcompeting the Primes. FOR ME this is a success.

I did have a Stylophora that couldn’t survive while everything else thrived. I tried a second and had same results, if that helps.

 

[RWReefer]

Tanks looking good. Thinking of using Hydros and well. Did you tie your varios pumps directly into the Hydros drive or are you still using the varios controllers?

 

[Panda Jerk]

Tanks looking good. Thinking of using Hydros and well. Did you tie your varios pumps directly into the Hydros drive or are you still using the varios controllers?

Hi, it would have been cleaner to power them direct but i run both on 0-10v outputs from the X4 ports to each Varios controller. One unexpected thing I learned is with this way, you get two outlets for each pump. One is the raw power on the XP8 for full kill of power but a second is the 0-10v output that has a voltage to run at “normal” and another voltage to run at when off (meaning the power is on but the flow is turned off).

For the sump pump running the algae scrubber, skimmer and reactors, I set this to 5.2v normal, and “off” voltage at 2.3v. I have a mode for skimmer cleaning that powers OFF the 0-10v FLOW output which means still run it at 2.3v. So off means slow in this sense. This lowers the water level in the skimmer but still flows water over the algae, etc… plus it’s a recirc skimmer so I can keep the foam head percolating the whole time.

The return pump is similar for a feed mode. It just slows down the flow to make less food go down the overflow and it’s a gentle restart instead of harsh restart.

Of course there’s still the actual power outlet that cuts power completely too.

Hope this helps and makes sense!

 

[RWReefer]

Hi, it would have been cleaner to power them direct but i run both on 0-10v outputs from the X4 ports to each Varios controller. One unexpected thing I learned is with this way, you get two outlets for each pump. One is the raw power on the XP8 for full kill of power but a second is the 0-10v output that has a voltage to run at “normal” and another voltage to run at when off (meaning the power is on but the flow is turned off).

For the sump pump running the algae scrubber, skimmer and reactors, I set this to 5.2v normal, and “off” voltage at 2.3v. I have a mode for skimmer cleaning that powers OFF the 0-10v FLOW output which means still run it at 2.3v. So off means slow in this sense. This lowers the water level in the skimmer but still flows water over the algae, etc… plus it’s a recirc skimmer so I can keep the foam head percolating the whole time.

The return pump is similar for a feed mode. It just slows down the flow to make less food go down the overflow and it’s a gentle restart instead of harsh restart.

Of course there’s still the actual power outlet that cuts power completely too.

Hope this helps and makes sense!

Makes sense. Thank for sharing.

 

[jasony816]

Just found your thread and was wondering do you think those t-slots would work on the Infinia aluminum stands?