Waterbox Peninsula 15 AIO

apolsod · Jun 16, 2022

Setting up the tank this Sunday and have made a few scapes, there’s about 8 pounds of rock here and the tank is 15, any suggestions or recommendations on which scale to use or how to improve, also I was wondering if using just a small piece of live rock can seed the tank because it’s really expensive. Thank you!

blaxsun · Jun 20, 2022

I like #8.

tinyfellows · Jun 20, 2022

blaxsun said:
I like #8.

I vote 8 as well

apolsod · Jul 7, 2022

Okay, bit of a delay, I had originally intended on setting this up a few weeks ago but there was a shipping delay for the sand. ( caribsea arag alive special grade)
Currently I have about
10 pounds of rock and completely ditched my original ideas for a scape and went with this, I really like it! I’ve also added a few pieces of live rock to seed the tank, it’s been up for about a week (set up 7/1/22). I tested for the first time today and got
-Ammonia 1.0ppm
-Nitrite 2ppm
-Nitrate 20ppm
to start the cycle I used a damsel and Microbelift Nite-Out II
Hopefully in about a week or 2 I can add the livestock I want.

stocking a 15 gallon is pretty limited but I would love a second opinion, I am pretty set on clownfish but open to other ideas
1.) 2 clownfish + cleaner
2.) yasha goby + pistol shrimp + tailspot blenny
3.) possum wrasse and clownfish
4.) tailspot blenny and clownfish

any other opinions would be nice

for the back I have a filter sock and I made a shelf for the second chamber where I currently have just a bag of carbon, the last chamber has a Sicce 1.0 and a 75 watt colbalt neotherm heater. Would really appreciate to hear about what other people put in their media baskets
Thank you I’ll update soon on my progress!

araziza · Jul 7, 2022

I think you’d find that as interesting as they are, the goby and shrimp are not big or in your face enough for your only inhabitants. I think the possum wrasse/ clown comp will look the nicest, but I think for the best chance of success with everything, including a good cleanup crew, will be either the clown and blenny or the clowns and shrimp. I’d probably go for the latter, boring as it might sound.

apolsod · Jul 7, 2022

araziza said:
I think you’d find that as interesting as they are, the goby and shrimp are not big or in your face enough for your only inhabitants. I think the possum wrasse/ clown comp will look the nicest, but I think for the best chance of success with everything, including a good cleanup crew, will be either the clown and blenny or the clowns and shrimp. I’d probably go for the latter, boring as it might sound.

Thanks for this input, do you think the 2 clowns and blenny would be pushing it? I am concerned about maxing out the bio load so I’m not sure if it’s possible?

apolsod · Jul 21, 2022

After three weeks I have another update about this tank, a couple of questions and some concerns. Over the last 3 weeks I’ve added about 2 pounds more of live rock as well as dosing with nite out. My damsel is doing well and looks very healthy. I will eventually be removing him and getting 2 clown fish (finally decided!). I have also added a small nassarius snail. I’ve been feeding pretty lightly maybe 2-5 pellets a day. I have yet to keep the lights on for longer than a minute to take pictures. However I have yet to get any algae, heard the ugly phase starts within first 3 weeks but 0 algae. Crazy to want algae but it feels weird that my tank doesn’t have any when everyone talks about new tank syndrome lol. I have also been testing regularly.

for the last 2 weeks I’ve had:
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-20 ppm
Ph: 8
that’s all that’s new with the display

CHAMBER:
yesterday I changed the filter media that came stock with the Waterbox to the Fluval bio max filter media. Nothing in the first chamber. I added a little sheet of filter floss to the 2nd chamber, Using a media basket I made with eggcrate and zip ties. Upped the flow on the Sicce 1.5 to about 70% open and turned the heater down to 74 from 78 and Added a thermometer. I have a tunze nano ATO however don’t have a reservoir yet.

So far very happy with this little tank but I want to add some corals and would like others opinions on which corals I should put and where.

One last thing before I end this update would u recommend adding a cleaner shrimp before or after adding the clowns?

Thank you for reading will update again soon!

Chrisv. · Jul 21, 2022

I have one of these tanks too, for my zoa garden! I too use the sicce 1.5 for the return. Mine is on a spin stream. Also added a nero3 for a little extra flow. Using a tunze 3155 for ATO. Using a filter cup with floss and chemipure blue in the first chamber. Ai prime 16 hd light.

It's working well for me! I think you will enjoy this tank.

ABQ_CHRIS · Jul 21, 2022

Following. Was that a fluorescent sloth in one of those pictures?

I understand about the algae. I couldn't resist turning on the lights and then I got diatoms.

Hang in there.

apolsod · Aug 3, 2022

The tank is 1 month old now, a few updates, let’s start with the display.

DISPLAY:
I finally got my fish, 2 clowns! Getting rid of the damsel was a nightmare I had to remove everything. I also added a rfg from vivid aquatics I’ve heard mostly positive reviews and a few mixed so we’ll see how it works out. Also preformed my first water change. Ammonia and nitrite were 0ppm but nitrate was at 40 so I changed it a few days before adding the clowns. Not sure if they are paired but they are both around the same size, the black one is a bit bigger.

CHAMBER:
I have added back the filter sock as I had removed it when cycling the tank because I read that bacteria that you want colonizing the the rock may colonize the filter and didn’t want that to happen. Now that the initial cycle is done I have been dosing reef buffer ( 1g a day ), and about 20ml of microbe lift special blend ( it stinks! )

i have also set up my ato and keep my salinity at a constant 1.025

temp stays from 75-78 throughout the day

OTHER:

I still don’t have any algae as I have yet to have my light on for longer than 5 minutes a day to see what it will eventually look like. I’m waiting to get corals but I’m not sure as to get the tank used to a lighting schedule beforehand, or just wait until I get a coral I want to start with a piece of GSP and maybe a hammer or photosynthetic Gregorian.

apolsod · Aug 3, 2022

ABQ_CHRIS said:
Following. Was that a fluorescent sloth in one of those pictures?

I understand about the algae. I couldn't resist turning on the lights and then I got diatoms.

Hang in there.

Yes