(Sorry for giant post, & Pump and power head off for the video)
This is my water box cube 20, it’s been in storage for 5 years after a fail on my first attempt. It’s been cleaned and completely redone with all new everything! Only thing I kept from first attempt was my rodi unit, Hanna salinity tester, light and power head, power head is an AI Nero 3, light is an Ai prime 16hd reef. Using Carib sea special grade arag-alive sand, and Carib sea LifeRock Nano Tree.
My cycle is done and I’m waiting for payday to add fish. I’ve kept a log book with every day from day 1 till now day 21. I know I want a ato unit asap, I’ve done every other day water top off since day 3, I’m really trying to do and learn everythingi can for this tank to be my little mixed reef tank I’ve dreamt of for so long.
((I had no idea what I was doing in 2021, I don’t even think the cycle was done when I added my first fish last time, it lived 8 days and I found it dead stuck to the back of the power head))
Question 1:
Eventually I want corals and a nem in the tank, mixed reef so think torches, hammers, zoas, acros, mushrooms, maybe bubble tip nem, wheat do you think the best placement for my power head is? The Nero 3 is awesome and can give 2000 gph flow rate, but I can’t mount it on the sides of the tank cause of kids will pull the outside magnet off lol, so where on that back glass would be best?
Question 2: what’s everyone’s favorite thermometer that’s not $100+ I’m on kinda a tight budget and need a better one then I have. The one on the side of the tank is NOT accurate, I borrowed a scientific thermometer to get a actual reading and my Hanna salinity meter is almost spot on, so that’s what I’ve been using, I’d like a temperature controller that will WiFi to my phone and tell me if there’s a problem. Using the 75W Eheim Jager heater btw, hope to upgrade to a TI one later.
last time I don’t think I cleaned or changed a filter sock one time, (I really didn’t know what I was doing) I’ve watched enough videos to know I don’t want to clean them, so today I ordered the NoSok filter floss cup thing to replace the socks, I think it will be nice but have any of y’all used them yet? I think they are new, but I’m sure that concept has been around for a while.
Finaly. What do you think about my rock scape, took me forever to decide how I wanted it to look, I like the tree idea, and the CaribSea kit made it really easy, I’m super happy with it, just want some other options. I have a couple little frag rocks that will be something, and a single rock in the back I hope to cover in zoas.
Let me know what you change or add or take away from my tank as of right now.