Nano Wavebox

[Crazy fishes]

Recently had a stroke of luck after helping a friend with his dad's setup; I am now the proud owner of an aquareef 200 and it cost me nothing!! Just in the process of setting up the beast and was interested in using nano wave box as opposed to powerheads. Has anyone got one or had any experience with them? I have chosen the nano because it is more suitable for a 200 liter aquarium where 60 liters is partitioned off as a rear refugium/filter.

Regards

 

[youngfisher]

Carnt anwser your question, but wow you got a real bargain!
Any plans for it?
You going to start a journal on it im hoping?

YF

 

[ben1987]

seffie had one i think and sold it.

tunze make a nano sized wave box iirc but big money.

 

[seffieuk]

seffie had one i think and sold it.

tunze make a nano sized wave box iirc but big money.

As Ben says, I had the tunze Nano wavebox - I sold it on, far too noisey for my liking and I didn't like the way it pushes the corals, first one way and then the other way in such a uniform rythem, just didn't look right

Seffie x

 

[Crazy fishes]

Seffie, I have been looking on you tube and I think I know what you mean; there isn't a lag time in which the water surges. It is more of a rocking motion. However I still think it may have some benefits as that is how the oceans do it. I have a tunze circulation pump and the 1700l/h Newjet return from the filter and I think a nano wavebox is just the thing to add some alternating current. If I place the Tunze at the same end as the return I have a strong continous flow towards the filter inlet. With the addition of a wavebox at the opposite end I will produce a alternating turbulent current. When the wave box pushes water column towards circulation pumps it will impede the water motion generated by them and when the water colomn moves in opposite direction it with aid the flow.
How does that sound? Thanks for your advice by the way most appreciated. Also can I just ask how did the corals like it?

Regards

 

[seffieuk]

They didn't like it, some stay retracted (the euphillias, which i love), but I didn't run it long, I hated it

Your plan sounds good though, certainly worth a try

Seffie x

 

[Crazy fishes]

Slightly off the topic of waveboxes, this tank is pretty deep (23 inches) and has 2x 24W T5 marine white tubes plus a 20W actinic T8. All tubes have their own reflectors. I know the guy previously kept a bubble tipped anemone under this lighting arrangement but did feed it prawns in addition. Do you reckon Euphyllia Spp will be able to thrive under this lighting arrangement? I previously kept both frogspawn and hammer coral under 2x 36W PC tubes but the tank is only 16 inches deep. I was thinking of getting a bubble tip for Monty (maroon clown) as well as toadstool leather, ricordea, mushrooms and fluorescent Zoa. I would love to stick my frogspawn and possibly some hammer under T5s again; they really are well suited to them, but unsure if the aforementioned lighting is sufficient.

Regards

 

[SkiFletch]

How long is this tank?

Euphyllia would probably do OK anywhere from the surface to about 18" down, below that I wouldn't try it if I were you.

 

[Crazy fishes]

How long is this tank?

Euphyllia would probably do OK anywhere from the surface to about 18" down, below that I wouldn't try it if I were you.

Tank dimensions are 85x50x65cm (33.5x19.7x25.6inches). If you are interested this is a link to the actually tank, http/www.onlineaquariumstore.com/acatalo...0_Aquarium.html, all the information about it is on here. I should point out that it does not have a skimmer and the circulation pump is now a Newjet 1700 as the stock pump sounds like an electric drill carving into a 9 inch brick wall. I couldn't sleep with the noises. What I don't understand about this tank is that for such a deep tank it is under lighted by a mile and the skimmer is far too small (rated for tanks of 120 liters)

Does OK mean they will thrive or just survive. I want my corals to thrive not just get by? If it is the latter then I will have to think about upgrading the lighting.
Also is the lighting sufficient for a bubble tipped anemone. I know generally anemones require halides and temperatures around 80 F, but Entacmaea Quadricolor have some strange little quirks. Some have been reported thriving in temperatures as low as 76F and in light levels that were considered far too low for any species of anemone.
I really am just trying to find out the potentials for this tank. Anemones, fish and corals are all potentially on the list and I want to find out what are realistic stocking options and which are not.


Kindest regards

Joe

 

[seffieuk]

I keep Euphyllias under t5 lighting and they are thriving - just don't put them on the bottome of the tank.

As for Bubbletip Nems - Bill has been under t5s all the time I have had him - in the nano he chose to reside at the bottom of the tank and now in the 400 he is about half way up - he has at least tripled in size since i got him, so I would say he is happy with the T5s. Interestingly my new nem, Ben, has chosen to be at the same height as Bill, which is probably 12 inches or so from the lights

Seffie x



ps I do feed Bill and Ben once a week

 

[Crazy fishes]

I keep Euphyllias under t5 lighting and they are thriving - just don't put them on the bottome of the tank.

As for Bubbletip Nems - Bill has been under t5s all the time I have had him - in the nano he chose to reside at the bottom of the tank and now in the 400 he is about half way up - he has at least tripled in size since i got him, so I would say he is happy with the T5s. Interestingly my new nem, Ben, has chosen to be at the same height as Bill, which is probably 12 inches or so from the lights

Seffie x



ps I do feed Bill and Ben once a week

Totally agree with the statement about Euphyllia Spp thriving under T5, they really do prefer them to halide. Most of us now appreciate that PAR is the key to corals and so there must be a comparison between PAR and the lighting system with respect to tank dimensions that can be used as a rough and ready guide. This is really what I would like to generate. What lighting did you have on your nano and what lighting do you have now, seffie? What are the dimensions of your nano and current tank? Also what do you feed Bill and Ben?
I am certainly thinking now that the lighting on this Aquareef needs to be upgraded if an anemone is to be introduced. Just been out around the shops and my god the prices on red sea fish has rocketed for instance a yellow tail purple tang previously £60 has risen to £110 !!! What is going on, it's crazy?!! I also spoke to a guy about waveboxes he was pleased with his and said that it was really beneficial for his Euphyllias. I think the key to the wave box is to combine it with powerheads and have a long tank.

Anyway kindest regards

Joe

 

[TigerIssey]

I think with Red Sea fish there is two reasons why the prices have gone up.

Firstly, there are alot of restrictions on livestock taken from the red sea and rightly so. It is a paradise that needs preserving.

Secondly, the demand for Red Sea fish have probably gone up, they are much nicer specimens IMO.

Having said that the key sometimes to preservation is to study captive specimens. Some restrictions have only been recently lifted I believe, can't remember the exact ones. Having been there myself a few times, I am keen to see the areas that are not classed as Nature reserves get there reef regenerated. Sometimes here Mariculture is the key, this is also more expensive. I watched a great program on how this being done on some reefs, it is a fabulous process to see and benefits not only the reef, but us aquarists.

 

[seffieuk]

Totally agree with the statement about Euphyllia Spp thriving under T5, they really do prefer them to halide. Most of us now appreciate that PAR is the key to corals and so there must be a comparison between PAR and the lighting system with respect to tank dimensions that can be used as a rough and ready guide. This is really what I would like to generate. What lighting did you have on your nano and what lighting do you have now, seffie? What are the dimensions of your nano and current tank? Also what do you feed Bill and Ben?
I am certainly thinking now that the lighting on this Aquareef needs to be upgraded if an anemone is to be introduced.
Anyway kindest regards

Joe

Hi Joe

Ok, my nano has:

128 Litres/28 Gallons
L570mm x W510mm x H670mm
2 x 24w T5 Compact lights

My rio 400 has at the moment, although plan to upgrade/add to with the newer LEDs hopefully!


400 litres but with displacment about 340 or so
151 x 62 x 51 cm
54 watts, actinic blue and marine white, with reflectors x 2

I have recently got a torch, which is currently sitting on the sand bed, it fully extends everyday and is looking mighty fine

Seffie x

 

[SkiFletch]

By OK, I mean they'll have good polyp extension and good color, but probably will not grow fast UNLESS you feed them. Euphyllia are typically a deep water coral and I've seen them doing well in spots with a mere 50 PAR. They seem to be more finicky with chemistry (especially changes in alkalinity) than lighting. JMO.

You could TRY an E. quadricolor but I don't know how successful that would be. If you do, I'd suggest bucking the trend a little bit since you know what you're doing chemistry wise CF. I'd suggest putting it in the tank as one of the first inhabitants and seeing if it finds a place it likes. It'll walk around till it finds a good spot, or it'll keep walking... If it walks for more than 2-3 days straight, your light levels and/or flow conditions probably are not suitable for it.

 

[andywg]

I didn't like the way it pushes the corals, first one way and then the other way in such a uniform rythem, just didn't look right

Have you considered that whilst it might not be what you liked from an asthetic point of view, it is far closer to nature than having a constant flow from 1-4 spots as most tanks have?

Having dived a few reefs (in the tropics, the med and the UK) my experience is that a wavebox is far closer to the wild than a few powerheads.

YMMV