Thinking about going marine....

[breakaway]

Hey guys,

I'm currently running two aquariums - one community freshwater and one freshwater puffer only species tank.

Have spent a lot of time recently looking at marine setups - the Red Sea Max 250 in particular.

I have a few questions:

1. Is the RSM a good setup for a beginner, like - is the built in skimmer and the ~250w of lighting sufficient for keeping most corals and fish (maybe even clownfish and anemones)? If not, I'd definitely be open to the idea of upgrading the skimmer later down the line - I understand it's possible to retrofit some Tunze skimmers into the RSM250.

2. What sort of running costs am I looking at? Asides from power, what sort of stuff do you have to purchase (I'm talking stuff like pH up, test kits)

3. RO/DI units. What to look for when buying one, and where can I order a good one that'll suit my needs?

4. What about extra pheriperals like calcium reactors etc for feeding corals - are these necessary? If so would it fit into the RSM?

The reason I want to go for the RSM is because it's a nice all in one unit that looks good. Putting together a custom setup would cost the same amount if not slightly more where I live (Im in New Zealand, so most gear would have to be imported, or else I'll be paying a huge premium at the LFS for the same stuff those of you in the states get cheap - and not to mention there is hardly any range to the brands available here.)

[Fish_wiz2]

Hey guys,

I'm currently running two aquariums - one community freshwater and one freshwater puffer only species tank.

Have spent a lot of time recently looking at marine setups - the Red Sea Max 250 in particular.

I have a few questions:

1. Is the RSM a good setup for a beginner, like - is the built in skimmer and the ~250w of lighting sufficient for keeping most corals and fish (maybe even clownfish and anemones)? If not, I'd definitely be open to the idea of upgrading the skimmer later down the line - I understand it's possible to retrofit some Tunze skimmers into the RSM250.

Never owned one so i can't say much but i can say that bigger is better so if you can use a larger tank, go for it.

2. What sort of running costs am I looking at? Asides from power, what sort of stuff do you have to purchase (I'm talking stuff like pH up, test kits)

This depends on your tank and plans. On my tank, SALT and livestock kill me. But thats about it, I don't test much nor dose anything (besides 2-part which i make at home). I'm cheep but yet willing to spend money :D

3. RO/DI units. What to look for when buying one, and where can I order a good one that'll suit my needs?

Looks for stages, as more it better. Also one that comes with DI as a stage. TDS meters are a must and a gauge can come in handy. Bulk Reef Supply is probably the cheapest as i've found and the best of quality.

4. What about extra pheriperals like calcium reactors etc for feeding corals - are these necessary? If so would it fit into the RSM?

For a small tank, CA reactors are not necessary. All you would need is 2-part and only 2-part as most products out there are useless. I don't usually feed my corals besides what they can steal from my fish, when i do its mysis as that can feed the whole tank.

The reason I want to go for the RSM is because it's a nice all in one unit that looks good. Putting together a custom setup would cost the same amount if not slightly more where I live (Im in New Zealand, so most gear would have to be imported, or else I'll be paying a huge premium at the LFS for the same stuff those of you in the states get cheap - and not to mention there is hardly any range to the brands available here.)


Good luck and hope this helps, Wiz ;)

[brycerb]

Expect to pay $50 a gallon for saltwater, were fresh is like $10. Just a ruff guide, some people spend way over that, hundreds per gallon. Salt has way more gizmos that fresh could ever want. I never meet a guy who monitered his goldfish tank parameters on his cell phone over the internet.:lmao:

[Octoshark]

You dont have to buy a RODI unit if you have somewhere local that sells RODI water. But that also depends upon the size of your tank; if you have a huge tank then it might not be very fun to go down to the store and carry around 25 gallons of water.

[breakaway]

Tank will be approximately 65 gallons.

Since i'm going to be spending several thousands setting everything up, I decided to factor in the cost of the RO/DI as węll as this will make my life easier and reduce chores.

I have a question about auto top offs - how do you guys have these set up? Do you have a RO/DI unit plumbed into your water supply and then run the clean water directly into the topup system for your tank? What other ways of doing it are there?

Looks like a lot of forward planning is required to get the aquarium set up property

[The Velvet Sea]

I use a reservoir jug with RODI to hold my top off water and the auto top off pulls from that. From what I have read, it is very tricky to run your RODI directly to your ATO. My ATO triggers small squirts of water every hour or so to keep my tank topped off. I wouldn't want my RODI to go on and off like that. Maybe different top off systems could eliminate that, but then there is also a question about the quality of the first bit of water that comes out of your RODI every time you turn it on. When your RODI is off, high TDS water can creep to the product side of the RO filter and will come through with the first bit of product. This high TDS initial blast can have a significant impact on the lifespan of your DI resin. Whenever I start up my RODI, I disconnect the DI and run the first bit of RO product to the drain. Then I connect the DI and collect my product water in jugs.

[Mountain_Medic]

If you spend several thousand on a 65g tank, your overspending imo(unless you are buying the best of the best of the best). Once you hit 90 posts(I believe), you will have access to the classifieds thread on this forum. If your patient, you will be able to save a significant amount of money purchasing slightly used reef equipment. I set up my last 120g tank for about $500 USD.

As far as costs, livestock is up to you. The sky's the limit. Chemical/maintenance costs on a 65g shouldnt cost you that much really. Your probably looking at ~$30-$40 USD/mo.