Brand new, want feedback on buy list

[ReefMagician]

Hey guys,

I am brand new to reef tank keeping. I have been doing research for several months now regarding the hobby. I'm finally moving forward with the project. below is my "buy" list. I wanted some feedback, primarily to ensure I have everything nailed down.


125 Gallon Tank - $510
Eheim 1262 - $137.49 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/EHEIM-1262-Water-Pump-898-gph-NEW-/351436459454)
55 Gallon Sump - $55 (Petco)
Reef Octopus Classic 150INT - 229.99 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Reef-Octopus-Classic-150INT-Protein-Skimmer-for-aquariums-up-to-210-gallons-/281961470292?hash=item41a6369954:g:Jk8AAOSwstxU75CM)
BRS 4 Stage Value Plus RO/DI System - 199.99 (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-value-plus-ro-di-system-75gpd-1.html)
2x Evo 1400 - 87.98 (http://www.amazon.com/Hydor-Evolution-Aquarium-Circulation-1400-1500/dp/B0036S1ETY#Ask)
Aqueon 300W - 22.15 (http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-06104-Submersible-Aquarium-Heaters/dp/B000YADYXG)
Supernight for lighthing (DIY Solution) - around 70 bucks (http://www.amazon.com/SUPERNIGHT-Waterproof-Flexible-300leds-Changing/dp/B00ASHP1CM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458436765&sr=8-3&keywords=supernight)



Do you guys think my lighting solution would work for a reef tank? I plan to do a mixed reef tank. Of course, this list does not include the rock,salt,sand,etc. I am primarily concerned with the equipment. The only thing I am missing would be an aquarium controller. Can you guys recommend one?

[jminick2]

Not familiar with DIY supernight but I doubt for 70 bucks its going to work otherwise I would of heard of it.

[ReefMagician]

Not familiar with DIY supernight but I doubt for 70 bucks its going to work otherwise I would of heard of it.

I'm trying to steer away from it. What lightning solutions could you recommend for a 6 foot long tank?

[Mrw1936]

I would look into the reefbreeders phone v2 lights.

[Mrw1936]

I have tried a few different options of lights and so far this is the best for the money in my opinion. A lot of controllability at a decent price, and will be sufficient for any type of coral.

[jminick2]

I'm trying to steer away from it. What lightning solutions could you recommend for a 6 foot long tank?

depends on your budget ive had everything from Metal halides to radions LEDs.

You are going to spend more up front on LED's but power consumption and the ability to controller them will be better, which can also get you in trouble messing with them too much.

Metal halides and T5 are tried and true and work very well and are plug n play, less room for error.

today I saw a guys mixed reef tank that has been completely lit by Chinese LEDs from ebay from day 1 and he had some amazing acropora which demand high amount of lights.

So it all comes down to preference but those supernight LEDS wont cut it.

You being new I would suggest asking here and doing your research before you buy anything (as you already are) people on here will save you a lot of headache and money.

One more thing if you want LEDs always go more than what the manufacturer suggests for a mixed reef.

[ReefMagician]

I would look into the reefbreeders phone v2 lights.
Can you provide a link? It seems they are discontinued?

depends on your budget ive had everything from Metal halides to radions LEDs.

You are going to spend more up front on LED's but power consumption and the ability to controller them will be better, which can also get you in trouble messing with them too much.

Metal halides and T5 are tried and true and work very well and are plug n play, less room for error.

today I saw a guys mixed reef tank that has been completely lit by Chinese LEDs from ebay from day 1 and he had some amazing acropora which demand high amount of lights.

So it all comes down to preference but those supernight LEDS wont cut it.

You being new I would suggest asking here and doing your research before you buy anything (as you already are) people on here will save you a lot of headache and money.

One more thing if you want LEDs always go more than what the manufacturer suggests for a mixed reef.
Lights seem to be extremely expensive. I have used T5s before on a freshwater tank and I liked how they looked. Only problem I a finding is they are equally as expensive as LEDs so I am torn.

[jminick2]

Can you provide a link? It seems they are discontinued?


Lights seem to be extremely expensive. I have used T5s before on a freshwater tank and I liked how they looked. Only problem I a finding is they are equally as expensive as LEDs so I am torn.

the non dimmable ATI fixtures are closely priced to say one radion or one kessil but you are going to get way better coverage out the 8x54w ATI so really you are getting more bang for your buck with the T5. You would need 4 kessils or 4 radions to light a 6ft tank possibly 3.

[ReefMagician]

the non dimmable ATI fixtures are closely priced to say one radion or one kessil but you are going to get way better coverage out the 8x54w ATI so really you are getting more bang for your buck with the T5. You would need 4 kessils or 4 radions to light a 6ft tank possibly 3.

I think I'd prefer t5 to be honest. Could you provide a link to the product you are referring to? I cannot seem to find it.

Also, apart from the lighting, do you see any issues with my setup? Would you recommend an aquarium controller?

[jminick2]

I will PM you links I don't think its allowed to post them.

Controllers are nice to have but expensive ive always kicked around on buying one some people absolutely wont have a reef with out one. I'm not one of those people but I have never have a heater nuke my tank either. They are a great fail safe.

Everything else looks pretty good. Not sure on the aqueon heaters. maybe someone else can chime in on those. Ive always used the jager ones.

[ReefMagician]

I will PM you links I don't think its allowed to post them.

Controllers are nice to have but expensive ive always kicked around on buying one some people absolutely wont have a reef with out one. I'm not one of those people but I have never have a heater nuke my tank either. They are a great fail safe.

Everything else looks pretty good. Not sure on the aqueon heaters. maybe someone else can chime in on those. Ive always used the jager ones.

Okay sounds good, look forward to the PM! The Aqueon heaters had decent reviews, which is why I picked them.

[morpheas]

For a similar amount you can buy titanium heaters which are more preferable by a lot. I would probably go with those if I were you. On the light issue I can tell you this. I am using the Chinese led for a bit now and I really like them. For the size tank you have you would probably need 3 (or 4 for much better coverage). Each runs for ~$95. A lot of people have grown even hard lps under them. At the end of course it all comes down to preference ie if you like the color and shimmering effects they have or the dispersed light t5 has. Enjoy the hobby!

PS: I have to say that led are more tinker trial and error kinda thing and since you're new I don't know how comfortable you'd feel with that. If you want plug and play definitely go with t5

[CStrickland]

If you split up your heaters into two smaller ones, then if one fails "on" its less likely to cook your tank. I like the ehiem jagers too, for the price. A controller for the heaters, like those made by Ranco, is excellent insurance and highly recommended.

That skimmer is the same price from other vendors like marinedepot or brs, who might be a safer bet than eBay. It's marginal for a 125. If you're planning a heavier bioload you might want to go a step up.

You can get a very nice refurbished 90gpd rodi from spectrapure for less than $200 for the brs 75gpd. I'm very happy with mine.

I wouldn't go anywhere near those LED's. Keep researching that choice.

When picking your sump, consider how much room you have in the stand if you'll be having it under the tank. Using a 2' tall 55 in a shorter stand can make it painful to get in there to dump the skimmer and do other stuff. You'll want to be able to reach in there easily.

[Ryan1190]

If you split up your heaters into two smaller ones, then if one fails "on" its less likely to cook your tank. I like the ehiem jagers too, for the price. A controller for the heaters, like those made by Ranco, is excellent insurance and highly recommended.

Sorry to hijack, but can you tell me a little more about the heater controller? I didn't know that was a thing, sounds like it could prevent quite a headache.

[CStrickland]

Sorry to hijack, but can you tell me a little more about the heater controller? I didn't know that was a thing, sounds like it could prevent quite a headache.
A controller is a widget that goes on the plug and has a temp probe into the tank. That probe tells the controller to power the heaters on and off to keep the temp in the tank stable. If the heaters fail "on" the controller won't let them cook the tank, and vice versa.

More here: http://www.beananimal.com/articles/aquarium-heaters-what-you-need-to-know!.aspx

[Mrw1936]

In my opinion I would just get a reefkeeper lite. It's pretty much the same cost, but you have the ability to add on in the future. For a little over 100 dollars you get a temp controler, and 3 other switched outlets.

[gone fishin]

I used an old 55g for a sump and if I could do it over I would have used something else. Make sure to get dimensions for your skimmer and any other equipment to make sure it will fit, pay attention to the width of the tank with the dimensions.

I used an aquatic life 72" 12 bulb T5 for quite awhile until I switched up lighting systems. Good luck

[ReefMagician]

I used an old 55g for a sump and if I could do it over I would have used something else. Make sure to get dimensions for your skimmer and any other equipment to make sure it will fit, pay attention to the width of the tank with the dimensions.

I used an aquatic life 72" 12 bulb T5 for quite awhile until I switched up lighting systems. Good luck

What sump would you recommend? What issues did you have with a 55g? The appeal of the 55g is that it is not very wide.

[gone fishin]

What sump would you recommend? What issues did you have with a 55g? The appeal of the 55g is that it is not very wide.

The issue I had initially was with the skimmer I purchased it barely fit, I needed to cut a bit of the trim out. The length of the heaters needed to be taken into account when setting up the sections. Also, as the tank matured and I added more things such as a pump for a GFO and carbon reactors things started getting tight.

If I had it to do over again I would go with a 40B or a 75g. Me personally I would go with a 75 since my sump is not under the display.

[cougareyes]

I have the brs ro unit for years, excellent. I have a few aqueon pro heaters, better than most of the others I've tried. I went with a Eheim compact+5000 on a 210g instead of the 1262, gets a better head pressure rating; using a compact+3000 on a 90g.

[ucdcrew]

I have the ReefOctopus 150INT on my 100g - lightly stocked. Depending on bioload, might want to get a bigger skimmer. Also budget in good test kits, and a good refractometer. I use eheim heaters (if you don't want to do titanium). I also use a third powerhead (smaller, mine's koralia 450) to help mix my saltwater so you may need another heater/powerhead for your salt mix setup (I use a brute can). That way you can order just once :)