What is YOUR ideal shopping cart for a reef tank less than 30 gal?

[SaltLifeCam]

Best tank in your opinion? Best skimmer? Light? Powerhead? Etc etc etc..

Starting new and want to know pros and cons of all the equipment available.

I like the cube look in biocube and jbj etc, also into having no lid, with a hanging light.

Would like some type of sump as well, w or w/out fuge.

I know this is such a broad post but any input is appreciated! I'm not new to the hobby, but I am not very educated in all the gizmos and gadgets available now.

Thanks for your feedback [emoji16]


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[PyroSteve]

I'm in the same boat as you and was going to start a similar thread. I'm looking at the same tank style, leaning toward the JBJ All in One. I'll be interested to what suggestions you get on the "best of" equipment for this size.

[SaltLifeCam]

I'm in the same boat as you and was going to start a similar thread. I'm looking at the same tank style, leaning toward the JBJ All in One. I'll be interested to what suggestions you get on the "best of" equipment for this size.



I'd like to know about sumps on these smaller tanks, I'd love to have a big one to keep the tank pristine..

I love the led lights also, I think having one strong one hanging over a small tank looks great but not sure about blind spots and such


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[PyroSteve]

I was looking around a bit and if your looking for a plug and play tank w/sump there's the Red Sea 170 (34 Gal) which looks super nice but I really liked the SCA Starfire 40 Gal PNP System for the price. I'm sure there's more out there but I didn't look that far into it as I decided to go AIO.

[TheOtherDB]

SaltLife.
I am totally sold on the RedSea Reefer. For near plug and play, I've looked at others but always come back to RedSea (drooling over the RedSea Max S 650 for my next upgrade). It's well built, aesthetically attractive, state of the art technology, priced on the high side but worth every penny. You'd need to buy a light, skimmer, circulation and return pumps to complete the system. I'm using an AI Prime LED, Eshopps 120 skimmer and a Danner PM2 pump. If I had to choose again, I think I'd upgrade the pump, but all in all, it has been the most trouble free tank I have ever owned.

If you opt for RedSea, be sure it's the Reefer or Max S version. There are other models that have integrated filtering on the back of the tank. I've heard some complaints about those.

Happy hunting! :)

[SaltLifeCam]

After researching all last night some more, I did have my mind set on the Red Sea max nano. Not sure if it's the same as the S 650, but I saw that everything is included (besides a heater and skimmer).. I really like the look and design of the tank plus they really thought it all through with the cords and all that mess. It's a real neat, and easy tank it seems. Should I go bigger to the 45 gal 170 instead of the nano?

Also, what's the difference between the RSM nano and the reefer? The lighting isn't included with the reefer series?

Thanks for your input, and thanks for keeping me interested in the Red Sea series! Really love them so far!

[TheOtherDB]

SaltLife ...
Hmmm ... bigger? If you have the space and the budget ... were it me, yes.

I started out with a 5 gallon pico tank about 2+ years ago, moved up to 10g about 6 months later, then last year into the Reefer 170. The ONLY complaint I have about my current tank is that I wish it were bigger. After about a year in operation, I've gotten to the point where I am about out of room to add new animals ... doh!

I think it is universal that no matter what size tank you have, you want a bigger one when you begin to run out of empty live rock surface! :D

Perhaps worthy of note, I found that caring for my pico systems took more work and attention than the larger 170 liter. Things can go south pretty quick when you've only got a few gallons to absorb a nuke ... make sense?

Have fun ... tell the folks at RedSea I'd be happy to take a commission! :)

[Joel_155]

I'm building a 40g breeder AIO and the equipment list is starting to get pretty extensive

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[SaltLifeCam]

Okay this is what I'm thinking
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reefer-170-complete-system-34-gal-red-sea.html
It comes with the tank, stand, sump and "plumbing". Not sure but all I would need then is a light, skimmer, and return pump..correct?

Do I need to get tubing or valves or anything else?

I have a mp10qd and a jager 75w heater already on hand.


...besides the sand, rock, water and livestock, would I be good to go with all that I mentioned^?

[TheOtherDB]

SaltLife ...
That is exactly the same as my system. It comes with display tank, overflow, sump, cabinet and plumbing ... including flexible tube.

All you need to add is:
- Skimmer
- Lights (I use one Prime now, but I am going to add a second)
- Circulation pump
- Return/sump pump (~300gph)
- and, a heater ( I have a 300W, but I am sure it is much more than I need)

Then, yes, you should be good to go.

Mine came assembled from my local fish store, so I've not gone through the assembly on this tank. I am told that all the pipe and plumbing comes pre-glued and requires only to be joined via the supplied bulkheads and whatnot.

Good luck! :)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/353/31585708162_ed29cbb939_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/469/30942013293_41a40b49ba_b.jpg

[Seattle_Reef]

That look really nice DB!

[SaltLifeCam]

Very nice setup DB!

What skimmer are you using, and is that light enough?

I was thinking of the icecap k2-50 skimmer as it's cheaper and seems to get the job done.
As for lights I was going to go with the ever-so-popular kessil (A360W-E wide angle)

Also, what circulation pump and return pump? What gph? Any detail helps as to I am new to having a sump..

I may upgrade the heater we will see.. again beautiful setup !

Anyone can feel free to help answer my questions too I'd love a lot of feedback- pros AND cons! Thanks!

[soulpatch]

If I were to go nano again I would do the following

SCA tank and stand (rimless with holes drilled for synergy reef overflow and returns as opposed to the stock overflow)
trigger sump (likely the emerald cube though I would go direct through trigger for custom options)
fluval SP return pump
eheim heaters
apex (wont run tank without one though I would daisy to my current apex)
Jabeo PH (While I like the MPs for the in tank look the outside tank motor/wiring bothers me)
aquamaxx skimmer
brs reactors
tunze nano ato
BAO ato container
as needed calcium reactor


Red sea are nice if you want to not have to put together things or worry about them working together. They have done all of that for you and look good but you pay a serious premium for that, basically double what a like end result would run you. I would rather my money go into the tank personally. nothing against red sea as I would have gotten one in a heartbeat if they were better priced. Seeing them in person at MACNA and Reefapalooza yearly always induces drooling till one sees the price...

[TheOtherDB]

Hey, SaltLife ...

I use an Eshopps s120 skimmer and run it very wet, emptying the cup up to twice per day.

The light is more than enough, but since it is a single point, it creates some shadowing that I would like to eliminate with a second light, then running them both at 50% each of the current totals I have on one Prime.

I opted for the Prime over the Kessil because the Prime came with a free controller that had both time and intensity for every color channel. The Kessil might as well, but I was not prepared to pay out more $$$ to find out.

The sump pump is a Danner mag pump rated at 300gph. I think I'd upgrade this if I had it to do again. It works just fine, but it's noisier than I would like.

I like SoulPatch's options too. But having spent so many years out of the hobby, I didn't want to spend a lot of time researching. The RedSea came as a pretty complete unit save for the few items mentioned.

I'm sure I've said somewhere in this forum that I am more about the aesthetics than I am about the tech (although I like the tech part too). I just like looking at the pretty fishes and corals! :)

[PyroSteve]

I do like the idea of having a sump. I run them on my freshwater tanks but they have the room underneath. I think a tank think size would need an ato & container below. Do you have ato? If not, do you top off often?

[soulpatch]

for the red sea pic if you look at the back right of the sump you will see their ATO. It is gravity fed via a float switch. It has pretty much all you need but you pay double for that benefit. Though like all things in your life that simplicity is worth the cost for many and they are great looking tanks.

PyroSteve - You are pretty local to me so if you have any particular questions or need help let me know. Plenty of us reefers in the SE PA area if you need anything

[PyroSteve]

Ok I see, I missed that. They are good looking for sure. Nice set-up DB.

Good luck with your tank Saltlife and thanks SP, appreciate that :beer:, I'm sure I'll have some (lots) of questions!

[fscmocsaj]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170110/3322654cc3c22ef7c0475632f06ef7a1.jpg

Here's my tank, I run it skimmerless. I have an intank basket full of siporax and a media reactor with brs gfo and carbon rox. I use the tunze nano ato and an apex jr system. As far as movement goes I have a mj1200 return and an mp10. I have a hob fuge with chaeto and dragons breath algae. I just added the second prime and the coverage is amazing now before I had some shadowing. Everything seems to be doing really well and it's simple. I'll post a pic with the lights on that was last night before going to bed.


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[TheOtherDB]

Thanks, Pyro. :D
I have to fill the automatic top off once a day ... about a gallon. It is very basic and has all mechanical control. I could, if I had the space to put it, keep a five gallon reservoir ... or 100 for that matte ... somewhere above the sump and just plumb to the float valve. But, I'm in there poking around every day anywhoo, so the once a day task is not too bad.

[TheOtherDB]

Thanks, Seattle ... :)

[TheOtherDB]

Here's my tank, I run it skimmerless. I have an intank basket full of siporax and a media reactor with brs gfo and carbon rox. I use the tunze nano ato and an apex jr system. As far as movement goes I have a mj1200 return and an mp10. I have a hob fuge with chaeto and dragons breath algae. I just added the second prime and the coverage is amazing now before I had some shadowing. Everything seems to be doing really well and it's simple. I'll post a pic with the lights on that was last night before going to bed.


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Yeah, that's what I'm talkn' 'bout. Two Primes to spread the joy a little better. Bravo! :)
Something I've been wanting to try is to set the left Prime, let's call it east, to come on a few hours before the right one, or west. Sunrise in the east, sunset in the west ... what do you think? Over kill?

[fscmocsaj]

Yeah, that's what I'm talkn' 'bout. Two Primes to spread the joy a little better. Bravo! :)
Something I've been wanting to try is to set the left Prime, let's call it east, to come on a few hours before the right one, or west. Sunrise in the east, sunset in the west ... what do you think? Over kill?



That would be pretty awesome but too much work to get it perfect haha


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[fscmocsaj]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170111/0ce13c8484f37b7b8f0efbf412985ca5.jpg


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[SaltLifeCam]

If I were to go nano again I would do the following

SCA tank and stand (rimless with holes drilled for synergy reef overflow and returns as opposed to the stock overflow)
trigger sump (likely the emerald cube though I would go direct through trigger for custom options)
fluval SP return pump
eheim heaters
apex (wont run tank without one though I would daisy to my current apex)
Jabeo PH (While I like the MPs for the in tank look the outside tank motor/wiring bothers me)
aquamaxx skimmer
brs reactors
tunze nano ato
BAO ato container
as needed calcium reactor


Red sea are nice if you want to not have to put together things or worry about them working together. They have done all of that for you and look good but you pay a serious premium for that, basically double what a like end result would run you. I would rather my money go into the tank personally. nothing against red sea as I would have gotten one in a heartbeat if they were better priced. Seeing them in person at MACNA and Reefapalooza yearly always induces drooling till one sees the price...



I'm definitely gearing more towards this as I research more and am more familiarized with how it all works, definitely worth the price drop.
Question, how do I go about getting a custom tank/overflow/sump and how do I know if they will fit with each other, operate correctly, etc? Doesn't the custom tanks still come with an overflow? Is it removable or do I have to email someone for an actual custom design?
Should I go with everything you stated to be safe or do more research and get the best that I can?
So many questions [emoji43]

[soulpatch]

I'm definitely gearing more towards this as I research more and am more familiarized with how it all works, definitely worth the price drop.
Question, how do I go about getting a custom tank/overflow/sump and how do I know if they will fit with each other, operate correctly, etc? Doesn't the custom tanks still come with an overflow? Is it removable or do I have to email someone for an actual custom design?
Should I go with everything you stated to be safe or do more research and get the best that I can?
So many questions [emoji43]

I can't tell you to do what I stated above as it is your tank and you need to level set with yourself as to what you want to do.

As for setups it all goes as to what you want. For instance scaquariums.com drills tanks for you to handle the synergy overflow. You would have to plumb them yourself but that is easy and tons of videos and such out there.

A sump is a sump. Some use a standard tank and put in baffles whereas some like me order in custom sumps to match color schemes and such. Trigger makes good sumps for great prices with a ton of features.

There is a nice thing in the Red Sea units that you dont have to think about parts but that is one of the things I enjoy building my own setup. Getting in the boxes and piecing things together personalized for what I am trying to accomplish.

If you wanted to go this route continue to do your research, look at some of the build threads in the tank journal, and feel free to PM people like myself who are more then willing to help with the build. You would be one of many I am currently helping, though I warn you I typically help people go above their budget...lol see blinky's build thread for that.

SC also does have a PNP option abailable which includes the tank, stand, sump, pump, and skimmer which is typically priced awesomely but I am not a huge fan of their sump footprint and I think they only do this for traditional in tank overflows which eat up space in tank vs the newer synergy overflows...

[chubble]

IMO I like the JBJ AIO rimless. One reason is b/c my wife hates sumps and the look of everything below the cabinet. (odd i know but i still love her) Plus with a 30 gallon you can put it almost anywhere, i purchased a really cool cabinet that doesn't look like a typical stand (Also b/c my wife hate fish tank stands). Things you will do to have a fish tank.

I am using the AI prime HD and works great so far. I did upgrade most of the equipment including the return pump (Sicce 1.0) and media baskets (intank). Also using an MP10 for extra movement.
I place and Eshopp Nano skimmer in one of the spots and works great so far.
I have a the Tunze nano ATO with a 5 gallon jug underneath last me about a week or so.

Tank is still cycling but so far so good.

I do plan on building an acrylic wall around the back part of the filtration. Very similar to what RedSea did for their max nano. This will hide any wires and my skimmer.

[OldNemo]

Here's my IM Fusion 20. Been out of reefing for a bit until last year with Fluval Spec V - SPS only then put this together about 4 mos ago. Mainly SPS with LPS toward the bottom. MP 10, Sicce 1.5 for return, two Primes and Auto Aqua micro Smart ATO. Also hooked up Ghost skimmer last month. Oh and two InTank baskets. Both with Floss, ChemiPure Elite and Purigen. Really enjoy the size of the tank. I was doing 10% weekly water changes so wanted to keep it small without having to make my own saltwater.

[chubble]

What are your light settings on your two primes


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[OldNemo]

What are your light settings on your two primes


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I am ramping them up higher but am getting growth with just these settings.