First marine/reef set up

[cgrutt]

Hi,

I've been interested in setting up a reef tank since the early 1990s but never pulled the trigger. Want to get started. Read many books over the years but have no practical experience. Would appreciate any input/suggestions to get off on the right start. Want to start off with a big system 180 - 225 gallon display tank and have several questions:

1. Arcrylic or glass? What's best for durability / being leak proof?

2. With budget of $10K - $15K for initial set up, is it better go with relatively simple system with very high quality components or a technical system with average components?

(I'm leaning towards keeping it simple
-- tank/sump ~$1,500;
-- live rock ~$2,000;
-- pumps (Iwaki)/plumbing ~$750;
-- protein skimmer (Bubble King) $1,750;
-- lighting unit (Giesemann Moonlight) $3,900
-- chilling unit $750 (Tradewind);
-- RO/DI unit $750;
-- Salt/Testing/heaters/etc. $1,500.

I'm sure I can get a lot more gadgets within this price range but is it necessary? I'm not locked into any of these brands, but they seemed to have great write-ups and a lot of positive feedback from what I've been reading. Any other recommendations appreciated! (BTW, I also enjoy woodworking and plan to build my own cabinet separate from this budget).

3. Best place for the sump/equipment would be directly below tank but in basement. Pump would be 10' - 15' below tank. I know I can buy a pump that can handle this drop but fear flow would not be adequate in tank. Thought about having a second pump inside cabinet directly below tank with several returns dedicated to flow only and have a separate loop for the sump. Does this make sense? Don't particularly like the look of separate powerheads in the tank and feel I could do a better job hiding the plumbing if its drilled directly into the tank.

Thanks for your help!

CJG

 

[G&NSalty425]

Well first off I want to say WELCOME to Reef Frontiers. Hubby and I are still Newbs to saltwater but I will let you in on a little secret the SkimmerWhisperer knows his skimmers I am sure he will see this thread and chime in

 

[tike]

I like glass over Arcrylic...dosen't scracth as easily and you WILL scratch the arcrylic tank. I also would shoot for quaility componets. I have went the cheap route before with horrible results. What corals you want to keep will determine what skimmer to buy softies? lps? sps?. If you're planning on sps great flow is the ticket so your budget should be around $800-1,000 to achieve that in a large tank.The budget for the ro unit doesn't have to be that high you can get a 150 gpd unit for around $250. Oh welcome to RF!

 

[chend2]

Fun!

Look into Elos systems, they are all inclusive and great for simplistic lines while still providing the highest end equipment.

http://www.eloseurope.com/en/

They have retailers all over the US.

 

[soyadrink]

Welcome! I'm with the above posts. Quality is always best. I love Elos tanks but just too expensive for me, but hey, you get the money
Chack out the thread "Bricky's new Elos". He did and is still doing a great job with it(although not properly updating)
Skimmerwhisperer is the guy for skimmer(there is another guy but I keep forgetting his name!!)
optimum flow to everywhere in the tank without much visual distractions. But that all depends on your plan of corals you want to keep.

 

[cgrutt]

Thanks for the welcoming and input. Much appreciated.

I realize I could be setting myself up for a "bashing" but really haven't really spent that much time thinking about specific types of corals -- want to set up a system that provides a good environment for a variety of corals/fish/etc. Willing to take it slow and add as I go along and my skills improve. Thought (perhaps naively) that a lot of LR, good lighting, protein skimming and water flow were the foundation for a successful aquarium that can support a variety of life. I also want to go with a larger system to start because I understand larger systems tend to be more stable and easier to maintain (i.e., less prone to error) in the long run. I do think that I'm inclined to have a higher fish/invertebrate ratio than comparable aquarium reefs, at least in the beginning (have a 3 y/o at home who loves to watch fish at the local store).

Also, I'll check out the Elos systems, but am leaning towards a standard glass tank that can be drilled as appropriate.

Thanks again everyone.

CJG

 

[mcvicker]

I would recommend checking out the members showcase forum and seeing how they set up some of their systems. The key is high quality components, but also to plan ahead for maintenance. So, I would spend a lot of time looking at how other people automate/simplify water changes and handle auto top off. This will help make the experience more enjoyable.
-chris

 

[busdriver]

If I had a budget like that i would get an LED light system. I saw one the other day had ALL of the bells and wistles and as much light as a 400W MH, it is modular so one can replace "banks" of LEDs it was $4700 for a six-footer. they say the LEDS last 10+ years make very little heat. You'll pretty much never have to replace bulbs....
Also you can get dry rock from Marcorocks.com (or a name close to that) I would get 50%-100% dry rocks, aquascape it dry and have the outputs of pumps hear there and everywhere by using hoses... get some live rock from someone you trust to have good stuff and/or get some "garf grunge" to help see the tank...
If i had the $$ and room i'd see about getting a header tank as well as a sump. the header tank goes above the main tank and good critters and live in there and flow into the main tank w/o getting choped up by the impeller of a pump...
Glass is heavy and does scratch easy.
acrylic scratches easy, is lighter, clearer (unless you use "starfire" or low lead glass) and doesn't transfer heat as well as glass...
OR you could do a plywood tank and use a low lead glass front...
and welcome to the site!

 

[roscoe]

IMHO I would stay away from acrylic. I just don't think acrylic belongs in a reef enviroment. Especially once you get heavy coraline algea growth. It is tough scraping off the coraline algea without scratching the acrylic. As far as weight goes I hear people say to me all the time acrylic is lighter than glass. My question to them is how many times are you planning to move your tank? On equipment I beleive you can get great results with the mid-upper level equipment. There are plenty of people out there that has top notch premium equipment with poor quality tank. It all boils down to how your husbandry/maintainenance on your tank. Think about it as a car. That car will last and look good forever as long as you keep up with the maintenance. Just my 2 pennys worth and welcome to RF.

Sarang

 

[G&NSalty425]

I agree with the glass and Oceanic has a 210 or 215 tank reef ready with Starphire Glass.

 

[cgrutt]

Thanks again for all the good info.

CJG