How big should I go?

[mattleycrue76]

Ok this thread is meant as a feeler to help me gauge what my budget for the next tank will be. Currently I have the tanks in my sig, mixed LPS and SPS. I am running a mediocre skimmer, carbon reactor, 15 gl sump with LR and cheato, 2x 250w mh + actinics. I am dosing alk and ca (and getting tired of it real fast). What I'm trying to figure out is what to do for my next tank. The smallest I would consider would be about 125 gl but I'm thinking maybe in the range of 200gl or even bigger?

The goal will be to keep mostly tangs and SPS. What I want to know is this: is there a point at which there is a sharp rise in cost to go bigger equipment wise? For instance knowing what I know now I would have skipped the 72 and gotten a 125gl to start with. Equipment wise it wouldn't have been that much more expesive and I think I would have been happy with it longer.

I do have a spot for an inwall but I'm afraid of all the construction required. I kinda want to be able to up and sell the house on short notice if ever necessary. The other spot is rather long but shallow and would allow about 84x30x30 = 329gl I have an area under the house that could be converted into a fish room but Im not sure about how much power we're talking pump wise to get all the water back up.

What kind of money is it gonna cost me for a roughly 200gl tank? How about 300gl? Obviously I'm looking for a ball park figure for tank, lighting, skimmer, pumps, reactors, controller, plumbing, sump and any other hardware I might need. I would like to be buying good quality stuff.

Sorry for the long post.

Input apprectiated

 

[dmo]

What kind of money is it gonna cost me for a roughly 200gl tank? How about 300gl? Obviously I'm looking for a ball park figure for tank, lighting, skimmer, pumps, reactors, controller, plumbing, sump and any other hardware I might need.

I would like to be buying good quality stuff.

Theres the trick.. Depending on how you define quality, most of those items above could range in price from a few hundred to several thousand each.

 

[Velamondry]

I just set myself up a 125 about 6 months ago.. and now im in the process of thinking of a 500+ gallon tank, from what ive seen the biggest cost to switch will be the lighting, due to more surface area with my hallides. Not sure if your into doing things yourself but you can save quite abit of money doing it, I made myself a skimmer that makes about 4 gallons of lovely dragon stink a week for only 130 bucks. And thats off a roughly 180 gallon system. Like Dmo said you can spend alot on "Quality" equipment. Imo its mostly what works for you and how much maintnence you can stand to do. Also if you noticed some equipment prices are not much difference for a higher output model. Like when I purchased my DIY icecap metal halides, they were 200 for 250's and 270 for 400's.. so I went with the 400's thinking I could make liquid lava in my tank.. :badgrin:

 

[mattleycrue76]

I just set myself up a 125 about 6 months ago.. and now im in the process of thinking of a 500+ gallon tank, Also if you noticed some equipment prices are not much difference for a higher output model. Like when I purchased my DIY icecap metal halides, they were 200 for 250's and 270 for 400's.. so I went with the 400's thinking I could make liquid lava in my tank.. :badgrin:

This has been my finding also. Yes I am prepared to take my sweet time and do as much of it as possible myself. I guess what I'm wondering is if there is a point of diminishing returns for your money. For example with computers it would cost me 1/2 as much to build a computer that is 90% as fast as the best available. obviously if I'm after value I'll settle for the former.

Any ideas on a fish room under the house?

 

[mattleycrue76]

also does anyone have a good link to a calculator to figure out what size pumps for a given tank?

 

[Velamondry]

I guess what I'm wondering is if there is a point of diminishing returns for your money. For example with computers it would cost me 1/2 as much to build a computer that is 90% as fast as the best available. obviously if I'm after value I'll settle for the former.

Any ideas on a fish room under the house?

The biggest hits far as money in a bigger tank would be imo a chiller and lighting.. if you dont have heat issues then a chiller wouldnt be a big deal and with lighting as you know it's dependent upon what your keeping and where in the tank. Pumps it just depends on if your wanting SPS or just some flow, you can get a mag24 for about 140 bucks online if you dont mind the noise, and thats about 2400 gph at 1' head height if I remember correctly. So if you used a few of those with a closed loop system (which is what im thinking with a larger tank) it wouldnt cost alot over all, other then the fact some of them rattle pretty badly (the one I have rattles like crazy with all sorts of foam around it). You could also go with panworld that offer the same amount of gph but are around 220-300.

Far as a "Fish Room" not sure what exactly you mean, do you mean a room for your sump/refugium/equipment. Or a room that has all your tanks and show? If its equipment based, you would need a pump that would take the headheight of going from down there to up top where your show tank is. And if I remember correctly you dont need anymore then 10x your tanks volume passed through your sump. So if your going with a 300 gallon tank and you got a headheight of about 20 feet.. You would probably want to go with one of these.... http://www.shop.poshreef.com/product.sc?productId=157&sourceCode=froogle

 

[mfinn]

also does anyone have a good link to a calculator to figure out what size pumps for a given tank?

You need to match the pump with the size of overflow you have on your tank.
I would suggest to go with a pair of 2" bulkheads on a 180+ gallon tank.

This may help.


http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php

 

[mattleycrue76]

I was at Barrier reef today and noticed that their display tank has almost the exact dimensions I'm talking about. Anybody know what a glass 300g tank would cost? Oh and what difference does starphire make? cost/benefit

 

[ret25yo]

My 270 tank w/125g sump and all equipment ran around 7k and that with
custom tank
custom stand
custom sump
ATI powermodule lighting
BM Skimmer
and a 4 way set up
Tunze flow

ohh and liverock and stock +1000

 

[mattleycrue76]

Thanks Kyle that sounds like an awesome setup. wish you were closer so I could check it out.

 

[trido]

AFAIK regarding the tank, a 210 is as big as you can get without going custom. A 210 cost near a thousand. A 220 custom cost double that, and up, depending on quality.
A few years ago a friend put a tank build in simple terms. From 30-50 dollars a gallon depending on what you want for quality and automation before putting water in it.
So with that rule of thumb, a low end 210 would be $6300. A higher end with automation would be would be $10500.
Keep in mind bigger equals more salt, more electricity, more light bulbs more , more, more, although, its more stable too. My new 210 is backed up with 230 Gs of equipment tanks. I love it so far.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[mattleycrue76]

Thanks Trido I am finding these replies very useful as I am in the very first stage of figuring things out. Thankfully I won't have to be spending the money on it for a while yet.

What do you guys think about an intermediate step, say a 150-180g Tank. will I be able to reuse alot of the equipment for a possible bigger tank down the road If I buy good stuff off the bat or will I end up repurchasing most everything if I end up wanting to go to a say 300-340g

Trido you make an excellent point bringing up automation. My goal for this tank would be for it (in theory) to run for 1-2-weeks on its own. Not that I wouldn't touch it for that long but I would like that level of automation eventually.

I'm starting to think that instead of ultimate size I should start thinking about pouring more money into top of the line equipment

 

[plack]

Make sure the Fish Room area is in the garadge as that is best!! Mine is a pain in the living room I would NEVER choose that again if at all possable !!

Starphire is just optically clearer and really noticable on thicker glass.

Don't forget your monthly costs for electricity--room or tank air conditioning/water and filters/salt/testkits/the ocassional large pump seal replacement/HUMIDIFIER/.

Take a tour of people who have 180+ systems and had them for several years to see how they are doing and the difficulties they have.



Paul