Choosing the right aquarium.

[Plunder]

So I was recently one of the BRStv video and they were using a "Rea Sea E-MAX 170" which looks really nice. So I started to look at them and they seem very expensive even for the small sizes. After looking more them I figure if I'm gonna spend that kind of dough I might as well go bigger, however, they jump up in price even for slight bump in gallons. I then saw the "Red Sea REEFER 250" which is actually bigger and about a $1000 less. Now I know the REEFER doesn't come with a return pump, lights, some piping requried (no glue), etc. But would it be cheaper and still get some great quality products if I went with the REEFER other then the E-MAX series? I'm just trying to wrap my head around the price difference.

 

[dwair]

Well here's the thing, you are looking at 2 vastly different tanks. Reason I say that, is their E-Max Series tanks are All in One's. Meaning sump is on the back of the tank, no sump in the cabinet. Whereas the Reefer series has sumps in the bottom of the cabinets. Its going to come up the same in price about either way, comes down to what you want

 

[Plunder]

Well here's the thing, you are looking at 2 vastly different tanks. Reason I say that, is their E-Max Series tanks are All in One's. Meaning sump is on the back of the tank, no sump in the cabinet. Whereas the Reefer series has sumps in the bottom of the cabinets. Its going to come up the same in price about either way, comes down to what you want

As far as the tank goes, mixed corals with fish + inverts. The REEFER comes with a skimmer and auto top off. I would just need a few more elements plus the plumbing/hose. I would also like a refugium, but with a 11 gallon sump seems doable with some egg crates?