First tank type?
- Thread starter Red2143
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Gtinnel
10K Club member
I would look into what kind of fish you are wanting to keep. There are plenty of hobbyists who have small AIO tanks and like them, but I always go for the biggest tank that I can fit/afford. Going with a small tank greatly limits the type and number of fish that you can keep.
YOYOYOReefer
Valuable Member
i have one biocube.. i would say it takes me more maintaince a week on it than on my 3 other systems that are all over 300 gallons each.. its hard to get a decent skimmer, ato, etc .. i even have mine set up for 3 gallon water changes daily
ReeferCPA
Community Member
Depends on what your budget is. I ran a 30g biocube for years then finally took the plunge on a 150 with 40g sump. What ever you do it to the best of your ability (both Knowledge and $$$) IMO this not the hobby where cutting corners and cheaping out on things produces good results over the long haul. You don’t have to have radions, DC pumps on everything, and a controller setup, those things certainly do help, but DO buy the proper, good quality equipment that will support the life you are trying to keep.
Oh and don’t rush anything, that never turns out well either.
Oh and don’t rush anything, that never turns out well either.
TheSheff
Active Member
I have both, the tanks with a sump make maintenance easier because there is more room to work. Honestly, I would just get the biggest tank you can afford that has a sump, the newer ones are also very quiet and make maintenance super easy.
Red2143
Active Member
What do you recommend spending $ on in order Equipment wise? I was thinking light could be toward end because of the time needed to establish tank first?
YOYOYOReefer
Valuable Member
get the best tank cuz you cant upgrade that later.. for a sump i woudl really not spend much like a used 20+gallon or rubbermaid or whatever , you dont really need all the baffels etc. After tank and sump, get an ro/di... dont skimp here its all about the water quality. if you dont you will have algae, fish dying etc.. just start right..... I would suggest a used skimmer preferably venturi (so you dont need expensive pumps) like a lifereef skimmer....or whatever you can get a good deal on used, its a plastic tube and an air source not a super computer..... and make friends with some local reefers or a good local saltwater store.. i would not buy a bunch of test kits, i would use theirs while getting started , once tank is established just do icp test (mail in samples to a lab) and adjust as needed.. its cheaper in the end .... i would not worry about any wave makers or nonsense magic potions, ... all that stuff comes way later once your corals you dont have yet are actually growing...... nothing that actually works happens fast in the hobby, slow and steady always is the best way.....
,,, i would get the best live rock you can find, that matters the most.. i would make sure to have a good ro/di and lights definately , you dont really need any lights till you start getting corals and by then you will probably have a better idea what kind of corals you want to keep and what lights would be best for your tanks inhabitants also its width/height etc.
davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
I'd get an Evo. Reefkeeping can be an extremely expensive hobby, and massive cost overruns even on simple builds are a (sadly) common hazard. The Evo is a great AIO and comes with everything you need except rocks and fish; I run both of mine without heaters. If you find that you enjoy the hobby, then you can upgrade to a bigger tank and keep the Evo as a hospital or quarantine. If you decide it's not for you, then you'll only be out about $300 (with fish, rocks, and salt), which is a lot better than the thousands people commonly lose when they break down their tanks.
RocketEngineer
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IMO, the best starter tank is either a 40B or 75G. They are standard sizes with plenty of options equipment wise, yet small enough to get started. Avoid the 55g as it’s too narrow for a reef tank. Spending a lot when just starting out isn’t needed, watch for sales and folks selling their systems online.
Fish_Fry
Active Member
You can be successful with both. As others have mentioned, I would start by thinking about both what type of livestock you want to keep and what your budget is.
Personally I'm Team Sump, for the flexibility they provide. That said there are some really nice AIO out there which are much easier to setup.
Personally I'm Team Sump, for the flexibility they provide. That said there are some really nice AIO out there which are much easier to setup.
Rmckoy
7500 Club Member
Depends what you want to put in it ….
Generally … start with the largest that the space and budget allows .
75 is a great size to start with less stocking restrictions compared to a aio
Generally … start with the largest that the space and budget allows .
75 is a great size to start with less stocking restrictions compared to a aio
redraveny2k
New Member
I have had my 32 gallon biocube about a month and I just got my first pair of clownies last Sunday. Since I am a newbie to the hobby, I choose to go the low budget route just until I am sure this is what I really want to do before I spend thousands on something I might abandon due to time and difficulty.
After visiting my lfs, my husband has already decided that once my son finishes restoration on his Eclipse spider he is going to renovate the garage into a lady lounge so he can install my dream 225 gallon reef tank.
So to answer your question I would start off small than go large.
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ReeferCPA
Community Member
Depends if you go AIO or sump. It was mentioned above that it's hard to find things like skimmers for some of these AIOs. Which is true, I fought or worked around a lot of things with my Biocube. You have to get real creative with those smaller systems. I got lucky and didn't need a skimmer with my Biocube.
Ultimately there's a bunch needed to get off the ground initially.
If it helps, in either scenario, ask yourself what you are planning to keep. Then think in terms of life support. What are the life support systems needed for what I want.
-You need to have a glass box with water. There's a lot that can go under this. (and FYI the sooner you invest in an RODI unit the better. I kick myself for not doing it sooner, I have waaaaay less problem than I used to) Have a way to fill that box with quality saltwater, and a way to mix it BEFORE it goes in the tank. A refractometer is a must, and have some solution for testing that water.
-Heat the water so its not too cold. An Inkbird and titanium element(s) is(are) by far the easiest way to do this.
-Circulation - A return pump/overflow to get the water through filtration. Then you'll need powerheads to circulate the water within the display, how much depends on a lot of what your caring for.
-Now you need to filter that water. So filters socks/mesh, Live rock and/or ceramic. A skimmer if its a larger system.
-Now replace the evaporation, ATO on a larger system is just a must, manual top on a Biocube isn't that bad but if you're keeping coral not a great idea. Go with an ATO.
-Lighting - get something programable in someway. If you're doing fish only then, it can be less complex. I have Radions on my Display but have a blackbox on a garden timer for my Coral/invert quarantine. My fish QT has a manual led light that I have to turn on. Depends on the need.
I THINK I hit all the basics, everything else is a nice to have.
Two big take-ways
1)If you don't make it easy, you won't do it correctly and consistently.
2) Not mentioned above but still important, make sure you have enough space under your tank to accommodate what you need for your system. If you go with an AIO, consider building a stand so you have enough room. I built a custom stand for my Biocube so I could fit an ATO reservoir under there.
Hope that helps.
ReeferCPA
Community Member
Cost overruns, lol, the story of my life. Bought a used system for like $800, which the return pump and skimmer alone were worth that much. Thought it would cost about $2,000 total to get going. 7k later.........
-Heater didn't work - got an Inkbird with 2 elements to replace
-Plumbing had to be COMPLETELY redone
-I wanted to do a reseal on the display
-The G2 radions decided to go out and start faulting 2 months after I bought - just had to have more radions.....
-The T5 bulbs needed to be replace - of course I had to have a dimmable ballast.
-had to have mp40s because the gyre wasn't enough for I needed
-Then for some reason decided to buy a GHL controller
-then had buy the addons for the GHL to control to Vortechs
-Then had to buy the addon for the GHL to control the dimmable ballasts
No ultimate regrets just have to laugh that I so grossly under-estimated the costs
