Help for the new guy!

MSCMMSHEEPDOG · Mar 24, 2018

Hi all,

I have been contemplating taking the plunge into the deep end of a saltwater aquarium for quite some time(FOWLR initially, but overtime with some more experience getting into softies(whatever those are

), LPS and SPS coral. In the past my trepidation due to lack of knowledge of what exactly I was getting myself into has led me to shelve the idea, but now I'm at the point in my life to fulfill this dream.

I have been actively researching all the options out there to the point where I'm about blind from all the late night computer research on the forums(tanks, lights, pumps, RODI, Brute garbage cans, ATO systems, water changes, and on and on and on....) my head is about explode.

I have narrowed things down to a Red Sea Max XL425 deluxe or a WaterBox 135.4, with the additional following components:
-Neptune Core 20 or Reef Octopus Varios 6 return pump
-Reef Octopus Classic 150 Int protein skimmer
-Eheim 250 watt heater
-SpectraPure MaxCap RODI system
-Live rock, live sand, saltwater

Couple of questions:
1) Are the above components compatible and work well with these tanks? I know this is just the tip of the iceberg, but is this what I need to get the tank ready to cycle through?
2) Are the Red Sea Max and WaterBox easy enough for a new guy to setup on their own or should I employ the services of a professional to setup things to get it all headed in the right direction?
3) Are the AI Hydra 26 HD lights that come with Red Sea Max Deluxe enough to support SPS coral in this size tank?
4) We tend to travel a lot with at least 1 two week vacation yearly, how do reefers handle this?
5) Many more questions to come, but one step at a time!

Thank you to everyone on this forum for all of the invaluable info in the past, present, and certainly the future! With help from this forum I am confident I can setup and keep a beautiful and successful tank.

Thanks again to all!!!!

Somuchflo99 · Mar 24, 2018

Welcome home

Somuchflo99 · Mar 24, 2018

There will allways be a learning curve slso most of my experience won’t help since I’m into all in one Nano tanks but a little bit of advice to your adventures is to keep it simple and slow and steady wins the race

Jesterrace · Mar 24, 2018

The AI Hydra 26 HD light will grow all but the most difficult of corals. So unless you go with some super demanding corals they will be plenty. As for the vaction, You will need to find someone reliable to take care of things for you while you are gone. The length of time suggests that you will be hard pressed to avoid a water change during those periods, so it's not just a simple matter of having someone come over and feed the fish. I do not recommend auto feeders since they tend to over-feed and gives you no option for frozen foods (which are best). You might check in with your LFS (if you have one you trust) and see if they offer some kind of service in your absence. The problem is that folks outside the hobby really aren't best suited to do much more than feeding since they don't have the experience and care required to keep up with a decent sized saltwater tank. Your equipment list looks about right. Are you planning on buying an RODI system and mixing your own salt, or are you planning on buying RODI/Saltwater pre-mix from your LFS?

MSCMMSHEEPDOG · Mar 24, 2018

I am planning on a SpectraPure MaxCap RODI system for my water needs.

Just got off the phone with a guy who has a masters in Marine Biology and a master diver. He told me he gets wholesale prices on things and makes his money with service. I had mentioned what I was interested in and he mentioned Planet Aquariums for the tank setup. Anyone know if Planet Aquariums is good to go vs Red Sea Max. He was steering me away from Res Sea Max saying the glass scratches too easily. Are Red Sea's known for getting scratched up? And as far paying for service I was hoping to just pay someone do the initial set up and run things on my own because I want to be involved in my own tank and learn how things work.

Kershaw · Mar 24, 2018

So as far as I know Red Sea tanks scratch easier because they are made of low iron glass which makes the glass softer but has higher clearity. Also those tanks come ready to run I think. Biggest problem with the Red Sea max in my opinion is they don’t Leave allot of room for upgrades. Why not look at the Red Sea reefer series if you plan on buying all that other equipment. Or by the max and run it like it is.

For vacations. I take a 2 week vacation every year. I bring in enough top off water for the person taking care of tank. And tell them to feed every other day to every 3 days to reduce the chance of them over feeding
I also watch my tank via a apex jr. so if temp or anything looks out of normal I have some one in the Hobby to come take a look at tank in case of an issue. So I use two separate people for watching tank while I am gone. One in hobby is only for emergency’s.

MSCMMSHEEPDOG · Mar 25, 2018

Plan is to get a Red Sea Max XL425 deluxe which is a reefer tank to get my own return pump, protein skimmer, etc....
Thanks for the helpful replies!

Steve Jewell · Mar 25, 2018

I'm not sure about the Spectrapure as I didn't go that route.
If you want to save some $$ and get a kick butt RO/DI setup, here's how I did it!!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/142676621889?ViewItem=&item=142676621889
This is the 5 stage under sink RO system 75 gal from RD Aqua. I wanted something both useful in home and for the aquarium (the wife will LOVE IT!!) It comes with enough filters for a couple years and is producing 28 TDS water at the faucet. (On my DI unit the input says 3 tds?? hmmm) $138.99
I also purchased a dual DI unit that I plumbed right by my mixing station.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073DHYWTF/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This dual stage DI comes with TDS meter for $79.99 and I am producing 0 TDS water. So far 300 gal and barely used any resin.
I added on a pressure meter for 11.49 from Amazon and a flush valve for $9.95 from Amazon.
Total price for a KICK butt system all in is around $240

MSCMMSHEEPDOG · Mar 25, 2018

I plan on putting my tank in the living room, my wife is on my back now about any odors that might be emitted from the tank. Is this a concern on a well maintained tank?

NeedMoreReef · Mar 25, 2018

MSCMMSHEEPDOG said:
I plan on putting my tank in the living room, my wife is on my back now about any odors that might be emitted from the tank. Is this a concern on a well maintained tank?

NO

Flippers4pups · Mar 25, 2018

MSCMMSHEEPDOG said:
I plan on putting my tank in the living room, my wife is on my back now about any odors that might be emitted from the tank. Is this a concern on a well maintained tank?

Welcome to reef2reef! Glad to have you!

No worries there. Healthy tank doesn't emitt bad smells.

Long absences from the tank and top offs with fresh water are maintained with a ATO. Automatic top off. My ATO is controlled by a electronic float switch in my sump. When the water evaporates in the system, the float drops a little and sends a signal to the controller to turn on a pump in my ATO Reservoir that has fresh water in it. Replaces the evaporated fresh water and keeps the salinity consistent.