Help me spend 13k on a 625XXL Set up

[PreziosoReef]

So i need to make this purchase in one big chunk, and was hoping for some help to see what I am missing in order to set up my tank. Looking to do a mixed reek with after a year or so , adding some SPS corals as well. I will run my RO/DI from my garage through the wall and into my ATO. I am not sold on the idea of a refugium, so I am skipping that for now.
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Here is what I have listed so far. Any and all input will be greatly appreciated

Required Items	Manufacturer	Description	Qty
Tank, Stand, and Sump	Red Sea	Red Sea Reefer 625 Black	1
Skimmer	Bubble Magus	Bubble Magus Curve 9	1
Lights	Aqua Illumination	Hydra 32 LED (Black)	3
Lights	Aqua Illumination	Single Mount Kit (Black)	3
Salt	Instant Ocean	Reef Crystals	1
Mechanical Filter	Red Sea	ReefMat 1200	1
Return Pump	Sicce	Syncra SDC 7.0 800-1900 GPH	2
Powerheads	Eco Tech Marine	VorTech MP40QD	2
Powerheads	Red Sea	Reef Wave 45	2
UV Sterilizer	Pentair Aquatics	40 Watt	1
RO/DI	Bulk Reef Supply	5 Stage 75 GPD RODI System	1
RO/DI	Tunze	RO Controller	1
RO/DI	HM Digital	Triple Inline TDS Meter	1
Dry Rock	Marco Rocks	Dry Rock (per pound)	125
Dry Rock	Marco Rocks	Large Foundation Rock	2
Dry Rock	Marco Rocks	Shelf Rock (per pound)	15
Stone Glue	Axia	Glue for Stone	6
Sump Bio Media	Marinepure	Ceramic Biomedia 1 1/2"	1
Live Sand	CaribSea	20 lb Arag-Alive Reef Sand	5
Heater	Bulk Reef Supply	300W Titanium Heater	2
Dosing	Red Sea	Reef Dose 4 Pump	2
Dosing Tubing	Red Sea	ReefDose Tubing Kit	2
Dosing Tubing	Red Sea	ReefDose Tube Clips	2
Power Strip	Power Play	PP-52819HTC 10 Outlet Surge	2
Top Off System	Tunze	Universal 3155 Auto Top Off	1
Tank Cover	Red Sea	R42083 DIY Acquarium Cover	1
Tank Cycle	Dr Tims	Fishless Cycle Bundle	1
H20 Parameters Testing	Hanna Instruments	HIREEF 2 Test Kits	1
Testing Kit	Red Sea	Magnesium	1
Testing Kit	Hanna Instruments	Nitrate	1
Testing Kit	Hanna Instruments	Nitrite	1
Testing Kit	Hanna Instruments	Ammonia	1
Various Pipe, Valves, joints, etc..	Misc	Misc	1
Accessories
Skimmer Stand	IceCap	Large adjustable stand	1
Powerhead Guards	Wavemaker Guards	Nem Protect for Vortech MP40	2
Driver Mount	Eco Tech Marine	VorTech Driver Mount	2
Heater Mount	IceCap	Double Magnetic Heater Mount	1
Glass Algae Remover	Flipper	Flipper Float	1
Water Change	Python	50' Water Change system	1
Needed prior to adding livestock
Dosing Elements
Nutrients	Red Sea	Calcium 1000 ml	1
Nutrients	Red Sea	KH/Alkalinity 1000ml	1
Nutrients	Red Sea	Magnesium 1000ml	1
Nutrients	Red Sea	Trace Colors 4 pack	1
Nutrients	Red Sea	Reef Energy Plus 1L	1

 

[blaxsun]

• Powerheads - you can probably get away with a pair of Red Sea ReefWave 45's on your tank (then you don't need any of the EcoTech MP40s and accessories). You need the 45's over the 25's as the glass will be too thick for the 25's.
• Pumps - unless you absolutely want to run two pumps, you can run a single Sicce SDC 9.0 (this is what I use on my Red Sea 750XXL). If you're going to run the UV off your main returns you won't need an extra pump (otherwise you'll want a Sicce SDC 6.0 just for the UV; again - this is what I run on my 57-watt UV).
• Heating - you'll need a controller for your heaters, so I'd just go with the BRS Inkbird 306/2x 300-watt (I run the same on my system).
• Testing kits - just get the Red Sea Marine Pro testing kit (you can add magnesium/calcium pro later). You don't need either of the Hanna kits.
• Glass algae remover - skip the Flipper; get the Tunze Care Magnet Strong.
• Skimmer stand - probably don't need this as you can adjust the sump level with the adjustable weir.
• Dosing elements - won't need these until you add corals (but you can certainly get in-advance).

..........

• Lighting - with the money you've saved on pumps and Vortech powerheads, you can upgrade your lighting to either a pair of Neptune SKY LEDs or a pair of EcoTech Radion XR30 G5 Blue/Pros.
• Neptune Apex - I'd seriously consider a Neptune Apex with your setup for monitoring and controlling equipment. Adaptive Reef makes a great controller board or cabinet for mounting equipment.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

SWEET!!!!


A few observations.

Dropping that much, price in an aquarium controller.

One box of instant Ocean Reef crystals will not be enough for more than essentially filling the tank.

The reef wave 45 is not very powerful and that's a long tank. Paired with only two additional p-heads, You may find yourself quite lacking in flow when you are ready to move into SPS.

I would immediately drop 25 lb off of that. Marco live rock and invest in some quality ocean. Live rock to help kickstart seeding the entire thing.

Are you adding two pumps for redundancy?

 

[Create New]

I have 3 Hydra 32 LEDs on my 750 and I don't believe the PAR to be great I know the 625 is smaller but you should factor that in.

Also I bought one of the Reefwave 45s to see how good it was and I can't have it above 40% or I hear a humming noise.

 

[MaxTremors]

I’m curious why you’re not sold on a refugium. IME, a refugium and real live rock are two of the absolute best things you can do for your tank. If you’re planning on using dry rock to make most of your scape (it’s the one advantage it has over live rock), I would at least seed it with 10% live rock. I know that people have been taught to be super paranoid about hitchhikers, but the threat/risk is vastly, wildly overstated, the benefits outweigh any potential risks 100x over. A refugium is probably the most productive form of nutrient export there is, and its great for the overall health of your reef, plus it will provide lots of copepods if you want to keep fish like dragonets of pipefish. If you have the room in your sump, I would highly recommend one.

As far as lighting is concerned, I’d stick with the AIs over Radions (can’t comment on the Neptunes). The Radions are maybe slightly better, but I don’t think they’re that much better to justify the extra cost. Also, AI’s app is better in just about every way.

For test kits, I would recommend Hanna for Nitrates (HR) and Phosphate (ULR), for everything else Salifert or Red Sea is fine. I would absolutely not waste money on the Hanna Ammonia and Nitrite checkers (you’ll use them for a week at most and then never use them again).

 

[PreziosoReef]

• Powerheads - you can probably get away with a pair of Red Sea ReefWave 45's on your tank (then you don't need any of the EcoTech MP40s and accessories). You need the 45's over the 25's as the glass will be too thick for the 25's.
• Pumps - unless you absolutely want to run two pumps, you can run a single Sicce SDC 9.0 (this is what I use on my Red Sea 750XXL). If you're going to run the UV off your main returns you won't need an extra pump (otherwise you'll want a Sicce SDC 6.0 just for the UV; again - this is what I run on my 57-watt UV).
• Heating - you'll need a controller for your heaters, so I'd just go with the BRS Inkbird 306/2x 300-watt (I run the same on my system).
• Testing kits - just get the Red Sea Marine Pro testing kit (you can add magnesium/calcium pro later). You don't need either of the Hanna kits.
• Glass algae remover - skip the Flipper; get the Tunze Care Magnet Strong.
• Skimmer stand - probably don't need this as you can adjust the sump level with the adjustable weir.
• Dosing elements - won't need these until you add corals (but you can certainly get in-advance).

..........

• Lighting - with the money you've saved on pumps and Vortech powerheads, you can upgrade your lighting to either a pair of Neptune SKY LEDs or a pair of EcoTech Radion XR30 G5 Blue/Pros.
• Neptune Apex - I'd seriously consider a Neptune Apex with your setup for monitoring and controlling equipment. Adaptive Reef makes a great controller board or cabinet for mounting equipment.

Thank you. Its been hard getting info from my LFS. And its a mixed bag when trying to get this all together as one package from researching online.

*Want to do a negative space aquascape. My thought on the power heads was to have 2 (reefwave) on the each side facing eachother and then have the two MP 40's on the back of the tank (1 left of overflow and 1 right) facing the front of the tank. Is this overkill?
*Will 2 Radion XR 30 create enough PAR throughout the tank. At some point I want a few (4-5) sps located near top of top and clam or two on the sand bed.
* Purpose of two returns was in case 1 failed. But am i overthinking since Sicce seem to be the best on the market
*The heaters come with the InkBird 306 controller.

Is there anything I am missing? I dont have the room for a mixing station, so I wll be bucketing all my water changes.

Again, thank you for the input.

 

[Lavey29]

All that cool stiff and no Apex and Triton?

 

[PreziosoReef]

I’m curious why you’re not sold on a refugium. IME, a refugium and real live rock are two of the absolute best things you can do for your tank. If you’re planning on using dry rock to make most of your scape (it’s the one advantage it has over live rock), I would at least seed it with 10% live rock. I know that people have been taught to be super paranoid about hitchhikers, but the threat/risk is vastly, wildly overstated, the benefits outweigh any potential risks 100x over. A refugium is probably the most productive form of nutrient export there is, and its great for the overall health of your reef, plus it will provide lots of copepods if you want to keep fish like dragonets of pipefish. If you have the room in your sump, I would highly recommend one.

As far as lighting is concerned, I’d stick with the AIs over Radions (can’t comment on the Neptunes). The Radions are maybe slightly better, but I don’t think they’re that much better to justify the extra cost. Also, AI’s app is better in just about every way.

For test kits, I would recommend Hanna for Nitrates (HR) and Phosphate (ULR), for everything else Salifert or Red Sea is fine. I would absolutely not waste money on the Hanna Ammonia and Nitrite checkers (you’ll use them for a week at most and then never use them again).

I was in the hobby 15 years ago (back when metal Halides and Chillers were a necessity) and did well with the same kind of tank before I moved to job relocation and had to exit the hobby.

Its not that I am not sold on it, but more i'm not comfortable yet with it. Its just one more thing i can screw up.

I plan on adding about 15-20 lbs of live rock from my LFS once I get the tank filled.

Lighting I am leaning towards the 3 Hydra 32's, but I also know that the Radions are also considered to be best in class as well.

 

[PreziosoReef]

All that cool stiff and no Apex and Triton?

13k is about the budget i set up for this. I looked into GHL controllers as well, but still not ready to pull the trigger as of yet

 

[PreziosoReef]

SWEET!!!!


A few observations.

Dropping that much, price in an aquarium controller.

One box of instant Ocean Reef crystals will not be enough for more than essentially filling the tank.

The reef wave 45 is not very powerful and that's a long tank. Paired with only two additional p-heads, You may find yourself quite lacking in flow when you are ready to move into SPS.

I would immediately drop 25 lb off of that. Marco live rock and invest in some quality ocean. Live rock to help kickstart seeding the entire thing.

Are you adding two pumps for redundancy?

*Planned on reef wave on left and right side of tank facing each other and then the MP40's on the back wall to the left and right of the overflow facing the front of thee tank. I think that should create enough or will the placement of the MP40's disrupt the reefwaves and just cause a turbulent mess?
I plan on adding 2-3 live rocks as islands since I am doing a negative space aquascape
Yes was planning on the two pumps for redundancy in case of failure. However, that may be overkill and i might 86 that idea. Plus it creates more plumbing work ill need to do.

If i only go with one pump with the Sicce 7.0 be large enough or do i need the 9.0?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

*Planned on reef wave on left and right side of tank facing each other and then the MP40's on the back wall to the left and right of the overflow facing the front of thee tank. I think that should create enough or will the placement of the MP40's disrupt the reefwaves and just cause a turbulent mess?
I plan on adding 2-3 live rocks as islands since I am doing a negative space aquascape
Yes was planning on the two pumps for redundancy in case of failure. However, that may be overkill and i might 86 that idea. Plus it creates more plumbing work ill need to do.

If i only go with one pump with the Sicce 7.0 be large enough or do i need the 9.0?

Disrupting the reefwave with the mp's is exactly what I would be shooting for.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I have AI lights now, but if I had my druthers I would go with Radions Pro's But if you stick with AI's you will need at least one more. You may need some MP10s to get into some Low flow areas. you might also want to consider a Red Sea skimmer instead, just because they are made for the height of that sump.

 

[Derrick0580]

I would probably opt for the flipper max or an algae free. I have a planet 120 and have the flipper float and in my opinion I need something stronger. Skimmer stand probably won’t be needed. Also depending on future plans might look into poseidon reef phyto/pod culture system. I have 3 dragonettes and I dose probably 1000 tigger pods every other day out of my culture. Definitely agree you want to invest in more salt! Can never have too much salt on hand! Also I don’t see an ato reservoir listed, I recommend the innovative marine 15 gallon will pull out fill drawer, makes life soo much easier, I have the 15 and the 5 gallon ones, love em! Also a refractometer or hygrometer to measure your salinity. I don’t run an apex or hydros but I do have a pinpoint ph probe in my sump to keep on eye on things! Quality power strips with individually controlled switches, tripplite or american dj are good ones. Then once I got my system all set up I bought 2 small cabinets to place on either side of my stand to hold random stuff like rags, dry food, frag plugs, glue, chemicals, test kits….be prepared 13k is just the beginning and good luck!