Red sea 650 or 210g aquarium?

[Trickdout69]

im looking to upgrade to a bigger tank. i currently have a 65g tank. i have a blue hippo and a powder blue (both are very small) in there as well as clowns and a couple of cardinals. i have looked at a local store and i have the option of the red sea 650 or a 210g aquariums. i love to look and quality of the red sea but like the size of the 210. just looking for a few opinions on what you would do. should i go with the quality look of the red sea over the extra space of the other. the only thing i didn't like on the red sea is the lighting. i would prefer leds. if anyone has any info on upgrading to led that would be great too.. thank you

 

[sluicebox]

See this posting for modifying the lights to LEDs and other mods made by this RSM 650 owner.

nob35's S650
I have the RSM 650 and enjoy it. But, you are comparing a 150 gallon display tank to a 210. Seems to me like the size difference is a significant factor to consider. You are right about the finished look of the RSM. That is why it was a relatively easy sell to my wife. Also, with the RSM, you don't have to buy lights, skimmer, ATO, circulation pumps, etc. That makes it pretty easy to set it up, put water in it, and be done. I've added a chiller, a couple of reactors, and a Reefkeeper Elite controller.

But, if you enjoy selecting all the options and customizing, I would see the 210 as the way to go. That way you could get the LEDs you want and might not have to have a chiller. But since you're in FL a chiller is possibly already a done deal.

I don't like the power control center on the RSM. The pumps are not controllable so the flow is the flow...few options. Also, the lights are not dimmable. You either have all ten on, eight on, two on, or all off. Those are your only options. Also, consider that you will need to change the bulbs every 9-12 months.

I don't mean to sound negative on the RSM 650 but I wanted to give you what I see as downsides. If I had to do it over, I might go another direction. I've learned a lot about setting up a system over the last 9 months.

 

[gmoney243]

id say go with the rsm if u want a plug and play system as bob has said and dont really want to change things around and just want a simple to use good reef capable tank. but if you like to play around and add and change things and plan to tweak later etc. then the 210 is def the better option. as always lighting can come in months later when the tank is cycled and actually stable and rdy. and theres some good DIY options these days that wont break the bank.

 

[Trickdout69]

These are all really great points. I'm still just torn. The rs650 is just a beautiful set up but I don't want to regret not buying the larger tank down the road