Red Sea E260 Max

[chinkle]

I am new to saltwater reef systems but master at freshwater planted aquariums. My question is it worth buying the E260 Max AIO model and adding the sump upgrade or just go with the 260 Max without the rear sump? I want to go with soft corals and invertebrates but would like to progress to hard corals and wondering if it’s worth the money long term to have both?

 

[fishski13]

Honestly I think the AIO for that size if fine. You are just limited on a protein skimmer. You can very successfully run coral in that tank.

 

[chinkle]

Thanks! Very helpful. Another question for you. Would having both give me a big advantage on the load I could run? I would assume so but that is based on my freshwater tank and secondly are there any of the manufacturers that are offering a similar set up in a 80-90 gallon range. I have about a 3500 budget max for my set up and I have enough room for a bigger set up but it appears that if I take a 90 gallon tank and load it up with a sump, protein skimmer, pump etc. etc. I would be well over that.

 

[fishski13]

Thanks! Very helpful. Another question for you. Would having both give me a big advantage on the load I could run? I would assume so but that is based on my freshwater tank and secondly are there any of the manufacturers that are offering a similar set up in a 80-90 gallon range. I have about a 3500 budget max for my set up and I have enough room for a bigger set up but it appears that if I take a 90 gallon tank and load it up with a sump, protein skimmer, pump etc. etc. I would be well over that.

Personally i dont know how to run both at the same time.

Honestly, I would sell the current tank you have and add that to your budget and you can set up for example the red sea reefer 350 within your budget. This just gives you more room and abilities to do things. and you dont have to buy everything that once. like a protein skimmer is not needed in the beginnning. Just some food for thought.

 

[chinkle]

Well you are the third person that has told me to sell my Freshwater aquarium! Nice aquarium. Oceanic 75 gallon show tank. Not sure if they even make those anymore. Picked mine up in 1988 for 350.00 at the local fish shop! has never leaked a drop and still has original silicone! Thanks for your help. I think I will go with the E260 and skip the sump for now. Cant find any negatives on that system and I believe in simplicity.

 

[fishski13]

Well you are the third person that has told me to sell my Freshwater aquarium! Nice aquarium. Oceanic 75 gallon show tank. Not sure if they even make those anymore. Picked mine up in 1988 for 350.00 at the local fish shop! has never leaked a drop and still has original silicone! Thanks for your help. I think I will go with the E260 and skip the sump for now. Cant find any negatives on that system and I believe in simplicity.

My bad I thought you already had the E260 and was saying to sell that in order to get the bigger reefer 350. Didnt mean to say your freshwater

 

[MYosh88]

I am new to saltwater reef systems but master at freshwater planted aquariums. My question is it worth buying the E260 Max AIO model and adding the sump upgrade or just go with the 260 Max without the rear sump? I want to go with soft corals and invertebrates but would like to progress to hard corals and wondering if it’s worth the money long term to have both?

I have had my E260 AIO (no sump upgrade) for about 7 months. I am happy with it, and I would buy it again. Prior to this I had an Oceanic 58 gal with a traditional under tank sump for 17 years. I have a mixed reef (softies, LPS, some SPS), with six fish (probably will add 2 more). I agree that you will be able to keep SPS in the E260.

I chose the E260 because I wanted to have everything fit inside the cabinet, especially the 20 gal RODI water reservoir that I have. For the small reservoir included with the E260 sump upgrade, you will probably need add RODI water every 5 to 7 days (also true for the Red Sea Reefer 250).

The disadvantages of the AIO:
1) As mentioned, you will likely have to live with the provided skimmer. Other people have managed to shoehorn other skimmers, but choices appear to be limited. The MSK 900 has kept up with my current bioload (nitrate 1-2 ppm, phosphate 0.8 ppm).
2) Red Sea won't allow you to substitute other lights with the package (I asked). On the other hand, the RS 90 LEDs appear to perfectly adequate to grow SPS https://youtu.be/U3gImt5Zo5U
3) Without an under tank sump, you won't be able to explore potentially fun things like a refugium or filter roller
4) With an AIO, the noise from the reservoir (mostly the skimmer) is not muffled by a cabinet, as with a sump setup. I find the hum to be acceptable, others have not.

If you are going to go with an under tank sump, suggest the Red Sea Reefer series (or equivalent tanks from other manufacturers). From what I can tell from the manual, the E260 sump upgrade is a bit of a hybrid, where some the return water volume bypasses the sump because of the circulation pumps (others please correct me if I am wrong).

Also, another thing to consider is the kind of fish you wish to keep. For example, the display volume of the E260 (56 gal) will preclude you from keeping a full grown tang or even some dwarf angels.

Hope this helps.

 

[MYosh88]

Sorry meant 0.08 ppm for phosphate.

 

[chinkle]

Thanks! This is awesome information. I have pretty much made up my mind To go with a sump. I had come to the same conclusion on the display tank water volume and have decided to go bigger for that very reason and my wife decided she wanted it on a larger wall which worked out in my favor big time! I know I will want a refugium so got that out of the way. I thought I was sold on the Red Sea line until someone told me to check out the Cade line….really digging the removable weir and ATO on the back of the tank however it’s only about 5 gallons. How long does a 20 gallon ATO go before you have to refill.

 

[chinkle]

My bad I thought you already had the E260 and was saying to sell that in order to get the bigger reefer 350. Didnt mean to say your freshwater

No worries, I have definitely decided to go bigger and to go with a sump. No just deciding on my package. You have any feedback on the Cade line?

 

[fishski13]

No worries, I have definitely decided to go bigger and to go with a sump. No just deciding on my package. You have any feedback on the Cade line?

Oh nice congrats. Cade line from Algea Barn is a bit expensive compared to others however they are one of the best. They have good structure, detail, and overall design. They also come with the outlet management system which is nice. This is definitely I good option.

I personally have the Aquaforest Oceanguard which is very good as well. A bit cheaper than Cade, but it is very well designed and made compared to others like Red Sea and Waterbox. The cabinet is real wood and has a certification. The sump is very sleek and well designed.

With both the Cade and Aquaforest right now you get a free starter kit just to let you know.

 

[MYosh88]

Thanks! This is awesome information. I have pretty much made up my mind To go with a sump. I had come to the same conclusion on the display tank water volume and have decided to go bigger for that very reason and my wife decided she wanted it on a larger wall which worked out in my favor big time! I know I will want a refugium so got that out of the way. I thought I was sold on the Red Sea line until someone told me to check out the Cade line….really digging the removable weir and ATO on the back of the tank however it’s only about 5 gallons. How long does a 20 gallon ATO go before you have to refill.

Glad you and your wife are on the same page Also glad you figured out that water top off is more of a thing in saltwater, because you want to minimize salinity fluctuations. You may also want to consider what you will do when you go on vacation.

In the dry climate where I live, the E260 evaporates 5 gal of water per week. Because I do not fill up the reservoir all the way to the top, and try to keep it from running dry, I fill the water tank up every 25-28 days.

You will undoubtedly be a more conscientious reefer than me, but I found lugging a 5 gal bucket of water up from the basement every week got old real fast. Even weekly fill ups with a hose and pump didn't cut it for me.

With a larger tank, there may be enough room in the cabinet for a reasonably sized water reservoir, but keep in mind that the evaporation rate will also be higher. You can find a not too ugly sturdy plastic tank to place beside your tank, which is what I did for years. You can also buy a purpose built ATO reservoir (they seem to be reasonably good looking). If you are handy, you can DIY a tank to hide inside a piece of furniture like a storage chest. If you are super handy, you can direct plump a water line to your ATO.

Good luck. Hope you enjoy this hobby as much as I have.