Tank build...help?

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Thanks for all the replies!

I appreciate the tips on saving .When it comes time to order I'll do a bunch of shopping around .

I don't really see the value of the Apex system .The lights aren't compatible and run on their own software / schedule and the heaters will be running of an inkbird controller. The one thing it does provide is PH functionality which will be helpful if I ever use a dosing pump for kalk? Maybe an Apex JR or something. But really for 150-200 I can get a quality pH probe. But then I don't get the historical data or internet functionality. Idk, for 800 bucks it doesn't seem valuable considering my setup. I really wish there were nitrite/ate, phsophate, calcium, and magnesium probes .THAT would be awesome!

 

[Redleg]

If you really want to save serious amounts of cash ditch the idea of buying a brand new tank altogether. There are plenty of used tanks on Craigslist and Facebook marketplace.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

I checked out used tanks and I'm mixed about it. You never know how people treat them, how they're stored, etc. I know you can get a defective tank new as well, but as someone who isn't an expert in knowing whether or not a tank will leak I'd rather not introduce that variable as well. Also it's very hard to find (in my area) a used Reefer 350. Seems like people don't let them go or they're not that common. I'd love to go the DIY route but that's not where I have room to spend time.

 

[Brien]

I have a Reefer 350 and can probably help you trim some of those costs.

First off, you can save a grand by buying the tank locally. I paid $1350 for a white 350 from my LFS.

For the skimmer look at the Bubble Magus 150. You need a 300-watt heater. I'd go with a Coral Vue Gyre XF150 power head. I think you'll only need 3 bags of sand unless you want a deep sand bed. The Dr. Tim's is way too expensive, you can get Bio Spira for a lot less and does the same thing.

I didn't read the other responses but I assume lights have been brought to your attention. There's another $1,500+.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Thanks Brien. The lights are actually included in the Deluxe model, which is why it's a good chunk more than the base model that your purchased.

Thanks for the suggestions for the skimmer and powerhead I'll check that out. I actually want a shallow ~1" sand bed -- I guess my calculations are off.

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Just read about the Neptune Trident. I think I'll hold off on Apex, etc until that comes out and is tested. Looks promising! Dosing kalk makes me nervous (float valve in the sump -- would probably replace with Osmolator down the road) so it would be cool to have two part instead that is controlled by the Trident if I understand correctly.

I didn't think I'd need to look into dosing but since I want to house some LPS I suppose that means I'll need to stay very on top of calcium, alkalinity, magnesium. I'd be too scared to automate dosing that stuff just on a drip for fear of overdoing it so a monitoring solution would be paramount, especially since I want to set up the tank to (eventually) run smoothly with fewer water changes.

 

[Greybeard]

Red Sea hasn't been selling the Reefer 350 for very long, and they're fairly high priced... I wouldn't hold my breath on finding one used.

The 'Reefer' series is expensive mainly because of all of the stuff it comes with. They've made pretty good choices, for the most part, on the 'stuff' they include, but if you're willing to spend some time, you can save some money selecting and buying your own components.

CustomAquariums shows a similar sized rimless tank, 48" x 24" x 18", for $550. You can certainly build, or have built, a stand of superior quality to what Red Sea is shipping for under $500. Trigger sump $350, Sun blaze 54x6 T5, $221. Bang. There's a system that will do everything that Red Sea unit will, and you've saved yourself enough to buy that $700 Apex.

BUT! It's not a 'system', you don't have a single vendor to complain to, or ask for support from.

A quick look around my local used market turns up a 150g tank and stand, $200. Save a BUNDLE, and get a bigger tank to boot... but you're on the hook if something isn't right. In this case, it's not drilled... you'd have to do that yourself. In any case, it's not rimless, and probably isn't really what you had in mind.

IMHO, if you're unhappy with that glass box, you'll never be happy with your reef. The glass box is NOT going to end up being a big percentage of the total system price... My advice, get what you want. If you don't, you're quite likely to end up going back in the near future, and buying what you wanted in the first place. If budgeting is a problem, buying it twice is really going to blow your budget!

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Well put. I consider the tank a decision that has been made. I'd rather have the 'Apple' product where it's all engineered to work in it's ecosystem. I'll gladly pay more for that and the tank it self looks quality from reviews and pictures.

Also going to start looking at controllers. I should probably start a new thread for this. I'm trying to figure out how I should go about monitoring the system. Here's what I think:

Valuable things to have real time and historical data:
Temperature controller (obvious, and can provide more accurate control over thermometers)
pH controller (important and can clue in if it's time to test calcium/alk, right?)
Salinity (seems dubious in terms of accuracy but if there's an accurate probe out there it might be worth it)

For these simple things, is there a recommended unit? Would need to be able to easily access it (wifi hotspot or the like) and control 2-4 outlets (could be used as wavemaker too?) and have historical/real time data for it to prove its worth. Seems like Apex Jr is a good value here.

 

[Greybeard]

Well put. I consider the tank a decision that has been made. I'd rather have the 'Apple' product where it's all engineered to work in it's ecosystem. I'll gladly pay more for that and the tank it self looks quality from reviews and pictures.

Also going to start looking at controllers. I should probably start a new thread for this. I'm trying to figure out how I should go about monitoring the system. Here's what I think:

Valuable things to have real time and historical data:
Temperature controller (obvious, and can provide more accurate control over thermometers)
pH controller (important and can clue in if it's time to test calcium/alk, right?)
Salinity (seems dubious in terms of accuracy but if there's an accurate probe out there it might be worth it)

For these simple things, is there a recommended unit? Would need to be able to easily access it (wifi hotspot or the like) and control 2-4 outlets (could be used as wavemaker too?) and have historical/real time data for it to prove its worth. Seems like Apex Jr is a good value here.

I'm fairly new to the world of controllers. Bought a Reefkeeper lite based on a BRS video recommending one as a similarly priced alternative to a temp controller and a couple of decent light timers. 6 months with that piece of crap, and I wouldn't recommend a reefkeeper to my worst enemy. Bought an Apex Classic. I'm very, very happy with it. Now as for controlled outlets, you might think 2 or 4, but however many you get, you're likely to want more. I have 16... it's enough, for now

Here's what my Apex is controlling now:
Blue T5 bank
White T5 bank
Refugeum light
Heater
Skimmer
ATO Reservoir Refill Solenoid
Wavemaker 1
Wavemaker 2
Return Pump
Reactor Pump
Kalk Dosing Pump
Calc/Alk Dosing Pump
Under cabinet lighting
Water change barrel refill solenoid
Water change barrel stir/to tank pump
Tunze ATO system

Each and every one of these is on a controlled outlet for a reason. The lights, for example, are a simple timer, but... they also can automatically shut down if the tank temp exceeds a setpoint. Skimmer is on a sump level sensor, so that it doesn't run when the sump level is too high, for whatever reason, and flood the skimmate cup. My ATO reservoir refill is a bit complicated, but is controlled by the Apex. All of my pumps have a feed setting, and a water change setting, so that I can disable all of them at once for water changes. Water change system is still being implemented, but it's basically going to be a manual start sequence, with a high level switch to stop the fill, and a safety to catch it if that fails.

pH monitoring is great, temp monitoring, trending and graphing... but the important parts aren't that you can see them... it's that you can control other devices based on that input. Lights go off if temp raises to high. Kalk doser stops if pH rises. Level sensors are cheap, and easy to wire... I've got 4 of them in use, not counting the two that came with the Tunze ATO.

Oh, and don't forget... email alerts when something isn't quite right.

Once you've got a controller, and figure out all the nifty stuff you can do with it, you'll wonder how you ever ran a tank without one