Tank decided... now for some other hardware questions

[gray808]

OK.
After a bit more reading I've decided to go with the Waterbox Aquariums 70.3. I'm hearing good things about build quality, it looks really slick, and they got back ahold of me super-quickly when I had a question.

I also like that the sump has a built-in ATO reservoir.

Now, the question I have to ask: I can get a set of 2 AI Prime HD Reef lights, with flex arms, along with the tank, for a $430 add on, which is slightly less than I could buy the same lights and mounts on Amazon. I didn't really expect to get the lights until later, so I read up on these particular ones, and most people seem to be happy with them. Does anyone have experience with them and can give me a thumbs up, or tell me the horror stories? Does anyone have an alternate light set up that would be comparable or better, for about the same cash outlay?

Other hardware plans. Am I making any horrible choices here? Anything too over-the-top? Any cheaper and/or much, much better options? Anything I really don't need, or can wait til much later to acquire? If I have an X or Y, I'd appreciate any feedback you can give to make the decision easier

• ATO: Aqua Gadet Titanium Hydrofill $69.99
• BRS 5 Stage Premium RO/DI - 75gpd $ 199.99
• Finnex Digital Heater Controller Titanium $84.95 or Eheim Jager 300w Heaters (2) $64.12
• RO Octo VarioS-2 Controllable Return Pump $214
• RO Octo Pulse 2 Wave Pump $206.99 or Icecap 2k Gyre w/WIFI $209.99
• Curve 5 Elite Protein Skimmer $250
• EHeim Jager 300W + a couple el cheapo power heads for saltwater mixing

Some other lingering questions:

• Salt: what brand do you use? Is there a huge difference in brands?
• Rock: I was going to go with dry rock, like Reef Saver or the like. Should I get a smaller amount of actual we Live rock? If so, where is a good place to acquire it? What ratio of wet to dry should I look for? Or should I just stick with pure dry rock and use Dr. Tim or somesuch to cycle it?
• How much ready-to-go saltwater do you keep on hand? Do I need to have 70g made up for a slightly less than 70g sump+display? Or can I get away with keeping 20-30 gallons made at a time?
• If I was going to read 1-3 big build/instructional threads about cycling a new tank, which would you suggest should be my bible?

Thanks!!

--Gray

 

[Spare time]

I prefer the red sea lights over AI due to the greater dedication towards usable channels (meaning no red or green) and the fact that they are slightly cheaper but regardless AI makes good lights. There are plenty of brands so you have lots of options. I use ocean revives since they are cheap and get the job done (although I wish I had more UV and violet). I do not know much about those skimmers and wavemakers so I can't comment on that. The RO is a good choice. I Use RO buddie for mine.

For salt, I prefer red sea coral pro as it mixes very fast (within minutes) compared to hours of other brands and is actually cheaper that somethings like reef crystals when you mix them to the same salinity. The higher alk will also result in faster coral growth (the only corals where you really don't want this alk would be acros, in that case the regular red sea salt is the way to go.

For rock, do anything but live rock. Live rock is the number 1 reason for frustration amongst people in this hobby (imo) as that is where the majority of pests come from (ex aiptasia, flatworms, fireworms, vermatids, etc.) Just cycle with bottled bacteria and ammonia. I prefer using typically nitrifying bacteria and then something like pns probio or eco balance for diversity.

I keep no saltwater on hand and I can get away with this as red sea salt mixes almost instantly. I keep no RO water on hand too since I can make it rather fast and honestly just don't have a need to have it premade since I never do water changes (I have a good refugium) and have methods to fix issues where I would need to remove some ammonia or something without having to immediately have water on hand.

As for any guide, I recommend BRS videos on youtube.

 

[lpsouth1978]

I like the equipment list. I have used the Curve 5 Elite skimmer and really liked it. Varios Return pumps are nice and reliable. I typically use Instant ocean Reef Crystals saly, but I HATE the brown crud it leaves in the mixing container, so I plan on switching to HW MarineMix when I run out.

I really like AI lights and use them exclusively on my Waterbox 230.6. The Primes are good lights and the MyAI app is pretty easy to use.

 

[Anchor]

Gray808, Nice to see you here.. I have a couple of questions first..

WHat do you plan to keep?
Is money an object or not?
Are you just new to Reef2Reef or to saltwater/Reefing in General?

 

[Anchor]

Excellent tank choice!

I would get those lights as they are nice for the package. If you plan on eventually keeping Acropora they may be a little weak for that tank. THOUGH, adding T5 or a third Hydra would make that go. Aquatic life 3 foot T5 eventually that is.

I am not familiar with the skimmer But I know all venturis suck.. air...
The VarioS is a good, reliable pump.
As to heaters, I have found that those with external temp probes attached have been up to as much as 5 degrees F off compared to a certified temp probe. Keep that in mind when you set it to say 79 and find out you have been running it at 84 this whole time. With that said, I have that same Finnex and it heats 2 degrees cooler than my set point. I also have several Eheim and like them just as well.

I added an extra tank onto my RO/DI so I could put anything extra on it I wanted. .Like GFO if needed or extra DI resin or a second prefilter. I got the extra tank on Amazon for dirt cheap a few years ago.. But something to consider.

As to salt, You are going to get a ton of different answers. Go with your gut but keep in mind, there is a difference in salts. My experience is that Reef Crystals leave crap in your mixing bin. Red sea did not dissolve as fast as I have heard others claim but left less crud in the bin than IO did. HW Marinemix is what I am currently using But mixes clearer and faster than the others I used.. Consider the water parameters (alk, cal etc,) when making your choice.

I always have 30 gallons of RO ready to go. Use Brute trashcans as my storage bins. I do small water changes at least once a month as I don't have room for some of the alternatives, nor the cash to have the gear. You are goin to need RO for top offs remember..


I like your choices for powerheads.. I would get both, depending on what you are going to keep. I personally like the Sicce SDC pumps. they are both locally controllable and WiFi controllable. If you are not going to have a system controller, I would at least look at those. There are size differences in some of the pumps.. I might also suggest Tunze pumps.

I see nothing to make me panic on your list.

Use Dry rock


Things to add on..

Don't forget the testing gear and kits.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

This is the best advice you will never follow. Spend AT LESST HALF of the time that you are looking at gear;reading aquarium chemistry articles written by randy holmes farley.

I really dont mean to come off snarky. But the best equipment in the world will do nothing about understanding what is happening with your tank and why.

It is not as fun but quite honestly, it will make the hobby MUCH easier and more enjoyable.

Good luck man, exciting times!

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Personally I would swap the ATO to a Tunze, they are rock solid and I don’t think I’ve ever herd about one failing in the “on” position.

I would also advise you to at least start with some amount of real live rock (or all live rock). The increased biodiversity and stability easily beats out the risk of hitchhikers in my opinion.

In terms of heaters I like to use a heater with a internal thermostat and hook it up to a temperature controller for an extra layer of redundancy. The eheim is a good choice.

 

[gray808]

WHat do you plan to keep?

Easier corals, and a handful of fish. I've not completely decided on which fish, but almost certainly a pair of clowns or some flavor. Some others I've found nice and will consider: Royal Gramma, chromis, six-line wrasse, goby of some sort.

Is money an object or not?

Yes. I don't have to *really* pinch, but I don't want to go crazy. After I order the tank (tank, stand, sump, lights), I'll be out close to $2k. I'd like to get out with the rest of the major equipment, sand, rock, and accessories for under another $1500, but I am a realist.

Are you just new to Reef2Reef or to saltwater/Reefing in General?

Both, really. I've been very interested for about 5 years, reading a fair amount about it for 3 years or so.

--Gray

 

[gray808]

Personally I would swap the ATO to a Tunze, they are rock solid and I don’t think I’ve ever herd about one failing in the “on” position.

Ah, the Tunze 3155 Osmolator was on my list. This is one of the places I'd hoped to save little dough, but if the prevailing opinion is to go with the Tunze, so be it. (I also looked at the Aqua Gadget Titanium Hydrofill).

Hmmm. I'm torn on the live rock. I really, really, don't want to end up with a ton of aptasia or worse. Hmmmmmm.

--Gray

 

[gray808]

I always have 30 gallons of RO ready to go. Use Brute trashcans as my storage bins. I do small water changes at least once a month as I don't have room for some of the alternatives, nor the cash to have the gear. You are goin to need RO for top offs remember..

I've got this weird "hole" in my utility room, near where the RO/DI is going to be mounted. It's kinda a countertop, that extends out from a storage area to the wall, about hip-height. So I am hoping to find something to keep my on-hand RO/DI water in that will easily roll into this little cave; no real loss of floor space, and still convenient to tank and RO/DO & tap/drain.

Things to add on..
Don't forget the testing gear and kits.

Yup, all those on the list, along with other accessories like tongs, gloves, what-have-you.

In the future, I'd love to get an APex or similar control system. But I'm concentrating on getting the tank here, up, and running first, at least during the quarantine, since I'll be around basically 24/7 to watch it.

--Gray

 

[Anchor]

Ah, the Tunze 3155 Osmolator was on my list. This is one of the places I'd hoped to save little dough, but if the prevailing opinion is to go with the Tunze, so be it. (I also looked at the Aqua Gadget Titanium Hydrofill).

Hmmm. I'm torn on the live rock. I really, really, don't want to end up with a ton of aptasia or worse. Hmmmmmm.

--Gray

Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunity to get all of that bad stuff.. without the live rock.. BUT if you want to hurry it along, get a reactor and like a 10 gallon tank, fill the 10 gallon with salt water now, before your good tank arrived.. seed the tank with your preferred sand (I like the aragonite special grade as it is a little bigger and easy to clean) and a few choice bits of dry rock and your little powerhead you will used to mix salt. ad some bacterial and get things rolling. could do the same with a brute can and much more rock, and then use the small reactor to fill with you sand and seed that with bacteria as well. you have options.. you can do all of this without lights. If your LFS still has any dry rock or sand.. then.. there ya go..

I also have the TUnze ATO.. Love it.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Ah, the Tunze 3155 Osmolator was on my list. This is one of the places I'd hoped to save little dough, but if the prevailing opinion is to go with the Tunze, so be it. (I also looked at the Aqua Gadget Titanium Hydrofill).

Hmmm. I'm torn on the live rock. I really, really, don't want to end up with a ton of aptasia or worse. Hmmmmmm.

--Gray

A malfunctioning ATO is something that could really quickly decimate your tank and cause tons of water damage if your unlucky. A component like that is not something that I would skimp on.

Regarding the live rock and things such as aptasia they aren’t really that difficult to deal with. I’ve had aptasia in every single tank I’ve had over the last 15 years but you can never tell...just toss in a few peppermint shrimp and you’re good.
Never had anything worse than a mantis shrimp make its way in to the tank and that was easily caught.
People make it out to be that you might just get a dang xenomorph from The alien-franchise clinging to the rock haha

 

[R.Weller]

If you start with dry rock, I would go ahead, buy it & start soaking in freshwater RO. While with dry rock you have a shorter ammonia / nitrite / nitrate cycle, I was surprised to learn about dried organic componds covering the rock surfaces that leach phosphates. If you don't remove it before adding to the display, you will be fighting algae for the first year as it grows out.

I keep an old tank for this purpose. Usually 30 - 40lbs of dry rock soaking in 15 gal of freshwater. After filling, soaking & draining 3 - 4 times, PO4 readings are 0 (provided your RO water is phosphate free). Enjoy your new build!

 

[Victor_C3]

I can’t really comment on everything you asked, but a few things I’d recommend...

Return pumps: have at least two of them. Even if the second one sits in a box and is just kept there for a spare. When you lose your return pump, thinks can go south really fast and you’re going to be in a panic to acquire a replacement. Personally, I have two installed and running at the same time in my system, but I have enough space in my sump to do that.

Speaking of just in case, prepare for a power outage. A plan could be just as easy as having a few cheap battery operated bubblers on hand or as expensive as a whole house generator.

Salt, I swear by anything Tropic Marin makes. I’ve used their Pro salt for years until they released their Bio-Actif version. Their basic or classic salt will be just fine if you don’t plan on keeping SPS. If/when you do, it’s easy enough to switch, just start doing regular water changes with the variety you’re switching to. I’ve tried a few cheaper brand years ago, but I noticed a night and day visible difference when I did my first waterchange with Tropic Marin salt. I’ll never use anything else.

As far as water on hand, I usually never have extra RO/DI water on hand. However I find it convenient to have 15-20 gallons of saltwater mixed and ready to go on hand. When you purchase livestock, you’re going to want to have a few extra gallons on hand to replace water taken from the system during acclimation.

For what it’s worth, I’m running a 115 gallon display and have 125 gallons of water in my 175 gallon sump.

It sounds like you’re making some good choices. Best of luck to you!

 

[DesertReefT4r]

OP younhqve a solid gear list going on for sure. All quality gear and proven to work. AI lighting is awesome I have 2 Hydra 32s and love them. As for salt I like HW salt for the price and quality its hard to beat.