I'm new to the site and was wanting peoples opinions on what are the must have's and the money wasters of their own experiences. A little about me. I was into reefing back in the late 80's and I've noticed things have changed dramatically from the metal halide days. I'm in the process of building a home and I'm planning on installing a 460 island reef in my living room with the filter room being in the mechanical room underneath. I've put a lot of planning into it so far but was wanting everyone's input so I don't forget something. Thanks
The must have's
- Thread starter terracereef
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Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
Welcome to R2R! Must haves: Tank, Water, Heater... 
kschweer
Moderator
Welcome!! To keep it simple money wasters are anything that's a "cure all" or quick fix. Nothing good happens fast when it comes to reef tanks. When it comes to must haves I would say an rodi unit is a good place to start.
Welcome to the forum!!
On a tank this large? I would say a good controller (Apex/Profilux) and a auto water change system. the first for security/convenience, the second for ease of maintenance.
On a tank this large? I would say a good controller (Apex/Profilux) and a auto water change system. the first for security/convenience, the second for ease of maintenance.
Welcome!
My "must haves" for any reef tank above 40gal would be:
Tank of suitable design and strength (overflows, bracing, etc.), rock/sand (enough to suit - live or, if not, then some kind of "bacteria in a bottle"), plumbing (with plenty of removable unions and a manifold with enough valves), two heaters, enough powerheads for the tank, lighting to suit your inhabitants, a sump with enough room for everything you'll want in it, an adequately sized skimmer, an appropriately sized return pump (consider head loss and diverted pressure), RODI unit (with TDS meter on output, at least), ATO, a dedicated power supply (or enough room on a breaker), a full QT setup (or two for TTM), test kit for every major parameter (refractometer, pH, dKH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, calcium, phosphate, magnesium), a "first aid kit", and tank cleaning tools (scraper, etc.)
There may be more... ;-)
My "must haves" for any reef tank above 40gal would be:
Tank of suitable design and strength (overflows, bracing, etc.), rock/sand (enough to suit - live or, if not, then some kind of "bacteria in a bottle"), plumbing (with plenty of removable unions and a manifold with enough valves), two heaters, enough powerheads for the tank, lighting to suit your inhabitants, a sump with enough room for everything you'll want in it, an adequately sized skimmer, an appropriately sized return pump (consider head loss and diverted pressure), RODI unit (with TDS meter on output, at least), ATO, a dedicated power supply (or enough room on a breaker), a full QT setup (or two for TTM), test kit for every major parameter (refractometer, pH, dKH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, calcium, phosphate, magnesium), a "first aid kit", and tank cleaning tools (scraper, etc.)
There may be more... ;-)
Welcome to R2R! I would recommend having an extensive quarantine system in place for all your livestock, especially with a display tank of that magnitude. I can't wait to see this epic build come together. Congrats on the house too!
melypr1985
totally addicted
Welcome to R2R!
My must haves are:
A QT or two and all the equipment that goes with it. Spare meds too
Auto Top Off
RODI unit
My must haves are:
A QT or two and all the equipment that goes with it. Spare meds too
Auto Top Off
RODI unit
alanbetiger
Active Member
RODI that can produce your total volume within 24 hours
Auto Top off
An EASY way to do significant waterchanges. Doesn't have to be fancy/high tech. But if it takes too long or is a pain in the bottom, they'll get put off longer and longer and longer.
Auto Top off
An EASY way to do significant waterchanges. Doesn't have to be fancy/high tech. But if it takes too long or is a pain in the bottom, they'll get put off longer and longer and longer.
terracereef
Community Member
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Can you please elaborate on the type of quarantine system you are suggesting. Is it for the fish only or the corals too?Welcome to R2R! I would recommend having an extensive quarantine system in place for all your livestock, especially with a display tank of that magnitude. I can't wait to see this epic build come together. Congrats on the house too!
For such a massive tank as the one you are planning, I think it would be prudent to have a QT for fish, a separate one for coral and even a third for inverts. Taking every precaution to avoid introducing anything detrimental to your livestock and the reef itself. We've all experienced loss, but few of us have systems that large. I can only imagine the expense associated with loss at that scale. Just my .02 cents for whatever it's worth.
I wish you the best. I'll certainly be following this build as it comes together and I'm really excited for you! Happy reefing! 
dbl
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