Considering Getting Back Into The Hobby

CaptainFlyingFishGuts

Rock Arranger
Premium Member
I'm considering getting back into the hobby. It's been ~12-13 years. (I used to have a 120g tank.). I'm not very far down the rabbit trail yet, but I'm considering the Red Sea Reefer Peninsula 350 (73g).

Anyone have some friendly advice on Peninsula tanks and/or Red Sea?
 
Welcome back to the hobby. You may find some bad reviews on Red Sea due to seam failures (I think it’s usually on the larger tanks) but you also should find they are one of the largest names in aquarium set ups. Other brands that have peninsula style or Innovative Marine, Waterbox and I believe Cade. @SwissFragReefer has an amazing Red Sea tank. I’m not sure who all else is running one, maybe @Genetics. I’m not local to SLASH but thought I’d offer some advise
 
Welcome back to the hobby. You may find some bad reviews on Red Sea due to seam failures (I think it’s usually on the larger tanks) but you also should find they are one of the largest names in aquarium set ups. Other brands that have peninsula style or Innovative Marine, Waterbox and I believe Cade. @SwissFragReefer has an amazing Red Sea tank. I’m not sure who all else is running one, maybe @Genetics. I’m not local to SLASH but thought I’d offer some advise

Then what the hell are you doing in here? Oh, wait, I’m local and never joined the club either😂
 
Eh, it's still around and active. Frag swap was last weekend, and we still hold monthly gatherings. Most of the club activity is on FB and that other site.


Cheers,

Matt
 
I'm considering getting back into the hobby. It's been ~12-13 years. (I used to have a 120g tank.). I'm not very far down the rabbit trail yet, but I'm considering the Red Sea Reefer Peninsula 350 (73g).

Anyone have some friendly advice on Peninsula tanks and/or Red Sea?

There is a thread on another forum and all the RedSea failures. I would stay away. In my opinion it is not the tank but the stands causing the failures. There are now plenty of other brands out there.

I got rid of mine but they are actually kind of a pain. I had leaky plumbing.
The plumbing is Metric so hard to modify.
 
Eh, it's still around and active. Frag swap was last weekend, and we still hold monthly gatherings. Most of the club activity is on FB and that other site.


Cheers,

Matt
You can mention that other site by the way.

Good to hear SLASH is still around. When I hung out with Nook a couple months ago, he said something to the effect that it really wasn’t an organized club anymore…just more some locals/friends getting together.
 
The Red Sea Reefer Peninsula 350 is a high-quality tank that is known for its sleek design and durability. The peninsula-style tank offers a unique viewing experience with three viewing panels, which can make for a stunning centerpiece in any room.

One thing to consider is the size of the tank and the space you have available. Make sure you have enough room for the tank, its stand, and any other equipment you may need. Also, keep in mind that a larger tank may require more maintenance and higher costs for equipment and upkeep.

In terms of Red Sea as a brand, they are known for producing high-quality tanks and equipment. Their tanks are made with high-quality materials and feature advanced filtration systems, making them a good choice for experienced hobbyists.
 
I’m continuing to look at options for different equipment. At this point, I’m planning a Cade 1200 S/P. RedSea 1200 fleece roller. 2x MP40’s. I’ve got a skimmer picked out which I may wait a bit on. (Can’t remember the model right now.)

Light choices are my dilemma now. I’ve consider 2x Kessil 360x with a led hybrid fixture. OR starting with 3x AI Blades and then increasing to 5 as I add more corals. I’m thinking the XR30’s are more than I need. 3x XR15’s with a couple blades could work long term. Lighting is definitely an expensive option overload headache. (Aiming for a mixed reef). Help needed!
 
There are plenty of lower cost lighting options out there as well. I’ve used several of them with great success.
 
I’m continuing to look at options for different equipment. At this point, I’m planning a Cade 1200 S/P. RedSea 1200 fleece roller. 2x MP40’s. I’ve got a skimmer picked out which I may wait a bit on. (Can’t remember the model right now.)

Light choices are my dilemma now. I’ve consider 2x Kessil 360x with a led hybrid fixture. OR starting with 3x AI Blades and then increasing to 5 as I add more corals. I’m thinking the XR30’s are more than I need. 3x XR15’s with a couple blades could work long term. Lighting is definitely an expensive option overload headache. (Aiming for a mixed reef). Help needed!


I have used allot of Kessil fixtures. I switched one tank to XR30 G5 and didn't like them so I sold them off and replaced with Kessil's.




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A fixture that has been gaining allot of traction lately is the reef-fi labs fixture. I have not used the Reef-Fi fixtures but allot of people are having success with them and I have been thinking of trying one.
Seems allot of people that used the Ecotech Radions are making the switch. Might be worth a look.


With Radions I just not a fan and I also hate mobius. I had G5 and used maybe 8 months or so and then sold them.

I had issues syncing them with my phone and every once in a while one would randomly freeze on. When they froze I could not access it so I have to uplug them.. Every once in a while I walk by the basement late at night and see a light on.

They are extremely popular though partly because of marketing.

I ended up replacing them with Kessil. I keep trying other fixtures and end up back with Kessil all the time. They are just easy too.

Most good fixtures nowadays can keep and grow corals.
 
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I agree they all work. I have a very old g3 pro running on Mobius and like it, but I’d rather have a ReefFi for half the price of a new radion. I have Kessils as well, not really a fan of them (or at least mine) as far as the control being a change in white/blue balance only. They also were bought used so maybe they are just past their prime all these years later, but heck my par38 bulb puts out more light. There are also other good cheap lights, using a Nicrew on my nano and it’s pretty good. Using some populargrows as supplemental bars on my display, lots of par per $$ but spectrum is just 470nm only so not really good as the only light source. It’s all a balancing act. But the ReeFi’s seem like a good option as a main light.
 
I have Kessils as well, not really a fan of them (or at least mine) as far as the control being a change in white/blue balance only. T

That is one of the strong points of the Kessil for most reefers.
Most only care about how much white or blue they see. The Kessil logic takes care of the rest of the colors.
Most reefer have no idea how much green, red, cyan, magenta etc spectrum is beneficial, or how much is need if any or how much can be detrimental.

Also the Kessil spectral controller I believe gives you control over individual channels if you want.
 
Just FWIW, I bought these for my RedSea 525XL....

Pretty good deal @ $660.00 and the x200 version is 450.00


Yea that is a super good price.
Does not seem like a very popular fixture but I know a few people who have had good success with them.
 
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