Getting back in soon. Would like some input

[Badlands25]

Hello all. I have been out of the hobby for about a year now and getting back in soon. I had only been in for about 18 months before my exit so I still consider myself a newbie started off with a non rr 75 then went to an external overflow and 20 gal sump. Then upgraded to a rr125 with 6' 3 bulb mh fixture. Then upgraded to rapidled kit. Spent too much $$$$ on coral and fish, got ich and tank wiped out. Restocked after 10 weeks fallow lost power for 3 days coral all died and wife was ****ed at all the lost $$ so I sold everything. I have always like the look of cube tanks so that's the direction of my next tank. So where you all come in is what gear is making you happy? I'm thinking 60 cube rr. Not sure what size sump will fit under? Had an aqua -c skimmer with mag pump that was ok on the 125. Was thinking reef breeders photon as a light because I want to do coral again also. Love Lps and sps. Thinking jebao wp40 for flow. Not sure about return pump size. I'll be happy with clowns/wrasses. Love triggers/angels/tangs but I'm not thinking about another 6' tank so they are out. Looking forward to your input and to hear of any deals on gear for sale. I'm in nh by the way

 

[Badlands25]

Wow no input at all?

 

[BlindZide]

Honestly I don't think anything has changed since you cut out a year ago. LEDs are all the craze in lights I believe.

 

[danderso]

If I knew what rr meant I would comment.

 

[M.phenax]

If I knew what rr meant I would comment.

What ^^^ said

 

[shaginwagon13]

If I knew what rr meant I would comment.

What ^^^ said

lol RR means reef ready.


OP there are way too many questions, what exactly are you curious about? Not much has changed over the past year, new models of almost all the big-name LED manufactures have come out. Apart from that, all the equipment is almost the exact same.

If I were you, I would use a return pump that has the power to supply flow to your display tank AND your reactors, chiller, etc. You save on electricity, and limit heat transfer to the water from having additional pumps.

 

[stlbballer33]

Any reason in particular you're done with 6' tanks? I'm thinking of getting a 6' 125 gallon tank to start my first reef, what was the main draw back for you?

 

[Badlands25]

Just the water volume. 125 plus 40 gal sump = big water changes. Most curiosity is towards the programmable led vs led on a reef keeper. Also wanting to hear about people's exp. with the jebao pumps. Wp40 and the dc return pumps

 

[Sk8r]

I think you'd fare better asking in Reef Discussion rather than NTTH, if you want several years' experience with these systems.

My own advice is get a tank above 100 gallons and get it reef ready; and this time, above all else, spring for a quarantine setup and use it; ditto a topoff system, a ro/di filter, and ample test kits with log book. This hobby can be agony-free and relatively easy if you do the groundwork right. In an emergency, I have shamefully neglected a fully-set-up kalk-using reef: 6 months with ONLY feeding and resupply of freshwater topoff. No losses, parameters steady as a rock. Of course---getting it BACK into good shape took some water changes and work to bring the traces (trace elements, via the salt mix) back to optimum. But you need to have the ATO and the ro/di and you need to get set up properly at the start. For pumps, I've used Mag and Iwaki. Both are good, hard to destroy, but both are noisy. I use a basement sump, so the racket doesn't matter.

 

[BlindZide]

WP40 is a monster WaveMaker. It made a sandstorm in my 75g but I did have a lot of open water space. I had 2 of those and traded them for some Koralia 750s and a Aqueon 900. I have since gotten rid of those and now run 2 Koralia 3s and a WP25.

 

[Badlands25]

Thanks! I HAD an rodi but sold it with old setup. I plan on getting another one and setting up an ATO. The problem with the quarantine setup is generally they are lesser setups than your display. Not as good gear = shitty quarantine right? Although I am planning on smaller fish not tangs so I could prob do a 20-30 gal qt setup right?

 

[BlindZide]

Well a QT should be bare bottom with some things for them to hide in or around. Basics are needed like a heater and a HoB filter I believe. Should be able to build a QT for about $100.