Is this a good deal? What would you change.
- Thread starter sprr1947
- Start date
The stand seems expensive. I find the lighting choice questionable considering everything else that's in there. I'd do some research if the goal is to keep corals. The premixed saltwater price is outrageous as well. 2 buckets of salt would make that quantity for a 3rd the price and you could buy an RODI unit and still be ahead. What is the $650 labour charge paying for?
wvned
Well-known member
I would not buy
Aquatop heater get 3 200 watt heaters and a controller. If one fails you are not screwed.
Fluval light Not enough for much except fish
7 carib sea shapes I got 5 I shoulkd have got maybe 2 or 3 and some other kinds/shapes. You will have 7 boxes with identical rocks in them with the shapes.
Hydros salinity kit I hear this isnt very accurate or reliable.
Aquatop heater get 3 200 watt heaters and a controller. If one fails you are not screwed.
Fluval light Not enough for much except fish
7 carib sea shapes I got 5 I shoulkd have got maybe 2 or 3 and some other kinds/shapes. You will have 7 boxes with identical rocks in them with the shapes.
Hydros salinity kit I hear this isnt very accurate or reliable.
Without more context, I’m going to guess you are paying to have this installed in your home and likely maintained by the store as well? If so, I mean I’m seeing what appears to be typical retail pricing (it doesn’t look like you’re getting any steal of a deal but not ripped off either).
That said, I agree with what’s been said above. Not to really rehash much of it but if you want coral, I’d look at different lighting. As for the stand, that definitely seems pricey but don’t know if it’s T-Slot aluminum with rose wood skin? T-slot would help justify that cost (at least from what I’ve seen).
The aquarium itself is a great brand.
Hope this helps!
That said, I agree with what’s been said above. Not to really rehash much of it but if you want coral, I’d look at different lighting. As for the stand, that definitely seems pricey but don’t know if it’s T-Slot aluminum with rose wood skin? T-slot would help justify that cost (at least from what I’ve seen).
The aquarium itself is a great brand.
Hope this helps!
ironwill723
Well-known member
I am a retailer for all these products. Planet Aquariums stands are typically almost as much as the tank unfortunately. I would shop around for other prices. Have you contacted Glasscages? All those other line items are easily obtained online for cheaper.
sprr1947
New member
Great advice, folks! Can someone build me a list of supplies—everything I will need—to keep both coral and fish happy? I'm looking for the most reliable tank automation, requiring the least amount of work. I will fill in the gaps with manual effort; I just need a list of the correct products to buy. I have learned I need a RODI. Anything else? Let me know.
Are those the tank dimensions you want to stick with or is that what was in stock?
I only ask as GlassCages (just one of a couple custom builders) comes in close in price for tank/stand/sump combo of similar but not exact dimensions.
(Also not dissing planet as they’re an excellent brand)
As for list, that list is pretty spot on for a basic set up.
Things I personally would change, but there will be varying opinions.
I’d change the lighting. It’s going to cost more but I’d go with something like ReefBreeders or Reefi Unos or even Quanta Atlas. All three are high quality lights but not sure of the “punch” of the Quanta or ReefBreeders for a 30” deep tank. Reefi shouldn’t be a problem for the depth as I’ve heard they’re par monsters you may just need to go 2 wide for a 30inch width to get enough light to the bottom of the tank for coral. Lighting for coral unfortunately is not inexpensive. There are cheap options that work it’s the tank dimensions that are driving the cost up some.
One thing to consider with lighting is your mounting options. That wide of a tank you’ll likely want to mount the lights from the ceiling unless you have a separate mounting system.
I would look for a used skimmer. Just make sure the skimmer size can handle the tank size. You’ll likely save some money here.
Hydros - an excellent system. I use Apex but have been looking at setting up a hydros for some of my other tanks. There seems to be semi-regular sales (10-20% off) online. My LFS also honors these sales usually too. I’m not familiar with their salinity kit so can’t comment there.
Going off hydros, it’s included in your list but definitely an ATO. This helps maintaining stability.
As mentioned RODI. My opinion, an RODI is an RODI so brand doesn’t really matter here just how big of system you want (gallons of water produced per day). Getting an RODI will also save you on buying premixed water.
With that also said, going with an RODI you will need to buy salt. I use Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals (whichever is cheapest) but there’s plenty of other great brands out there as well that people use.
Rock…I’m a live rock person but it’s pricey. You can always start with mostly dry and add some live rock to get that additional bacteria and other benefits. With that also said, if you don’t mind “white” rock, you can get Marco rock or similar dry rock for about $3.00/lb - (25lbs for $66 at KP Aquatics) - Dry Rock - Free shipping.
As for sand, bagged live sand is great, but again you can get “real” live sand for a bit more - 100lbs for $399. You can choose a smaller amount and go with dry sand and use the live sand to seed it. Dry sand again is generally a bit cheaper. Also 100lbs of sand seems kinda low for a 280 gallon tank. I’d push closer to 1lb per gallon.
As mentioned I’d go with multiple heaters, I’d personally do 2 x 300watt. However I don’t see a heater controller (other than hydros). I’ve personally seen heaters destroy a tank by malfunctioning so I’d get a separate temperature controller (Inkbird is popular but I’ve seen them fail but Ranco is another popular brand (also used for commercial applications).
Sicce is a great brand for return pump. I personally run cheap Jebao pumps, but it’s all personal preference.
I don’t see any powerheads/wavemakers on the list. You’ll definitely want at least a couple. Again I run cheap Jebaos with not many issues. There are multiple other brands as well (AI, Vortech, Neptune, etc) that are high end brands with the high end price tag that have a following as well. You also can’t go wrong with Tunze. A fantastic brand that’s been around for decades with excellent customer support.
As you venture into corals you’ll want to integrate dosing additives.
Also test kits. Hannah is a great brand with digital read outs but I personally use Salifert (non-digital) and have never had an issue. That said, Hydros will be having the Hydros Maven coming out soon which does automatic testing.
I only ask as GlassCages (just one of a couple custom builders) comes in close in price for tank/stand/sump combo of similar but not exact dimensions.
(Also not dissing planet as they’re an excellent brand)
As for list, that list is pretty spot on for a basic set up.
Things I personally would change, but there will be varying opinions.
I’d change the lighting. It’s going to cost more but I’d go with something like ReefBreeders or Reefi Unos or even Quanta Atlas. All three are high quality lights but not sure of the “punch” of the Quanta or ReefBreeders for a 30” deep tank. Reefi shouldn’t be a problem for the depth as I’ve heard they’re par monsters you may just need to go 2 wide for a 30inch width to get enough light to the bottom of the tank for coral. Lighting for coral unfortunately is not inexpensive. There are cheap options that work it’s the tank dimensions that are driving the cost up some.
One thing to consider with lighting is your mounting options. That wide of a tank you’ll likely want to mount the lights from the ceiling unless you have a separate mounting system.
I would look for a used skimmer. Just make sure the skimmer size can handle the tank size. You’ll likely save some money here.
Hydros - an excellent system. I use Apex but have been looking at setting up a hydros for some of my other tanks. There seems to be semi-regular sales (10-20% off) online. My LFS also honors these sales usually too. I’m not familiar with their salinity kit so can’t comment there.
Going off hydros, it’s included in your list but definitely an ATO. This helps maintaining stability.
As mentioned RODI. My opinion, an RODI is an RODI so brand doesn’t really matter here just how big of system you want (gallons of water produced per day). Getting an RODI will also save you on buying premixed water.
With that also said, going with an RODI you will need to buy salt. I use Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals (whichever is cheapest) but there’s plenty of other great brands out there as well that people use.
Rock…I’m a live rock person but it’s pricey. You can always start with mostly dry and add some live rock to get that additional bacteria and other benefits. With that also said, if you don’t mind “white” rock, you can get Marco rock or similar dry rock for about $3.00/lb - (25lbs for $66 at KP Aquatics) - Dry Rock - Free shipping.
As for sand, bagged live sand is great, but again you can get “real” live sand for a bit more - 100lbs for $399. You can choose a smaller amount and go with dry sand and use the live sand to seed it. Dry sand again is generally a bit cheaper. Also 100lbs of sand seems kinda low for a 280 gallon tank. I’d push closer to 1lb per gallon.
As mentioned I’d go with multiple heaters, I’d personally do 2 x 300watt. However I don’t see a heater controller (other than hydros). I’ve personally seen heaters destroy a tank by malfunctioning so I’d get a separate temperature controller (Inkbird is popular but I’ve seen them fail but Ranco is another popular brand (also used for commercial applications).
Sicce is a great brand for return pump. I personally run cheap Jebao pumps, but it’s all personal preference.
I don’t see any powerheads/wavemakers on the list. You’ll definitely want at least a couple. Again I run cheap Jebaos with not many issues. There are multiple other brands as well (AI, Vortech, Neptune, etc) that are high end brands with the high end price tag that have a following as well. You also can’t go wrong with Tunze. A fantastic brand that’s been around for decades with excellent customer support.
As you venture into corals you’ll want to integrate dosing additives.
Also test kits. Hannah is a great brand with digital read outs but I personally use Salifert (non-digital) and have never had an issue. That said, Hydros will be having the Hydros Maven coming out soon which does automatic testing.
Last edited:
sprr1947
New member
Yeah! I definitely wanted a deep tank with a high stand. I'm 6'3" i want to be able to stand up & look in the tank without having to hunch over. That's an important esthetic I want.
Just wanted to be sure. Just filled in the rest of the post.
Shane (@Reefing102) gave a great synopsis. You can ask 20 people the best way to setup a successful reef tank and get 20 different answers. Be patient, be willing to experiment, ask a lot of questions and find what works for YOU.
sprr1947
New member
That's true. I love to learn, and starting down this path, I knew I had to get input on how best to spend the money. I love the idea of an automated chemical balancing system. My wall is technically 96.5"—maybe I can find a 96x30x30 tank and cabinet with a tight footprint, and then it would be flush with the hallway. I have to get the ceiling height right and have the topper go straight to the ceiling. Unfortunately, I think the ceiling height is 87". I can make it work for lights on a motorized cable light lift system. And since the tank will probably be 71 inches to the top, I'll need a stepladder. Now, tell me about these RODI systems. Are they only used for saltwater creation? Then what, just take it apart, clean it out, and put it in a box for next time? Do most people think having dual titanium heaters, a chiller, an automated wave maker, an extra-large sump and skimmer (I still don't know exactly what lights) is necessary for healthy coral, rock, fish, and all life in a 30" deep tank, with colors I can change with Alexa?
Research the Neptune Apex controller with a Trident system. The Apex will cover just about any automation you can think of and the Fusion app lets you monitor and control from anywhere.
You continuously need RO water for salt creation and ATO (automatic top off of evaporation to maintain salinity). Normally you would have a reservoir of the product water for immediate use always on hand somewhere. The system will make water for you daily, weekly, monthly depending on how much you can store. This is normally a permanent installation somewhere like a laundry room, although there are portable systems too. Not having this and instead buying RO water and premixed salt water from the LFS is a long term outrageous expense that could be much better applied to other parts of the system including your livestock.
Great synopsis. I currently have a 40 breeder and keep a 20 gallon Rubbermaid Brute trashcan of RODI water on hand at all times for topoff, water changes and other potential emergencies. I put a bulkhead in the bottom of the Brute and have it connected to a float valve in my sump for topoff. This can be risky because if the float valve stick or fails, it could flood my system with freshwater and drop the salinity. I'm pretty old school and don't have a ton of automation for my system.
One thing about RODI systems that many people don't take into account in TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) creep. Essentially, when the RODI system is not actively producing water, the impurities that were removed by the RO membrane will "creep" out of the membrane and into the membrane housing. Then, turning on the system, forces this high TDS water into the DI cartridge(s) and will exhaust the DI resin fairly quickly. To combat this, I created a bypass (between the RO membrane housing and first DI cartridge) to flush the membrane housing until the TDS (using a TDS meter) drop and than I close the bypass to make water. Before installing this bypass, I used to consume DI resin at an astronomical rate. If you don't want to DIY a bypass, there are commercially bypass add-ons available.
