New member. New build incoming. LFS disagrees with me, do you?

[Robjrussell]

Hey everyone.

I am doing a build after being out of the hobby for 12 years and as a result of being older and more gray hair- I want to do this build right.

I met the owner of a LFS here in Chicago and he was a great guy. Spent time with me to answer questions and show me the advances in gear.

I sent him an email asking for quotes on the following gear.

- JBJ RL-30 rimless tank
- Tunze recirc pump (upgrade from tank)
- Kessil A160WE
- Reef Octopus BH-50 or Tunze Comline DOC 9004
- Aqua Maxx FR-S Media reactor (for Carbon/GFO)
- Vortech MP-10

Here is his word for word response-

"Robert:
Your best bet is to get the JBJ 30 gallon kit which includes free stand along with all of the other accessories.
I simply do not understand why you would want a different pump. The pump is the heart of the aquarium and to get a pump where support is at least 2 days away can be a real challenge. We have had great success with the equipment that comes with the "kit".
The same goes for the lighting. We sell both Tunze and Kessil but for what you want to grow especially to get started the kit is quite adequate.
Protein skimmers in a small tank can be quite challenging. Based on our experience, most don't work very well.
Stay away from the media reactors. They can be more harmful than beneficial, as most hobbyists don't know what they do and how to use them. You can accomplish more with proper disciplined maintenance.
Never put a powerhead on a curved glass tank, especially one that pulses and transfers heat, unless you want a potential 30 gallons of water on your floor. It puts too much stress on the glass.
That said, if what you listed is what you want, we can certainly get it all for you except the Reef Octopus.
We have had amazing success with the JBJ product line. For reasons above and beyond my comprehension, the results from these aquariums have exceeded our expectations time after time.
I look forward to your response and seeing you in the store when time allows."

This basically goes against everything I've seen online.

He is an honest guy and has said he has a good relationship with JBJ and really likes their setups. So I don't think he's acting shady to just get me to buy that setup- and his shop is gorgeous. Tanks and livestock are top notch.

Can you all let me know your thoughts?

Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Robjrussell]

Just realized I missed a few things and don't know how to edit through tapatalk.

Stocking info-
I am looking at doing a mixed reef. Zoas, sps, lps, clam, anemone. Bangaii cardinals X2, clowns X2, maybe 2 or 3 other small fish- wrasse, lawnmower, goby, etc as ideas.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gffpm1247]

I am near Chicago. Not sure which place you talked to but I really like Reefs Plus in North Aurora

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[gffpm1247]

I am near Chicago. Not sure which place you talked to but I really like Reefs Plus in North Aurora

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

They have yet to lead me in the wrong direction!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[Sk8r]

Here (imho) are your tradeoffs---indeed, little skimmers for little tanks don't as a rule do too much for them because little tanks can't have a huge fish load in the first place. They're kind of limited to show-pairs like the smallest clownfish, or some of the nano-fish that never exceed three inches, and these fish just don't pollute much. Now, if you're going for soft corals, there IS a point to a carbon bag, because they spit at each other and inhibit each other, and the carbon sops that up, but a bag somewhere in the water flow (rather than a second pump going) might be enough.
Your options would be a larger tank---but you may not want that. I'd say if you eventually need to replace that pump, fine: a backup main pump available is not a bad thing in general, and if it ain't broke, it still might get you through an emergency. I'd say your guy's advice isn't all that bad and at least he's not trying to oversell you.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I have no experience with kit setups, but their popularity leads me to believe they must work out well.
After 12 years away, you are going to see lots of new and better ways to do things than before.

IMO your LFS is trying to keep you from overspending from the git-go before you discover what you really want/need.
Listen to the man, get a known good, item compatible setup and once it is stable modify it to your exact requirements.
The items you replace will be easy to reinstall when something dies since they were OEM.

In my 4 short years in the hobby, I have bought more useless equipment out of ignorance than I care to admit.
Over time I have learned what works, what is nice to have and what is basically useless.
Thank goodness for CL, except I sometimes feel bad for the folks who buy something I found worthless.
I only hope they have better luck with it.

 

[thegrun]

Sk8r pretty much nailed it, a lot of the equipment you are thinking about adding is probably better accomplished with weekly 15% water changes. Everything you are considering will be beneficial, but minimally so. I actually applaud a store owner who tries to talk you out of spending more money, it shows integrity putting your pocketbook ahead of a sale. If you have the money to spend on the extra stuff, go ahead, but I suspect the benefits will not be as great as you are hoping for. Most of us who start off with small all in one tanks that stick with the hobby end up upgrading fairly soon to a larger tank, so not sinking a lot of money into your new tank also make sense for that reason.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Here is his word for word response-

"Robert:
Your best bet is to get the JBJ 30 gallon kit which includes free stand along with all of the other accessories.
I simply do not understand why you would want a different pump. The pump is the heart of the aquarium and to get a pump where support is at least 2 days away can be a real challenge. We have had great success with the equipment that comes with the "kit".

I'll agree and disagree. If I were you, I'd get the kit and buy some of the extras you want, like the pump. It's always good to have a back up in the house. The LFS talks about help being 2 days away... what about over a holiday when the LFS is closed, or in a snow storm? Having spares at home can make life so much easier!

Protein skimmers in a small tank can be quite challenging. Based on our experience, most don't work very well.

Agree, I had one and it worked, but not very much difference to the tank.

Stay away from the media reactors. They can be more harmful than beneficial, as most hobbyists don't know what they do and how to use them. You can accomplish more with proper disciplined maintenance.

I have one plumbed into my 200g system and I never use it... except in emergencies which was once, a long time ago for about 2 weeks. But I still keep it in the system, just in case.

Never put a powerhead on a curved glass tank, especially one that pulses and transfers heat, unless you want a potential 30 gallons of water on your floor. It puts too much stress on the glass.

I've never, ever heard that one before! I'd love to hear his science behind that. I'm not saying he's wrong, but in 12 years I've never heard anybody say that!

That said, if what you listed is what you want, we can certainly get it all for you except the Reef Octopus.
We have had amazing success with the JBJ product line. For reasons above and beyond my comprehension, the results from these aquariums have exceeded our expectations time after time.

I've had a couple of JBJ chillers and they were very well made. I'd get the kit and then start collecting the extras you want and keep the original stuff from the kit as spares.

Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just my 2 cents worth.
Good luck and have fun. Those of us with gray hair need to have fun too!:beer: