Returning to the hobby

[vorlx]

Hi All!

I am getting back in the hobby after having broke down my 75G when I moved around 4 years ago.

Here is what I have so far and what I am waiting to purchase:

Deep Sea Aquatics - 155G 72x24x21 - built-in center overflow with 3 drains and 2 returns and a 40G Breeder Sump

I went with this size tank because I wanted a 6ft tank to have the option for more active/larger fish and I liked the 2ft width.

I was going to go with a 180G but was already at the max weight I was comfortable with for where the tank is going and I felt like the height of my 75G was good.

Items/Other equipment so far:

Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro Salt
Sand: CaribSea - 160lbs
Rock: 200lbs Dry Rock (I am going to seed with live rock)
Skimmer: AquaMaxx CO-3
Powerheads: Jebao RW-15 (I was going to go with EcoTech MP40's but the price was just to high)

Items Pending purchase:

Heater: Eheim Jager 2x200w or 2x250w
RODI: BRS 6 Stage Universal Water Saver Plus or AirWaterIce Extreme Typhoon 3
Lights: This is where I am really torn. My LFS offers a custom hybrid LED/T5 combo which is reasonably priced but I was looking into Kessil A360W-E and Possibly the EcoTech Radio XR30W. However, since it's a 6ft tank it kind of puts me in a weird position. Initially I just plan on keeping LPS with eventually adding some SPS. Do you think I could get away with 2 Kessils?

And last but not least an Apex Controller.

What do you all think? I would love to hear thoughts/feedback on the direction I am going.

-Michael

 

[vorlx]

Sounds like a nice setup.

I run an Aquamaxx EM200 on my 125g and I love it. It pulls out a nick thick green skimmate.
I have a Jebao RW-8 which I had in my old 90g. I wish I would have purchased the RW-15. The RW-8 works but I have to turn it up quite a bit to get a decent flow in my tank. I was happy with it on my 4' tank but it is just okay in a 5'. The opposite end of the tank doesn't have much flow. The RW-15 is a good choice for you.

I have not used the Kessil lights but I doubt two will work on a 6' tank unless you place them very high above the waterline. Just adding 1' to my tank made me have to purchase another light to not have 'spaceship lights' as my daughter likes to call them. The center of the tank was noticeably darker than the sides. I use the generic D120 ebay LEDs.

I read a lot about the EM200 which led me to the the CO-3. Hopefully it turns out well.

In my old tank I had Hydor Koralias, I got the Jebao's in today and tested them out in the tub I have Rock in. They seem to have pretty good flow and the wave control settings are nice. They seemed to be a good bang for the buck as well.

I was afraid of that issue with the lighting. Everything I have read said that the Kessils cover about 2'.... They are just so expensive. I guess I kind of knew that going in.

The lighting is going to end up being about 300 more than I was expecting which isn't all that bad but then there is the controller........

 

[garyinco]

You'll like the CO-3. Consider hooking up your RW-15 to your Apex via a cable from a guy named torx on the neptune system's website forum. I ended up with a reefbreeders photon light. That was in my price range. It has a good shimmer but not too much, like I think the Kessil's do. May be more natural but I find too much of it to be nauseating to look at over time.

 

[vorlx]

You'll like the CO-3. Consider hooking up your RW-15 to your Apex via a cable from a guy named torx on the neptune system's website forum. I ended up with a reefbreeders photon light. That was in my price range. It has a good shimmer but not too much, like I think the Kessil's do. May be more natural but I find too much of it to be nauseating to look at over time.

I have been looking into that cable. The only downside I saw to the Jebao was that I wouldn't be able to control them with the APEX. That cable solves that problem.

The Reefbreeder Photo is more in my budget. Who am I kidding, I blew my budget before I got started but they are more affordable than the Kessil.

Do you know how much of a tank they cover? I wonder if 2 of the 32's would work on a 6ft tank.

 

[rfgonzo]

NO!!! DON'T GET BACK INTO THE HOBBY SAVE YOUR $$$$$ AND RUN. HaHa :headwalls: JK good luck with the new system.

 

[vorlx]

NO!!! DON'T GET BACK INTO THE HOBBY SAVE YOUR $$$$$ AND RUN. HaHa :headwalls: JK good luck with the new system.

I know right! Ironically enough I had been trying to get back into it for several years now but I just couldn't convince the wife/didn't have the time/didn't have a spot for it. What I did have was the money..... Now I have the wife worn down enough to not care, have the time and a spot for it.... However, the money..... LOL.... I guess that's just how it works.

 

[garyinco]

My Photon 48" is over a 48" tank with 90 degree optics. At 6" no optics would work on a 5 or 6 foot tank, I would think. They have a forum in the sponsors section and the owner responds to questions pretty quickly.