thinking 180 gallon

[Maunus]

Hi everyone! thanks for all your help!!!!

I love my 75 gallon tank. lawnmower blenny, yellow goby, 2 clowns, 6 line wrasse, royal gramma, camel shrimp, cleaner shrimp, hermits, snails, easy corals. T5 fluor. lights, not halides. sump, good skimmer. live rock

I am thinking of a 180 gallon tank. any ideas on what it might cost?

I bought a 150 gallon rubbermaid stock tank for the sump. I plan on a great skimmer, (can you suggest one?). I also will use halide lights, and live rock.

can you suggest the total cost range?

do I need a refugium?

do I need a calcium reactor? are they hard to use? love to hear any suggestions at all.

thanks!!

bob

 

[Jflip2002]

Thats a lot of questions for not many details. You could rig a 180g set up for $1k, not including the tank. Or you can go high end everything and spend $6k. It pretty much depends on your budget. You'll need a bigger skimmer, probably more rock, some higher flow powerheads, and more lighting... Just to start.

A calcium reactor isnt a necessity, but it is nice to have if youre doing SPS. If youre doing softies and LPS, Its not really too necessary, if you use good salt with high calcium already, and keep up on water changes (And have some calcium supps also).

Id count on spending no less than $2k (not including tank) to have it set up right, if you buy some used Tunzes and a used high quality skimmer like a bubble Master 250 or a Reeflo Orco. Just my $.02.

 

[Maunus]

thank you Joe!

that gives me some idea of what I will be looking at. I would probably avoid sps corals for a while, perhaps forever, and try to avoid calc. reactor. I supplement calcium now, and it is easy so far.

I would get lots of live rock, 150 gallon stock tank for sump, a GREAT skimmer, halides. I do not know if a refugium is worth it.

current usa halides I am sure will be ?$700 up?

tank

stand


skimmer ??$500??

pump

my friend doing all the plumbing


enormous live rock cost.


thank you!!

Bob

 

[greennd79]

i would go with a ati bubble master 200 skimmer and i would get a refugium it works quite well. oh the skimmer runs about 575.00 i think well worth the money.And as for lights you have some choices mine was eay i went with t-5s and dont regret it at all love the color of my fish and coral and i keep lps and softies.

 

[chippy70]

Maunus

Ha went through the same thoughts not so long ago in deciding on my 700lt (180 gal).

Decided to go with a 60x24x28 tall system and setting up during the hoildays.

As for the skimmer - many days and nights recurching this one. In the end went with the ATB medium. Got it running in the sump only at the moment and it is impressive. Starting to pull paint of the walls.

Pricey but you get what you pay for, I'm happy I paid what i did as it is probly the most important pary of my system to me.

As for lights i have not decided as yet but T5's only are on the cards

Roger