Thinking about a 225g - where do I start?

[rodstar]

So, I have had a nano tank (BioCube 14g) for several months now and I have finally convinced my wife to let me get a 225g for the basement.

And so here I am... I have read a lot these tank builds and just continue to get more and more confused. So I thought I would pose this question:

If you had it to do all over again, what would you buy? I am not a plumber, but I guess I will learn. I am a bit of a computer geek and would love to automate as much as possible.

I also want to spend most of my time on the tank (with water in it) meaning I don't want to spend months building the thing. I want to spend my time getting the aquascaping just right and building the ecosystem...

Should let you knwo that this tank will be in-wall with a small unfinished room behind for me to have all the gear. The basement sump is in this same room and I will have to run additional circuits (this I can do easily) and probably some plumbing (this I can not do easily.)

So, I ask... What should I get? Give me your list of what you would buy for 225g tank.

And, I am a newbie at a big tank... so, start with the basics... I am thinking I will go with a glass tank.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[rodstar]

OK, so I thought I would add a little more here. I have compiled a list of things that I think I need (with ball park pricing from Drs. Foster and Smith just to get a budget). Do I have all the components? Are some of these unnecessary?

In no particular order:

Glass Tank $600
CA Reactor $140
Controller (Aqua III) set-up $950
Lights (4 x MH) with ballasts $1300
MH lamps $400
Skimmer $500
RO/DI $400
Pumps (4?) $1000
UV Sterilizer $600
WaveMaker $125
Chiller/Heater $750
Doser $300
Sump/Refugium $1000
Misc plumbing, hardware, etc $200

Total: About $8,000

Not sure I will a chiller as this is in my basement that stays relatively cool all year. But, I also don't have a lot of experience with the MH lights and don't know if they will add too much heat.

How's my list? How's my budget?

Derek

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Sump/Fuge wont cosat that much even with a custom built....for pumps either a whopper on a closed loop or (3) vortech's or (3) 6100's.
Won't use a wavemaker with tunze or vortech.
Don't need the UV.

Otherwise...looking good!

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Also, look into 3-250W's in Lumenmax or Lumenarc reflectors...will save you on elec. bills

 

[rodstar]

Excellent Matt. Thanks for the info. What I don't have on here is a canister filter or any of those things. Given the refugium and protein skimmer am I going to need other filtration?

Once I have my list complete I will start to think about the layout and design...

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

just live rock and a sand bed...no need for a cannister filter.
might want to get a phosban reactor to run both carbon and/or phospahte removal....they only cost ~ $50 with powerhead(maxi-jet400)