Upgrade process questions.

[propeine]

The short version....I have a 40br. My wife wants bigger fish, we need a longer tank...what order do you buy upgrades in if you can't afford everything all at once. Also if I like shallow tanks, what are my options in 5 and 6ft tanks...think deep blue 80g but longer (or not if I can keep a kole tang or blue throat/sargassum trigger).


The long version with much more info.

I currently have a 40BR with a 20g sump. An old old style reef octopus skimmer that I dont think works very well, a koralia (750 maybe), an mp20, and a mag 7 for return. DIY Led's that I'm very unhappy with but it is totally my own fault. Did the multichip thing with some RB, TB and Cyan accents. The 100w multichip was so overkill I bleached things though and its been windex blue for a while now.

Inhabitants are,
1 starry blenny
1 sixline
1 black clown (she's a jerk and harassed the male to death)
1 yellow goby that refuses to live in the display and has been in the sump for over a year.

2 RBTA (splits every 6mo or so)
3 rescued branching hammer
large polyp blasto
rainbow monti
rics
green mushrooms that the clown lives in
duncan
some zoas and palys


My wife wants "bigger prettier fish" aka tangs or triggers. We talked about a 75gal until I realized that really wasn't enough room. I like shallow tanks for the look and I like 4ft tanks for the cost involved (less light, less for waterchanges etc) but I'm thinking we really need 5ft or 6ft for swimming room to appease her. I like LPS more than SPS but prefer mixed reef. Nems are cool and I haven't had but would like a clam. She says get a 120 or 125, I'm concerned about the ongoing maintenance costs, the initial cost for lighting, rock, sand, etc and to be honest I don't want it much deeper than 16-18"

The things I definitely NEED to upgrade are

My lights (i think I want to go 2 t5 coral+ and LED hybrid)
My skimmer maybe an sc302 or a bubble magnus
mp20 to mp40 and add another mp40 or find a different way to generate flow
new ATO
preferably add a controller. Likely reefangel.
and obviously my tank itself

I have a 10ft wall for the tank to go on that is on the first floor concrete slab so dimensions arent an issue.

I close on our new house in 11.5 hours. My 40br has to be moved this month which I'm already dreading.

I cannot spend the money to upgrade everything at once at this point in time so would you

A.) Move the tank as is, buy a new skimmer, start getting together the stuff for the upgrade

B.) Get a new tank, plumb it and transfer everything, don't add anything to the bioload and keep one end lit while I build/buy everything else

There is a guy in Butler Pa that sells acrylic tanks and his prices seem reasonable. Thought about just ordering what I want through him too.


Finally any comments on the t5/led hybrid. Seems to be the best of both worlds in my eyes. My friends mostly have t5's and even with poor upkeep their tanks grow faster and generally look better. I love LED's in the dimming and temp adjustment + lack of changing bulbs.

Any suggestions/experience appreciated

 

[Reefer54]

you can use a lot of cheap materials for a temporary fix.

and outdoor tub for a fountain or even a large rubbermaid will double or triple your water volume. you may as well buy the new skimmer. then move in and start piecing the new tank together as it is convenient.

for what it is worth, moving livestock, LR, and water in 5 gallon buckets works really well. keep the LS in the tank so you dont disturb it and start a mini cycle, just get as much water as you can out of the existing tank so you dont have to move too much weight in the 40B....you can then turn that into a sump\refugium. i would suggest the tub thing for a temp tank adn later you can use it as a qt or water mixing station, etc.

i run led and t5 supplements.....growth is not as fast as my old MH and they definitely took a bit of time to figure out the hot spots and height and photoperiod, etc, but i am ok with that....less trimming, fragging, power bill, etc.
good luck.

 

[propeine]

Thank you for the help. That's not what I was hoping to hear about the T5 led hybrid but any experience is good experience.

I'm planning on just getting a new skimmer and moving the tank for now. Have to weigh my options on the tank I guess. I'm familiar with reefing in rubbermaid from a leak sprung Christmas day two years ago.

 

[terry4505]

I have the sc-302 on my 120 for about a week and I am loving it. I picked it up used on ebay for under $100. One thing I would consider, if cost is a concern, is ditching the Vortechs. You could add multiple Jebao WP-40s for held the cost of one Vortech. I have one WP-40 currently and pen on adding a second with the new dual controller in the near future.

 

[propeine]

I have the sc-302 on my 120 for about a week and I am loving it. I picked it up used on ebay for under $100. One thing I would consider, if cost is a concern, is ditching the Vortechs. You could add multiple Jebao WP-40s for held the cost of one Vortech. I have one WP-40 currently and pen on adding a second with the new dual controller in the near future.

That's what I like to hear about the sc302. Will definitely pick that up then.


I thought about selling my mp20 and using the funds to buy 2 wp40s with a controller. Would probably darn near break even. Fish-street seems to have a good package deal but there website is hard to follow.

 

[terry4505]

I bought my LEDs from reef breeders, Logan was very helpful. They say that they will have the dual controller in the next few weeks

 

[propeine]

Well its half over with.
-I moved my 40br to the new house
-I ordered an SCA302
-I ordered an evergrow LED fixture on amazon because I like the protections and will add a second and possible 3rd once I decide on the new tank

Going to list my MP20 for sale and change to some jebao's with a twin's controller.

Still haven't decided on tank size yet. But that can wait now.

 

[Ellery]

I would definitely take the time to amass the proper equipment and to do it right the first time if you already moved you current system. I setup a totally new setup during my 2 week move-in period repainting the house and other things and I just didn't do somethings I would have preferred to do looking back at it. It's been 8 years now and I have gathered alot of the things I wished for back in the day and may contemplate redoing everything but my 300 gallon (3 tank) system is in awesome shape now and everything is finally growing in so I have no real reason to redo it except my crappy wiring mess.

 

[propeine]

I would definitely take the time to amass the proper equipment and to do it right the first time if you already moved you current system. I setup a totally new setup during my 2 week move-in period repainting the house and other things and I just didn't do somethings I would have preferred to do looking back at it. It's been 8 years now and I have gathered alot of the things I wished for back in the day and may contemplate redoing everything but my 300 gallon (3 tank) system is in awesome shape now and everything is finally growing in so I have no real reason to redo it except my crappy wiring mess.

That's kinda what I'm thinking. I started buying the stuff that will work with my current system. Get everything I can right with that one and don't get any new system wet until I have everything I need. There are plenty of other things to devote money to at this point anyways and I would rather have a nice 40 breeder than a half assed 120.