Upgrading poll. 180g vs 300g

[Allentown]

My options are:

Custom built: 72x24x25. Cabinent, Tank, Canopy and an Eshopps 300 (I can get a deal in this oversized sump which would be cool since I hate my tiny RS 100) $2,200 before shipping. I can reuse my skimmer and lights etc. Might have to buy a third A360..

Marineland pre-built: 72x36x25. Pretty cool stand includes removable side panels for maintenance access. $2500 before shippong. Shipping will be a bit more expensive and I will have to buy all new lights, skimmer and wave makers....which is going to ultimately make this tank twice as expensive in the long run. I figure over $2,000 just in new LEDs?m

Regardless of my choice, I plan to have a drain tied in through the wall to an external clean out and place a tasteful 40g cube next to it as a pre-mixing station so that water changes can be done with the flick of two pumps. It's a concrete slab house and my wife would not stand for a dedicated fish room so the sump still has to be in the cabinent.

At any rate..... is the extra foot of depth worth twice the price? A tank that large seems like it might end up becoming a fowlr as you can put in the largest angels and sohal tangs etc...so I guess an argument can be made that I could still use the lights I own....with the 180 I could continue with the soft corals and I'm currently a zoa guy so......

 

[Allentown]

Update. The 300 is the Marineland DD kit including the stand, canopy etc. at the LFS for $2500. They have a gen 2 Eshopps R300 that's new but out of the box they will throw in for $209.

I'm leaning towards the 180g for practicality sake but I want to make sure I don't regret not going bigger.

 

[dalfed]

300 why ask?

 

[michael.lemke]

I have seen a couple 300 DD in action. They are WAAAAY COOLER than a 180. Absolutely in a different category. Plus plentiful room under the cabinet.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Good luck fitting a decent skimmer under the 300DD stand... I only had about 1" of clearance under my 150DD with a SRO XP2000.

The Monterey stand looks really nice, but it is woefully short.

 

[cichlid1098]

I have the 300 DD and an acrylic 180 that was given to me the 3ft front to back is worth it if you have the room.

 

[d-man]

Find a nice used 300' use extra money for equipment or livestock

 

[Breadman03]

Good luck fitting a decent skimmer under the 300DD stand... I only had about 1" of clearance under my 150DD with a SRO XP2000.

The Monterey stand looks really nice, but it is woefully short.

Run an external skimmer and build a cabinet to hide it next to the tank.

 

[alton]

If you are a hands on person and this tank is going against the wall do not buy the 300DD. My biggest complaint is I cannot reach stuff in the back. If it is a room divider go for it or stay with 30" versus the 36" depth.

 

[toothybugs]

Also, the DD tanks have a reputation for blowing out. Do a search on here. Not everyone is a fan of Marineland tanks over 150-180g.

 

[sde1500]

Out of curiosity, why just those two options? I personally would like the size of the DD better, but as said above, there have been many comments on RC that I've seen about seams blowing out.

IDK what other options you've considered, but I'm personally looking into a bigger tank as well, and looking at either customaquariums.com or
DSA 225 gallon, http://www.aquacave.com/deep-sea-225-pro-aquarium-72-5-x-27-5-x-27-5-black-trim.html

And both ship free.

 

[GroktheCube]

I've read too many horror stories about Marineland DD tanks popping to even consider one.

 

[Settings]

Yea, skip on the Marineland and go with a custom made.

 

[Zacktosterone]

My vote is 180 gallon custom, everyone is going to say bigger is better. The glass would be thicker and safer on the custom tank. I think it would be way nicer in my opinion, plus the more water you have and the bigger the tank the more daunting the task. It costs a lot of money for 120 more gallons. I've got a 180 gallon custom from Miracles I just sold, I downgraded and went with Miracles again, super quality.

 

[Zacktosterone]

also, the dd tanks have a reputation for blowing out. Do a search on here. Not everyone is a fan of marineland tanks over 150-180g.

+1

 

[Allentown]

I just ordered a deep sea 225 pro and a tiger systems 39 sump.

I am getting the carpet pulled and having tile installed next week.

Now how to light it.

I called Kessil and their best of both words coat efficient solution was to buy a AP700 and hang it center and put my two 360s on each end, use one of the A150s as a refugium light and the second A150s as a cabinet light.


Thoughts????


Also what size return pump? It has 3 overflows and two returns.

Would that be a single return pump say around 1300gph hooked to hard plumbing in a Y configuration to the two returns??

Thanks guys.

I guess I'll be dragging out my boxes of rock and experimenting with aqyascaping ideas over the weekend.

 

[Allentown]

Given the price of the AP700 and the awesome suggestions I got here (wink) I just ordered two AL Hydra 52s at $490 each.

I plan to use them in concert with my existing Kessils . I ordered the connecting rail which will sit on top of the canopy. I planning to cut out two holes so that the 52s basically fit flush in the canopy...held in place by the 18 inch connecting rail. Since I am doing canopy cut outs I found the top fans on the Hydra to be more desirable than the bottom fans on the Radions and that was the chief reason that put the hydras over the top....well that and their lower power draw + larger spread area.

I'm going to see if I can mount the two 360ws in the flip up door angled slightly forward into the tank, I saw another member here do that and the look was nice.

I figured 2 Hydra 52s should be at least as good as a single AP700 considering the coverage area and my plan to use them in conjunction with the 360s.

if the back two corners are dark, I still have the two A150s.

I'll be doing a seperate build thread once I have enough pictures to begin. The tile floor and external plumbing should be done in a couple days, the Sump gets here on Wednesday. The RODI gets here tomorrow and the tank should be here next week. Vortechs came yesterday.

 

[sde1500]

And now I'm jealous because you bought the tank I want. Lol. Looking forward to the build thread!

 

[alton]

I love the 27 x 27 x 72" tank, great choice. A friend has the 5' version and lights it with 6 Hydra 52's. Have fun with the build

 

[Allentown]

I love the 27 x 27 x 72" tank, great choice. A friend has the 5' version and lights it with 6 Hydra 52's. Have fun with the build

Yea, after I went in the vendor Forum (marine depot) last night I saw that what's REALLY needed is 3x Hydra 52s oriented perpendicular (even with using the kessils as spot lights on the front to avoid shadowing).

Just ordered a 3rd unit and the classic rail kit.

So now it's going to be: 3x Hydra 52s and 2x Kessil A360w's (located in the each far cormer of the flip door and pointing at an angle back and down the length of the tank).

THAT'S it.....no more equipment (except you know...more wave makers and main pumps and probably a larger skimmer and at least one more media reactor....but other than that...no more.)