New to the hobby, need some help with equipment selection

Tom616 · Nov 24, 2019

Hey Guys,

Im a newbie that decided to get my very own reef tank after seeing a beautiful reef tank my friend had.

i did so of research on my own, and came up with a list of things i need to buy to have a successful tank, as well as how expensive it could get.

can you guys take a look at my list and give some feed back on how it looks?

as well as ways i can cut corners in-terms of cost without compromising quality (i would love it if it was silent)

Thanks!

Cerberusfish · Nov 24, 2019

Tom616 said:
Hey Guys,

Im a newbie that decided to get my very own reef tank after seeing a beautiful reef tank my friend had.

i did so of research on my own, and came up with a list of things i need to buy to have a successful tank, as well as how expensive it could get.

can you guys take a look at my list and give some feed back on how it looks?

as well as ways i can cut corners in-terms of cost without compromising quality (i would love it if it was silent)

Thanks!

You could potentially save on an RODI system that much I do know. I'm relatively new to the hobby as well and am using a cannister filter instead of a sump (eventually I'll have a sump on a bigger tank) but check nearby reef stores if they sell RO/DI water. I've got one right next to my work so when I need some I can grab it on my way home for 59 cents a gallon. If you really want to make it yourself you definitely can especially if you want to try and hook it up into your ATO system. But for me the buying it from a reef store right out of their treatment system works well. Also for when you start getting ready for corals etc to go in see if you can rent/borrow a PAR meter instead of buying one. A lot cheaper to spend $30 or so than buy a $200 tool you'll only really use a few times.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 24, 2019

45ZoaGarden · Nov 24, 2019

Think about skimping on the rodi. I personally wouldn’t skimp. At a few dollars a bucket, it will add up over time. Rodi is a VERY important foundation. And is CRUCIAL for clean water. I personally run a custom 6 stage AquaFx system engineered to counter chlorinated, heavily tainted water we have in Florida.

Peace River · Nov 24, 2019

Welcome to R2R!!! You can spend more, you can spend less, and you can stagger some of those items, but there is nothing on the list that jumps out at me as being a significant problem. You may want to add $100+ "other" category for a heater or other miscellaneous.

#WelcometoR2R

45ZoaGarden · Nov 24, 2019

You don’t need to waste money on a chiller either. Fish, corals will also take awhile to begin adding up. I wouldn’t throw any expensive livestock into the tank until the 6 month mark. Or not until you have good rest kits and a dosing system. Light’s and powerheads are up to you but I recommend hydra26’s which you can pick up on sale right now for $250 and ecotech powerheads.

Mastiffsrule · Nov 24, 2019

Welcome to the group

Love the graphic. You’ll find over time the budget moves based on what you come across or plan for your tank. Just take you time. Based on your start I’m sure you’ll put in the needed research

45ZoaGarden · Nov 24, 2019

Lol my budget changed over time too

CelticReef · Nov 24, 2019

Welcome and nice list of equipment however some of the items I can see are probably worth looking for used locally equipment is always forsale ...a lot of Kessils, power heads and dosing setups for sale imo.

You can probably get a slightly larger setup for cheaper or similarly priced to the 170 which is to small for a tang. I really like my innovative marine Ext tank and stand as it gives you more internal space on the smaller tanks.

I’d recommend checking out the curve elite skimmers around half the price of the nyos.
Im running a simplicity skimmer but it’s been finicky to dial in....I’m sure other people can chime in on decent skimmers.

You may not need a chiller depending where you live and how cool you keep the house in the summer.

going bare bottom will eliminate sand cost and help with nutrient export on a first reef tank as we all tend to feed heavy on the first tanks.

Get a good old fashion glass thermometer to make sure your digital is working correctly and a good quality refractometer.

Stock the tank with the least aggressive fish first. Don’t be fooled by clowns they can be pretty aggressive I would add them last.

When you do start......Go slow make sure you get fully cycled add fish one at a time to let the biological filtration build between fish additions

Best of luck.

Tom616 · Nov 24, 2019

Thanks for all the responses!

what size tank would u guys say minimum to house a blue tang? i would love to keep one.

Thanks!

CavalierReef · Nov 24, 2019

Looks like a well funded start. I'm not sure you can buy enough rock for that beautiful aquarium for $50.

CelticReef · Nov 24, 2019

Live aquaria states 180gal recommended but I’d say minimum 100 then plan on upgrading once it’s huge.

Tom616 said:
Thanks for all the responses!

what size tank would u guys say minimum to house a blue tang? i would love to keep one.

Thanks!

427HISS · Nov 24, 2019

Depends on your budget, as a saltwater hobby can get very expensive.
What size, fish only, coral types of sps, lps, mixed reef, lighting can be very expensive, especially the well known brands (don't fall into the hipe that their better) sumps, other filtration.... skimmer, etc. Watch a lot of videos here as you'll find many answers you're looking for and Youtube. See what clubs you have local area.

OREGONIC · Nov 24, 2019

Few things I did with my e170 over time I wish I would have done to start. DIY a refugium or ATS in the red sea sump. I installed a t off my return line and used the small auto top off revisor to make my own algae scrubber. Only cost about 50 bucks to do and makes it so I rarely do water changes. Having a good natural nutrient export method will save on salt, rodi media, and allow you to not need a super high end skimmer. Second I would find a local club, you can probably pick up some equipment used for less then half price. A controller like a used apex classic from someone upgrading will make your life much easier. Also making a media basket to replace the filter sock is almost like a free media reactor and you can lay polyfil or filter floss on top of the media to act as a filter sock. There is the bonus of not ever having to wash a filter sock again with this method also, just throw away the floss and replace with a new small strip.

reefiniteasy · Nov 24, 2019

Welcome!

reef lover · Nov 25, 2019

Welcome to r2r!

saan1wu4 · Nov 25, 2019

Welcome!

Now is a good time to shop around, maybe you'll come across other options for your equipment with all the black friday deals around!

If you live in colder climates, I would consider getting a spare heater. I know that if I had a tank here in Ontario, my tank would probably crash if my heater died out on me in the winter.

I would not skip on the RODI either, especially if you plan to upgrade your tank eventually. Check with your LFS to see what prices are like. Also consider how far your LFS is bc you would have to drop by pretty often to get your water lol.

CasaReefer · Nov 25, 2019

Welcome to R2R... I have always wished I got kick myself in the A** every time I cheaped out... I have never want to kick my own A** when I bought something better... You will end up having a lot of time, money and effort in this by the time yuor done only to want to kick your own A** when something ya cheaped out on FAILS and you experience a loss.

JohnnyKnuckles · Nov 25, 2019

Welcome to the reef cupcake. There are a few things in there you could delete (like the chiller) and others you are going to need more of (Rock). But you can bet on one thing, no matter how good you plan, prepare to happily spend more.