Taking first step

[BrianneG]

I am a total Newbie and looking to get started. I having been eyeballing the RedSea set ups and have the opportunity to purchase a used Reefer 350 for a decent price. It does not come with the skimmer, lights, wave makers or any other fixtures. I am looking at just the tank, stand, and sump.

So my questions are:
Should I splurge for the same equipment that this set up would normally come with? Or can I get by with a tad cheaper gear for now? If so what do you all recommend?

I am sure I will have many more posts as I work on getting prepared for my first set up

 

[DrkNMighty]

Welcome to R2R!

When it comes to RedSea tanks a common thing you will see across R2R is that those tanks have seam failures. A quick search will likely pull up a lot of different threads. I think most of us wouldn't want to use a new one yet alone a used one. If you are set on it I would recommend you check the seams for any damage.

For gear, you can definitely get away with cheaper gear. It all depends on what your overall goals are with the tank.

 

[~MD~Reefs~]

Don’t buy a Red Sea tank and ESPECIALLY not a used one unless you’re ok with a high risk of water damage. Go through the forums, those tanks are known to bust. It happened to me and I was the original owner. Never moved, never used a scraper near seams, perfectly leveled. Look at the innovative marine tanks those are nice. Or SCA is also nice and more budget friendly

 

[Fish Fan]

Congrats on the decision to start a tank!

I have no first hand experience with those Red Sea Reefer tanks. I do know they are very popular here, and I do know that some report that they do have issues with leaking, so maybe do a little research before you buy that tank.

Again, I've never had one, but the only thing that I believe would prevent you from using other company's gear is only whether it fits in the sump and stand. Otherwise, I say use whatever is affordable and appropriate for your tank.

You can buy gear as needed. For example, get a tank and get it cycling. At this time, you'll need circ pumps, but no light or skimmer. You can buy your lighting a month or two after your tank has been up and cycling.

You don't ever *need* a skimmer. Many successful tanks are run without skimmers.

Try to take things slowly, and figure out what you need to keep the kind of livestock you're hoping for. There's no one recipe for success, and all of us have bought equipment that for whatever reason wasn't right for our tanks, and we had to buy that piece of gear again. That's wasteful. So if you're on a budget like many of us, buy gear as you identify a need for something, and not just because you think or someone told you that you *need* something, like a skimmer.

EDIT: Also, I've picked up A LOT of my equipment like-new or gently used here on R2R:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/selling-forum-dry-goods.60/

Good luck with your tank project!