If money were no object!

[Triggerjay]

Been out of the hobby for a bit now, and decided to take the plunge back in. Right now plans are a 50-60g cube type tank. I want to go top notch quality/performance on everything, including corals. This tank will be SPS dominated. so, if this was your dream tank and you had a blank slate and could choose any equipment you wanted what would you get? I have been out of the hobby for long enough that technology has changed a lot (5 years or so). I'm ready to hear your ideas so I can start making plans. Feel free to suggest anything... Ca reactors, lights, tanks, skimmers. Tanks in advance!

 

[DianaKay]

Are you a DIY person or more of a plug & play liking person?
I LVE my Red Sea Max 250 (RSM250) for the clean sleek look it has in my living room.
But I've changed out the lights (Steves LEDs) and I'm adding a LifeReef Sump & Refugium. Both very expensive modifications. Still keeping the amazing looks of the RSM tank with both mods.

 

[Triggerjay]

You could say I'm DIY. My old tank is the current journey link in my sig. I should update the link to say old tank. I was proud of that setup, but want something more compact this time, and a higher quality setup. Going to look at the rsm250 now.

Jason

 

[frisbee]

Keep it simple. It's not rocket science...

The more experience you get, you'll start to realize that you don't need all the "bells & whistles."

JMO. GL.

 

[Triggerjay]

Are you running the stock skimmer dianakay?

 

[DianaKay]

Are you running the stock skimmer dianakay?

I AM....For right now anyway! It took about 3 months for me to get it really dialed in good, but it's doing a great job at this time. I do have a LifeReef sump (one being built specially for the RSM 250) that is going to have a top line skimmer included. When I get my sump/refugium, I feel like I WILL HAVE the best set up money can buy in the way of a 65gal. display tank. You should look into the LifeReef builds....they are highly rated & the waiting list is very long for getting one. Here's the link: http://www.lifereef.com/home.html Check it out.

 

[reefer gladness]

1. A Wi-Fi capable aquarium controller. A controller makes my life SO much easier, wifi is just a nice thing to have. Profilux I think if there's no budget but I only have experience with the Reef Angel.
2. Two Vortech MP-10W's. They work great on my 56 gallon tank in a push/pull configuration. There are pretenders but no replacements for this pump.
3. LED's of course. No budget I'd look at maybe two Radion Pro's for an SPS dominated tank. Profilux makes one with all the bells and whistles too (too many IMO). Or you can build anything these guys can make in a DIY project.
4. Coast to coast overflow aka 'Calfo' plumbed herbie or beananimal style down to the sump/fuge area
5. Call Jeff at Lifereef and have him hook me up with the sump/fuge and protein skimmer.
6. Calcium reactor or kalk reactor? Both? If I had the space it would be both but space may be a priority. The Precision Marine kalk reactor has been easy to use and maintain, I'm able to maintain calcium around 420 ppm.
7. I think it goes without saying the glass should be starphire. I also really like having a separate cabinet to hide all the controller equipment and power plugs in, looks much cleaner and probably safer.

 

[new2reefing]

Reef dynamics for skimmers and reactors. As far as everything else, you are a diy guy
even if money was no object i would still build my fuge/sump the way i wanted it.
i take more pride in something i made/built/ modified than purchased.

 

[Wrangy]

Welcome back mate!! and G'day from down under LOL


First off is do you want AIO, semi-AIO or a completely up-to-you tank?
As far as complete AIO tanks you can't beat the Red Sea tanks and there is a whole forum here dedicated to them with Red Sea reps on them too so it means no question about the tanks will go unanswered Come down and say hi lol we're a friendly bunch check out some of the tanks and see if it's something you'd go with

Semi-AIO and DIY tanks are great because they give you the choices and expansion that an AIO might otherwise lack (although the Red Sea tanks are great in this area!) For example I've gone semi-AIO with a CADE tank (not sure if they're available in the US ) and I love the tank, it cam pre-drilled with overflow, sump and all the plumbing required along with grating and some safety features for power outages so nothing overflows onto the floor! The great thing about it is that I can now install whatever gear I want and I'm only restricted by the physical size of things same with a completely DIY setup.

That all being said here's what I'd be doing if money were no object I'd go down one of two paths (maybe even both haha):

Tank AIO:
Red Sea Max-S650, 175 gallon tank capable of keeping the most sensitive sps corals no extra bits would be needed straight up to get the tank running!

Extras:
Chiller (A strong 1/3HP chiller would be good)
An ATO (Tunze Osmolator 3155)
A reef controller which would be a GHL Profilux due to the shear capabilities of it!
Maybe a powerhead or two, Tunze again as they are controllable and completely silent even at max (my current 2 6045's at full and completely silent, you can hear the noise of the cable vibrating on the tank over the powerheads themselves that's how quiet they are and they are absolutely fool proof to set up!!)


Tank semi-AIO/DIY:
I'd go the CADE line of tanks due to their incredible build quality and stunning looks as a rimless tank :drooool:
Tank of choice would be the 6' CADE HL1800 with the 5' sump drilled into it
Skimmer: An RLSS or Deltec skimmer
Heater: Whatever you can get as suitable
Chiller: Once again a suitable 1/3HP chiller
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155
Powerheads: A Tunze system with controller
Return Pump: Eheim
Lighting: LED's most likely Vertex which are absolutely stunning
Controller: GHL Profilux once again!

I think these days while you still can get wicked colours from t5's or a MH/t5 combo LED's are the way to go! The colour spectrums are better and much closer to real light, you can have all kinds of simulations and light schedules and they are just as intense on far less electricity and heat

 

[BigAl07]

I'm partial to certain brands so keep that in mind

• A) Tank - Miracles
• B) Controller - GHL ProfiLux Ultimate Kit w/Touch interface
• C) Lights - GHL Mitras LED w/HV LED
• D) OverFlow - Coast to Coast and esternal
• E) Size - 60g cube or if not cube 120g or 240g because these all have the correct proportions (at least to my eyes)
• F) Powerheads - Vortech MP series for sure and get 2 of them so you can really yank the tank
• G) Skimmer - I'm out of touch with skimmers but if I were doing it today it would be something from LifeReef venturi skimmer.
• H) Reactors - Out of the loop so no idea here
• I) Doser - GHL ProfiLux 4 head "controlled" doser

And the list can go on and on from there

 

[Choff]

Using Al's excellent format this would be my dream tank.

• A) Tank - custom star fire glass (current rsm 650)
• B) Controller - Apex (current apex)
• C) Lights - radion xr30w pro (current Kessil 360)
• D) OverFlow - Coast to Coast w/bean-animal (current is ctc w/drain cup)
• E) Size - 240g (current 150g )
• F) Powerheads - none due to closed loop (current 4 hidden sicce's +mp40)
• G) Skimmer - SRO XP 5000 external (current sro xp 3000i)
• H) Reactors - brs reactors: 1 x charcoal, 2 x gfo, 1 x Purigen. (current 1 brs charcoal, 1 brs Purigen)
• I) Doser - bubble magus doser (current bubble magus)
• J) Sump - 200G trough (current 125 4 chamber diy custom)
• K) Frag Tank 24x24x10 plexi (current 40B)
• L) Refugium 40B (current don't have one)
• M) ATO 40g gravity feed (current tunze osmolater)
• N) RO/DI BRS 7 stage loaded (current BRS 7 stage loaded)
  

Sent using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mayja]

If money were no object, I would hire one of you guys and say, "Build me a 300gal in-wall reef tank with a separate sump/refugium/control room. Acrylic. Make it pretty. Lots of wavy flowy and reef safe fish." Then, I'd write you a check and go back into my mansion for tea and finger sandwiches.

I'd probably have a bit more input on the fish/coral choices, but that would be about it.

 

[GlassMunky]

If money were no object, my personal dream "tank" would be a shallow (3-4' deep) L-shaped pool in my (hypothetical)houses sunroom full of live coral and tons of fish/rays. essentally my own little lagoon i can go swimming in haha.

On a more realistic note though, for sure get some kind of aquarium controller that you can monitor everything from. I love my apex <3.
Also, for lights, i would also suggest LED's. I have 2 Radion Pro's over my SPS tank and they are AWESOME, i love how they change intensity AND spectrum in a smooth gradient throughout the day. Also, the UV bulbs make the coral POP!! But really any good quality LED's will be great for the lenght of the bulb life as well as the lower heat they put off and the controllability. As others have said, Vortech Pumps are Top of the line. I have 3 on my tank (1 on each side wall and 1 on the back wall) and they make all kinds of waves and random patterns. My apex also changes the settings of the pumps multiple times throughout the day which is pretty cool.

Personally i love the look of bigger reefs like the 300G range, theres soo much room for fish to swim and corals to seriously grow out into large colonys. coast to coast overflow with herbie.

 

[nivek]

Something that I can house dolphins so that I can swim with them..just kidding

 

[DaveK]

You guys have it all wrong. If money it truly no object, you have a custom designed tank done for you that is many thousands of gallons, with all the specialized equipment needed to Support it. Then to maintain it, you hire a staff, so that if the front glass isn't clean you just point and tell them to "take care of that".

 

[GlassMunky]

You guys have it all wrong. If money it truly no object, you have a custom designed tank done for you that is many thousands of gallons, with all the specialized equipment needed to Support it. Then to maintain it, you hire a staff, so that if the front glass isn't clean you just point and tell them to "take care of that".

Why would we do that??? that takes all the fun out of it.
would you honestly have a reef fully setup by someone else that you dont even take care of????? :-/ i dont think i could handle that

 

[BigAl07]

Why would we do that??? that takes all the fun out of it.
would you honestly have a reef fully setup by someone else that you dont even take care of????? :-/ i dont think i could handle that

I know for a fact I would have no problem with Dave's idea... I might "tinker" with it and such but I could easily turn the hardcore stuff over to my "Tank Staff" and just enjoy the tank with none of the work and hassle.

 

[GlassMunky]

See, to me, all that building and setup and work is the most fun part.
To each their own I guess

 

[GlassMunky]

 

[BigAl07]

See, to me, all that building and setup and work is the most fun part.
To each their own I guess

I used to be the same way. I still like to be "involved" but as I get older I like to sit back and enjoy it more. Heck I have always LOVED yard work and such but I just recently hired a company to come in and do that for me so I have more time to handle other things (like business LOL). I would have never thought I'd hire a "yard company" but they start TODAY!

Of course you have to keep in mind I would still have my ProfiLux controller so I can "check up" and "monitor" everything in the tank