Need feedback on $1500 setup

C

Charlotte515

New Member
Hi new guy I have posted this at Saltwaterfish forum without much response.
I have been pricing new equipment along with watching craigslist. I have found the following 1 year old setup, I have not seen it in person yet, scheduled for tomorrow, any feedback would be appreciated..

$1500 with help to move, I realize the components are not specific, but in general is this a reasonable deal? My rough calculation puts this at about $3000 with the live rock and sand but without the other livestock.

Next question is what are my chances of breaking down and setting up without loosing all of the livestock? Seller has agreed to help, he seems knowledgeable, I am not. This will be my first SW tank.

Dry Goods
65 gallon Tall All-Glass Tank with overflow
Stand
Canopy, customized to enclose the HL's
2 175 watt Metal Halide lights
2 nano koralia
1 number 2 koralia
1 generic number 3 koralia
65 gallon Coralife Protein Skimmer
2 Wet/Dry Filters
660 Gallon Return pump
RO 50 GPD
Heater
Foods
Misc. Accessories

Live Stock
100 lbs. of live rock
160 lbs. Live sand
2 Frog spawns
3 Candy cane corals
7 Ausi Acans with about 30-40 heads
1 SPS coral
3 green star polyps
2 Xenia
2 zoanthids about 20 polyps
1 misc coral cant remember name
1 Bubble tip anemone
1 Ricordea
1 clown goby
2 Yellow stripe maroon clowns
1 Ebili Angel
1 6 Line Wrasse
 
Rue

Rue

Member
Sounds like quite a decent deal to me, especially if he's willing to help you out with it.

The only thing I have no idea about are the wet/dry filters...whether they're good, or should be replaced by something else. Someone else should know.

Will you loose livestock? Probably - you never can anticipate what will be stressed by a move. But hopefully it will be minimal.
 
Octoman

Octoman

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't recommend you doing that for a first time setup. There is a high likelihood of system crash which will be a waste of your money and will result in the loss of a lot of specimens. Just my 2 cents...

My opinions on the equipment...
Skimmer - way undersized.
Wet/drys - you don't want bioballs in a reef setup, how large are these sumps? Will they be useful for other purposes?
Halides - may require addition of a chiller to keep heat down, consume a lot of power, there are other good options for lighting available
Overflow - Is this an external overflow? Many people use them, but I much prefer an internal overflow.

I would recommend starting with something small and building your own system up. It's always best to start slow, start with the basics and work your way up. I think that for $1500, you could put together a smaller setup with nicer equipment that you will be more pleased with.
 
Rue

Rue

Member
Regarding tank size, they've been recommending a 55g as an 'ideal' starter size for years...and this is only 65 gallons, so I don't think of this as a big tank.

There's not a lot of livestock either for a tank that size, unless the corals are huge.

And yes, equipment might be dated, but there's nothing there that you can't start out with. Upgrades/replacements might be needed down the road, but that goes for any system.

But I do agree - you'll need to do your homework and stay on top of maintenance until you gain experience.
 
michael_cb_125

michael_cb_125

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a decent deal. But I agree with Octoman on passing this deal by.

IMO one of the best ways to learn in this hobby is by doing somethings your self. Buy a tank and piece everything together on your own. This way you will learn about each piece of equipment as you go. If you buy a pre-made/used setup you are less likely to get involved in the details of the equipment.

Plus much of the equipment is not of good quality. Coralife skimmers are not very effecient, and wet dry filters are not intended for reef use.

Safe yourself time and money, by building a new system the way you want it. I am not saying go out and buy the most expensive equipment out there, but do buy quality. Why buy something with the intention of upgrading later? Just save your money and do it right the first time.

IMO get started with a smaller tank and go from there. I know that everyone says bigger is easier. But that really only applies to water quality. Larger water volume provides more room for error. But once you get past that, the issues arise. Water changes are more difficult in larger tanks , and more costly. More additives, more lighting, more energy, more. more. more.
Dont get me wrong I love a big tank, but I feel that the best way to get started is to go small. Then you dont have the huge monetary investment in it. Because what if reefing is not for you? Then you are stuck with a 1500 dollar fish tank. Or you can go small, and have a 200-500 dollar setup that is easier to sell and move.

JMHO

If you want any ideas on a smaller (more wallet friendly setup feel free to PM me)
~Michael
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Yeah, pass this deal by. Like said, buying a perfect system won't buy you the knowledge on how to take care of it. If you're handy, you can easily do a lot of things yourself, you can get a comparable setup for less and then build on levels of complexity once your understanding increases.
 
C

Charlotte515

New Member
Great responses thanks!

As usual with most decisions there are pro's and cons, I have spent many hours reseaching both equipment and the process of maintaining a tank.

I will see the system tomorrow and if in pristine condition probably go for it.
It has been up a year, just replaced the HL bulbs and RO filters, seller seems to be a real enthusiast caught up in a financial bind. I don't want to take advantage of him, if this is a fair deal I will be happy.

I realize the risks but will devote the time to master the process.

Again thanks
 
yungreefer2410

yungreefer2410

Well-Known Member
just be sure to ask all questions you have on here if you get it and most likely your lfs is bad. i didn't lose any corals in a 7 hour trip in a bucket to florida. but i didn't have any acans. what color are the acans? IMO i would start a system from scratch its a lot of fun
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
The decision is ultimately yours, but as said before, most of us STRONGLY suggest you skip out on this.

Charlotte515 said:
I realize the risks but will devote the time to master the process.
Click to expand...

You do realize that for most advanced hobbyists, mastering the process has taken years and not days?
 
reefer4200

reefer4200

Member
i must agree myself, you are jumping a year ahead of yourself by buying this tank IMO. I know its hard to pass up a deal where you can just jump right in and skip the sometimes boring beginner steps (cycling, etc.) HOWEVER, If you have never maintained a tank before or done water changes, water testing, balancing of additives, etc. then you will loose in the long wrong. You should start from scratch and learn the ropes along the way. Its a good way to start to fully understand this hobby!! Either way, good luck!!
 
Octoman

Octoman

Well-Known Member
Another drawback is many of the stocking decisions have been made for you. Even if you are diligent and everything lives, choices for corals and fish are already made. You don't have the "clean pallete" you would start with if it was a new system with live rock waiting to be filled in as you see fit.

The fish are an issue to, maroons are notoriously mean fish, six-lines can be obnoxious too, and eiblis can become coral nippers.

Of course, you can usually trade things in at the LFS, but it can be rather difficult to catch fish.


If you do get the setup, be very cautious about the live sand. I suggest saving a few cups and either replacing or rinsing the rest thoroughly when you move it. A sandbed can build up a lot of nasties that you don't want to stir up in a tank.
 
Luukosian

Luukosian

Well-Known Member
I would hold out for a better deal. You see a lot better systems selling for a lot less all the time. I built my system peice by peice but if I could do it again I would have bought a complete system, you save a lot of money and as long as you do your reading, all your loosing out on is doing a lot tedious research trying to select skimmers, pumps ect. That research does help you learn about different aspects of the hobby but its not like you can't read about the hobby if you don't build your own system. Will you make mistakes, yeah. Will you lose some things in the move, probably. Will you still have fun, definitely.

If you have that much money to invest in an aquarium I'm sure it is probably more than just a passing fancy, but make sure you are ready to do a little work and a lot of reading.

Clean palletes are over rated, thats why I buy paintings instead of buying paint.
 
michael_cb_125

michael_cb_125

Well-Known Member
$1500 is almost an ELOS System Mini............
or an amazing ADA Rimless System
or....
or....
or....

Dont jump ahead of yourself.
~Michael
 
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