New Tank!!!

[shadowdude321]

alright well here is the deal, my wife knows that my equipment and my tank isnt exactly in mint condition and doesnt have the greatest of equipment and knows i would never get myself new things because i dont like spending money, BUT...our first year anniversary is coming up and she decided that what she wants to do for me is buy me the top of the line equipment and a new tank too one that has no scratches and is a brand new tank...she already even picked out the tank...anyways, the reason for this post is she wants me to get the best equipment for this tank rather than just trying to get the cheapest way into the hobby, the tank is probably going to be anywhere from 150-200 Gallons what would you guys recomend for equipment...and i mean everything from pumps to lighting to sumps to sand and rock to everything.

 

[DaveK]

There are a lot of top quality items out there. There are also a lot of expensive junk items. Some of this comes down to personal choice. Others want best value.

Another big factor is what do you want to keep in the system? That will drive your choice of equipment.

Lastly, few people have had actual experience with more than a few products. Many times you get an opinion based upon what they own, or admire.

I think you'd get lots better results by telling us what you want to keep, and what equipment you want to get, and work things from there, rather than blanket recommendations for every thing.

 

[Eric]

I want to make a suggestion on the tank size, your typical 150 is 72"x28"x29" this is a terrible size for reef the depth make it a pita to reach the bottom back also requires stronger lighting to reach the bottom of the tank like 400w halides I would stick with around 24" deep, Just my opinion another problem with aqua scaping the 150 the 18" front to back with the overflows in place is really limiting.

My suggestion in 150g is 60"x24"x24" or 180g 72"x24"x24" just some things to keep in mind for your new tank purchase

Your Equipment is up to you just seek out the products you like and look for reviews and ask here for opionons as Davek mentioned.

 

[shadowdude321]

ok well here are the things ive been thinking about so far

Tank Size : 230 Gallon Wing Bowfront
~~~~ Acrylic Tank Manufacturing - Las Vegas ~~~~

Sump : Eshopps Wet-Dry Filters WD-300CS (Rated for 200-300 Gallons)

Main Pump : Quiet One Pumps Model 9000 (2328 GPH)

2nd Pump for UV Light : Quiet One Pumps Model 2200 ( 581 GPH)
(i just wanted a powerful pump that was quite, I hate
walking by my tank and all i hear is EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! lol)

UV Light : Turbo-Twist UV Sterilizers 18Watt (Rated up to 250 Gallon)

Protien Skimmer : ASM G-3 Protein Skimmer w/ Sedra 5000 Pump (Rated up to 250 Gallons)

Chiller : Arctica Titanium Chillers 1/4 HP (Rated for 260 Gallons)

Light : Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures 72"; 468W (I want to keep a few types of corals like zooanthids, polyps, and some clams and stuff like that so if you dont think this one is good enough then let me know what you think would)

Powerhead : Korallia 4 or 5

RO Sterilizer : Coralife Pure-Flo II RO Units 50 gpd 4-stage

 

[shadowdude321]

dimensions of tank will probably be like

84"W x 18"D x 30"T

for the bow in the middle it will stick out 30" rather than 18"

 

[Eric]

I would drop the wet dry if this is a reef and look for a better skimmer

If this tank is 30" deep and you are going Reef you will definately need 400w Halides to penetrate the depth.

If your not going Reed then keep the wet dry and no need for all that light

 

[DaveK]

I'm not a big fan of acrylic tanks because they tend to scratch very easily. Also, custom made tanks in exotic shapes, like that 230 Gallon Wing Bowfront, tend to have stratospheric prices. That may stop you from doing more than look.

I agree with Eric, I would choose a berlin type sump and a large powerful skimmer. Generally when buying equipment, you want something rated for a tank size of double the tank. Manufacturers tend to be "very optimistic".

I would recommend going with a serious external pump, such as an Iwaki MD100. Pump mounting is critical to keeping noise down. I have never found the quite one pumps to be that much quieter, but that was with the older models. Keep in mind that a large tank is going to require that you move large amounts of water. Expect some noise and consider that when you locate the tank.

Omit the UV light and pump. UV is of limited use on reef systems. Only add it if you have a very specific problem to deal with. In addition, if you are going to add one, you need a much more powerful UV unit since this is a SW tank.

As Eric points out get a beter skimmer. Make sure it's rated for a tank that is double the size you plan.

On the chiller. It's not a bad thing to have, and you sized it correctly. I would reserve a place for it, but don't add it until you really need it. I have one on my reef, and it seldom comes on.

The lighting you plan is good for zooanthids, polyps and the like. If you want clams or SPS corals, you might as well go with MHs. Use 250w or 400w MH depending upon the depth of the tank. I tend to like the 250w since the heat output is less, and the bulb selection is greater.

When you get into pumps for circulation the Vortech pumps or the Tunze stream pumps are usually considered better than the Korallia pumps, especially when used with a controller to give you random wave patterns.

Additional items to consider -

You might want a controller to actively monitor and control the system.

You might want a automatic top unit to keep the water level and SG more constant.