Noob with concerns

R

RichUK

New Member
Hi folks - my first post here so excuse noobness

I have had tropicals for two years now and fancy dipping a toe into the marine game - now I am on a little bit of a budget (around £800 - £1000 for tank et al) - oh im in the UK if your wondering why the £'s :D

Now then - with this budget in mind - im obviously looking into the nano end of things - and seeing as I already have two tanks running (a 200lite tropical community, and a 35 liter gaglaxy rasbora only tank) Im tight for space (oh and my current fry tank with lots of baby bristlenose catfish and swordtails :D)

I have questions/concerns about my main choice of tank/system ie the RSM 130D

Im a little nervous of systemised rigs - ie if something gfoes wrong with (for example) the skimmer pump - your kinda forced to replace it with RedSea parts (well - unless we go into modding of course) - so are the RSM parts easy to find - are they expensive (at least in comparason to other makes etc) and is this complete set up really complete or would I be better buying a 100 or so liter tank and building the tank etc myself using off the shelf marine gear?

I know this seems a dumb question - but as im new to marines i dont want to make a mistake and as I dont work (due to health issues) I cant financially afford mistakes so advice is needed.

My minor question is of water - is RO really the only way to go or is home mix tapwater a suitable alternative - again - I dont drive so lugging RO water from a LFS isnt an option and our mains water is rather low pressure so I dont think i can run a home RO unit. I do know my tap water has a good dose of Phosphate provided for free (yes i am being sarcastic) it took me a year to get my tropical tank to a stable state with algae due to phosphate running at 3ppm from tap - i have used phosphate remover media successfully although its not an issue these days as my tank is accustomed to phosphate and other things deal with it now (in a zero plant tank - this is quite an achievement I think) so is such a thing possible in marines or do i need to spend loads every ,onth on rowaphos or similar?

Yes I am fully aware of the finacial side of running a marine rig but I dont fancy a fish only system - soft coralsm a few inverts and a handful of fish (probably clowns etc)

cheers in advance
 
Whipitup

Whipitup

Member
Hi Rickuk...........ANOTHER Brit!!!!

Regarding the RSM130D it's a complete tank you shouldn't have any problems with (I have the old 130) - the"D" has a lot of improvements.

The customer service I have recieved from Interpet and Redsea has been nothing short of astonishing......If you have any problems with pumps, or anything for that matter Steve (Steveh in here) or Interpet will sort it for you.

NOW.......RO water.........It's a MUST.........Dont even thin k about keeping marines (especially a reef tank) without using it. The cost of an RO unit may seem expensive, but it will pay you back in time.
If your water pressure is low get one with a booster pump, there are some being sold on Ultimate Reef (a site in the UK) and there are some for sale on Fleabay (all with booster pumps) at good prices.

With your budget you should be able to buy a new tank, live rock, sand, salt RO system AND a few corals and fish (when the tank is cycled).

And remember, no question is a stupid one!!!

Good luck.
 
Whipitup

Whipitup

Member
You will get answeres from the US contingent on here too.............but you might have to wait a while, they seem to sleep odd hours.

;) ;) ;)
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I'm awake. LOL
First of all Welcome to RS!
Secondly, there is no such thing as s stupid question particularly in this hobby. :)
As far as an all in one tank or a build your own, I prefer build your own but I can see why the all in one is attractive to others. The thing that I don't like is that people who have them always seem to be making "mods" to improve or fix them. I know you don't have to do these "mods", but it seems like most do.
If you get a tank and separate equipment it is much easier to change out a part for something different and in many cases even sell the original you purchased if you are upgrading.
That is of course just my opinion.
For an all-in-one I do like the Max more than others.
I absolutely agree on the RO water. It will save you a lot of grief if you have clean water to start with. Poluted water is one of the biggest causes of algae blooms.
 
R

RichUK

New Member
I agree witht he mods thing as well - why go to all the time n trouble of that when you could just by off the shelf items n build your setup

OK - forgot to ask - I cycled all my freshwater tankls (and i have not cycled litterally dozens of tanks n filters for others) using the fishless cycle method - my record time for a 300liter tank (not mine) is 8 days two of those with constant zero ammonia and nitrite - now my 'worry' with this ie bottled ammonia in a salty tank is that if the live rock has extra free lifeforms residing within - am I gonna kill em all with neat ammonia being used to fishless cycle?

Also - on the 130D in the literature on many sites - it says there is an adapter to enable additional externals and UV's etc - now do these tanks come with accessories or do i have to buy it separately - ditto for the other things (like the skimmer upgrade)

Is the redsea max starter pack (live rock, sand etc) worth the cost? and am i correct in thinking refractometer from the outset or will a hygrometer be ok for a while?

cheers for the help thus far btw
 
R

RichUK

New Member
I agree witht he mods thing as well - why go to all the time n trouble of that when you could just by off the shelf items n build your setup

OK - forgot to ask - I cycled all my freshwater tankls (and i have not cycled litterally dozens of tanks n filters for others) using the fishless cycle method - my record time for a 300liter tank (not mine) is 8 days two of those with constant zero ammonia and nitrite - now my 'worry' with this ie bottled ammonia in a salty tank is that if the live rock has extra free lifeforms residing within - am I gonna kill em all with neat ammonia being used to fishless cycle?

Also - on the 130D in the literature on many sites - it says there is an adapter to enable additional externals and UV's etc - now do these tanks come with accessories or do i have to buy it separately - ditto for the other things (like the skimmer upgrade)

Is the redsea max starter pack (live rock, sand etc) worth the cost? and am i correct in thinking refractometer from the outset or will a hygrometer be ok for a while?

cheers for the help thus far btw
 
Whipitup

Whipitup

Member
RichUK said:
I agree witht he mods thing as well - why go to all the time n trouble of that when you could just by off the shelf items n build your setup

OK - forgot to ask - I cycled all my freshwater tankls (and i have not cycled litterally dozens of tanks n filters for others) using the fishless cycle method - my record time for a 300liter tank (not mine) is 8 days two of those with constant zero ammonia and nitrite - now my 'worry' with this ie bottled ammonia in a salty tank is that if the live rock has extra free lifeforms residing within - am I gonna kill em all with neat ammonia being used to fishless cycle?

Also - on the 130D in the literature on many sites - it says there is an adapter to enable additional externals and UV's etc - now do these tanks come with accessories or do i have to buy it separately - ditto for the other things (like the skimmer upgrade)

Is the redsea max starter pack (live rock, sand etc) worth the cost? and am i correct in thinking refractometer from the outset or will a hygrometer be ok for a while?

cheers for the help thus far btw
Click to expand...

Not sure about fresh water, but in a marine tank you just add you live rock, and wait for it to cycle..........you do not add anything else. The Live rock IS your filter system.

I know the surface skimmer does come with the 130D, but I think the external adapter is an "extra"......you shouldn't need it unless you want to install a chiller on sump (but as you say "why mod a tank that doesn't need it"?

I have no experience of the starter pack, so I cant say if it's worth the money or not (although I do know it doesn't include live rock).

Definitely a refractometer.....hydrometers are not accurate enough. You should be able to pick up a second hand one off UR though.
 
marine281

marine281

Member
The external adapter does come with the 130D, as does the surface skimmer & improved skimmer cup.

I tend to agree with whipitup on the cycling, a lot of people use some fish food, or a deli shrimp to get things going, but you're going to have die off when you add live rock, which will raise ammonia anyways.

I've always had way more live rock than recommended, love the stuff :) If it was all in the RSM, the fish wouldn't be able to swim. :) The more you have, the quicker the tank cycles IMO. If you get good quality rock then the ammonia/nitrite levels should be stable within a week or 2.
 
Jeremy0322

Jeremy0322

Active Member
Is there a UK version of craigslist, I have gotten some AMAZING deals on that site, I looked up the conversion rate right now and with 400 euros (500 american dollars, these are rough estimates :lol:) I got a 90 gallon tank with all the rock and sand(100lbs of each), canopy, stand, skimmer, overflow box and sump, all the powerheads and return pumps, heaters, etc. Money is tight everywhere right now, people are leaving the hobby,and it gives you the ability to buy almost everything you need for much much less than buying new.
 
Whipitup

Whipitup

Member
Jeremy0322 said:
I looked up the conversion rate right now and with 400 euros (500 american dollars, these are rough estimates
Click to expand...

OY...we still have pound sterling (well for the time being anyway)......;)

RichUk.........Pm me your number if you want to talk this though, it's a bit difficult on these sites sometimes.
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
RichUK.....

:welcomera to Reef Sanctuary and the RSM Club!


We're not all asleep over on this side of the Big Pond, yet. :)
 
Jeremy0322

Jeremy0322

Active Member
Whipitup said:
OY...we still have pound sterling (well for the time being anyway)......;)

RichUk.........Pm me your number if you want to talk this though, it's a bit difficult on these sites sometimes.
Click to expand...

haha, i dont know whats going on, but the craigslist idea still stands, its an amazing way to save some money
 
Rue

Rue

Member
Whipitup said:
OY...we still have pound sterling (well for the time being anyway)......;)
Click to expand...

...*mutter* Non-conformists....:crowd:

My take:

Like to modify? Like to fiddle? Like to tinker?
Go with components...

Want to have a basic reef tank and be done with it? Plumbing-phobic? Scared by light wattage?
Go with the RSM

...and yes...you HAVE to have R/O or distilled water. Not worth the aggrevation otherwise. If you don't want to lug, you can buy/install your own...just be away it creates a lot of waste water, up to 4g per 1 g of R/.

However, there's a zero waste water system in the works (info. avail. on this site).

In the meantime, you could buy enough R/O water to initially fill the tank, and then make enough for weekly water changes. A bit of a compromise, but would only require 1 taxi trip.
 
R

RichUK

New Member
Thanks guys for all the help - Im only 'window shopping' at the moment - to be blunt - I dont have the space for another tank atm as sadi - ive got a full fry tank to 'empty' before getting a max (or whatever)

0 waste RO system sounds great - im lucky atm as we are not on water meters - but living where I do - im sure it wont be too long before everyone is forced onto the things - if this happens - I may well either quit the hobby all together - or turn my 180liter tropical tank into a marine and be done with it - dont bother encouraging me on this yet - I dont think my oh so loved catfish would appreciate walking up to find themselves sharing with corals and clown fish etc :D

Another thing I have to consider is simplicity of care for the system - not for myself but others - as im long term sick - there are occasions where i end up in hospital - usually for 24hrs or so - and this is fine for tropicals to be left alone lights off etc - bu t for marines - i think my family may well have panic attacks over this.

As for the 'like to fiddle' line - im not afraid if plumbing/diy etc etc etc etc - when one of my externals packed in (i wont mention the brand or the model as one or two people have never had a problem with RENA XP3 filters - oops - done it now :D - I had 4 in a row fail within weeks so i went for a tetratec and have never had a problem with it) - anyway - I built my own 'trickle' filter out of 5 liter bottled water butts and a powerhead and it worked brilliantly for weeks (just very unsightly)

Second hand / used gear is always attractive - but its my luck to be ripped off and or get damaged/broken equipment - my biggest fear is a leaking tank so I really do prefer to buy new - call me a mug if you like - but there is peace of mind in being able to return goods and get money back etc.

Anyway - basically this is a 'im seriously considering' stage of things and not a definate certainty - very likely / probable - but not certain

thanks again for the help
 
FishNerd

FishNerd

Member
You will need an R/O DI. No question about it saves you money, and due to your health issues its is much better to do at home. The red sea max is an amazing tank. I has a built in timer so if you do need the stay for a short time you won't have to worry. I have a 14g bio cube works great no complaints. But I am going to upgrade to a red sea HQI as soon as I can afford it.
 
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