Don't forget the extras

[rburn99]

Well, It's coming down to the wire now. The builders are almost done. I can set up my 90 as soon as they are. After getting the "complete system" (overflow tank, sump, glass top, PC10k/Act3/lunar lighting, return pump, salt) I figured I'd better jot down a few extras I will be needing that have come to mind.

RO/DI 100gpd Water System............$90.00 + $20.00 shipping
Test Kits - Red Sea Marine Kit 5in1....$50.00
............ - Red Sea Calcium Test.......$15.00?
Timers............................................$50.00
WaveMaker - SCWD or LFS...............$40
Water Pump - Mag Drive...................250gph/$40 - 500gph/$52
Plastic Tubing..................................$10.00?
Thermometer..................................$15.00
Heater/Chiller don't know if neccessary yet (I hope not a chiller!)
Skimmer - RedSea Berlin w/Rio2500..$170.00 or - EuroReef ES5-3...............$270.00
Live Rock - Fiji from LFS 65more lbs..$260-$325
Misc - Nets, StripPlugs, Tools, Glues...$100 estimate
TOTAL: about another grand for the extras to get started. (foods, additives, and inhabitants not calculated yet)

I just found it interesting. And a good thing for other beginners to note. And even now I'm probably forgetting some stuff.
Note to self: add 1500 to equity loan hehe

Robb

 

[Anonymous]

A few suggestions:

Spend the extra money and get the Euroreef.

Good to see that you are getting an RO/DI. That, along with a good skimmer, can make this hobby so much less frustrating.

If your Mag is your return pump, you may want to look just a tad larger. You can always throttle the flow back.

If you decide to get a heater, look at titanium heaters...they won't break.

Best of luck, and welcome to the hobby!!

 

[rburn99]

Thanks Chris,

Funny you should mention the Euroreef. I just posted for opinions on which of those skimmers I should get. The Berlin doesn't pull as much as the Euroreef? Or is it a question of ease of use? (the Euroreef sounded like it was simple to operate)

The Mag is what I was going to use for a SCWD or some rotating head thing my LFS has. The return pump is a Rio 3100. I think they're about 900gph. With only one return though I'm expecting lots of dead areas.. I'm hoping this will be enough to stir up the rest of the tank.

Titanium heaters eh? I will look into it. I don't know if I will need a heater or a chiller yet. I'll have to wait until it's up and running with lights and see where it ends up. Do you know the general rule for figuring out wattage needed for a heater? Like 1 watt per gallon or something?

Thanks again for the welcome.

 

[Anonymous]

I believe the Euroreef is superior in both ease of use and performance. I strongly recommend going with the Euroreef.

Any chance of returning the Rio 3100? They have a poor track record imo, and have even been known to give a nasty shock at times. From your last post I am unsure where your Mag will be...in the sump?

Other reefers on the board recently recommended Maxijets to me to help with dead spots. They are reliable and reasonably priced...perhaps something to look into.

I'm not sure on a general rule for wattage needed for a heater, but I believe its more than one watt per gallon. I have a Won Pro 350W for my 180g, and I sometime wonder if that's enough. Hopefully someone else will weigh in on this.

Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

:welcome:

I think Chris is dead on!

Euroreef is better than the Red Sea, and I wouldn't use a rio in any of my tanks - not only have they been known to shock, but they have also been known to melt and poison the tank. Do a search on 'rio' and you will see many sad stories.

I use two SCWDs on two Mag 9.5's and I love em. Set that up and see what the circulation is like in a month or so. You can always add powerheads or another closed loop.

Here is a nice discussion on heaters:
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t ... eater+size

 

[rburn99]

Any chance of returning the Rio 3100? They have a poor track record imo, and have even been known to give a nasty shock at times. From your last post I am unsure where your Mag will be...in the sump?

I'll certainly try to return the Rio. I'm sure they must have fixed the engineering defects by now.. but.. um.. I'll wait a year or 5.
Yes, I meant the Mag in the sump (for a SCWD or rotating head) as well as my return pump... and the pump for the skimmer.. sheesh. Do they make a pump with multiple outlets? Or maybe I can just get a huge one and use some T's in the line? (nah.. don't think that would work.. different flow rates for different devices most likely)

 

[Anonymous]

So as I understand it, your Mag will pump water from your sump directly into the tank, while the Rio pumps water from your sump back to the tank via your overflow? Is that the plan?

 

[rburn99]

That was my thinking. Is that a bad idea?

 

[Anonymous]

No, not a bad idea. I was wondering to myself if you could save some money by going with just one pump that's perhaps a little bigger...like a Mag 12...and just fitting it with a few T's. Upon further thought, though, I'm not sure you would save that much money, and I like the idea of more than one pump in your sump...if one takes a crap the other is still giving you some circulation.

So, nevermind.