Guest cphelps March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Hello, I'm new to these threads. I am trying to put together a 200 Gallon reef tank and looking for good prices on 2 IceCap 660 Ballasts and a nice Protein Skimmer. Does anyone have any suggestions where I can go to buy these? Or is there a forum that people go to in order to get rid of equipment? Thanks for any help you can provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chideloh March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Where are you located? Are you local? I have a nice skimmer you may be interested in. LMK David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 is there a forum that people go to in order to get rid of equipment? There are three more forums in the WAMAS members section including the "For Sale/For Trade" forum. You would have to join WAMAS to see it. One of the many more benifits for members. Chideloh-his profile says Frederick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quazi March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Jeff's has a NEW URI Ice Cap 660 only $149.95. I have seen this as low as $115 at other sites. If you have not joined WAMAS, do. Lots of people have stuff to sell :O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cphelps March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Thanks for the quick responses! chideloh, I live in Frederick, Maryland. I'd be intereseted to hear what you have. Please email me at cwp7903hotmail.com. prevyet, I believe I will join! quazi, After doing a little research I would be willing to pay the $115 used but the $149.95 seems a little pricy. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quazi March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 actually, the $115 price was NEW! I forget where I saw it, but I will keep an eye out for you :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chideloh March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Chris, I tried to email you but it says it is incorrect. Can you check it for me? Thanks David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cphelps March 17, 2003 Share March 17, 2003 Grrrrrr. chideloh, sorry I didn't have the @ symbol in the address. Here you go. cwp7903@hotmail.com quazi, WOW!!! I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. If you find it please advise. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDBDRZ March 18, 2003 Share March 18, 2003 Well Chris I see you found your way to the WAMAS board. Icecap ballasts usually go pretty quick when people are selling them used. They also demand a higher resale value than other reef equipment due to the name and reputation of the manufacturer. If you are able to find used ballasts make sure of a couple things: Find out when it was manufactured. They have 3 year warranties. Not saying an older ballast is necessarily bad but make sure you know what you are buying. (I sold one that was 8 or so years old to another member and it works just fine). Also if you get the serial number you can find out if it has been repaired. The manufactured date is part of the serial number. Make sure it comes with a wiring harness and a heat sink. You can make a heat sink if you have to but if it does not include a harness you will have to buy one. Might be worth it just to spend a couple bucks more and buy new. If you search the normal online vendors you should be able to find them new in the $150 range. Also since I know you will need 72" bulbs it may be cheaper to buy a retro kit. As for skimmers you can occasionally find them used but everyone has an opinion on the best skimmers and the best type of skimmer technology. I would recommend contacting Jeff at www.exoticfish.com He sells a Southbay skimmer which is basically a copy of the Euroreef (that is what I use) They aren't really cheap but they do perform well. Beckett injected skimmers are also very popular but you need to push a lot of water through them for best performance. You could check www.myreef.com He sells a good skimmer and his prices dont seem to be too bad (I had one that I sold to another WAMAS member) . Email me at scott.blackburn@rsmi.com or call me if you want to talk about it. You might also want to check www.reefcentral.com Usually a lot of used stuff on that board but with the number of users they have the good stuff seems to go quick Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgasmd March 18, 2003 Share March 18, 2003 Just to offer another choice. While IceCap ballast are pretty good, I personally think they are way overpriced for what they are. Another option to explore is the the www.hellolights.com VHO ballast. http://www.hellolights.com/vhoballastkits1.html They are electronic, run just perfect and cool, and come with wiring and all ready to go. I couldn't be happier with them (had 3 sets) and they are considerably cheapper than IceCaps. One of the reasons I think IceCaps are so highly thought of is that 10 years ago when they were the only thing around the block there wasn't very much competition. Now that there are so many more reliable and cheapper choices, one should really ask: What is it that I am getting for my money really? At least that is what I do since I actually have to work hard for mine. Hope that helps some. Alberto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cphelps March 19, 2003 Share March 19, 2003 dgasmd, Thank you for your post. I'll keep that in mind. Scott! Hey buddy, I figured you were too busy to look at the message boards. :p Excellent point about the warranty. I'll be sure and check that. Before you told me about Jeff's website ( www.exoticfish.com ) I was checking around and found a Red Sea Berlin Classic Skimmer, rated for up to 250 gallons(I already have the Rio 2500 powerhead it suggest), for $159.99 from www.saltwaterfish.com. Do you have any knowledge about this skimmer? Also the second site you sent me to doesn't appear to work correctly right now so I'll have to try that again later. Nice to hear from you. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelg March 19, 2003 Share March 19, 2003 Chris- check out this article: http://www.thereefweb.com/skimmer_comparison.htm Also, there is a general dislike of RIO pumps due to failure/meltdown issues. What are you planning on keeping in that tank? I don't think a berlin skimmer is strong enough for one that size, IMO. I wish there was some sort of objective rating for skimmers, but each manufacturer is different, and their ratings should be questioned. On another note, will the Fulham ballasts drive PC bulbs? That maybe an option to look at for lighting. Else see the DIY MH threads on cost effective metal halide lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDBDRZ March 20, 2003 Share March 20, 2003 Chris, I don't think the Red Sea would be adequate for your tank. Most skimmer manufacturers tend to exagerrate their skimmers capabilities. Like I said there are many opinions about skimmers all the way from significant skimming to no skimming at all and everyone has their personal favorites. I would stick with a with a needlewheel design (Euroreef, Southbay) or a beckett injected skimmer. As for the website try www.myreefcreations.com Dgasmd makes a good point about lighting and you can save a few bucks by going with Hellolights or DIY. I tend to prefer Icecap because they have a long reputation for reliability. If it stops working after the 3 year warranty you can ship it back and have it rebuilt for $65. If you get new ballasts I think they are all now dimmable. I dont have a lot of time to check the boards but I usually stop in and check WAMAS every day or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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