BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 Hi Guys, I had a custom 150 gallon acrylic tank made for me a while back and it is just sitting in my basement waiting to get up and going. My problem is I dont know what the best equipment is that I should buy for my tank. Help me out guys and point me towards the best quality items. I need: Lighting Pumps Protein skimmer Sump And whatever else you guys think is very important If at all possible I want to keep it under a $1,000 Tank 66x30x18 I post a pic of the aquarium later this afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 First investment advice: Become a paying WAMAS member to get access to the For Sale forum. You'll also be able to participate in group buys. It's the best $20 that you could spend in this hobby. While you can find decent deals on used lights here (from time to time) and always on the other components, we've also recently run group buys for LED lights from China; Bulk Reef Supply for RO/DI system components and chemicals for dosing; other places for livestock; etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.OptimusPrime. January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 First investment advice: Become a paying WAMAS member to get access to the For Sale forum. You'll also be able to participate in group buys. It's the best $20 that you could spend in this hobby. While you can find decent deals on used lights here (from time to time) and always on the other components, we've also recently run group buys for LED lights from China; Bulk Reef Supply for RO/DI system components and chemicals for dosing; other places for livestock; etc. +1 on the membership We have a BRS group buy going on now and you could save some serious cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 thanks guys, becoming a paid member right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 I am now a paid member....but I still need help on which products would suit me the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 Welcome, please check out my build in the dedicated tank forum, tank is similar size. things you need to think about prior to the list is what type of corals/fish do you want.....that will drastically change what you need/want. fish only with live rock, talk to Coral Hind softies are relatively low light needs sps high light needs get a good skimmer, im a big fan of any and all things Avast Marine (they are local and also memebers of the club) you can get alot of good things used for alot less money and then as you get more into it and decide what path to go with the tank start buying newer things....i have ALOT of used equipment on my tanks and have been happy with the savings....slowly have certain things break down and usually end up replacing with new but you have lots of options.... let us know the direction your thinking of going and that will help out alot with advice on what to look into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco's Reefs January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 (edited) In my mind your first efforts are to get water pumping and a cycle started. To do that you need sumps, pumps, and overflows. I use a 40 breeder for my sump, should have done baffles but didn't, probably switching up to a 75 sump mid year; eheim pumps from BRS, and overflows from glass-holes.com. Many people think the glass-holes.com overflows are loud, there are ways to combat that but are not perfect. I did my own drilling, and I like them, just trying to figure out and deal with the gurgling. After all that is done you'll have to think about lights. I went cheap, power compact, used t-5's, and have beautiful softies, mushrooms, and some fish; but I can't do hard corals. I want to trade up to LED's, but they are fairly expensive for what I want, so I keep putting it off. I have been a member for 2 years and have always received good advice and great deals from our members. Welcome, get started,and let us know how it goes. Roscoe Edited January 22, 2013 by Rosco's Reefs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 Well I want to start off with fish only and live rock with a few softies just to see how it goes. I probably wont be doing any sps's for a while The type of fish I plan on having are: Variety of tang large clownfish Koran angelfish Queen angelfish Picasso trigggerfish (maybe) Also to Roscoe reef- my tank is drilled so I shouldnt need overflows right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 If your tank is drilled then all you need is plumbing...feel free to include a picture so we can all see. As far as equipment, i used to have a 150 FOWLR like you are thinking of...id gor with a good T5 set which will support the fish but also a wide range of easy corals like mushrooms and leathers, As far as a skimmer it depends on how many fish your putting in there but as someone already mentioned AVAST makes some great skimmers and fairly cheap if you build it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 Is the protein skimmer you guys are talking about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 Sorry forgot the link: http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/youbuilt/CS1-Cone-Skimmer-Kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 22, 2013 Share January 22, 2013 For a tank that is 30" tall I think you would be better off with MH lighting for the penetration. Yes, that is the skimmer from Avast that most people seem to like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWA_84 January 22, 2013 Author Share January 22, 2013 its not 30 inches tall its 30 inches wide and 20 inches deep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B) February 1, 2013 Share February 1, 2013 Hi Guys, I had a custom 150 gallon acrylic tank made for me a while back and it is just sitting in my basement waiting to get up and going. My problem is I dont know what the best equipment is that I should buy for my tank. Help me out guys and point me towards the best quality items. I need: Lighting Pumps Protein skimmer Sump And whatever else you guys think is very important If at all possible I want to keep it under a $1,000 Tank 66x30x18 I post a pic of the aquarium later this afternoon Hey!! I remember you! =) Welcome back to the boards! I'm still waiting on those pics and video from that day you came over while I was working on your tank you know =P. Glad to see you are finally getting it setup! Maybe a few more details for everyone will help out here too. As stated, the tank is 20" tall. It has 3 access openings on top and will be setup as a 4 side viewable tank (at least that was your plan when ordered so correct if it has changed). The tank is drilled and has a CENTER overflow box. The box is 8x8 dead smack in the middle of the tank. Drains and returns all run through this box. It's going to be an awesome piece once setup!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackers February 1, 2013 Share February 1, 2013 I'd go with some T5 lights. Twenty inches isn't too deep, the T5's will treat you well at a decent price-point. Skimmer: Get as much as you can afford, or as big as you can fit in your sump. Reef Controller: This will automate everything. I use a Neptune Apex Lite and love it. It controls my lights, auto top off, dosing pumps, heater, powerheads, etc, all while letting me control everything wirelessly with my iphone. It also sends me a text message and email if there are any problems. It's important to keep your tank as stable as possible and the controller really lets you do that. RO/DI unit: Get a bulkreefsupply unit. Another critical piece of reefing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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