R32GOTMLK Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 hi all was thinking about getting a marine tank this will be my first marine tank setup i know nothing about marine stuff :oops: was thinking about a aquaReef 200 would this be anygood? could i have a reef in it? or is it just the name? does it have everything i need to start and keep it running for years? any advice comments will be helpfull cheers Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 what are you wanting to keep in your tank eg. soft corals or hard corals? i had a quick look at the aquareef 200 aquariums online (i'm not familar with them) and they don't have very strong lighting, so you would struggle to keep hard corals. it really comes down to what you want to keep. Your most important pieces of equipment are your skimmer and lights. All in one units often skimp on these pieces of equipment so you are often better off buying your equipment separately rather than buying an all in one unit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32GOTMLK Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 hi im thinking id like to keep soft corals are there any questions i can ask the shop selling this tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikee Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Total lighting is about 83 w from what I understand. Not really enough might be OK for fish only or some softies up high but I'm not convinced. Size would limit the type of fish you could keep, no Blue Tang (or any other tangs). Looks like an OK All n One setup but not my cup of tea. Whats the cost?? How does it compare to tank/stand/skimmer and lights separately? I would also be suspicious of the skimmers ability to cope. So if you're after a smaller tank, All in one style, don't want to keep SPS, LPS, and only a few smaller fish then this one should do the job fine BUT if you intend to progress to the above corals and bigger fish then I would suggest getting something larger purpose built. just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32GOTMLK Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 hi its $1200 so going buy your advice the redsea 130 wouldnt be big enough for tangs either? hmm is the redsea 130 the better unit? are there any other all in ones out there? cheers Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikee Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 hi its $1200 Seems reasonable for a starting tank. For a guide a reef tank generally works out at approx $1000 per foot not including livestock, corals etc so going buy your advice the redsea 130 wouldnt be big enough for tangs either? Nope, well may be a solitary yellow tang but I wouldn't hmm is the redsea 130 the better unit? Not sure haven't had one. We started with an AR980 converted to marine, conversion cost heaps and didn't really do what we wanted. Got a 3cm Blue Tang when we started, to cut a long story short we now have a 5ft tank and same blue tang is 17cms long and 3cms wide :lol: we called him Porky. are there any other all in ones out there? If you're serious about having a good marine tank I would seriously suggest collecting all the bit and bobs and get a tank built, 3ft is good but 4ft I think would make a better starting tank. There is another dedicated marine keeping site where you could ask, (not sure I can mention it here). Biggest issue with keeping marines is most beginners don't believe some of the answers as regards to costs involved and think "they can do it on the cheap". from my own experience this is not really the case, you can save money sure but you should not skimp on a quality skimmer and strong lighting particularly if you are keeping a reef. Buy good equipment you owe it to your fish and corals, and good quality equipment generally lasts years. Hope I haven't put you off You can see our tank and upgrade here Mikees Tank I don't consider it to be that flash compared to other local (NZ) tanks I have visited and it not big enough!! Bigger one in works for next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32GOTMLK Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 thinks for your advice think i might put it on hold i cant really afford to get a decent setup and pay the up keep :oops: still havent recovered fron my 6 foot fs setup which cost 4k+ to setup + the fish and i dont really have the room for a 4foot tank cheers for all your help guys Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikee Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Maybe you should consider Fish only with live rock and no coral. Wouldn't need mega lighting Just a good skimmer. If you already have a spare tank you would just need the skimmer and lights to view them. Main problem with small marine tanks is people still seem to stick fish that will grow too big in their small tanks. for example the Blue Tang. Small 3cm one in a Red Sea Max is OK (well to some people but not me) this grows (fast). Not really fair on the fish. Kinda like all 100+ kgs of me living in a room the size of the toilet, could be done but not pretty. Marines are different in that you cannot have as many fish as freshwater in the same sized tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Id recommend a red sea max. its a neat unit with a skimmer and most of the essentials. might cost a bit more that $1200, but is designed well, and you can have fish and some corals, as long as you choose your corals well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sera just launched a new all in one tank... sera is a VERY good german brand, ask your shop... not to badly priced, very nice looking unit butt not big enough for tangs... smaller fish like Clowns, Gobys, Shrimps and from what i understand the light/skimmer is very good!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammos Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 my 2 cents! I would get the aquareef tank because - it has more volume than the redseamax therefore more room for aquascaping etc. It has lighting that is easier to replace (redsea max light bulbs are 65ea and you have to wait for shops to get them in) Both tanks need their skimmers replaced as they are not upto par. Both tanks will need an extra powerhead as either dont have enough flow. I have had a 4 foot marine setup and now have a redsea max 130 and i am enjoying having the rsm alot more then my big tank! i think these tanks are the best way to get to learn about marine before having to fork out 5k for a big setup. Many people love having small tanks or nanos!! Only things you have to come to grips with - no tangs, no to most angels, no butterflies, no to most big fish(obviously) no clams, no to some of the corlas that need extreme light. If i have the choice i would have got this tank over my RSM. wish i saw it!! Heres a sneak peak at my rsm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32GOTMLK Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 hi all what make a good skimmer? how do u know if one is not up to the job? how can u tell a good one from a average one othere than the price lol Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammos Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 stick to the more well known brands, some are tunze, deltec, reef octopus etc. The only ones that are any good to replace the ones in these kind of tanks are deltec mce300/600 or tunze 9002 (thats what i'm runngin and alot of people in ths usa are too) but i think the tunze maybe too small for the tank your looking at. have you decided to get it or something else? also get one that is over rated for your tank not one just rated to your tank. so if it is rated for 400 litres and fits in the back its good. if its only rated fpr 200L flag it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 R.Milk did you read this sticky at the top of this section? viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23675 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32GOTMLK Posted July 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 hi think ill not going to go the marine route thanks yeah i had a look at the write up thanks thankyou all for your help Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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