55 Gal AIO shopping list

[RC51]

Hello everyone!

Back from a long break away from reef keeping, but decided to dive back in!

Here is my shopping list for the 55 gallon AIO I'm planning. (Go to Sheet 3. Sheet 1 was my plan for a overflow system but thats too expensive :( )

I want to keep the entire thing under 500k JPY (3500 USD ish)

Any advice or recommendations is very much appriciated!

Thanks,

 

[Dom]

You have a good start up budget. I would suggest you decide which fish you want to keep first, and then configure a system.

The 55 gallon tanks I've owned are tall but not deep (front to back). You may be happier with a 40 gallon breeder instead. It isn't as deep, making it easier to light. Also, there is more room to put together a creative rock scape.

Your shopping list is complete! Again, before you start purchasing, be sure it will support the fish you want.

Good luck,
Dom.

 

[RC51]

You have a good start up budget. I would suggest you decide which fish you want to keep first, and then configure a system.

The 55 gallon tanks I've owned are tall but not deep (front to back). You may be happier with a 40 gallon breeder instead. It isn't as deep, making it easier to light. Also, there is more room to put together a creative rock scape.

Your shopping list is complete! Again, before you start purchasing, be sure it will support the fish you want.

Good luck,
Dom.

Hey! Thanks for the reply!

As for fish stocking, I want to keep it pretty minimal with less than 7-10 small fish (clownfish pair, six line, goby etc. etc.)
Mostly focusing on growing and collecting frags

40 breeders aren't very available in my area. (I'm from Japan so the standards for aquarium sizing is a bit different, based on tank length rather than volume)

Any suggestions in terms of more specific equipment? Also how can I reduce the cost a bit? I'm sitting at 600k without any lighting.

(Oops i forgot to add lighting :) )

 

[TheNative192]

Is there a reason you went with 6-stage RODI unit instead of a 5 stage or even 4-stage. Depends on your tap water but it may be overkill. It is one thing that you do not want to skimp on though. Do you have any local fish stores in your area as sometimes they can provide insight into what water quality may be like.

As for the Skimmer that unit may be too light for a 55 gallon tank. You would need a light to medium bioload so if you run too many fish it may not be able to keep up. With 7-10 fish that probably would be fine but if you ever decide to get more just be prepared for more frequent water changes or having to upgrade.

Maybe I missed it but I don't see a place for the refugium to go do you have a tank or section or are you planning on adding a hang on back refugium.

You don't need biopellets if you cycle the rock and sand first. In fact I would rather have a piece of live rock in the refug than biopellets.

For salt I would go for Instant Ocean purple bag or orange bag (for higher coral growth) instead of Redsea coral pro salt. Not sure if its available but where I am located that costs a pretty penny more than the Instant Ocean options. I use the purple bag and dose accordingly so I have more control over Alk, Magnesium, & Calcium.

Are you dead set on using a dosing pump? With that size of tank it can mess with the water quality if its not set up correctly and it may be something I would get at a later date. I personally use redsea foundation to increase my levels and I adjust them once a week.

The cooler can be replaced by a normal table or clip on fan and may not be necessary. Where is the tank going to be located at. I would not get a cooler due to the cost as even people with 200 gallon systems still use fans (lol)

For lighting I like the AI lights although there are a lot of good options. They can be pricey.

 

[TheNative192]

All for reef will also drop your PH (usually so I would make sure you have some product on hand to increase it). With that size of tank I would get individual dosing products instead if available as well.

 

[RC51]

Is there a reason you went with 6-stage RODI unit instead of a 5 stage or even 4-stage. Depends on your tap water but it may be overkill. It is one thing that you do not want to skimp on though. Do you have any local fish stores in your area as sometimes they can provide insight into what water quality may be like.

As for the Skimmer that unit may be too light for a 55 gallon tank. You would need a light to medium bioload so if you run too many fish it may not be able to keep up. With 7-10 fish that probably would be fine but if you ever decide to get more just be prepared for more frequent water changes or having to upgrade.

Maybe I missed it but I don't see a place for the refugium to go do you have a tank or section or are you planning on adding a hang on back refugium.

You don't need biopellets if you cycle the rock and sand first. In fact I would rather have a piece of live rock in the refug than biopellets.

For salt I would go for Instant Ocean purple bag or orange bag (for higher coral growth) instead of Redsea coral pro salt. Not sure if its available but where I am located that costs a pretty penny more than the Instant Ocean options. I use the purple bag and dose accordingly so I have more control over Alk, Magnesium, & Calcium.

Are you dead set on using a dosing pump? With that size of tank it can mess with the water quality if its not set up correctly and it may be something I would get at a later date. I personally use redsea foundation to increase my levels and I adjust them once a week.

The cooler can be replaced by a normal table or clip on fan and may not be necessary. Where is the tank going to be located at. I would not get a cooler due to the cost as even people with 200 gallon systems still use fans (lol)

For lighting I like the AI lights although there are a lot of good options. They can be pricey

Hey! Thanks for the reply!

1. RODI. I thought more stages = better? I know tap water in Japan is pretty darn clean (compared to other places I've traveled to. Tap water is drinkable)
2. Any other skimmers you recommend that can fit into a AIO back?
3. I'm gonna dedicate one of the chambers in the AIO as a refugium. Is this fine?
4. Reason I went with Red Sea black bucket is because it's common here in Tokyo and easy to buy. Is using the black bucket going to be an issue? I thought Red Sea = good?
5. yeah I want to use a dosing pump because I need this system to run by itself while I'm traveling.
6. My tank that I had in the past (well it was less than 20gal but) had overheating issues. I actually killed some coral and a fish because it became too hot and I didn't have a way to cool it down (I did try fans but it wasn't enough)
6. I was looking at getting some used Red Sea 50s (two of them to cover the entire area?) Is this good or should I look into your suggestion of AI?
7. Any suggestions for a dosing product system. Since you suggest against using All for reef. I initially went with all for reef because its 1 product and that seems simple.

 

[Gman83]

I would check out Jebao wavemakers and dosing pumps to see if they will save you any money over your selected ones.

 

[RC51]

I would check out Jebao wavemakers and dosing pumps to see if they will save you any money over your selected ones.

Will check them out thanks!
I think the dosing pump I have is already quite cheap and so is the wave maker

 

[Gman83]

Another thing I would check on is instead of frag glue, I would see if you can get super glue gel that is cheaper. As long as it is only cyanoacrolyte, and no other additives, it is safe for fish and coral, and you can avoid the aquarium mark up. I would even consider it on your rocks instead of the epoxy stick you selected. You might have to hold them in place for a minute or two, but it would work just fine.

 

[TheNative192]

Hey! Thanks for the reply!

1. RODI. I thought more stages = better? I know tap water in Japan is pretty darn clean (compared to other places I've traveled to. Tap water is drinkable)
2. Any other skimmers you recommend that can fit into a AIO back?
3. I'm gonna dedicate one of the chambers in the AIO as a refugium. Is this fine?
4. Reason I went with Red Sea black bucket is because it's common here in Tokyo and easy to buy. Is using the black bucket going to be an issue? I thought Red Sea = good?
5. yeah I want to use a dosing pump because I need this system to run by itself while I'm traveling.
6. My tank that I had in the past (well it was less than 20gal but) had overheating issues. I actually killed some coral and a fish because it became too hot and I didn't have a way to cool it down (I did try fans but it wasn't enough)
6. I was looking at getting some used Red Sea 50s (two of them to cover the entire area?) Is this good or should I look into your suggestion of AI?
7. Any suggestions for a dosing product system. Since you suggest against using All for reef. I initially went with all for reef because its 1 product and that seems simple.

1. More stages is better. If you are trying to cut costs to stay under 500k JPY I run a 5 Stage in Florida with no Issue and I could run a 4-stage as many at my LFS use that at home with no issue. The price difference is not that crazy but with lights it may increase above 500k so that's why I mentioned it. You really only buy it once so the 6 stage may be worth it out of caution. Do you have a TDS meter to measure once the water is truly RODI? Do you have much experience with RODI units. Usually it takes a bit of time before when running water through it for it to hit low TDS numbers for the water to be really RODI.
2. I may have missed it but where is the AIO back in the list of items. Sorry I am not sure if its in one of the items in Japanese and I may have missed it lol.
3. That should be fine I would take it slow with refug as you do not want your nitrates to bottom out as well. Macroalgae can be added after you have the system running with fish but a live cycled rock is usually better than bio pellets or even a dry rock you add while cycling would be better than the biopellets (you can take a dry rock and smash it so it fits as well.
4. If its common and cheap then that works. Instant ocean is like half the price here and would work the same. It may not be avaiable in Japan: Here is Link on Amazon
5. That makes sense. Just be careful not to overdose as with that Redsea salt the levels will already be high for calcium, Alk, & magnesium.
6a. That is strange. I know in other countries many do not have Air conditioning but I would just make sure there is good gas exchange (openings above the tank/lid) but if the room temperature is above 76 than you could definitely run into heating issues. I do not have much experience with cooling systems but I have been told that they do fail so just be aware of that.
6b. Redsea 50s would work, I trust both brands for lights. AI gives you a lot more customization but both would work.
7. All for reef is good just make sure to have some other product to increase PH and make sure to monitor it. People usually use kalkwasser or CO2 Scrubber to keep the PH up. Essentially every time you dose All for Reef it will slightly decrease the PH so unless you are doing regular water changes it can drop low. Here is an example Link of what I mean. Also there are a lot of forum posts on it. Usually it is recommended for 20-30 gallon tanks but there are Redsea Foundation products that are for each element that would not run into that issue. (Although that may impact the dosing machine options)

 

[RC51]

1. More stages is better. If you are trying to cut costs to stay under 500k JPY I run a 5 Stage in Florida with no Issue and I could run a 4-stage as many at my LFS use that at home with no issue. The price difference is not that crazy but with lights it may increase above 500k so that's why I mentioned it. You really only buy it once so the 6 stage may be worth it out of caution. Do you have a TDS meter to measure once the water is truly RODI? Do you have much experience with RODI units. Usually it takes a bit of time before when running water through it for it to hit low TDS numbers for the water to be really RODI.
2. I may have missed it but where is the AIO back in the list of items. Sorry I am not sure if its in one of the items in Japanese and I may have missed it lol.
3. That should be fine I would take it slow with refug as you do not want your nitrates to bottom out as well. Macroalgae can be added after you have the system running with fish but a live cycled rock is usually better than bio pellets or even a dry rock you add while cycling would be better than the biopellets (you can take a dry rock and smash it so it fits as well.
4. If its common and cheap then that works. Instant ocean is like half the price here and would work the same. It may not be avaiable in Japan: Here is Link on Amazon
5. That makes sense. Just be careful not to overdose as with that Redsea salt the levels will already be high for calcium, Alk, & magnesium.
6a. That is strange. I know in other countries many do not have Air conditioning but I would just make sure there is good gas exchange (openings above the tank/lid) but if the room temperature is above 76 than you could definitely run into heating issues. I do not have much experience with cooling systems but I have been told that they do fail so just be aware of that.
6b. Redsea 50s would work, I trust both brands for lights. AI gives you a lot more customization but both would work.
7. All for reef is good just make sure to have some other product to increase PH and make sure to monitor it. People usually use kalkwasser or CO2 Scrubber to keep the PH up. Essentially every time you dose All for Reef it will slightly decrease the PH so unless you are doing regular water changes it can drop low. Here is an example Link of what I mean. Also there are a lot of forum posts on it. Usually it is recommended for 20-30 gallon tanks but there are Redsea Foundation products that are for each element that would not run into that issue. (Although that may impact the dosing machine options)

Hey

Thanks for the detailed advice

1. I downgraded to a 4 stage
2. The AIO I'm making myself out of black acrylic. I'm wondering if theres a good skimmer to put in there
3. Cool
4. I'll check for instant ocean Thanks!
5. Is there another dosing system you recommend?
6. Makes sense.
7. Ill check out Red Sea foundation too thanks!

 

[TheNative192]

2. How much Space is going to be in the back. I see a lot of people enjoy the Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9004 DC or skimmers from that brand. The link for black acrylic takes to an internal Media Reactor so that's why I was confused haha.
5. Its honestly difficult as they can be pricey. How often are you going to be leaving the tank. Most people use Neptune but that is $$$$ I know Redsea has one that is pricey too: I think may be a good option to get two BRS 2 Part Doser - 1.1 mL per minute (this one runs sometimes at 2ml per minute so that is something you would want to make sure is working correctly even though it says 1.1ml per minute) One for All for Reef and the other for kalkwasser. If you go with Redsea foundation you would also need two as one for Calc and the other for Alk. Magnesium usually does not swing that much so you can manually measure and add it in as well.

How long will you be away from the tank for travel? Do you plan to have a large majority of SPS coral or maybe LPS coral. If you are gone for a week or even two weeks unless the tank is absolutely loaded you may not need a dosing machine. I would just check the parameters over a weeks time and you can always look to see if you need to even get the dosing machine. If your gone for more than a month than it is a must but it depends on what type of corals you would like of course.

 

[RC51]

2. How much Space is going to be in the back. I see a lot of people enjoy the Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9004 DC or skimmers from that brand. The link for black acrylic takes to an internal Media Reactor so that's why I was confused haha.
5. Its honestly difficult as they can be pricey. How often are you going to be leaving the tank. Most people use Neptune but that is $$$$ I know Redsea has one that is pricey too: I think may be a good option to get two BRS 2 Part Doser - 1.1 mL per minute (this one runs sometimes at 2ml per minute so that is something you would want to make sure is working correctly even though it says 1.1ml per minute) One for All for Reef and the other for kalkwasser. If you go with Redsea foundation you would also need two as one for Calc and the other for Alk. Magnesium usually does not swing that much so you can manually measure and add it in as well.

How long will you be away from the tank for travel? Do you plan to have a large majority of SPS coral or maybe LPS coral. If you are gone for a week or even two weeks unless the tank is absolutely loaded you may not need a dosing machine. I would just check the parameters over a weeks time and you can always look to see if you need to even get the dosing machine. If your gone for more than a month than it is a must but it depends on what type of corals you would like of course.

2. I'm not sure how much space to make in the back. Still not decided how to lay out the back section.
5. I need this tank to last 1 month with no human around. So I dose kalkwasser AND All For Reef. Why is that?

I will be away on vacation with around 1 month during the summer and the winter. I'm planning to have a mixed reef. Lots of Zoas i love zoas.

 

[RC51]

Lol I just impulsively bought two Red Sea 90s with the bracket. I think I got a pretty good deal?
Welp no turning back now :o

 

[Dom]

Hey! Thanks for the reply!

As for fish stocking, I want to keep it pretty minimal with less than 7-10 small fish (clownfish pair, six line, goby etc. etc.)
Mostly focusing on growing and collecting frags

40 breeders aren't very available in my area. (I'm from Japan so the standards for aquarium sizing is a bit different, based on tank length rather than volume)

Any suggestions in terms of more specific equipment? Also how can I reduce the cost a bit? I'm sitting at 600k without any lighting.

(Oops i forgot to add lighting :) )

Light recommendations will depend on the physical dimension of the tank.

When selecting a light, you need two things; ample power and adequate spread.

Power is the amount of PAR that reaches the bottom of the tank. PAR requirements change based on the corals you have.

Spread is the light's ability to cover the footprint of the tank.

Take a flashlight, turn it on and place it face down on a table. Then slowly pick up the light. The further the flash light is from the table, the bigger the circle of light will become. That is called spread.

You want your light to cover the footprint of the tank with ample par.

But until you make a final decision on tank dimensions...

 

[RC51]

Light recommendations will depend on the physical dimension of the tank.

When selecting a light, you need two things; ample power and adequate spread.

Power is the amount of PAR that reaches the bottom of the tank. PAR requirements change based on the corals you have.

Spread is the light's ability to cover the footprint of the tank.

Take a flashlight, turn it on and place it face down on a table. Then slowly pick up the light. The further the flash light is from the table, the bigger the circle of light will become. That is called spread.

You want your light to cover the footprint of the tank with ample par.

But until you make a final decision on tank dimensions...

My tank will be 120x45x45cm 50 gallons.

I think I'll end up buying another Red Sea 90, so 3 covering the entire area instead of 2

 

[Dom]

My tank will be 120x45x45cm 50 gallons.

I think I'll end up buying another Red Sea 90, so 3 covering the entire area instead of 2

Please search

"Red Sea Seam Failures" on this site before buying a Red Sea tank.

But those are good dimensions; you have good room, front to back. And the height isn't overly deep, which makes for easy light penetration.

 

[RC51]

Please search

"Red Sea Seam Failures" on this site before buying a Red Sea tank.

But those are good dimensions; you have good room, front to back. And the height isn't overly deep, which makes for easy light penetration.

I'm not buying a used red sea tank

By red sea 90s I meant the 90w lighting fixtures

 

[TheNative192]

My tank will be 120x45x45cm 50 gallons.

I think I'll end up buying another Red Sea 90, so 3 covering the entire area instead of 2

Please search

"Red Sea Seam Failures" on this site before buying a Red Sea tank.

But those are good dimensions; you have good room, front to back. And the height isn't overly deep, which makes for easy light penetration.

Also every post for those tanks seems to be Red Sea G1 tanks which they no longer sell. I did a lot of research on it since I ended up buying a Redsea Desktop Cube aquarium and since COVID and the release of the G2 I have only seen positive reviews.

He isn’t buying a Redsea tank though too haha. Not even sure the brand as it is in Japanese.

 

[Dom]

I'm not buying a used red sea tank

By red sea 90s I meant the 90w lighting fixtures

Oh... okay. I'm unfamiliar with them. I looked them up.

They provide a max spread of 24" x 24". with a tank whose footprint is 48" x 18", you would need two lights. But I would still want to know the amount of PAR at 18" before I buy them.