Anything else i need to get before delivery/set up?

[PhamousPhish]

Ok so the big day is here! I set up my 50gallon aio. Its too small so I ordered the same but a 75 gallon EXT! I have LFS (Wwc) coming to set up my tank and I just wanna make sure I have everything so they can set up as much as possible while they are there.

I'll have the 75 gal IM ext stand and everything that comes in box. Also, 1 mp10 which I know won't be enough power for now. Also an osmolator 3155 (ato), heater but is only good up to 55gal. Would that heater be ok? It says up to 55gal...its an aquatop.
Is there anything else I should get before hand so they can do as much as possible while there? ofcourse sand and water ill have. However, is it ok for them to take my barely cycled water/sand from old tank? Only been cycling for 1 week...

 

[Fish Fan]

Congrats on the new tank, and for working with the guys from WWC!

If you're a little intimidated setting everything up yourself, then by all means go with the guys from WWC. But, your system isn't super complicated, there's not a whole lot to setup with an AIO, and if you had questions members here at R2R would be able to help. I'm sure many here run the same tank; I have a few smaller AIO's.

I think you're in good shape to get going. All you need at this point is to get the tank cycling, and for that you just need the tank, saltwater, your rocks and sand, and the tank's return pump. A heater will make the cycle go faster. No lights necessary, no skimmer, no mechanical filtration material (socks, filter floss, etc.) during the cycle.

You can use your old sand and rocks, it sounds like that cycle just started, but I don't think it would hurt. It's not like trying to use very old sand, which can be problematic. You can use the water, but in general there's not too many of the beneficial bacteria in the water, they mostly populate the rocks, sand and other surfaces, but no harm using your old water here. You'd save a little on salt mix.

What wattage heater do you have now? Please consider running your heater with some kind of heater controller that will prevent the tank from overheating if the heater fails in the "on" state, which happens all the time. There's a few brands, but InkBird heater controllers work well and start at about $35 or so.

The Osmolator 3155 is awesome; gold standard in ATO's, in my opinion. This will go long way towards keeping your salinity stable, which is important.

I think I remember fro another thread that you plan on buying your water from WWC. I'm sure those guys are excellent, but it's best practice to double check the salinity of any saltwater you get from them. Don't just assume it's good to go. I'd suggest you look into an RODI filtration system sooner rather than later, as hauling water gets very old, really quickly.

I hope that helps get you going! If you have other questions, please post again. R2R has a lot of great members, much more knowledgeable than I am, who would be willing to help you.

Good luck!

 

[PhamousPhish]

Congrats on the new tank, and for working with the guys from WWC!

If you're a little intimidated setting everything up yourself, then by all means go with the guys from WWC. But, your system isn't super complicated, there's not a whole lot to setup with an AIO, and if you had questions members here at R2R would be able to help. I'm sure many here run the same tank; I have a few smaller AIO's.

I think you're in good shape to get going. All you need at this point is to get the tank cycling, and for that you just need the tank, saltwater, your rocks and sand, and the tank's return pump. A heater will make the cycle go faster. No lights necessary, no skimmer, no mechanical filtration material (socks, filter floss, etc.) during the cycle.

You can use your old sand and rocks, it sounds like that cycle just started, but I don't think it would hurt. It's not like trying to use very old sand, which can be problematic. You can use the water, but in general there's not too many of the beneficial bacteria in the water, they mostly populate the rocks, sand and other surfaces, but no harm using your old water here. You'd save a little on salt mix.

What wattage heater do you have now? Please consider running your heater with some kind of heater controller that will prevent the tank from overheating if the heater fails in the "on" state, which happens all the time. There's a few brands, but InkBird heater controllers work well and start at about $35 or so.

The Osmolator 3155 is awesome; gold standard in ATO's, in my opinion. This will go long way towards keeping your salinity stable, which is important.

I think I remember fro another thread that you plan on buying your water from WWC. I'm sure those guys are excellent, but it's best practice to double check the salinity of any saltwater you get from them. Don't just assume it's good to go. I'd suggest you look into an RODI filtration system sooner rather than later, as hauling water gets very old, really quickly.

I hope that helps get you going! If you have other questions, please post again. R2R has a lot of great members, much more knowledgeable than I am, who would be willing to help you.

Good luck!

No, I'm getting rid of my IM 50 aio and getting a 75 gallon EXT. My biggest concern is the lack of space in stand. I have the 5 gallon IM reservoir with a pull out drawer and I dont think its gonna fit in the stand due to the large sump and lack of space. I am also thinking of getting the red sea reefcan and putting it behind or in the stand but that'll be a huge pain to refill. Any thoughts? I really dont want anything outside of stand. The reefcan 5 gallon will fit behind but idk how id refill and id prefer if I could get the 10 gal. And put inside but 10 gal prolly won't fit behind.
I've attached a pic of the heater I have currently. Think it would be ok? Also i got a power outlet which hopefully they'll do that too and make it all clean with wires

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

That heater may be ok depending on the temp you keep your house.

I would get a properly rated heater. I got that same heater for a water mixing station and it’s off by 2 degrees or so (says it’s 80, but it’s really 78).

You may want a second way to check the temp.

If you want everything to fit in the stand, you are going to want the reefcan 5 gallon. I believe that is the only one that will fit in there. You may be able to get the 10 gallon to fit behind the tank.

 

[Fish Fan]

No, I'm getting rid of my IM 50 aio and getting a 75 gallon EXT. My biggest concern is the lack of space in stand. I have the 5 gallon IM reservoir with a pull out drawer and I dont think its gonna fit in the stand due to the large sump and lack of space. I am also thinking of getting the red sea reefcan and putting it behind or in the stand but that'll be a huge pain to refill. Any thoughts? I really dont want anything outside of stand. The reefcan 5 gallon will fit behind but idk how id refill and id prefer if I could get the 10 gal. And put inside but 10 gal prolly won't fit behind.
I've attached a pic of the heater I have currently. Think it would be ok? Also i got a power outlet which hopefully they'll do that too and make it all clean with wires

I'm sorry, I assumed you were getting a larger AIO tank; my bad!

I'm sorry, I don't have any personal experience with that tank and stand, but I know for sure other members here do. I do believe I've heard that there's not much extra room in the stand for an ATO reservoir because of the sump.

Looks like @Catawba_Valley_Reef has a good suggestion on an ATO reservoir container

Having a system with a plumbed sump is no small project, so good call bringing in the guys from WWC. I would appreciate your feedback on how it was to work with them, if you have a chance.

 

[SliceGolfer]

You’re hiring WWC to perform the install. I suspect they will bring any additional items needed in their van and upsell you if you need it. They’ve performed numerous installs. Use that knowledge to your advantage. You’re paying for it!

 

[Fish Fan]

For heaters, the general rule is 3-5 watts/gallon (including water your sump holds), with larger systems leaning towards the lower, 3 watt/gallon range. A slightly larger heater may be needed if your house was particularly chilly, but I don't think that would be a problem for you in Florida And, because you live in a warm area, you're 200 watt heater may work for you, it depends on the temp of your house.

 

[W31Olds]

Fish Fan, is that heater sizing correct? Seems a bit high. I'm only running a 300 watt heater on my 180.

 

[Fish Fan]

Fish Fan, is that heater sizing correct? Seems a bit high. I'm only running a 300 watt heater on my 180.

Yes, I believe that's the general advice. Certainly, there's other factors, and I have no doubt that your 180 is fine with a 300 watt heater. Larger tanks need less watts/gallon than smaller tanks.

Here's BRS's recommendation on heaters, also 3-5 watts/gallon:

Heaters and Temperature Setup for a Reef Aquarium - Don't Learn The Hard Way!

Learn how to choose, install and set up your aquarium heater like a pro.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Here's a link to a thread here discussing this. In that thread @Mr. Mojo Rising replied with the same 3-5 watts/gallon recommendation:

How to size heater for 100 gallon tank

Hello. I set up my 100 gallon FOWLR tank in late January and the heater that came with it died over the summer (i purchased a complete set-up and moved it all in Jan). I have another 250 Watt Eheim heater but I want to run two...one as a back-up. Aquarium heaters seem to be all over the...

www.reef2reef.com

I think that's what most suggest, your milage may vary

 

[PhamousPhish]

Do you think i should bite the bullet and buy the Innovative marine heater which is supposed to be best. My house at night does get to 70 but never below that.

 

[Fish Fan]

The AquaTop heater is probably on the lower quality end of heaters, but I don't know, I've never used one.

The Innovative Marine Helio heaters are very good, though a touch expensive. But it's got a lot going for it, not the least of which is that it includes a controller like I was suggesting above. This will go a long way towards preventing your tank from getting accidentally cooked. It's also a titanium bodied heater, which are more durable than glass heaters. And, titanium heaters also serve as a grounding probe, which electrically grounds the tank in case of stray electrical current in the water (like when a heater breaks!).

Other popular choices would be the Eheim Jager glass heaters. These are popular and work well, but I've always found them to be crazy long for the wattage. If you look at an Eheim heater, double check the length and make sure it will fit in your sump:

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I also like the BRS Titanium heating element. This has no thermostat, so it must be used with a heater controller. But, a 200 or 300 watt BRS Titanium heater will run you about $70, add maybe $50 for a controller, that's a heck of a lot less than the IM Helios.

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I recently bought an InkBird heater controller brand new from an eBay seller, no problems at all with the transaction or the controller. This model is for aquariums and includes wifi, so you can control it with an app on your phone:

Pardon Our Interruption...

Other temp controllers include Ranco, which are awesome, and used in a wide range of industries like food storage. Aqua Logic, which are rebranded Ranco unit, but set up to be used out of the box on an aquarium. Finex and Reef Factory also come to mind.

I'm sure there's plenty of other options for heaters, but that should give you a few options here.

 

[PhamousPhish]

I am very unhappy with the mobius app for my vortech mp10. I have no understanding of it and find it so confusing. Although I do like the idea of wifi enabled and notified heater. Is the ebay one you linked the only one you'd suggest that's wifi/notification friendly? If Jager fits in sump height wise should I just go for that? I have read that the helio is top notch but its also top price...and no notification via phone.

The AquaTop heater is probably on the lower quality end of heaters, but I don't know, I've never used one.

The Innovative Marine Helio heaters are very good, though a touch expensive. But it's got a lot going for it, not the least of which is that it includes a controller like I was suggesting above. This will go a long way towards preventing your tank from getting accidentally cooked. It's also a titanium bodied heater, which are more durable than glass heaters. And, titanium heaters also serve as a grounding probe, which electrically grounds the tank in case of stray electrical current in the water (like when a heater breaks!).

Other popular choices would be the Eheim Jager glass heaters. These are popular and work well, but I've always found them to be crazy long for the wattage. If you look at an Eheim heater, double check the length and make sure it will fit in your sump:

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I also like the BRS Titanium heating element. This has no thermostat, so it must be used with a heater controller. But, a 200 or 300 watt BRS Titanium heater will run you about $70, add maybe $50 for a controller, that's a heck of a lot less than the IM Helios.

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I recently bought an InkBird heater controller brand new from an eBay seller, no problems at all with the transaction or the controller. This model is for aquariums and includes wifi, so you can control it with an app on your phone:

Pardon Our Interruption...

Other temp controllers include Ranco, which are awesome, and used in a wide range of industries like food storage. Aqua Logic, which are rebranded Ranco unit, but set up to be used out of the box on an aquarium. Finex and Reef Factory also come to mind.

I'm sure there's plenty of other options for heaters, but that should give you a few options here.

 

[PhamousPhish]

The AquaTop heater is probably on the lower quality end of heaters, but I don't know, I've never used one.

The Innovative Marine Helio heaters are very good, though a touch expensive. But it's got a lot going for it, not the least of which is that it includes a controller like I was suggesting above. This will go a long way towards preventing your tank from getting accidentally cooked. It's also a titanium bodied heater, which are more durable than glass heaters. And, titanium heaters also serve as a grounding probe, which electrically grounds the tank in case of stray electrical current in the water (like when a heater breaks!).

Other popular choices would be the Eheim Jager glass heaters. These are popular and work well, but I've always found them to be crazy long for the wattage. If you look at an Eheim heater, double check the length and make sure it will fit in your sump:

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I also like the BRS Titanium heating element. This has no thermostat, so it must be used with a heater controller. But, a 200 or 300 watt BRS Titanium heater will run you about $70, add maybe $50 for a controller, that's a heck of a lot less than the IM Helios.

JAGER TruTemp Aquarium Heater

Fully submersible aquarium heater with TruTemp technology from Eheim. Precise temperature control: 65-93° F Made from shatter-proof laboratory glass TruTemp technology - ability to calibrate the heater for precise temperature Easy calibration to ±2ºF Run dry protection with Thermo safety...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I recently bought an InkBird heater controller brand new from an eBay seller, no problems at all with the transaction or the controller. This model is for aquariums and includes wifi, so you can control it with an app on your phone:

Pardon Our Interruption...

Other temp controllers include Ranco, which are awesome, and used in a wide range of industries like food storage. Aqua Logic, which are rebranded Ranco unit, but set up to be used out of the box on an aquarium. Finex and Reef Factory also come to mind.

I'm sure there's plenty of other options for heaters, but that should give you a few options here.

I apologize but im just not understanding the "heaters" aspect to the hobby. I get you put a heater somewhere in sump and then put the other little sensor across in another area of tank (idk where that would be put) to make sure the temperature is what you set it to be. But what is the point of the inkbird thing? I would like notifications on phone in case something went wrong. Why do people use 2 heaters; id rather just use 1 good one i am going for a super clean and minimal look...thanks and any advice would be appreciated

 

[PhamousPhish]

Also would i want to have a thermometer in tank? Im assuming for how much these heaters are they already do that...?

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

I apologize but im just not understanding the "heaters" aspect to the hobby. I get you put a heater somewhere in sump and then put the other little sensor across in another area of tank (idk where that would be put) to make sure the temperature is what you set it to be. But what is the point of the inkbird thing? I would like notifications on phone in case something went wrong. Why do people use 2 heaters; id rather just use 1 good one i am going for a super clean and minimal look...thanks and any advice would be appreciated

The inkbird is a separate heater controller. It is to be used with hearers that don’t come with their own controller. This ensures you aren’t relying on the sensor within the heater itself (which are known to fail). You can get a wifi inkbird to notify you of issues.

If you want the cleanest look, I would get a heater with an attached controller…the aquatop is ok…but not of the highest quality…and is not going to notify you of anything.

People use two heaters simply so there is a back up in case one fails. In some cases you have to use more than one because the tank is too big. I have three 600 watt heaters in my tank.

If your house is maintained between 70 and 75 you should be ok with one heater. If it failed your temp shouldn’t drop very quickly and would allow enough time to catch it.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Also would i want to have a thermometer in tank? Im assuming for how much these heaters are they already do that...?

The inkbird has a built in temp sensor. All of the heaters that come with a controller have a built in sensor to let you know what the temp in the tank is.

 

[PhamousPhish]

The inkbird is a separate heater controller. It is to be used with hearers that don’t come with their own controller. This ensures you aren’t relying on the sensor within the heater itself (which are known to fail). You can get a wifi inkbird to notify you of issues.

If you want the cleanest look, I would get a heater with an attached controller…the aquatop is ok…but not of the highest quality…and is not going to notify you of anything.

People use two heaters simply so there is a back up in case one fails. In some cases you have to use more than one because the tank is too big. I have three 600 watt heaters in my tank.

If your house is maintained between 70 and 75 you should be ok with one heater. If it failed your temp shouldn’t drop very quickly and would allow enough time to catch it.

So I could even use an InkBird with my current heater.
Ok so cleanest look would be getting one with it built in. Mind giving me some good options for that that are user friendly. Loll I've already spent so much money. I feel like ima end up with the helios by im

 

[PhamousPhish]

So I could even use an InkBird with my current heater.
Ok so cleanest look would be getting one with it built in. Mind giving me some good options for that that are user friendly. Loll I've already spent so much money. I feel like ima end up with the helios by im

Anything easy to use and reliable close to the level of the helios?

 

[W31Olds]

I use a Inkbird with Finex Titanium element. You don't have to worry about broken glass and they provide a ground for your tank. Brought mine off Amazon and reasonably priced.

 

[Prowler66gt]

I went with the BRS titanium w/Helio redundancy bundle. A bit on the pricey side but gives me piece of mind.