Checklist for a high-tech 75 gallon reef

[seanarino]

This is a theoretical that I do not, myself, plan on doing unless I suddenly win the lottery or someone with an inheritance of several million dollars in my family suddenly dies. In which there isn't anybody, so no time soon LOL. I'm just doing this for fun to hear from everybody I have a 75 gallon myself, but it's freshwater, for my beautiful goldfish

What would you consider having - not thinking about prices at all - in a decked out fully high-tech 75 gallon reef tank? What would your checklist look like? This doesn't have to even mention specific brands, this can just be an item as simple as "calcium reactor" or something all the way up to a specific item from a specific brand, such as AI lights. This tank could be an all-in-one, or have a sump drilled, or not have a sump at all and just use canister filters.

This doesn't include livestock or corals unless you want to add those!

 

[blaxsun]

A much bigger tank.

 

[gbroadbridge]

This is a theoretical that I do not, myself, plan on doing unless I suddenly win the lottery or someone with an inheritance of several million dollars in my family suddenly dies. In which there isn't anybody, so no time soon LOL. I'm just doing this for fun to hear from everybody I have a 75 gallon myself, but it's freshwater, for my beautiful goldfish

What would you consider having - not thinking about prices at all - in a decked out fully high-tech 75 gallon reef tank? What would your checklist look like? This doesn't have to even mention specific brands, this can just be an item as simple as "calcium reactor" or something all the way up to a specific item from a specific brand, such as AI lights. This tank could be an all-in-one, or have a sump drilled, or not have a sump at all and just use canister filters.

This doesn't include livestock or corals unless you want to add those!

For that size tank about $20k.

You'll figure out where the money goes

 

[jda]

Even if price were no option, I would stay away from anything that is too high tech. The tech in his hobby is terrible and just is often another point of failure. The apps are garbage too.

I somebody made me use tech, I could monitor with some probes and stuff and maybe some of the alk/calcium/etc devices, but I would never let them control anything.

For me, high quality flow pumps, calcium reactor, sump (drilled tank, multiple skimmers and decade reliable return pumps are a must. I like Metal Halides to light my larger area tanks - if somebody made me use LED, I would use the ReefBreeders that does not have the app.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Even if price were no option, I would stay away from anything that is too high tech. The tech in his hobby is terrible and just is often another point of failure. The apps are garbage too.

I somebody made me use tech, I could monitor with some probes and stuff and maybe some of the alk/calcium/etc devices, but I would never let them control anything.

For me, high quality flow pumps, calcium reactor, sump (drilled tank, multiple skimmers and decade reliable return pumps are a must. I like Metal Halides to light my larger area tanks - if somebody made me use LED, I would use the ReefBreeders that does not have the app.

I think as long as you set limits to the amount of control given to smart devices they're very useful.

I certainly could not leave my tanks unattended for 4-6 weeks at a time without automated control of Alkalinity.

They've been running like that for 2 years, and never had a problem.

Even if the devices did decide to go a bit nuts, the amount of control they have is limited.

 

[squidarcher]

high tech? $500 for reefi lights, maybe an LED bar or two. Definitely a drilled overflow, plain empty 40b as a sump. Ecotech vectra return. MP40s and gyres, with hydros waveengine. Apex, with trident, and everything else for it. Neptune DOS for auto water change and dosing. Tunze ATO. I think thats it. But you can do a real nice reef without any bells and whistles for like $2k IMO. Just some hurdles.

 

[seanarino]

For that size tank about $20k.

You'll figure out where the money goes

I meant equipment, but yeah, basically.

Even if price were no option, I would stay away from anything that is too high tech. The tech in his hobby is terrible and just is often another point of failure. The apps are garbage too.

I somebody made me use tech, I could monitor with some probes and stuff and maybe some of the alk/calcium/etc devices, but I would never let them control anything.

For me, high quality flow pumps, calcium reactor, sump (drilled tank, multiple skimmers and decade reliable return pumps are a must. I like Metal Halides to light my larger area tanks - if somebody made me use LED, I would use the ReefBreeders that does not have the app.

High-tech in this case is referring to having all the equipment - calcium reactors, bio-ball reactors, maybe an APEX monitor, good lights, the best skimmer, the best return pump, an auto-top off, etc. - Less about the amount of automation and technology, but more about all the bells and whistles.

 

[seanarino]

Once again - This is not referring to my own tank, this will never be for my own tank unless I strike it rich and I'm able to transfer my goldfish to a different bigger container - I am working on transferring my turtles from a 100 gallon stock tank to a 300 gallon. This is just a fun 'talk-with-the-community' thread, a 'what-would-you-do/have' situation.

This is forgoing any limit you may have, this is "if I had unlimited money and I could buy all of this equipment, this is EVERYTHING I would set up on a 75 gallon reef tank". I wanted to make that clear for the purpose of the thread.

 

[Ef4life]

Tech is great for some things but a 75g isn’t big enough to make it complex and expensive.

75g tank I’d prefer it to be rimless and extra thick glass armored seams
Drill for overflow kit.
Glass aqueon tank as a simple sump
Gravity ato
Jabeo return, back up on the shelf
Jebao power heads, back ups on the shelf for swapping out clean for dirty
Heater and ink bird controller
Usb computer fans
Orphek atlantiks lights
I’d probably do a aquamaxx skimmer with dc pump, again a spare on the shelf to swap out for maintenance
Something to hold a filter sock in the sump.
Couple dosing pumps for additives

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a theoretical that I do not, myself, plan on doing unless I suddenly win the lottery or someone with an inheritance of several million dollars in my family suddenly dies. In which there isn't anybody, so no time soon LOL. I'm just doing this for fun to hear from everybody I have a 75 gallon myself, but it's freshwater, for my beautiful goldfish

What would you consider having - not thinking about prices at all - in a decked out fully high-tech 75 gallon reef tank? What would your checklist look like? This doesn't have to even mention specific brands, this can just be an item as simple as "calcium reactor" or something all the way up to a specific item from a specific brand, such as AI lights. This tank could be an all-in-one, or have a sump drilled, or not have a sump at all and just use canister filters.

This doesn't include livestock or corals unless you want to add those!

Reef Ready tank with sump-skimmer- good lighting and flow- algae scrubber and Auto top off system

 

[seanarino]

Tech is great for some things but a 75g isn’t big enough to make it complex and expensive.

75g tank I’d prefer it to be rimless and extra thick glass armored seams
Drill for overflow kit.
Glass aqueon tank as a simple sump
Gravity ato
Jabeo return, back up on the shelf
Jebao power heads, back ups on the shelf for swapping out clean for dirty
Heater and ink bird controller
Usb computer fans
Orphek atlantiks lights
I’d probably do a aquamaxx skimmer with dc pump, again a spare on the shelf to swap out for maintenance
Something to hold a filter sock in the sump.
Couple dosing pumps for additives

I'm always terrified of rimless tanks! They're so fragile looking!
I think 75 gallon is plenty large enough to make it complex!
If I were to make my 75 gallon a saltwater (which I'm not any time soon), I think my sump would be a 40 breeder with the works! I have a dosing pump for my 20 gallon when I have to set it up in the future. It's a 3 channel Jebao I got with a good deal. I wanted to get it ahead of time vs. scrambling to get it later and freaking out.

 

[Ef4life]

I'm always terrified of rimless tanks! They're so fragile looking!
I think 75 gallon is plenty large enough to make it complex!
If I were to make my 75 gallon a saltwater (which I'm not any time soon), I think my sump would be a 40 breeder with the works! I have a dosing pump for my 20 gallon when I have to set it up in the future. It's a 3 channel Jebao I got with a good deal. I wanted to get it ahead of time vs. scrambling to get it later and freaking out.

If you want expensive and complex go for it. But it’s not a guarantee or an easy button to having a beautiful reef. 40 breeder would be an excellent sump, especially with a diy baffle kit.

Rimless can be scary, and there are failures. But a rock solid stand and a quality built tank should last almost indefinitely if cared for properly. Armored seams are available on custom tanks, aluminum stands and armored seams are starting to show up in some higher end aquarium and stand kits