Fiest tank - what do you think of these specs?

[Jasper05]

I'm in the midst of planning my very first build. I think I sorted out everything to the best of ability, so that's where all of you come in. I would love/need/be very appreciative of some input.

My overall goal is to have a peaceful tank, somewhat easy to maintain, easy to export nutrients. Also noise, or lack there of, is a big priority of mine - and my better half. Oh and it has to look nice.

Since I am new, I want to keep it simple so I want to try to limit the fancy doodads.

Equipment
Aqueon 40 breeder -already bought
20 long DIY sump - already bought tank
Stand - I will be making the stand and I'm thinking about a canopy
Sump Kit - Fiji cube sump baffle kit - I want a refugium
20" exotic marine overflow, with 1" bean animal drains and 3/4" return
2x 200w eheim heaters with inkbird wifi controller c929 - I am putting tank in basement where it can get as cold as 59-60.
Reef Octopus 110sss - I want to save space in my sump and should handle the bioload?
Reef Octopus Varios 2 - I like the quiet and control. Other options?
Power heads - I'm not totally decided. MP10 is out of my price range. Not feeling the Neros. Leaning towards Tunze, but confused with all the models. Open to other suggestions.
Lights - People seem happy with AI primes 16HD so leaning towards these. Any other options in the $400 range?

Substrate
40 lb dry rock (Marco Rock)
1 inch sand bed sound good?

Livestock
I am going to take this slow. I find swaying corals really relaxing, so I'm going to stay mostly with LPS, euphyllia and such. Maybe some softies and zoas. If I am feeling real bold, maybe a birdnest, but that will probably be the extent of SPS

I am set on a pair of clowns (orange and black) and a royal gramma. I would like 1 or 2 more - not sure what. I like color. I want to try to keep bioload low-medium.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ndrwater]

I think that sounds like an excellent start

 

[SeaSickness]

I would also suggest that you pick up an RO/DI unit with a TDS meter.

 

[Jasper05]

I would also suggest that you pick up an RO/DI unit with a TDS meter.

Ah yes, you're right. Forgot to mention that!

 

[Ultra Aquatics]

You got a solid build planned out. Only thing I would add on is an ATO. I’ve heard good things about the Tunze osmolator if your looking for a standalone product, although I have never ran one myself.

 

[Jasper05]

You got a solid build planned out. Only thing I would add on is an ATO. I’ve heard good things about the Tunze osmolator if your looking for a standalone product, although I have never ran one myself.

Good catch. Didn't realize Tunze made two versions. Their nano version didnt get good reviews. The 3155 has good reviews though.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I feel like 2 200w heaters is a bit overkill, even in a basement.
Also, make sure you get a good magnet scraper! It's a must have imo

 

[Steven Garland]

Definitely sounds like a good start. Have you looked into the Gyre 2k ? Its only $210. Or Jebao has their own version,with wireless controller and pump I believe it would be $160 or just $80 with the normal controller.

-S1 Controller

AqLink S1 WiFi Jebao Adapter

AqLink S1 WiFi Jebao Adapter

m.fish-street.com

-Jebao CP-25

Jebao WiFi Cross Flow Pump CP-25 / Silent CP-90

Jebao WiFi Cross Flow Pump CP-25 / Silent CP-90

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox SW-15 is $68

Jebao SW-15 Wave Maker

Jebao SW-15 Wave Maker

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox SW-4 is $50

Jebao SW-4 Wave Maker

Jebao SW-4 Wave Maker

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox R1

Coral Box RN-1 Reverse Nano Pump

Coral Box RN-1 Reverse Nano Pump

m.fish-street.com

-Skimmer Options-

-CoralBox D500-$260

Coral Box D500 Plus Protein Skimmer

Coral Box D500 Plus Protein Skimmer

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox D300-$210

Coral Box DC Curve Skimmer D300 Plus

Coral Box DC Curve Skimmer D300 Plus

m.fish-street.com

I feel like for $399 this will be the ABSOLUTE best option for you-

Photon 24-V2 Pro - ReefBreeders.com

Our Photon V2 Pro is designed for reef tanks from the bottom up. Grow your SPS like never before with some of the best LED lights in the industry!

www.reefbreeders.com

-ATO Options-

ReefBreeders has a few CoralBox ATO's minus the N50 which is $50 on fish-streets website

Auto Top Off (ATO) - ReefBreeders.com

ReefBreeders.com is your number one source for reliable and efficient Automatic Top Off Systems for your aquarium!

www.reefbreeders.com

 

[Jasper05]

I feel like 2 200w heaters is a bit overkill, even in a basement.
Also, make sure you get a good magnet scraper! It's a must have imo

Yeah I dont know much about heaters. I did come across a calculator today and depending on the parameters it varied from 325w to 385w. But idk, I thought maybe the 150s would be ok. Besides cooking the tank faster in the case of failure (which I hope my redundancy will prevent that), is there any other downside of getting too powerful of a heater?

Also, I do plan to insulate some areas if necessary.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Heater are the worst, they fail often and when they do, you don't want to have one strong enough to cook your tank. The inkbird is a great move as long as it doesn't fail as well.

 

[Jasper05]

Definitely sounds like a good start. Have you looked into the Gyre 2k ? Its only $210. Or Jebao has their own version,with wireless controller and pump I believe it would be $160 or just $80 with the normal controller.

-S1 Controller

AqLink S1 WiFi Jebao Adapter

AqLink S1 WiFi Jebao Adapter

m.fish-street.com

-Jebao CP-25

Jebao WiFi Cross Flow Pump CP-25 / Silent CP-90

Jebao WiFi Cross Flow Pump CP-25 / Silent CP-90

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox SW-15 is $68

Jebao SW-15 Wave Maker

Jebao SW-15 Wave Maker

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox SW-4 is $50

Jebao SW-4 Wave Maker

Jebao SW-4 Wave Maker

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox R1

Coral Box RN-1 Reverse Nano Pump

Coral Box RN-1 Reverse Nano Pump

m.fish-street.com

-Skimmer Options-

-CoralBox D500-$260

Coral Box D500 Plus Protein Skimmer

Coral Box D500 Plus Protein Skimmer

m.fish-street.com

-CoralBox D300-$210

Coral Box DC Curve Skimmer D300 Plus

Coral Box DC Curve Skimmer D300 Plus

m.fish-street.com

I feel like for $399 this will be the ABSOLUTE best option for you-

Photon 24-V2 Pro - ReefBreeders.com

Our Photon V2 Pro is designed for reef tanks from the bottom up. Grow your SPS like never before with some of the best LED lights in the industry!

www.reefbreeders.com

Thanks for all the suggestions! I am intrigued by the gyre 2k. I dont know much about it. Will it replace 2 powerheads? I know they require a little more cleaning, but maybe its worth the tradeoff if its cheaper and just as good?

I always read mixed things about Jebao that I never really considered the brand. I value reliability. I sense some people experience it with the brand and some don't.

I like the reefbreeders, but I thought I would have to go with the 32 and that would be out of my range. Would the 24 give enough spread? Something else to research!

 

[92Miata]

Yeah I dont know much about heaters. I did come across a calculator today and depending on the parameters it varied from 325w to 385w. But idk, I thought maybe the 150s would be ok. Besides cooking the tank faster in the case of failure (which I hope my redundancy will prevent that), is there any other downside of getting too powerful of a heater?

Also, I do plan to insulate some areas if necessary.

Heaters almost never fail off - they always fail and stick on.

The problem with redundant heaters is that unless each one is enough to nuke the tank, or they're both small enough that they can't even come close to handling the load, you'll never know when one has failed - because the other one will just be start turning off most of the time.

So you won't notice anything until the second one fails - and then you've got way more wattage going than the initial scenario of just one heater failing.


I bought a couple Jebao OW-10 pumps, and I have a jebao dc4000 (something like that) in one of my tanks - and I have no complaints at this point. I've got about a decade gap in my reefing - and the cheap pumps nowadays are drastically nicer than the good pumps of a decade ago.

 

[Steven Garland]

I like to think that the gyre would be able to replace 2 pumps.

I honestly have never had a problem with Jebao products. I have had numerous rw-4 with a 12v psu which was supposedly the death of them and never had a problem. One pump was used for 2 years and only would slow down when it was straight clogged with algae. The 2nd I never had a problem with either. Used the SW2 never had an issue.

They are definitely a good idea when on a budget.

The Photon would be a REMARKABLE light. And plenty of coverage and usable par. No doubt it would be your best light under $400 like you wanted. Unless you went with a HomeDepot or SunBlaze T5 fixture. If you went T5,with a SunBlaze route you could get fixture and bulbs for more than likely under $325.

 

[Jasper05]

So you won't notice anything until the second one fails - and then you've got way more wattage going than the initial scenario of just one heater failing.

Can you clarify what you mean? I'm not sure if I understand

 

[Steven Garland]

Are you set in stone on the overflow ? Why not a Fijicube and save a few bucks ?

 

[Jasper05]

Can you clarify what you mean? I'm not sure if I understand

Wait I get it. Because you're saying because they fail on. And I wont know that they fail on. So are you suggesting only one heater? Maybe I'm still confused! Haha

 

[Jasper05]

Are you set in stone on the overflow ? Why not a Fijicube and save a few bucks ?

I am not familiar with it. I'll do some research. With that being said, I am mighty impressed with the exotic marine overflow

 

[92Miata]

Can you clarify what you mean? I'm not sure if I understand

If your tank needs 125 watts of power on average to stay the temperature you want across the whole year, you typically put in a 150w heater, and it turns on and off at different pace depending on external temperature.

If it fails on a 60 degree day where your tank needs 125w to maintain, you've got 25w of extra heating capacity raising your temperature.

If, instead, you run two 100w heaters for 'redundancy' and one fails, you don't notice - because it just keeps providing 100w, and the second one picks up that extra 25w - so you never notice it because there's no deviation in temperature.

And then a year later, the second one fails - and now you've got 200w of heating capacity running full steam, and 75w above equilibrium - which means the temp is going to rise 3 times as fast.


Now, 2x75w heaters seems a bit better - nowhere near the same runaway capacity - and a little safety in case one of them fails off - but it basically puts you in the same position as the single 150w - because heaters almost never fail off.


EDIT: I'm saying additional heaters don't get you anything. A controller is more reliable (because they're actually monitoring temperature, not a cheap thermocouple) . A controller and a monitor is best - but not a huge amount better than a controller. Don't rely on heater thermostats unless you have to.

 

[Steven Garland]

Fiji Cube Low Profile External Overflow Box 1200GPH

The external overflow box is a popular overflow option for hobbyist to build their tanks into the next level. Fiji Cube’s external overflow box features a slim and safe design that offers another solution to perform your tank build. Features: Slim and compact design to suit any aquarium set-ups...

www.fijicube.com

 

[Jaebster]

Wait I get it. Because you're saying because they fail on. And I wont know that they fail on. So are you suggesting only one heater? Maybe I'm still confused! Haha

What he means is the the wattage of 1 heater should be low enough so that if it is stuck on, if doesnt overheat the tank. The 2 heater in working order would need to be working together to achieve your desired temp. That way, if 1 is stuck in on position (fails in on position), if wont kill your tank. It is rare that both heaters fail at same time.