Hello All,
I have wanted to get a Saltwater tank for a long time. Starting to put the pieces together in my head of a purchase list and needing some guidance.
Budget:
I want to spend no more than $2000 on the tank and equipment if possible. I would still like to stick to some budget or DIY options if possible.
Tank:
I have been looking into getting a 40 breeder as this seems to be a good starting point and would work well for the space I have in mind. I like the idea of a rimless 40 breeder, but have not been able to find one. Seems a lot of tank companies have closed recently. Are they any tanks you would recommend that are rimless and and are a similar size to the 40? I don't want to get a cube.
Sump:
I was leaning towards a diy sump, either a 20 long with glass baffles or a diy custom acrylic. My next door neighbor has a industrial sized laser cutter that he is willing to let me use. Are they are good plans for custom acrylic sumps that would fit under a ~ 36" tank? I have researched welding acrylic and it does not seem to be all too difficult, but is this something you all would recommend against?
Substrate/Rock:
Planning on going for a 1 inch sand bed and 30-40 lbs of rock in the display.
Lighting:
I plan to go for LPS and Softies to start off with. I don't see myself keeping SPS in this tank so lighting shouldn't be a huge issue. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on lighting if I can get away with it. Are T5s still a good for LPS and Softies? I like the idea of LEDs due to being able to adjust the spectrum on the fly. Do people recommend a hybrid solution with T5s and LEDs or strictly one way or the other? What are some budget friendly LEDs that would still produce good light and have some customization?
Filtration:
Would running a algae skimmer be enough with some filter socks? I also saw someone had build a DIY roller filter that looked interesting I don't know if these work well or not.
Pumps:
What would be a decent return pump? I don't know how much I should be spending on one of these and what the advantages are from one to another.
Power heads:
I saw AI is releasing the Nero 3 powerheads. These look really interesting to me seem like a pretty good price for some "Smart" powerheads with wavemaker ability. Would it be worth picking up two of these?
Heater:
Planning on the Cobalt Aquatics 150W heater
Controller:
I was leaning towards more of a DIY route for this. Has anyone had any luck with the Robo-Tank? What about the Leviathan board? Or reef-pi? I have an IT background and enjoy tinkering with electronics projects, so this seems like a good fit to go the diy route.
Thank you for any help you can provide. If there is something other than what I have listed you recommend as a must have let me know!
I have wanted to get a Saltwater tank for a long time. Starting to put the pieces together in my head of a purchase list and needing some guidance.
Budget:
I want to spend no more than $2000 on the tank and equipment if possible. I would still like to stick to some budget or DIY options if possible.
Tank:
I have been looking into getting a 40 breeder as this seems to be a good starting point and would work well for the space I have in mind. I like the idea of a rimless 40 breeder, but have not been able to find one. Seems a lot of tank companies have closed recently. Are they any tanks you would recommend that are rimless and and are a similar size to the 40? I don't want to get a cube.
Sump:
I was leaning towards a diy sump, either a 20 long with glass baffles or a diy custom acrylic. My next door neighbor has a industrial sized laser cutter that he is willing to let me use. Are they are good plans for custom acrylic sumps that would fit under a ~ 36" tank? I have researched welding acrylic and it does not seem to be all too difficult, but is this something you all would recommend against?
Substrate/Rock:
Planning on going for a 1 inch sand bed and 30-40 lbs of rock in the display.
Lighting:
I plan to go for LPS and Softies to start off with. I don't see myself keeping SPS in this tank so lighting shouldn't be a huge issue. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg on lighting if I can get away with it. Are T5s still a good for LPS and Softies? I like the idea of LEDs due to being able to adjust the spectrum on the fly. Do people recommend a hybrid solution with T5s and LEDs or strictly one way or the other? What are some budget friendly LEDs that would still produce good light and have some customization?
Filtration:
Would running a algae skimmer be enough with some filter socks? I also saw someone had build a DIY roller filter that looked interesting I don't know if these work well or not.
Pumps:
What would be a decent return pump? I don't know how much I should be spending on one of these and what the advantages are from one to another.
Power heads:
I saw AI is releasing the Nero 3 powerheads. These look really interesting to me seem like a pretty good price for some "Smart" powerheads with wavemaker ability. Would it be worth picking up two of these?
Heater:
Planning on the Cobalt Aquatics 150W heater
Controller:
I was leaning towards more of a DIY route for this. Has anyone had any luck with the Robo-Tank? What about the Leviathan board? Or reef-pi? I have an IT background and enjoy tinkering with electronics projects, so this seems like a good fit to go the diy route.
Thank you for any help you can provide. If there is something other than what I have listed you recommend as a must have let me know!