Jason's 1st Marine Reef Aquarium

jaseybrew

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A 4ft aquarium is perfect for the alcove; leaving a few inches either side. A 5ft would be wall to wall which may hinder access a little. Also the misses says, "We need to get the curtains tied back down the side...." lol.

Researched the dimensions etc. and these are the 3 I think are best to choose from:

* Waterbox Marine X 110.4g = 1200l x 500d x 550h = £1399 no lights, pump etc just tank, cabinet and sump.

*Red Sea Reefer 350 = 1200l x 500d x 530h = £1449 no lights etc as above.

I know both the above are very reputable and would be perfect. However, I found the tank below which is cheaper on ebay and it comes with pump, heaters and lights so is a lot cheaper. The cabinet is matt black as opposed to gloss like the 2 above. Will this matter??

*AllPondSolutions 460l off ebay - pictured below = 1200l x 5350d x 5000h = £949

Marine fish tank / Matching aquarium cabinet / Sump tank / DCS pump / 2x 300w aquarium heaters / 2x ZP4000-1200M-48W marine Zetlights (WiFi connectivity using Horizon App).

*
1638442613997.png
 

MaxTremors

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The eBay tank is likely of questionable construction, may not have as good a warranty (if at all), and the heater, lights, and pump are likely of low quality. The heater for sure I wouldn’t trust. Upon googling the light, it’s only good for the lowest light corals, and even then I think a lot of low light corals would struggle unless they were at the very top of your rockwork. The pump may be okay, but I would be sure to have a back up.

i guess my point is that you get what you pay for, cutting corners now is going to lead to a lot of upgrades down the line. I would say at the bare minimum if you go with the eBay tank, is that you’d need to replace the heaters, the lighting (though you could probably get by with these for a while), and buy an extra pump (regardless of tank you should always have a spare). And again, the quality of the tank and stand are unknown, trust me, a 100 gallons of water on your floor can be devastating (as in having to replace flooring, subflooring, and the lower parts of walls). i would say unless you’re really limited by budget, you should go with the more reputable tank.
 
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jaseybrew

jaseybrew

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The eBay tank is likely of questionable construction, may not have as good a warranty (if at all), and the heater, lights, and pump are likely of low quality. The heater for sure I wouldn’t trust. Upon googling the light, it’s only good for the lowest light corals, and even then I think a lot of low light corals would struggle unless they were at the very top of your rockwork. The pump may be okay, but I would be sure to have a back up.

i guess my point is that you get what you pay for, cutting corners now is going to lead to a lot of upgrades down the line. I would say at the bare minimum if you go with the eBay tank, is that you’d need to replace the heaters, the lighting (though you could probably get by with these for a while), and buy an extra pump (regardless of tank you should always have a spare). And again, the quality of the tank and stand are unknown, trust me, a 100 gallons of water on your floor can be devastating (as in having to replace flooring, subflooring, and the lower parts of walls). i would say unless you’re really limited by budget, you should go with the more reputable tank.
Thank you for your advice. You can get the tank and cabinet without the lights but I agree with you - the others are tried and tested and the websites give advice etc. For the extra, I think it is between the Marine x or Reffer 350. I need good lighting as will no doubt want to grow hard corals too. Thanks again for your time and advice.
 
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jaseybrew

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A 4ft aquarium is perfect for the alcove; leaving a few inches either side. A 5ft would be wall to wall which may hinder access a little. Also the misses says, "We need to get the curtains tied back down the side...." lol.

Researched the dimensions etc. and these are the 3 I think are best to choose from:

* Waterbox Marine X 110.4g = 1200l x 500d x 550h = £1399 no lights, pump etc just tank, cabinet and sump.

*Red Sea Reefer 350 = 1200l x 500d x 530h = £1449 no lights etc as above.

I know both the above are very reputable and would be perfect. However, I found the tank below which is cheaper on ebay and it comes with pump, heaters and lights so is a lot cheaper. The cabinet is matt black as opposed to gloss like the 2 above. Will this matter??

*AllPondSolutions 460l off ebay - pictured below = 1200l x 5350d x 5000h = £949

Marine fish tank / Matching aquarium cabinet / Sump tank / DCS pump / 2x 300w aquarium heaters / 2x ZP4000-1200M-48W marine Zetlights (WiFi connectivity using Horizon App).

*
1638442613997.png
In the end, I decided to email marine shop in Holbeach to see if they had a Marine x 110 in black gloss. They replied saying they had an oak. Took a debate with the misses and we agreed to go for it. All paid for and awaiting delivery. Youtube channel and facebook group for waterbox also helped to choose this tank as believe videos/ advice from the maker will be good.
 

MaxTremors

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In the end, I decided to email marine shop in Holbeach to see if they had a Marine x 110 in black gloss. They replied saying they had an oak. Took a debate with the misses and we agreed to go for it. All paid for and awaiting delivery. Youtube channel and facebook group for waterbox also helped to choose this tank as believe videos/ advice from the maker will be good.
Awesome!! Congrats! Now you have about a million other decisions to puzzle over (which IMO is a lot of the fun of setting up a new tank)! What are your plans for the tank?
 
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jaseybrew

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Awesome!! Congrats! Now you have about a million other decisions to puzzle over (which IMO is a lot of the fun of setting up a new tank)! What are your plans for the tank?
I want to have corals (prob hard as they seem? movier/ flowier/ ?) and fish soneed good lighting.
 

MaxTremors

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I want to have corals (prob hard as they seem? movier/ flowier/ ?) and fish soneed good lighting.
Hard corals don’t provide much movement, if you want lots of movement, soft corals, gorgonians, and some LPS (which are stony corals with large fleshy polyps) like torches and hammers are what you’re looking for. SPS, which are small polyp stony corals are generally the most light hungry corals, LPS and soft corals generally tolerate or require less intense lighting (though it really depends on the coral, some softies and LPS like SPS levels of lighting). I would recommend starting out with some hardie soft corals like a toadstool, Sinularia/Nepthea, some GSP or Xenia (keep both isolated), mushrooms, and Zoanthids. Once you’ve got a little experience and kept those alive and thriving for a few months, try some LPS like torches, hammers, acans, Favias, trachyphyllia, and once you’ve kept those alive and thriving for a few months, try some SPS (like birdsnest/seriatopora, montipora, stylophora) and an anemone if you want (I would suggest a bubble tip). Just go slow, do your research, and build up your experience, and you’ll have a successful reef in no time (and by no time, I mean a couple years, lol).
 
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jaseybrew

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Hard corals don’t provide much movement, if you want lots of movement, soft corals, gorgonians, and some LPS (which are stony corals with large fleshy polyps) like torches and hammers are what you’re looking for. SPS, which are small polyp stony corals are generally the most light hungry corals, LPS and soft corals generally tolerate or require less intense lighting (though it really depends on the coral, some softies and LPS like SPS levels of lighting). I would recommend starting out with some hardie soft corals like a toadstool, Sinularia/Nepthea, some GSP or Xenia (keep both isolated), mushrooms, and Zoanthids. Once you’ve got a little experience and kept those alive and thriving for a few months, try some LPS like torches, hammers, acans, Favias, trachyphyllia, and once you’ve kept those alive and thriving for a few months, try some SPS (like birdsnest/seriatopora, montipora, stylophora) and an anemone if you want (I would suggest a bubble tip). Just go slow, do your research, and build up your experience, and you’ll have a successful reef in no time (and by no time, I mean a couple years, lol).
Crikey, I am so grateful for your expertise. I am going to learn loads on this site. Yes I need to do lots of research and go slow. I did look at a website selling corals to get an idea and they listed lots of the above you mention as hard corals - I say to the children I teach at school, anyone can make a website, doesn't mean what they say is right, check several sites lol - that's what I should have done lol
 
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