I've done a ton of research and while my wife and I want to get a custom 200g starfire tank from the start it's just not practical for our current living area and immediate income level. So, I've been digging around the interwebs for a deal on a smaller used tank for the past 3 months and finally found one. I'll be picking up a Red Sea 170 that's about a year old this weekend and since I've been strictly researching large setups and what they need to thrive I genuinely have no idea how to set up a small system like this for minimal maintenance (I'd like to be able to go on vacation for a week and not worry about everything dieing). Any advice would be welcome, please try to keep costs down on recommendations though. Our goal for this tank is LPS (torch, hammer, plate, acan, welso, chalice) and MAYBE 2 SPS if things go really well (birds nest and a monti encrusting type) and of course a few small fish and typical clean up crew.
So far I'm considering doing this:
-finding a used Radion XR15 G5 Blue
-buy new Nero 3 wave pump
-Simplicity 1600DC pump
-smallest Simplicity skimmer or find a used skimmer
-BRS carbon reactor
-turn the ATO chamber from the 170 into a refugium
-find a cheap and simple ATO with pump and have an external 10g reservoir
-create a manifold to help plumb all this easier
So, what's y'alls thoughts?
So far I'm considering doing this:
-finding a used Radion XR15 G5 Blue
-buy new Nero 3 wave pump
-Simplicity 1600DC pump
-smallest Simplicity skimmer or find a used skimmer
-BRS carbon reactor
-turn the ATO chamber from the 170 into a refugium
-find a cheap and simple ATO with pump and have an external 10g reservoir
-create a manifold to help plumb all this easier
So, what's y'alls thoughts?