Little bit about me - I started my first saltwater build last year - where I decided to buy a tank/stand/sump setup out of the box and threw a hodgepodge of gear in it. I was limited on space at home (of where my wife would let me build). BUT NOW - I'm moving to a new office at work (no say from wife... flame on!) and have anywhere between 7' to 13' of wall space to work with (depending on what furniture I want against that wall.
I'm thinking of doing a reef tank this time - cause I can't always be grabbing step stools and getting my entire arm and shoulders into the water at work to do things. Kind of need less tinkering (in order to get work done :D)
So... I saw the new Red Sea Reefer XXL 750 and have this urge to get it ($3200 + tax + ship); but the the more sensible (aka frugal) side of me is telling me I should look into something like CAD Lights 165G Artisan II ($2000 + tax + shipping but not as much because I'm local to CAD Lights) - save $1200 (with the exception that the RS XXL has the sump included and the Artisan II does not at that price) and use the savings to trick it out.
So the open ended question - convince me in-to/out-of the XXL750.
I can start:
- XXL has thicker glass at 3/8"and the Artisan has 1/2".... But is the difference that important?
- XXL has sump that comes with it and is functional to the tank + dividers for refugium - adding a similar sump to the Artisan dwindles that $1200 savings down quite a bit (unless I DIY it - but don't think I've got the time)
Oh yea - I'm probably going to stick to FOWLR - but who knows... That can change. I've come to realize that the extra length gives me more options on fish choices than I did at home. (I don't think I really appreciated that fact until I dove into this hobby - despite reading and researching about it before hand.)
Open to ideas and alternatives.
I'm thinking of doing a reef tank this time - cause I can't always be grabbing step stools and getting my entire arm and shoulders into the water at work to do things. Kind of need less tinkering (in order to get work done :D)
So... I saw the new Red Sea Reefer XXL 750 and have this urge to get it ($3200 + tax + ship); but the the more sensible (aka frugal) side of me is telling me I should look into something like CAD Lights 165G Artisan II ($2000 + tax + shipping but not as much because I'm local to CAD Lights) - save $1200 (with the exception that the RS XXL has the sump included and the Artisan II does not at that price) and use the savings to trick it out.
So the open ended question - convince me in-to/out-of the XXL750.
I can start:
- XXL has thicker glass at 3/8"and the Artisan has 1/2".... But is the difference that important?
- XXL has sump that comes with it and is functional to the tank + dividers for refugium - adding a similar sump to the Artisan dwindles that $1200 savings down quite a bit (unless I DIY it - but don't think I've got the time)
Oh yea - I'm probably going to stick to FOWLR - but who knows... That can change. I've come to realize that the extra length gives me more options on fish choices than I did at home. (I don't think I really appreciated that fact until I dove into this hobby - despite reading and researching about it before hand.)
Open to ideas and alternatives.
