Sound Off: What is your preferred reefing equipment? Your experience matters!

[revhtree]

Your experience matters here and I want to hear from you is based on that experience. Please don't answer these questions based on what you heard or what company has the best marketing. I want to hear about what has worked GREAT for you!

Are you confident in the reefing equipment you currently use (vote in poll) and what brand or model would you suggest to others? (tell us in a post)

Please be as detailed as possible....

1. Tank Manufacturer?
2. Sump Manufacturer?
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting?
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps?
5. Protein Skimmer?
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump?
7. Aquarium Heater?
8. Aquarium Controller if any?
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits?

image via @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com.

 

[leepink23]

1. Tank Manufacturer? SCA 120 - I love the quality of this tank, seams were perfect, only had for 3-4 months
2. Sump Manufacturer? Custom Greyfish, had a year, built to my specs to hold an algae scrubber, protein Skimmer, works perfectly
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting? Giesemann Infiniti MH, switched to this a month ago, so far getting great growth, fixture does get very hot
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? Mp40 x2, I have had a year, one had to be replaced already. They produce good flow and work with my apex! I have considered switching to gyres
5. Protein Skimmer? Skimz x 5 years. Extremely reliable and quiet
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump? Varios 6, quiet and controllable
7. Aquarium Heater? Eheim jager and aqueon pro. Eheim works perfectly but aqueon pro has failed x2 but they replaced for free
8. Aquarium Controller if any?Neptune Apex 2016. Love it!!
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits? Hanna alk and ulr phosphorus, both work well. Hopefully trident soon

 

[Jason_J]

I am a big believer in crying once when I spend the money for quality equipment rather than crying every time I have to use something that was cheaper and I regret purchasing.

1. Tank Manufacturer? CRYSTAL DYNAMIC AQUARIUMS W/ SYNERGY SHADOW OVERFLOW
2. Sump Manufacturer? TRIGGER SYSTEMS
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting? GHL MITRAS LX7 AND T5S
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? MAXSPECT GYRE 250S (W/ BATTERY BACKUP), VORTECH MP40, AI NERO 5, TUNZE 6105
5. Protein Skimmer? OLD SCHOOL EURO REEF RC 250 W/ EHIEM PUMP
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump? IWAKI MD-70RLT WITH A SECOND PUMP PLUMBED IN FOR REDUNDANCY AND CONTROLLED BY A FLOW METER ON THE PROFILUX
   
7. Aquarium Heater? FINNEX TITANIUMs REPLACED SEMI-ANNUALLY
8. Aquarium Controller if any? GHL PROFILUX 4
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits? VARIOUS BUT MULTIPLE KITS USED FOR TESTING EACH PARAMETER TO CONFIRM ACCURACY
10. ATO: TUNZE OSMOLATOR W/SECONDARY FAILSAFE CONTROL BY PROFILUX VIA ADDITIONAL FLOAT SWITCHES

 

[link81]

1. Aqueon 40B from petco
It works, it holds water. seams aren't the cleanest but its otherwise fine.
2. modified eshoppes
works well for me. i like the way its laid out. the 7" sock hole gives me a ton of filtering options
3. DIY RapidLED based
total custom job. time will tell to see how growth is, but i love the colors.
4. 3x jebao
they work. 2 are generating a 3/4" or so standing wave. one is handling the other side.
5. skimz DC
its quiet, it makes skimmate. what else is it supposed to do?
6. jebao
works fine. moves plenty of water. super quiet even at 100%
7. 2x aqueon pro
no idea of accuracy, i run them off my own controller. they heat up just like a heater is supposed to.
8. DIY reliable controls build
this is a fully custom programming setup. I do automation for a living, so it's more of an industrial solution, not suited for general home use.
9. API and redesa
they seem to be close enough for my needs. don't really care about being that accurate with it, general ballpark is fine for me.

 

[Firemanreefkeeper]

1. Deep Blue 80 gallon shallow reef tank and a deep blue 75. I like it so far. Good quality at a reasonable price but I believe they were bought out by another company. I bought the non tempered one and drilled my own.
2.sump. Trigger stumps in both my tanks. Quality is great and has everything I needed without any of the work. I'd buy them again and again.
3. Lighting. I bought a aquatic life t5 led hybrid. It's simple and easy to build and use. Comes with hanging kit too. My LED is a kessil ap700. I like the light itself as it blends spectrum and color so you don't have too many options and colors to pick from. I'm not a huge fan of the app it uses to run it. It's pretty basic and only allows for 10 data points, 2 of which you need to turn the light on and off.
4. I run maxspec gyre pumps on both. They move some serious water and have a lot of programming options with the advanced controller. The 200 series seem to be built better than the 300 series but time will tell as I've had the 300s for a month.
5. I have a reef octo on one and an Eshopps on the other. I prefer the octo as it can be completely taken apart for cleaning and seems to skim better than the Eshopps one.
6. I have a sicce DVC7.0 on one and an abyzz on the other. Sicce of late has been giving me trouble when the power flickers. It only restarts half the time. The other half it doesn't and has to be manually restarted which is a problem when I'm not there. My abyzz has given me 0 problems so far. I like that I can increase the speed by 1% at a time and it runs dead silent.
7. Eheim jager in both tanks. Ive had aqeon and they burnt out in 6 months.
8. No controller as most of my stuff isn't compatible.
9. I use Hanna checkers for everything but nitrates as they don't have one. Redsea for that. Reading a number is much easier than looking at a color.
I would get those brands again except for the sicce return pump as it's probably the most important thing you need and half the time it doesn't start up after power outage .

 

[Crabs McJones]

1. Tank Manufacturer - Aqueon
2. Sump Manufacturer Trigger
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting AI and Aquatic Life
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps Ice Cap Gyres
5. Protein Skimmer Reef Octopus
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump Sicce
7. Aquarium Heater Cobalt
8. Aquarium Controller if any Neptune Systems Apex EL
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits Salifert/Hanna
10. Smart ATO

Can we include salt brand and chemicals?

11. Salt Brand Fritz
12. Dosing Chemicals BRS 2 Part

 

[WVNed]

1. Standard 75 from Petsmart
2. I made my sump. I have never bought one. About to make another.
   
3. Kinda all over the place here. They have all worked. But when I started MH was the thing and that is what I wanted to do. The Photon V2 will go back on this tank soon.
   
4. 2 Maxspect Gyres. I love them and just bought 2 new bigger ones for the new tank
   
5. Reef Octopus for a decade. Just bought another one
   
6. Sicce. I just bough 2 more bigger ones for the tank
   
7. 2 Eheim with an Inkbird. Same for the new tank
   
8. Nope dont use one
   
9. API works for me.

I am confident enough in my equipment to buy it all over again for my next tank. So I did.
Some is already here.

 

[Rockyreef]

1- unknown used tank 150 g tall, no concern
2- homemade 30 g sump, works well
3- old Reef Breeders photon 32v, works well but not wide enough for my tank. Saving for some Kessils.
4- two koralias 2500gph and one Coralbox RN1 wavemaker. The Coralbox is loud and squeals sometimes. I should've returned it but I had already routed the cables and controller so I'm just dealing with it. I want to get some MP40s when I can afford them.
5- Not running a skimmer
6- Jebao DCS-12000 3170 GPH. Running at about 60%. It's silent and I love it.
7- Finnex 500watt titanium. No concerns
8- Homemade controller using smart power strips and android apps.
9- Salifert ammonia, nitrate, mag, calcium; Fluval pH, phosphate; unknown alkalinity kit. All seem to work well

 

[Bpb]

[*]Tank Manufacturer?
Not picky really. It’s what is Inside the tank that counts. If the stand is flat and level that is more important for glass and seam longevity. I’m presently using a 10 year old Aqueon 90 gallon and have an SCA 150 gallon empty in the garage ready to switch to eventually


[*]Sump Manufacturer?
I’m happy enough to just use a 40b with no baffles. I’m old school. Currently use an old PMR36 model but it doesn’t matter honestly. As long as it fits my skimmer. I hate refugiums, but if I felt like spending some money I’d buy one of those synergy triton style sumps and use the big fuge chamber for a frag tank/fish timeout

[*]Reef Tank Lighting?
Metal halides. The giesemann fixtures were nice. So are the sunlight supply and coralvue pendants. Shame they’re ALL discontinued. Better stock up on bulbs, only a matter of time before hamilton falls as the final metal halide source.

[*]In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps?
I like the price of jebaos but the performance gets a 6/10
I like the price and performance of maxspect gyres (10/10) but maintenance is awful
I like the maintenance of vortechs but the price is silly

[*]Protein Skimmer?
Lifereef all the way.

[*]Aquarium Return Pump?
Eheim 1262 for any 120-50 gallon type setting, skimz leopard AC pump for a larger tank. Anything submerged with an askoll motor is preferable to a dc pump

[*]Aquarium Heater?
Eheim jager

[*]Aquarium Controller if any?
Hate them. I could absolutely live without one. I use a black face first gen apex. When it dies I’ll just buy a temp and ph controller.

[*]Aquarium Test Kits?
Red Sea pro for NO3, and Ca
Hanna for Alk and PO4
I’ll try salifert for my next Mg test. Red Sea has read off the chart (1600+) the past few batches so I think there may be an issue with their production. Never done an ICP test before

 

[Brew12]

Tank Manufacturer?

SCA custom 187g, love it.

Sump Manufacturer?

Trigger systems. Again, love it.

Reef Tank Lighting?

Mitras LX7206's, love them. Modified Aquatic Life T5. It's fine for what it is.

In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps?

Maxspect Gyre XF250's. Love them.

Protein Skimmer?

Deltec. Love it.

Aquarium Return Pump?

Sicce. Love it.

Aquarium Heater?

Finnex titanium. Fantastic.

Aquarium Controller if any?

Profilux 4. Don't think of taking it away from me. I might get violent.

Aquarium Test Kits?

Alk: KH Director for automatic. Salifert and Hannah for verification
Calc: Redsea Pro
Mg: Salifert
NO3: API, Redsea, Salifert. API is my preferred.
PO4: Hannah
Fe: Redsea
I: Redsea
Did I miss any?

 

[BestMomEver]

I think the tank is a Marineland. It’s a 60 cube.

Somatic 60 sump and skimmer. The skimmer broke. While waiting for a part, I purchased a small Reef Octopus skimmer. I like it better. It’s way easier to dial in. I didn’t put the Somatic back in.

Lighting is Radion xr15 gen 4 pro.

Pumps are... MP60, Tunze Stream, Icecap 1k. I don’t remember what the return pump is.

Heater is whatever was at the LFS. I’ve gone through 3 or 4 over time.

Apex Neptune controller.. add on...Leak Detection Kit

I use a Bubble Magus doser. It works well but I’d really like to have a DOS but they’re expensive.

Test kits.... Hannah for Ca, dkh, and phosphate. Salifert for everything except nitrate and phosphate. Red Sea for nitrate and phosphate. Red Sea for potassium, iodine, iron.

Currently I am happy with all my stuff. I have other things on other tanks. My Biocube has a MP10 and Intank media rack.

 

[VSVP bet]

Tank Manufacturer? Aqueon 125 (custom drilled)
Sump Manufacturer? Custom 55 Gallon sump w/ glass baffles
Reef Tank Lighting? AI Hydra 26 x3
In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? Just Generic Ones - my next purchase will probably be gyres
Protein Skimmer? Aqua C Remoura S , an older HOB skimmer and I run 3 of them, they get the job done and have for several years, dont think i will replace them until they break.
Aquarium Return Pump? Danner mag drive 1800gph, absolute work horse.
Aquarium Heater? Ehiem Jager 250
Aquarium Controller if any? none, dont plan on getting one anytime soon.
Aquarium Test Kits? API, I dont test my water pretty much ever. I run a mixed reef with every species you can think of. I just feed regularly and dose two part, I have never had any problems with lack of growth or coral stress, generally I have the opposite problem.

 

[Greybeard]

What I'm not confident in, I have spares for!

1. Planet Aquariums Custom 60x30x18 rimless on SOLID stand (11g 1.5" powder coated square steel structure)
2. 55g AllGlass aquarium converted to sump
   
3. Older Sunlight Supply 8x54w T5 -w- ATI ballasts I installed 3 years ago.
4. Rossmont mover (2). Had to replace an impeller the other day, after 3 years in service.
5. Vertex Omega 180i (I have a spare pump)
   
6. CurrentUSA eFlux (I have a spare)
7. Finex 800w Titanium, no thermostat (I have a spare) on Inkbird controller, backed up by Apex.
8. Apex Classic (will probably replace with a current Apex base in the next year)
   
9. Various. Salifert, Red Sea, Nyos, Hanna Checker, Apex probes, refractometer...

ATO: Custom. Float valve in sump direct to RO/DI with motorized ball valve in line connected to high level sensor, backed up by apex high level sensor.

Dosing: Coralbox Wifi. Honestly, I've been very happy with this unit. Inexpensive, and it's been dead reliable for 3 years now.

AWC: Apex driven DOS AWC. Been operating 6 months now, so far, it's been spot on.

 

[Medic58]

Tank custom built like a tank
Skimmer reef octopus
Eco tech battery back up Return pump m1
Lights ai prime
Power head mp40 on the way right now powerful amazon special
Shadow overflow. Sump trigger red
I love all my stuff. I bought it new and plan on running it into the ground

 

[Hemmdog]

1. Tank Manufacturer? Doesent matter
2. Sump Manufacturer? Trigger
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting? Kessil/t5’s
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps?maxspect & ecotech’s
5. Protein Skimmer? Reef octopus & bubble mag
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump? Reef octopus VarioS
7. Aquarium Heater? Finnex or Jager
8. Aquarium Controller if any? Ranco for temp, bubble mag for dosing.
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits? Salifert

 

[Hemmdog]

What I'm not confident in, I have spares for!

1. Planet Aquariums Custom 60x30x18 rimless on SOLID stand (11g 1.5" powder coated square steel structure)
2. 55g AllGlass aquarium converted to sump
   
3. Older Sunlight Supply 8x54w T5 -w- ATI ballasts I installed 3 years ago.
4. Rossmont mover (2). Had to replace an impeller the other day, after 3 years in service.
5. Vertex Omega 180i (I have a spare pump)
   
6. CurrentUSA eFlux (I have a spare)
7. Finex 800w Titanium, no thermostat (I have a spare) on Inkbird controller, backed up by Apex.
8. Apex Classic (will probably replace with a current Apex base in the next year)
   
9. Various. Salifert, Red Sea, Nyos, Hanna Checker, Apex probes, refractometer...

ATO: Custom. Float valve in sump direct to RO/DI with motorized ball valve in line connected to high level sensor, backed up by apex high level sensor.

Dosing: Coralbox Wifi. Honestly, I've been very happy with this unit. Inexpensive, and it's been dead reliable for 3 years now.

AWC: Apex driven DOS AWC. Been operating 6 months now, so far, it's been spot on.

You use rossmont’s eh? I’ve always been curious about those.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Tank Manufacturer? Deep Blue/Reef Savvy
Sump Manufacturer? IceCap/Trigger Systems
Reef Tank Lighting? AI Hydra 26HD
In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? Maxspect Gyre
Protein Skimmer? Eshopps S Series/Nyos Quantum series
Aquarium Return Pump? Hydor A/C Controllable/Sicce SyncraSilent
Aquarium Heater? Eheim
Aquarium Controller if any? Neptune Systems Apex
Aquarium Test Kits? Hanna/Red Sea/Triton 2x year

 

[Greybeard]

You use rossmont’s eh? I’ve always been curious about those.

I don't have their controller, but have them plugged into my Apex. Been turning on and off every minute and a half for 3 years now. Been dead reliable, until last week. One of them started running in reverse occasionally on startup. No big deal, but not what I want, either. I quick inspection showed that the bump stop was a bit worn. In this design, the bump stop is part of the impeller housing. Picked one up at Amazon, quick change, as good as new.

They're easy to clean... I set a bucket of vinegar water next to the tank and flip the pumps over into it for a few minutes, oh, maybe twice a year. A little work with a toothbrush, and it's looking good again. One of the main reasons I got rid of my Maxspect Gyre... it was a major ordeal to clean it, and needed it far too often.

Aim-able, cover is sufficient to keep my fishes out of it, magnetic mount is STRONG... and they're way quieter than many of the DC wave pumps. That dc 'whine' that many of today's pumps have just drives me batty. Had a friend with Vortec's... listening to his tank WHINE convenced me not to go that route.

Anyway, yeah... I'm not sure why they aren't more popular. I had rotten luck with the cheapest pumps. Jebao, Hydor, etc.. In my experience, they're only good for a year or so. These are much more solid. A good middle ground option... way cheaper than high end, way more reliable than the low end pumps.

 

[AdamNC]

1. Tank Manufacturer? 40br Tetra from Petsmart, eshopps internal overflow. It’s cheap, good foot print and good size for a novice like myself.
2. Sump Manufacturer? Vertex Somatic 60S. My first sump but it has no room for a refugium. But it works to hide all my equipment and keep it out of the display.
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting? Maxspect R5X R5-150. This light will grown anything from demanding SPS to Zoas.
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? Mp40wQD and MP40wES. Ecotech, enough said.
5. Protein Skimmer? Vertex Somatic 60S. Works great once it’s dialed in, almost had to puke a few times when cleaning the cup from all the nasty it pulls out. The wife makes me close the bathroom door and turn on the fan after I dump it and clean it.
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump? Sicce Syncra Silent 2.0. It truly is silent.
7. Aquarium Heater? EHEIM Jager 100 and EHEIM Jager 150. Eh they work going on a year now so no real complaints.
8. Aquarium Controller if any? Apex Classic, WXM, PMK and Maxspect ICV6. Love my Apex for control on my pumps and see my par reading in my lights at a glance. The ICV6 is great for full control of the light, no more guessing.
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits? Hanna for Alk and Po4, Red Sea for Ca, Mag, No3, K, I2, Fe and Salinity refractometer. I dose individual trace elements so testing for them to me is important and not guessing based off of calcium consumption.

 

[OllieNZ]

1. Tank Manufacturer? 40ish gal rimless. Custom via a local builder that usually makes tanks for aquarium shops.
2. Sump Manufacturer? DIY acrylic AIO, pretty sure I trust the builder of this one
   
3. Reef Tank Lighting? Dsuny CBB, comes well reviewed so no worries on reliability
4. In Tank Water Flow/Wave Maker Pumps? Basic AC Tunze units.
5. Protein Skimmer? Not using one but will go with a Tunze down the line if I feel it necessary.
   
6. Aquarium Return Pump? Basic AC Eheim
7. Aquarium Heater? Nicrew Titanium jobbies. Time will tell on the reliability but being solid-state I'm confident of good things but will have a separate over temp shutoffs
8. Aquarium Controller if any? Reef Pi, still under construction at this stage but loving the simplicity and expandability
   
9. Aquarium Test Kits? Salifert.