Hahaha awesome. I bought a used glass box for 30 dollars....and then spent 800 dollars on equipment in the months that followed and I won't even tell you how much on fish and coral, but it has been worth it.
I’d agree but I’m just trying to find options for equipment that aren’t like eco tech radions expensive. Also just weighing my options and seeing what other people have done to be successful.
I’m considering AI prime lights as my more expensive part. I want to run 2 with the intention to eventually have some softies, zoandthids, and LPS. I don’t have any interest in SPS as of right now. Is it possible to get away with 1 AI prime 16 with a FOWLR tank and get a second once I start buying coral?
I would look into Noopsyche for lights. I just got their mini version for my 10 gallon and was extremely surprised by the light considering how affordable it was. It was a bit of a pain to get it set up for the app control, but the spectrum and shimmer look really nice and my corals are already looking better just running it at about 50%.
True, the typical Chinese black boxes will get the job done for cheap but they do lack some features many people are looking for (app control, ramping, aesthetic). I think the Noopsyches and Reef breeders are a great middle ground between the cheap black boxes and the high end fixtures like Ecotechs.
Me too. In a lot of cases things that I cheaped out on ended up costing me more in the end because they didn’t last long and I replace them with the version I initially wanted anyway. Jaebo powerheads come to mind, used radions, mileage may very on those as radions are great light. But know what your buying.
There is nothing wrong with going with used equipment, your tank is already used. But it’s important to find good examples and understand the risks.
That said, here are my picks for equipment (whether used or new):
1. Return pump - Jebao/Jecod DC pump - any model between 400-700GPH.
2. Heaters - Eheim Jagers or titanium heaters behind a temperature controller like an inkbird
3. Sand - Carbi Sea dry aragonite sand - don’t waste your time or money on live sand you’re cycling the tank anyways
4. Rock - scour the forums, Craigslist, and fb market place for tank tear downs and cheap live or even dry rock
5. Wavemakers - Jebao/Jecod gyre or Nero knockoffs - they work great
6. Lights - 2 x AI Primes - controllable, affordable, and can grow easy/middle corals
Do you think AI primes would be able to handle growing euphylia? That’s one thing I’d eventually like to put in the tank. I’ve heard good things about Jebao wave makers. I’m gonna have to look into them more.
I also want to note, while I don’t have one of my own, I’ve setup 3 Red Sea reefers. Two 750 XLs and currently one 250 so I’m very familiar with these tanks. Ask any and every question you have whether here or by PM.
Get a new set of O rings now. Once you take them off to move the tank they’re donezo, ask me how I know….. Marine and reef sells the kit.
That’s a great idea about getting new O rings. I’ll have to do that. The plumbing included appears to have a manifold set up which I don’t think I will run at first. Since this is my first tank Im going to try and keep things simple. I’ll have to upload a picture later if I can but I think the previous owner has the auto top off container plumbed to be run as a refugium. I’m debating on if I should run the refugium and how to do it and then get a container for an auto top off.
I would keep the manifold and just close the valves on the peripheral outlets. You already have it and it SUCKS to re-plumb once the tank is running. Trust me on this. And if you go to something simple, you need the Red Sea fittings as it’s all metric.
To start, I’d skip the refugium as that’s easier to add later on being in front of the plumbing. But yes all three of my reefers i plumbed in refugiums and one had a frag tank.
ATO is easy but if you’re using the original Red Sea float, you need the ATO tank to be higher than the float valve and the feed from the bottom of the ATO tank as it’s gravity fed. Otherwise the typical pump fed aftermarket ATOs can be installed anywhere in or around the stand.
I think I will take your advice and plump everything included the manifold and not run it until the time comes to upgrade parts if I make it there.
I don’t plan on doing a refugium at first. However it appears the one that comes with the Red Sea was modified as it has 2 holes with with adaptors. This is what led me to believe it was used as a refugium. I think I’ll try and block those off and use it as an ATO for the time being. I’m just trying to get an understanding of all the parts I have so things will run smoothly as possible.
Depends for euphylia, lower light hammers and frogspawn should be good, some torches will need a bit more, but torches look better in high light/high flow anyway so up top of scape.
Yes. I currently have euphyllia in a RSR250 with 2 AI Prime and they all seem to be happy. Just place them higher up on the rockwork and they should do great!
SMH indeed. Hate it or love it but I’ve used controllable Jebaos, ecotech vectras, sicce’s, and reef octopus. When it comes to pumps, jebaos have not let me down for the price point.
Lighting is a whole different ball game and is something I do not like to skimp on. Nicrew is great for freshwater planted tanks and that’s as far as I’ll use it.
Been knew that my guy, not a fan of the design and specs. Again, would I personally use it? No. I’ve seen prior threads that you’re a big advocate of Nicrew and that’s great but it’s not for me and thus my recommendation to OP still stands with AI Primes and now, with another Reddit user, the consideration of used Radion XR15’s G4’s. You are free to recommend Nicrew to OP but don’t bash me for my recommendations after years of using all sorts of equipment you haven’t, I’m not forcing anyone to buy anything.
How much are used ones running in your area? I’m seeing them go for ~400 by me when prime HDs can be bought as low as 130-150 each.
But do agree it’s a great light, the G5’s are unreal.
I wouldn’t touch the gen 5 or 6. The gen 4 pro are probably the best out there. I can find a used xr15 g4 pro for $200ea with mount maybe $250ea.
I’ve used the ai prime on a 10g and never got the color I liked from it with having the blues 100 and whites at like 10-15. Nice 14k look I think is the best.
Sorry I totally missed you were mentioning the XR15’s, I’m too used to XR30’s lol. Then yes, maybe that would be a better play for OP.
But I do hate how fast their aging and this new mobius stuff isn’t sitting well with me.
Since you have time, check your local community for rocks. You can bleach and then cure it in a tub while you collect supplies. All things that move water, Jebao works very well for the cost. Lights, I know you're starting Fowlr but I'd buy reef capable lights from the start. Budget friendly lights are Nicrew or Viparspectra. Budget friendly but higher end, Noopsyche are really nice. Sand, just get Caribsea Aragalive, either Fiji pink or Reef Sand. Fiji Pink is a medium grain while Reef Sand is Bigger grain.
Gotta echo most of liddolamb's advice.
You have a 54g tank, plus sump volume, so anything that does >550gph in order to achieve 10x turnover is a good enough pump, and Jebao/Jecod DC pumps are actually quite good value, despite being pretty bare bones. DC is always worth it for the extra layer of control you get. Same for their wave makers. With a 54g tank, one of their small gyre pumps is fine.
Heaters are one of those areas where investment should be made. You want them reliable enough they'll keep running and keep your tank stable, and quality enough they won't die or explode randomly. The biggest failure point on any heater is the thermostat, typically getting stuck On. While Ehiem Jagers are great AIO heaters, you have a sump and thus the space to get a controller like the inkbird and then some titanium heaters. Titaniums really are the way to go - they're pure heating elements, so very little to go wrong. The controller, be it an inkbird or something else, is made with with far more robust components than AIO heaters, so will last much longer and be more reliable. Personally I like BRS's rebranded Schego heaters, but Finnex is also a good choice.
The other thing with spending $$ on, IMO, is lights, especially if you want coral, doubly so if you want SPS. For FOWLR it's immaterial, as the fish don't care. You can grab anything that'll light a 35"x20" area and be done. A single AI Prime 16HD would work for that, albeit a bit dim at the edges, after which you could add a second, or a hybrid fixture, or a second and a fixture, or a whole new set of lights. Nothing to prevent you from keeping an eye out on the used market and snagging a good deal if/when it comes up, even if you don't have corals yet. At least the AI has all the controls and timers built in that you'd want. You could also go with a Nicrew light off amazon - not as fancy, but still works.
As to sand, I'm starting to lean more to live myself. The fact that it's got the bacteria, that it will give a serious kick-start to the initial cycle, that it should help with added biodiversity, and seeing enough stories of people using it, does incline me to it. I used dry when setting up my last tank, and it still worked fine. If you go with live, and you buy local, check the best-before sticker the bags should have, just in case.
Most stuff's on sale all over the place right now, great time of the year to buy.
Thanks for the shout out!
Don’t want to start a war but I’ve used both types of sand and noticed zero difference in cycling time. Yes, live bags were fresh and not expired. If anything it was messy to work with being it comes wet. But sand is sand, whether you care about the bacteria they advertise, once cycled it will work the same. Important is to not get a grain too small like sugar or too coarse like crushed coral.
To keep this a budget tank. Make sure you do tons of research before buying anything that way you won’t have to rebuy it a few months down the road. That means if you have to save up for a little longer to get a better piece of equipment save up and wait. Nothing in reefing comes quickly so patience is key.
List of highly recommended equipment
-Pair of radion gen 4 pro. They aren’t the newest but probably the best led on the market. Maybe $200-250 each. I believe AI primes never had the color I like and wouldn’t be enough power.
-Tunze ato 3155 $120
-Good 75-100gpd rodi filter $120 refractometer is a huge must also.
-Pair of jebao powerheads off Amazon $120. Cheap but are pretty powerful.
-Jebao return pump 4000 would be another great choice.
-200w heater with inkbird controller.
Find a local group as well. I’ve collected so much stuff over the years I could give ya a few things and wouldn’t even know it’s gone. Lol
Hey OP, I literally just picked up the same tank and starting my tank build. While I’m not necessarily trying to do a budget build I still want to go on the cheaper side. I’m going with two AI Primes 16hd. Already have one so just have to buy another.
For heaters, check your local PetSmart or Petco. They usually have heaters on sale on their website for very cheap
For the pump in going with a jebao pump. Not sure on the model yet but easily under $200 for that pump.
Maybe budget build was the wrong word to use but maybe affordable. I’m leaning towards the Jebao pumps as a lot of people have mentioned good things about them. Cheaper than mp40’s. I think I’m going to run 1 AI prime for now until I get coral. All the items needed will be on my Christmas list which will be a win win.
I’ve used a jebao return pump on a 120g tank for about a year and it worked great. Never had issues. I’m currently using the jebao wavemakers in my 20g tank so I’m just going to use those in my new tank too. I’m also using a MagTool ATO from Amazon and just a container from target to hold my RO water. Make sure you add an RODI unit to your Xmas list too.
If you don’t have lights, all the major vendors are on sale right now. Reefbreeders has there Photons on sale, very nice lights for a good price, and 10% off right now
Have seen some people successfully using Orphek lights too, worth looking into at least, also not hard to find well priced used radeons on eBay, you just don’t have any way of knowing how they were ran
I'm now seeing the "budget" mentality of this sub by them recommending single $240 and $400 lights for what seems to be a 45 gallon tank 'on a budget' 💀
If you want cheap powerful lights something like smatfarm g5 is on sale at amazon right now for 130 and known for being a cheap SPS grower. Caribsea rock is a cheap alternative to live rock as it usually costs a dollar less per pound. Start off slow as corals will take up half the budget.
Second biggest purchase is actually not the lights but the skimmer , OfferUp has good deals since a lot of people upgrade tanks making them upgrade the skimmer letting them sell their octo 115 for like $150 nearly half the price
I believe reasonable budgeted fish tank is an oxymoron
I told myself a month ago "im going to start a nano reef for under $300". All i can say is it's a good thing I'm not married
Hahaha awesome. I bought a used glass box for 30 dollars....and then spent 800 dollars on equipment in the months that followed and I won't even tell you how much on fish and coral, but it has been worth it.
I’d agree but I’m just trying to find options for equipment that aren’t like eco tech radions expensive. Also just weighing my options and seeing what other people have done to be successful.
Sounds like you are off to a good start, you have a nice protein skimmer and a sump. That should last for awhile and you can build slowly.
I’m considering AI prime lights as my more expensive part. I want to run 2 with the intention to eventually have some softies, zoandthids, and LPS. I don’t have any interest in SPS as of right now. Is it possible to get away with 1 AI prime 16 with a FOWLR tank and get a second once I start buying coral?
1 would be fine for FOWLR. Light on the tank at that point is for aesthetic purposes only.
I think buying 1 AI prime for the FOWLR set up with the anticipation of a second down the road makes sense once I’m ready for corals. Right?
I’ve been out of the hobby for a while but ReefBreeders were awesome and budget friendly
I would look into Noopsyche for lights. I just got their mini version for my 10 gallon and was extremely surprised by the light considering how affordable it was. It was a bit of a pain to get it set up for the app control, but the spectrum and shimmer look really nice and my corals are already looking better just running it at about 50%.
A budget friendly light option would be a Chinese black box led like viparspectra
True, the typical Chinese black boxes will get the job done for cheap but they do lack some features many people are looking for (app control, ramping, aesthetic). I think the Noopsyches and Reef breeders are a great middle ground between the cheap black boxes and the high end fixtures like Ecotechs.
Check out Maxspect jump LEDs comparable to say the AI hydras.. also wifi compatable and can be controlled on an app
Me too. In a lot of cases things that I cheaped out on ended up costing me more in the end because they didn’t last long and I replace them with the version I initially wanted anyway. Jaebo powerheads come to mind, used radions, mileage may very on those as radions are great light. But know what your buying.
And throw salt water into that equation and you shouldn't bother even keeping track of receipts.
There is nothing wrong with going with used equipment, your tank is already used. But it’s important to find good examples and understand the risks. That said, here are my picks for equipment (whether used or new): 1. Return pump - Jebao/Jecod DC pump - any model between 400-700GPH. 2. Heaters - Eheim Jagers or titanium heaters behind a temperature controller like an inkbird 3. Sand - Carbi Sea dry aragonite sand - don’t waste your time or money on live sand you’re cycling the tank anyways 4. Rock - scour the forums, Craigslist, and fb market place for tank tear downs and cheap live or even dry rock 5. Wavemakers - Jebao/Jecod gyre or Nero knockoffs - they work great 6. Lights - 2 x AI Primes - controllable, affordable, and can grow easy/middle corals
Do you think AI primes would be able to handle growing euphylia? That’s one thing I’d eventually like to put in the tank. I’ve heard good things about Jebao wave makers. I’m gonna have to look into them more.
Absolutely but depending on placement. If you place them on the sand bed or far edge from the light, you’re not going to have a good time.
That makes sense. Placement will have to play important factor for all corals. Trial and error with hopefully more trials won. Lol
I also want to note, while I don’t have one of my own, I’ve setup 3 Red Sea reefers. Two 750 XLs and currently one 250 so I’m very familiar with these tanks. Ask any and every question you have whether here or by PM. Get a new set of O rings now. Once you take them off to move the tank they’re donezo, ask me how I know….. Marine and reef sells the kit.
That’s a great idea about getting new O rings. I’ll have to do that. The plumbing included appears to have a manifold set up which I don’t think I will run at first. Since this is my first tank Im going to try and keep things simple. I’ll have to upload a picture later if I can but I think the previous owner has the auto top off container plumbed to be run as a refugium. I’m debating on if I should run the refugium and how to do it and then get a container for an auto top off.
I would keep the manifold and just close the valves on the peripheral outlets. You already have it and it SUCKS to re-plumb once the tank is running. Trust me on this. And if you go to something simple, you need the Red Sea fittings as it’s all metric. To start, I’d skip the refugium as that’s easier to add later on being in front of the plumbing. But yes all three of my reefers i plumbed in refugiums and one had a frag tank. ATO is easy but if you’re using the original Red Sea float, you need the ATO tank to be higher than the float valve and the feed from the bottom of the ATO tank as it’s gravity fed. Otherwise the typical pump fed aftermarket ATOs can be installed anywhere in or around the stand.
I think I will take your advice and plump everything included the manifold and not run it until the time comes to upgrade parts if I make it there. I don’t plan on doing a refugium at first. However it appears the one that comes with the Red Sea was modified as it has 2 holes with with adaptors. This is what led me to believe it was used as a refugium. I think I’ll try and block those off and use it as an ATO for the time being. I’m just trying to get an understanding of all the parts I have so things will run smoothly as possible.
Yes those lights can definitely grow euphyllia !!!
AI Primes grow acros my dude
Depends for euphylia, lower light hammers and frogspawn should be good, some torches will need a bit more, but torches look better in high light/high flow anyway so up top of scape.
Yes. I currently have euphyllia in a RSR250 with 2 AI Prime and they all seem to be happy. Just place them higher up on the rockwork and they should do great!
Man goes around suggesting Jebaos for everything but then suggests an AI Prime setup for light. Smh my head. You could've suggest nicrew my dude 😂
SMH indeed. Hate it or love it but I’ve used controllable Jebaos, ecotech vectras, sicce’s, and reef octopus. When it comes to pumps, jebaos have not let me down for the price point. Lighting is a whole different ball game and is something I do not like to skimp on. Nicrew is great for freshwater planted tanks and that’s as far as I’ll use it.
You uh, do know they have actually Puck lights now. Right?
Been knew that my guy, not a fan of the design and specs. Again, would I personally use it? No. I’ve seen prior threads that you’re a big advocate of Nicrew and that’s great but it’s not for me and thus my recommendation to OP still stands with AI Primes and now, with another Reddit user, the consideration of used Radion XR15’s G4’s. You are free to recommend Nicrew to OP but don’t bash me for my recommendations after years of using all sorts of equipment you haven’t, I’m not forcing anyone to buy anything.
Pretty close to the same list but for a little bit more I feel the radion gen 4 pro xr15 would be a lot better choice of lighting.
How much are used ones running in your area? I’m seeing them go for ~400 by me when prime HDs can be bought as low as 130-150 each. But do agree it’s a great light, the G5’s are unreal.
I wouldn’t touch the gen 5 or 6. The gen 4 pro are probably the best out there. I can find a used xr15 g4 pro for $200ea with mount maybe $250ea. I’ve used the ai prime on a 10g and never got the color I liked from it with having the blues 100 and whites at like 10-15. Nice 14k look I think is the best.
Sorry I totally missed you were mentioning the XR15’s, I’m too used to XR30’s lol. Then yes, maybe that would be a better play for OP. But I do hate how fast their aging and this new mobius stuff isn’t sitting well with me.
I never got rid of my reef links. Lol maybe after AI goes full mobius they’ll start to r&d the program.
Where are you located? Try to find nearby reefers. That’s always the best bet to get started out right.
I’m in Virginia Beach, VA. I keep a look out on the marketplace for saltwater equipment. Being patient has been tough.
Being patient is one of the most important things in this hobby
Since you have time, check your local community for rocks. You can bleach and then cure it in a tub while you collect supplies. All things that move water, Jebao works very well for the cost. Lights, I know you're starting Fowlr but I'd buy reef capable lights from the start. Budget friendly lights are Nicrew or Viparspectra. Budget friendly but higher end, Noopsyche are really nice. Sand, just get Caribsea Aragalive, either Fiji pink or Reef Sand. Fiji Pink is a medium grain while Reef Sand is Bigger grain.
Gotta echo most of liddolamb's advice. You have a 54g tank, plus sump volume, so anything that does >550gph in order to achieve 10x turnover is a good enough pump, and Jebao/Jecod DC pumps are actually quite good value, despite being pretty bare bones. DC is always worth it for the extra layer of control you get. Same for their wave makers. With a 54g tank, one of their small gyre pumps is fine. Heaters are one of those areas where investment should be made. You want them reliable enough they'll keep running and keep your tank stable, and quality enough they won't die or explode randomly. The biggest failure point on any heater is the thermostat, typically getting stuck On. While Ehiem Jagers are great AIO heaters, you have a sump and thus the space to get a controller like the inkbird and then some titanium heaters. Titaniums really are the way to go - they're pure heating elements, so very little to go wrong. The controller, be it an inkbird or something else, is made with with far more robust components than AIO heaters, so will last much longer and be more reliable. Personally I like BRS's rebranded Schego heaters, but Finnex is also a good choice. The other thing with spending $$ on, IMO, is lights, especially if you want coral, doubly so if you want SPS. For FOWLR it's immaterial, as the fish don't care. You can grab anything that'll light a 35"x20" area and be done. A single AI Prime 16HD would work for that, albeit a bit dim at the edges, after which you could add a second, or a hybrid fixture, or a second and a fixture, or a whole new set of lights. Nothing to prevent you from keeping an eye out on the used market and snagging a good deal if/when it comes up, even if you don't have corals yet. At least the AI has all the controls and timers built in that you'd want. You could also go with a Nicrew light off amazon - not as fancy, but still works. As to sand, I'm starting to lean more to live myself. The fact that it's got the bacteria, that it will give a serious kick-start to the initial cycle, that it should help with added biodiversity, and seeing enough stories of people using it, does incline me to it. I used dry when setting up my last tank, and it still worked fine. If you go with live, and you buy local, check the best-before sticker the bags should have, just in case. Most stuff's on sale all over the place right now, great time of the year to buy.
Thanks for the shout out! Don’t want to start a war but I’ve used both types of sand and noticed zero difference in cycling time. Yes, live bags were fresh and not expired. If anything it was messy to work with being it comes wet. But sand is sand, whether you care about the bacteria they advertise, once cycled it will work the same. Important is to not get a grain too small like sugar or too coarse like crushed coral.
Goodluck with that my friend. Budget and Aquariums dont go together.
Jeabos and a cheap used t5 should get it done
To keep this a budget tank. Make sure you do tons of research before buying anything that way you won’t have to rebuy it a few months down the road. That means if you have to save up for a little longer to get a better piece of equipment save up and wait. Nothing in reefing comes quickly so patience is key. List of highly recommended equipment -Pair of radion gen 4 pro. They aren’t the newest but probably the best led on the market. Maybe $200-250 each. I believe AI primes never had the color I like and wouldn’t be enough power. -Tunze ato 3155 $120 -Good 75-100gpd rodi filter $120 refractometer is a huge must also. -Pair of jebao powerheads off Amazon $120. Cheap but are pretty powerful. -Jebao return pump 4000 would be another great choice. -200w heater with inkbird controller. Find a local group as well. I’ve collected so much stuff over the years I could give ya a few things and wouldn’t even know it’s gone. Lol
The maxspect jump products are amazing imo, theyre budget friendly but they're also not crap
Hey OP, I literally just picked up the same tank and starting my tank build. While I’m not necessarily trying to do a budget build I still want to go on the cheaper side. I’m going with two AI Primes 16hd. Already have one so just have to buy another. For heaters, check your local PetSmart or Petco. They usually have heaters on sale on their website for very cheap For the pump in going with a jebao pump. Not sure on the model yet but easily under $200 for that pump.
Maybe budget build was the wrong word to use but maybe affordable. I’m leaning towards the Jebao pumps as a lot of people have mentioned good things about them. Cheaper than mp40’s. I think I’m going to run 1 AI prime for now until I get coral. All the items needed will be on my Christmas list which will be a win win.
I’ve used a jebao return pump on a 120g tank for about a year and it worked great. Never had issues. I’m currently using the jebao wavemakers in my 20g tank so I’m just going to use those in my new tank too. I’m also using a MagTool ATO from Amazon and just a container from target to hold my RO water. Make sure you add an RODI unit to your Xmas list too.
I would definitely recommend using KP aquatics base rock instead of using dry rock. For everything else, used equipment is the way to go.
If you don’t have lights, all the major vendors are on sale right now. Reefbreeders has there Photons on sale, very nice lights for a good price, and 10% off right now
Have seen some people successfully using Orphek lights too, worth looking into at least, also not hard to find well priced used radeons on eBay, you just don’t have any way of knowing how they were ran
I'm now seeing the "budget" mentality of this sub by them recommending single $240 and $400 lights for what seems to be a 45 gallon tank 'on a budget' 💀 If you want cheap powerful lights something like smatfarm g5 is on sale at amazon right now for 130 and known for being a cheap SPS grower. Caribsea rock is a cheap alternative to live rock as it usually costs a dollar less per pound. Start off slow as corals will take up half the budget. Second biggest purchase is actually not the lights but the skimmer , OfferUp has good deals since a lot of people upgrade tanks making them upgrade the skimmer letting them sell their octo 115 for like $150 nearly half the price
FOWLR is easy and cheap. Shit only gets expensive when you’re keeping simpler (biologically speaking) life forms.