Equipment Check

[UDGags]

I've been lurking these forums (and others) for a couple years. I had to pause getting a nice tank because of a house remodel, engagement and I got married back in October. Last night my wife said I can get the tank I want (within reason-$2000-$3000) for my birthday/xmas. So I've spent the last day trying to catch up on what's the latest and greatest. I was purposely staying away from looking at the forums because I was just teasing myself.

This is my current list of parts

Tank-Basic 125 gallon, 72"L x 18"W x 24"H (not my dream tank but it fits the budget right now)-$400
Stand-Have one from a previous tank that broke
Sump/Overflow-CPR CR2000 Wet/Dry Filter Kit-$400
Pump-Mag 2400-$200
Heater(s)-Eheim-Jager TS300W (getting 2)-$50
Substrate-4" of Amazonia (10-9L bags)-$500
Wavemaker-Vortech MP40-$465
Lighting-

Total-$2015 w/o lighting

A few questions I have

1. Sump/Overflow- I was looking at an alternate system using Trigger systems Ruby Elite 36E with a CPR CS150. I've never run a sump so I am not too sure what is the best way to go. I kinda like Trigger system better but it does cost more. Any suggestions on the best system for me to get?

2. Lighting.....ugh. I was reading up on planted tank last night on the various PAR measurements of LED fixtures and trying to figure out what worked the best and just got more confused. I would love someone to just point me to a quality off the shelf LED fixture right now and I'll learn about lights later. (Trying to get things ordered for xmas...she wants to wrap them and me to open them)

3. Anything else you experts would change/add/remove?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[mike]

Welcome back to the hobby

Not sure if you intent on having plants but if you are, and you intend on having medium to high light, you will want to consider pressurized CO2. That would mean you need a CO2 tank, regulator and some way or diffusing the CO2 into the water.

Also, it’s my understanding the off the shelf commercial LED’s are not very efficient, especially if your tank is 24 inches deep. You may want to consider a T5HO fixture.

Although the Ruby Elite 36E is nice, it’s quite expensive. For the price of that sump I was able to make a 4 foot glass internal/external overflow, a sump out of an old 27 gallon tank, get 2 Mag pumps and all the plumbing for a 3 stand pipe overflow (BeanAnimal overflow).

I’m not an expert by any means and many here will give you excellent advice, much better than I can, but I can tell you this, do not rush this build. Number one, define your goals, how much time are you willing to maintain the tank each week and take your time planning this tank. I started planning my 125G in Jan 2012 and I only flooded my tank in Sept 2012. I researched each thing I needed and weight the costs against the benefits.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Mike

 

[UDGags]

Ahh, sorry for leaving out the CO2 info...I have a CO2 setup from the previous tank I broke (never try and drill tempered glass, lol).

I was reading http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=160396 and it seems like some LED will work. It's only 20" if I have a 4" bed depth as well. I think I'll look at some reef forums to see how certain brands perform (yes, I know they have a higher PAR).

 

[UDGags]

Okay, after watching Gerryd's sump video (Thanks!) and reading a bunch I bought the following...

Sump -Aqueon Proflex Sump Model 4
Overflow-CPR CS202 w/aqualifter
Pump-Mag 1800

My biggest question is lighting.....LED's are tempting to me but I see a lot of people say the ATI fixtures are the best. I think I would want 2x ATI 36" 8x39W Dimmable SunPower w/ Controller for my size tank correct? Or is the 8 bulb setup overkill and a 6 bulb would work? Just asking because they aren't cheap.

Do most of you still think the T5 fixtures are better than an LED from buildmyled.com? I saw a post from August where Tom said he liked the ATI fixtures better. This still hold true?

Thanks!

 

[Gerryd]

Get a spare aqualifter pump or two....I had one die.....

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

I did not think the cost differential between the 6 and 8 tube units to be that much. I would always opt for the 8. Better to have the spread than not.

A single 60" fixture may also do the trick. Ends would be a bit dark but not that much. More visually than by PAR.... I used a single 36 on my 220 for 2-3 months.....and got away with it quite well

That said, I would opt for twin 36" x 8 if you can afford it...

 

[UDGags]

6 bulbs is $610 ($1220 for two) and 8 is $720 ($1440 for two) but I was more comparing LED's to the ATI's. The LED fixture is $229 for a 36" strip. I could get 4-6 strips (takes care of spread issue) and still be cheaper then the ATI fixtures and have a custom spectrum.

I have no experience with lights other than reading about them the past couple weeks and I've seen people like both types. I just don't want to spend that much money without being sure I'm getting the best.

 

[kevmo911]

I could (hypothetically) conceivably talk myself into everything in your list with two exceptions. One - the wavemaker. Why?

And two - the Amazonia. I've never used it, which is probably why the price tag makes me cringe. But I can understand when people are willing to spend the cash on a bag or four. But the amount you need for that tank... Well, I won't deny that you'll have a first rate substrate (for at least two years, anyway), but the concept of spending more on nutrient-infused dirt than on any other piece of gear associated with your tank is just too much for me to get behind.

Amazonia is the bomb, no question. But I'd just as soon spend that much cash on Turface, root tabs, and an iPad. Or put the extra toward my dream tank (which might now fit into the budget?).

 

[UDGags]

Well I thought the extra flow was good for plants and that the current it produces most fish like to play in. I thought the plant reason was why Tom had one in his 180g.

Yeah, the Amazonia is expensive I won't deny that but I think it's the best option out (disregarding cost). The point of the tank is for it to be a planted tank so I think spending more on the substrate is justified.

I had Coast to Coast quote the tank I wanted ~1 year ago and it's out of budget no matter what. It's bigger, rimless, starphire so its $$$$.

 

[Gerryd]

I could (hypothetically) conceivably talk myself into everything in your list with two exceptions. One - the wavemaker. Why?

And two - the Amazonia. I've never used it, which is probably why the price tag makes me cringe. But I can understand when people are willing to spend the cash on a bag or four. But the amount you need for that tank... Well, I won't deny that you'll have a first rate substrate (for at least two years, anyway), but the concept of spending more on nutrient-infused dirt than on any other piece of gear associated with your tank is just too much for me to get behind.

Amazonia is the bomb, no question. But I'd just as soon spend that much cash on Turface, root tabs, and an iPad. Or put the extra toward my dream tank (which might now fit into the budget?).

Hi,

If the mp** wavemaker is affordable it is indeed a very nice unit and offers a lot of FLEXIBILITY and aesthetics. Good flow is vital for plants and fish. This unit offers many modes that can provide many different current patterns.

The ADA is totally worth it. It lasts longer than 2 years. The N tends to run out after 1-2 years but this is why we dose the water column with EI. You just need to account for it is all. I bought a lot more than Udgags for sure and was worth the $ TO ME...

This is the thing. We all have different priorities and wants.

I encourage all to think hard about the FUTURE as your plans or conditon may change.

I feel that my major components offer tremendous flexibility going forward for many different configs/scapes/etc. I could evern go salt with what I have, minus the ADA

Oh, and my tank is by CTC. Were they more $ than many other quotes? Yes. It was the customer service of many hours of emails and phone conversations over 2-3 months prior to the deposit and final order that made up my mind for me. The end product is everything that I had hoped for and I think they were worth every penny I spent. Plus, I shipped from NJ to FL so another big expense item.

Get what YOU want is my philosophy here. This is a dream right? Do it how you would want. I waited a long time and saved my $ for mys build.

 

[UDGags]

Hi

I feel that my major components offer tremendous flexibility going forward for many different configs/scapes/etc. I could evern go salt with what I have, minus the ADA

This is one main reason I picked certain things. My wife likes salt water fish better but I've always wanted a planted tank so we're doing planted now (plus planted is cheaper than salt). I figure if I spend the extra money now I could reuse some parts a few years from now if we decide to switch things up. This is one reason I'm leaning towards the ATI lighting since its easier to switch bulbs.

 

[Gerryd]

6 bulbs is $610 ($1220 for two) and 8 is $720 ($1440 for two) but I was more comparing LED's to the ATI's. The LED fixture is $229 for a 36" strip. I could get 4-6 strips (takes care of spread issue) and still be cheaper then the ATI fixtures and have a custom spectrum.

I have no experience with lights other than reading about them the past couple weeks and I've seen people like both types. I just don't want to spend that much money without being sure I'm getting the best.

Can these be dimmed? Does the price include this functionality?

 

[UDGags]

Dimming kit is $40 for the LED fixtures. I think cost and functionality are about the same during start-up. I believe both would give good plant growth if configured correctly. Long term though the ATI gives me more options (salt water) but LED's would be cheaper (no replacement bulbs, less energy).

 

[thegasman]

I have the Marineland Planted Tank LED's and am pretty happy with them. My PAR readings show that I have fairly high light with them. With that said, I would much rather have the ATI lighting. The main reason is the ability to change bulbs to suit your needs/ taste. My tank is a 20" cube so my lighting options are fairly limited.

The Radion LED's allow you to tune spectrum and intensity, but they are $600 each and I think you would need three of them. They are worth considering if you want to go LED since they are one of the best on the market.

 

[UDGags]

Thanks for the input so far. I decided to go with two ATI-3311 unit, ATI 36" 8x39W Dimmable SunPower w/ Controller. Now my question is with the bulbs. These are what I've seen people use from searching the lighting forum.

Giesemann PowerChrome Aqua Flora T5 Lamps* (36" (39W))
Giesemann PowerChrome Midday T5 Lamps* (36" (39W))
ATI Blue Plus + T5 HO Aquarium Lamps (36", 39W)
ATI Purple Plus T5 HO Aquarium Lamps (36", 39W)
GE Starcoat 6,500K T5 High Output HO Aquarium Bulbs (36", (39W))
AquaSun 10,000K T5 Fluorescent Aquarium Lamps by UV Lighting Co.* (36" (39W))

Does this look like a good list to start with? I need to get a minimum of 16 bulbs so I can add or subtract some. Thanks again

 

[Gerryd]

Thanks for the input so far. I decided to go with two ATI-3311 unit, ATI 36" 8x39W Dimmable SunPower w/ Controller. Now my question is with the bulbs. These are what I've seen people use from searching the lighting forum.

Giesemann PowerChrome Aqua Flora T5 Lamps* (36" (39W))
Giesemann PowerChrome Midday T5 Lamps* (36" (39W))
ATI Blue Plus + T5 HO Aquarium Lamps (36", 39W)
ATI Purple Plus T5 HO Aquarium Lamps (36", 39W)
GE Starcoat 6,500K T5 High Output HO Aquarium Bulbs (36", (39W))
AquaSun 10,000K T5 Fluorescent Aquarium Lamps by UV Lighting Co.* (36" (39W))

Does this look like a good list to start with? I need to get a minimum of 16 bulbs so I can add or subtract some. Thanks again

Congrats! Best of luck with them...you should be happy with your mix of stated bulbs...the ati purple is an acquired taste I have one in each unit but may swap them out for another type like the ge starcoat 6500k.

Keep us posted!

 

[UDGags]

I'm just waiting for parts to come in now. I feel like I'm a kid on xmas morning every night when I come home and UPS/FedEx has a packaged delivered I figure with the holidays coming up and my work schedule I should get most of the hardware plumbed and in place by the first of the year. I'm not in a huge rush just want to make sure I do it correct.

I'm now focusing on plants/fish for the tank. I went through last night looking at pictures and seeing what I liked. The hardest thing I found was that people say a plants name but the pictures have like 20 in them. I really like the dutch style layouts that have the plant diagrams I'm starting to figure out what's what and so forth. I found that Tom has a lot more info on his threads over at AGA then TPT in terms of plant names and descriptions.

I'm up in the air for fish right now. I really like the basic schooling fish look (cardinals, CRS, oto's, etc.) but I really would love something unique or different.

I have a bunch of mazanite (bought from Tom a couple years ago) and Seiryu Stone (100lbs) so I should be set in that regards. Long term I'd like to pick up some petrified wood (really like the look of some it in a planted tank).

 

[UDGags]

I decided to go with a bunch of small fish. My question is what's a good way to figure out how many fish I can safely/comfortably put in a 125g tank. The fish I like that I've found so far are listed below

Harlequin Raspora (trigonostigma heteromorpha)
Lambchop Raspora (trigonostigma espei)
Cardinal Tetra (paracheirodon axelrodi)
Green Neon Tetra (paracheirodon simulans)
Red Phantom Tetra (hyphessobrycon sweglesi)
Black Neon Tetra (hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi)
Flame Tetra (hyphessobrycon flammeus)
Otocinclus
Golden Nugget, Bushy Nose or Blue Phantom Plecostomus
Some type of red Shrimp

Thanks again!

 

[UDGags]

I had a few more questions I hope some of you could chime in on....

1. What test kits are recommended? I've seen La Mott mentioned a couple times but wasn't sure.
2. When doing water changes is it better to use tap or RO/DI water? I'm guessing this is specific to my tap water parameters.
3. Where do you guys buy your ferts? In the sticky in the EI forum Tom mentions www.gregwatson.com but I went there and I did not see any ferts?

I got all the equipment in except my second ATI light unit (on back order for a couple weeks). I started plumbing last night and hope to finish this weekend.

My plan for start-up is 10 9L bags of the basic Amazonia, keep Co2 High, half EI dosing and let it cycle for 1-2 months before adding live stock.

 

[Gerryd]

Hi,

1. Doing EI, you may not want to use test kits anyway...unless they are calibrated and accurate...
2. Correct depends on what is best for you. RO/DI has many benefits but you need to add to it as well.
3. http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/index.asp

You may not need to cycle for 2 months but is up to you...

Many of your fish are quite small so you can have a good #. That said, add the ones you are sure you want and then add slowly over time. This allows the bio filter to catch up to the new additions.