Red Sea max e260 Question

[Mike P]

So my wife has decided she wants to get me a larger tank 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 I am leaning towards the red sea max e260 and was wondering how loud it is and if the stock protein skimmer is decent. My other option is the  reefer 250 but I’m still deciding

[OfficeReefer]

I know this is an old thread and you probably already made a choice but I am in the same boat. Thought I'd share what I have found for others in this regard.

 

• The E260 now has RS lighting. I wasn't a fan of their app or LED mainly because they were not controllable from my Apex that does everything I want it to. The RS app seems very "walled garden" of their products and was consistently buggish in the beginning. The LED chipset is an Espressif ESP8266 if I recall and really needed more IoT edge power which I felt would have made the product more functional like the AI Prime HD series it came with prior to 2019-2020. Some may like this and it would save you around $700 USD in lighting alone but then again, it is their lamps and their app.
• The E260 does have a rear sump, which means you have more space under the unit. This may be a bonus for those with lighter stocked tanks and more corals, as one will have more room for control and dosing toys under.
• The E260 does have an included protein skimmer that is sufficient for its use and this would add $250-$350 to the cost of the Reefer 250. However its a limited area where the skimmer sits and doesn't always permit the larger skimmer (leaving only HOB types that one probably doesn't want on the outside anyways) going back to the point of the sump under the unit. This may make the case for those with heavier stocked tanks to buy the Reefer 250 or add the optional lower sump for the E-260.
• Size and aesthetics are in some ways better on the Reefer 250, as you won't have about 4in of space on the sides as viewable on the E260. If the side view experience is important to you, then the reefer will look cleaner overall. 
• If you aren't using a stand from RS then the E260 absolutely makes sense as its all integrated and options exist for later growth. I would also state that if one is newer to the hobby and hasn't been through several tanks, then the E260 will be more forgiving in that everything one requires is available and functional through RS (at a premium of course).
• The best likely option is the E260 but without their lights, skimmer and ATO. Which is the value proposition they offer. Too bad they don't offer the optional sump instead of the skimmer at the same price point. I'd also like to state that there is better power management in some ways with the MAX E-260 and one can use a smaller refugium on the bottom since you'll also have the rear available. This means you can fit more toys in some cases but that is the primary value proposition for the E-260 design with stand anyways.