Help Deciding on Tanks

[MatthewN]

Trying to decide between the following Aquariums. I'm new at this, so open to other options. I'm looking for less that 40 gallons, with a sump, with a protein skimmer. Primarily, I'm looking for something as simple as possible to maintain. I will need to slowly work my way up to a reef. Maybe start with a couple of clownfish.

 

These are the ones that seem like the best fit:

• Red Sea Reefer 170 - comes with the sump but no pump and no light
• Red Sea Reefer Max E170 - comes with light and protein skimmer but no sump
• Reef Octopus OCTO LUX T60 - comes with sump and protein skimmer but no light

 

Appreciate any help. Thank you.

[Firefish15]

Well, if you want to start with a fish-only system and then work your way up to a reef, you could buy a cheaper LED light to start, and then upgrade before you get into corals.

Hard to advise you without knowing your budget though.

[Seadragon]

3 hours ago, MatthewN said:

Trying to decide between the following Aquariums. I'm new at this, so open to other options. I'm looking for less that 40 gallons, with a sump, with a protein skimmer. Primarily, I'm looking for something as simple as possible to maintain. I will need to slowly work my way up to a reef. Maybe start with a couple of clownfish.

 

These are the ones that seem like the best fit:

• Red Sea Reefer 170 - comes with the sump but no pump and no light
• Red Sea Reefer Max E170 - comes with light and protein skimmer but no sump
• Reef Octopus OCTO LUX T60 - comes with sump and protein skimmer but no light

 

Appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

The fact that you listed these aquariums, I'm going to assume that you have a very healthy budget.  The amazing thing is, what you're asking for is basically what I'm going to buy in a year or two from now once I'm ready to upgrade my nano reef to the next level.  I call it my "End Game Tank", the last tank that I want to buy in my lifetime.  I'm definitely going to go with the Red Sea Reefer myself.  I trust the brand and I prefer quality in most things I buy so that I'm not disappointed.

 

Out of your options, I'd get the REEFER 170.  But, for myself, I want the REEFER XL 200 for $100 more.  I want that little bit of extra space and convenience so that in a decade or two from now, I have slightly more options if I want to add more corals or what-have-you.  I will probably use the "Build with MyREEFER" feature from the redseafish.com site, and add the ReefLED 90, RL90 Mounting Arm, REEFER Skimmer 300, and a ReefWave 25 to the order.

 

If you do get a Red Sea Reefer, let me know which one you get and create a journal so that I can follow along.  I'll be joining you in the future, but you can scout the way ahead of time. 🙂

[MatthewN]

Thanks for your feedback Seadragon! The REEFER XL 200 looks like a better choice. I'll try out the Build My Reefer feature and see what I come up with. Usually, by the end of selecting options, like the ones on car websites, I end up all the options and with some ridiculous price. I'll set up a journal once I decide. Thanks again!

[MatthewN]

Quick update: I ended up buying the Reef Octopus OCTO LUX T60 with a Kessil AP9X LED Lighting Panel.