What Do You Think Of My Shopping List

EricTMah

EricTMah

Aquariums by Design
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Website
www.aquariumsbydesign.ca
Not familiar with those tanks and media baskets.
Normally in the direction of flow, you go from the course filter material to the finest.

Salt. Go with what's easy to get for you. Just choose a reef based salt.
Water. Make your own if you can. Buy a Rodi filter and mount it under your sink. I used to have it under my bathroom sink when I lived in an apartment. That way you can run the hoses to the bathtub and not have to worry about overflowing water making a mess. If not l, try and find a water place near you that can test for tds in their water being sold. Ideal is zero tds.
I use salifert test kits. I'm used to them and they're fairly accurate. Some prefer red Sea as well.

Sony Xperia Z3
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
EricTMah said:
Not familiar with those tanks and media baskets.
Normally in the direction of flow, you go from the course filter material to the finest.

Salt. Go with what's easy to get for you. Just choose a reef based salt.
Water. Make your own if you can. Buy a Rodi filter and mount it under your sink. I used to have it under my bathroom sink when I lived in an apartment. That way you can run the hoses to the bathtub and not have to worry about overflowing water making a mess. If not l, try and find a water place near you that can test for tds in their water being sold. Ideal is zero tds.
I use salifert test kits. I'm used to them and they're fairly accurate. Some prefer red Sea as well.

Sony Xperia Z3
Click to expand...

what do you use then if you are not using media baskets or reactor?
What brand for reef based salt that you have experience with?

I don't know if I want to install RODI filter yet, but I am wondering if they sell RODI water at pet store such as Big Als.
Is there TDS test kit that I can buy at pet store?
 
Kman

Kman

Super Active Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
Location
KW
Eheim Jager are unchanged for decades now and the last time I looked they don't come with digital readings. I find them super accurate and have never needed anything digital on them.

I would recommend the JBJ ATO for the stand alone option. I use one for a few years now and it is solid. If you have a controller like an Apex you can use the breakout box and floats. You just need good floats or it doesn't register the water level drop very accurately for a ATO. I have an Apex and I stick to the JBJ still.

http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/JBJ-ATO/

In smaller tanks or tanks with less available space it is good to remove the media and run it in a reactor. This does a few things. Cleans up the gear you run in tank cleaning up your look and making room. Allows you to control the amount and efficiency of the media. If you have high need for media because your levels sit higher or have a heavy bio load. The reactor option works. If you have lower needs put them in mesh media bags and hide them under your rocks. You can passively let the media adsorb the nutrients\ organics ect from the water.

I am not typically a fan of all in one media like chemipure blue. They media always exhausts itself at different rates and you can't adjust your amounts. Say if you need more PO4 the nitrate removal. You can't just adjust the PO4 for instance as it is an all in one.
 
EricTMah

EricTMah

Aquariums by Design
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Location
Kitchener, Ontario
Website
www.aquariumsbydesign.ca
I use a sump with a single reactor. But that's totally different than an AIO tank.

I've used Kent, reef crystals, aqua vitro, omega, aqua forest and a few more I don't remember.

Visit your local pet store and see what they sell.

You can buy a hand held tds meter. But you'll need to test freshwater and not pre made saltwater

Sony Xperia Z3
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
EricTMah said:
I use a sump with a single reactor. But that's totally different than an AIO tank.

I've used Kent, reef crystals, aqua vitro, omega, aqua forest and a few more I don't remember.

Visit your local pet store and see what they sell.

You can buy a hand held tds meter. But you'll need to test freshwater and not pre made saltwater

Sony Xperia Z3
Click to expand...

what size of big enough tank would you suggest for newbie, Eric?
 
Friendly

Friendly

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
Raincouver, British Canuckistan
more water is better...but did you mean 50 Lagoon or 30L (L = Long)? I'm guessing the 30 Long.

30L dimensions are: 36”L x 15”W x 13”H
40 dimensions are: 24”L x 16”W x 19”H

so the 40 is 3" taller, giving it that 10 gallon edge over the 30L, but being 1" wider, it doesn't hug the wall quite as well as the 30L but is a full 12" shorter in width meaning it doesn't take up as much display space against your wall.

with that in mind, the 40 manages its use of space better and gives you an extra 10 gallons of buffer.

but, if you consider your 'decor', what fits with your personal style and what works with your end goal? 12" allows for a much longer tank with wider reef and space for fish to swing further and faster, should be be wanderer's.

I've decided I'm going with the new Coralife LED BioCube 32. the lighting is adequate for my goals, gives me lots of water, doesn't take up too much space and includes a desired control function for the lighting system. I'll just need to upgrade the pump, get the inTank media basket once available, add a powerhead and ATO. :)
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
I am thinking more water is better to, but I also like the lagoon type of tanks where fish can swim farther I can put more corals horizontally.
The price of Fusion 40 and 30L is the same at $456. The 25L is $330.
If I get the Fusion 40 or 25 L, I will need to get the stand for $390.
If I get 30L, I think I can use my existing buffet for the stand. My buffet is made from solid wood but it is not specialized for aquarium.
Also, if I get Fusion 40 or 25L, I will need to place it in my living room in front of front to ceiling window with no direct sunlight.
If I get the 30L and put it on my buffet, it will be away from windows but also away from living room, and near bathroom.

I can't decide which option is better :(
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
is one Ecotech MP10wqd is sufficient for IM Fusion 40 gallon tank?

If not, is it better to get 2 x MP10, OR one MP40?

Of course getting one MP40 will save you more money.
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
what do you guys think of Tunze comline DOC Skimmer 9004 for IM Fusion 40 compare to Reef Octopus BH50 skimmer ?

How about Ecotech MP10WQD OR Tunze 6040 water mover?
 
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Canadianeh

Active Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2016
Location
T-dot
Few people said that if I am going to buy spinstream, I won't need Ecotech MP10.

So if I don't need the Ecotech MP10 since I can also use spinstream, then why people with the same set up don't just use spinstream as it WILL save them tons of money? Is there any downside for me to just use spinstream ONLY?
 
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