Cali Kid Corals

Oh boy, I'm getting back into this

L

lhuynh

Supporting Member
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Hello all,

Just joined and am happy to find a community here in the Bay Area.

For years, I had a FOWLR in SF (I'm now in Berkeley), but I had to break it down for a job that required too much travel. 15+ years later, I'm looking to get back into the hobby, but I want to go full on reef this time, eventually having LPS, SPS and clam(s) (and fish, of course). I have two young kids who are fascinated by aquariums, so i'm ready to take the plunge back in.

Just starting to look around and see what's out there. So much has changed, it's dizzying. Been looking at some of the Red Sea systems (Reefer and Max) and curious what folks think about them. I'm probably shooting for something around 100-125 gallons. Don't have room for much longer than 5 feet.

Here we go...
 
The reefer tanks aren’t bad in my opinion, but you can do better for sure. If having almost everything you need included in a package you won’t beat them.
 
Also make sure you're not in the 'power out zone' that'll be brutal for someone starting up and PG&E starts turning off the power whenever it gets too windy.
 
Thoughts on other routes I should consider? I wouldn't say I am the handiest of people, so I'm not keen on building much stuff out or doing plumbing jobs, but I'm also not an idiot. Just thinking about balancing adding a third child (the reef tank) to my plate.

Coral reefer said:
The reefer tanks aren’t bad in my opinion, but you can do better for sure. If having almost everything you need included in a package you won’t beat them.
Click to expand...
 
Oh, I definitely lost power. I am now looking into getting backup generators and solar...It's truly ridiculous.

sfsuphysics said:
Also make sure you're not in the 'power out zone' that'll be brutal for someone starting up and PG&E starts turning off the power whenever it gets too windy.
Click to expand...
 
Crystal dynamics makes nice glass tanks and stands.
Not too hard to buy something like an aqueoun and drill it for an external overflow.
 
I think you'll be happy with a red sea reefer tank. I dont personally use one (because I'm too cheap) but I have helped set up a few. And, the owners of those tanks love them. In my opinion, they have a very modern /sleek look for an aquarium that will be sitting in your living room. Building the Red sea stands out of the box are a little (ikea) style. You will think it feels cheap, but once its done and the tank on top. It will look great. If you can assemble ikea furniture, you can put together one of those tanks. The plumbing is not complicated, all the pipes screw together. Its basically idiot proof. plug & play
 
If you want the "no thinking" aspect look into the Red Sea line. Minimal plumbing, systems come with tank, sump and Ikea like stand to put together. I think they're a bit pricey for the size of the tank, but again you get it all to just snap together.

That said, probably best to keep an eye out for something used, reef ready, and save some money on that initial investment. Mario, @xcaret ,had(has?) used tanks coming out of his ears that he couldn't give away.
 
Welcome to BAR. I dont have any experience with RSR but they do look nice in pictures. Looking forward to your build thread.
 
I wish I could double the size, but there's just not enough room in the house for it. I'm definitely shooting for as big as possible.
 
There might be a glass tank available in the mission area in SF but not sure if it’s 5 or 6 feet in length; might be 60 x 24 with external overflow (DIY)
 
lhuynh said:
I wish I could double the size, but there's just not enough room in the house for it. I'm definitely shooting for as big as possible.
Click to expand...
Maybe. But big tanks can turn from fun to hassle pretty easily.
I think the sweet spot is in the 120G range for most people. Big enough for most livestock you would want, but small enough
not to be a hassle with flow, cost, maintenance, etc.
 
Decide on tank setup, style, and look before you look at brands.

If you want a complete system that just works, RSR 525 or 625 is really hard to beat.

But if you want your own size, sump, stand, and so on, then probably CD tank and pick and choose the rest.

A bit like getting an apple mac versus a PC gaming rig.
 
I have a Red Sea Reefer 750, and I’m very happy with it. I’m also very picky and have all high-end equipment to minimize noise and maintenance.

I am not aware of a better system if you want a rimless tank and want to minimize time and effort spent doing plumbing and sump planning, so you can focus on other things. Or more accurately, want to make sure it is done correctly so you can focus on other things.
 
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