Should I get...

[Alexander]

hahaha no

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

would this do the job with the 250 halides? or atleast the 150

CoolWorks Ice Probe Chiller 50 watt chiller

 

[Alexander]

after consulting a panel of experts we decided you should not go with something that is all pre built and set up for you. if anything goes out or doesnt perform well your stuck with it, or you have some hacked up setup if you have to change anything

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

yea but i can't afford much more,

where could I get a tank and get it so that everything from the front is hidden except the lights

 

[Alexander]

like i said find something in the paper or craigslist. if i can find a fully setup 180 for $780 you can find something good... just look around a bit

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

I don't know what to do then, because my dad wants it all hidden and under $800 with everything

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

if u guys could help me and show me everything that I should get, and keep it under that price so that everything is hidden that would be great

 

[Alexander]

hidden?????

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

notice how you don't see any of the filtration, only the top of the skimmy, dont see the refigium, unless you look from behind

 

[Alexander]

OVERFLOWS? tank stands? sumps? everything is hidden in my tank just as is everything on almost every tank in the tank showcase threads. am i not right?

 

[Bifferwine]

That chiller is for nano tanks. Which a 30 gallon is not considered. Chillers will run around $400 to $500 and are big, bulky and not hidden. You will be wasting so much money if you buy a chiller for a 30 gallon tank.

You can easily hide all the equipment if you have a sump. And the sump would be hidden inside the stand.

I just think those units where everything is built in are way too expensive, and if a component breaks, you're screwed...

 

[Alexander]

hell, my stuff is more hidden than that tank, my lights are hidden under a canopy

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

ok well I need help finding what I need

is there a site that tells you what you need and what not

so everything you can side in the sump that is in the tank stand?

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

That chiller is for nano tanks. Which a 30 gallon is not considered. Chillers will run around $400 to $500 and are big, bulky and not hidden. You will be wasting so much money if you buy a chiller for a 30 gallon tank.

You can easily hide all the equipment if you have a sump. And the sump would be hidden inside the stand.

I just think those units where everything is built in are way too expensive, and if a component breaks, you're screwed...

can you help me out in finding what I need then...please

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

I want something no longer than 30"

 

[Bifferwine]

Where are you located in Illinois?

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

40 miles from chicago

 

[Bifferwine]

If money is not an issue, you can buy stuff new. If you want to save money, you can buy stuff used. It will take a lot more time to get a tank set up from scratch, vs. buying an all-in-one setup. It's true, it is much easier to buy an all-in-one thing, especially if you're not familiar with what kind of equipment you need to buy for it. It's up to you what you choose to do, but if you do go with the setups you linked to, I would go with the one that has T5s. I just think that if you spend that much money on this right now, you won't be happy with it 6 months from now and will have to buy everything all over again...

Anyways, here is what you would need if you wanted to do, say, a tank with a sump.

- display tank
- stand with doors to hide the sump and equipment
- 2 powerheads
- heater
- protein skimmer
- lights (I would go with T5s)
- overflow box
- PVC for plumbing the sump
- return pump to get the water back to the tank
- tank for sump

It seems daunting at first to be able to put all this together yourself. But you do get a great deal of satisfaction from building your tank yourself.

Keep in mind, you say that you are restricted to something that is 30" long at the most... The smaller the tank, the harder it is to keep it maintained and keep your water quality high and your animals alive. If a small tank is not something that you want right now, then perhaps it'd be better to wait until you can get exactly what you want instead of spending hundreds of dollars now, only to have to upgrade within a year and re-spend all that money on a new setup.

Why can't you have a bigger tank? What's up with dad? :)

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

I could got 36" actually :)

He just wants something that everything is hidden, so I have to make sure I find the right tank/stand

I would prefer 40 gallon or so

36" is the max length though

 

[UnderwaterWorld]

list of what I need?