Who wants to help me pick out equipment :)

[SarahSmile]

Hi guys-
I am upgrading to a 60 gallon tank so I need a bunch of stuff. And advice. I am looking at getting the Octopus BH2000HOB. It has a pump so I just stick it on the back of the tank and it does it's thing right?
Reef Octopus Hang-on-the-Back 2000 OCT-BH2000 - English
Let me know if you think this is a good option for me. I did some searches on here and the world wide web :) and people seem to really like this one. I just wanted to make sure if I buy it there won't be any nasty surprises like "hey you need a sump for the external pump" etc...
If I have this what else do I need to add to my glass box?? Powerheads I know and some lights....anything else?

 

[SarahSmile]

And, should I get 1 Koralia 1050 or 2 Koralia 750s to add to the nano powerhead I have....? Or do I need more than this?

 

[little_fish]

I would get a couple of the more powerful powerheads. You are probably going to want around 40x turnover. It will let you keep the whole range of corals.

Here are some great lights that will let you keep anything:
Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

That light has 6 bulbs plus individual reflectors and is a good example of what you want to look for in a quality light.

 

[SarahSmile]

Thanks Little Fish. You think 2 of the 1050s? I want that Nova light for sure...looks awesome. I'm going to search for a deal and see what I can find....

 

[Sir Alex]

I'm going to search for a deal and see what I can find....

For some reason there's always a lot more of them on craigslist than ebay. Look there.

 

[little_fish]

Sure that would work, personally though i tend to think more flow is better. I know when i added a couple more powerheads to my set up I saw a clear improvement in coral growth, even in the LPS and softies which are suppose to like slower water conditions.

 

[SarahSmile]

Sure that would work, personally though i tend to think more flow is better. I know when i added a couple more powerheads to my set up I saw a clear improvement in coral growth, even in the LPS and softies which are suppose to like slower water conditions.

More flow huh? Like 2 of the Koralia 1400s? Or 2 powerheads. I'll get whatever you guys think is best. Just tell me what to buy and I'll buy it ;)

 

[little_fish]

i personally would go with two of the koralia 1400s

 

[SarahSmile]

For some reason there's always a lot more of them on craigslist than ebay. Look there.

If you buy a light fixture used do you just buy new bulbs?

 

[SarahSmile]

i personally would go with two of the koralia 1400s

Ok, that is what I will do then.
Thanks for your help!

 

[little_fish]

if i was buying a used fixture i would buy new bulbs right away, but if you get a new fixture they usually come with bulbs. The stock bulbs arent great and i would replace them sooner than the usual year, but they will work for a time

 

[SarahSmile]

The stock bulbs on the Nova Pro aren't great?

 

[SarahSmile]

Ok, the Nova Pro is 357 on amazon so I will go with that unless there is a less expensive but still great 48" light....

 

[little_fish]

well, no stock bulbs are good. But the should last a good 6-9 months.

And feel free to shop around, i just like that light as an example for what you should look for in a light

Also, if you can bare to wait till summer Dr. Foster and Smith have some really great summer deals on their lights. They might also have some good winter deals, im just not aware of them

 

[SarahSmile]

Oh, I had no idea....so you're paying for the unit really and then you buy better bulbs eventually? Interesting stuff. Now I have to figure out what bulbs to buy and from where, ah the research and purchasing never ends. No wonder we all get obsessed with this stuff....

 

[little_fish]

You should replace the bulbs yearly anyways, but i prefer to get mine from reefgeek.com. They have someone there who can help you pick out the bulbs you need to get the desired color scheme.

 

[Sir Alex]

If you buy a light fixture used do you just buy new bulbs?

It depends on the bulbs they have. If they have 2 month old ATI bulbs then keep them.

Oh, and t5 bulbs are very delicate so if they're being shipped don't be surprised to find a couple broken.

 

[SarahSmile]

Ok, so there is a 100 price diff between the 4 bulb and the 6 bulb nova units. One has 216 watts and the other has 324 watts. Should I just fork over the extra hundy for the extra wattage?

 

[little_fish]

Well, it depends on if you want to keep a nem or some of the clams. A sqamosa or dersa clam would do fine under the 4 bulbs, a bubble tip nem might as well but it will limit you in some aspects. So really its all about what you want to keep. Also make sure that the 4 bulb has individual reflectors, for some reason i dont think the 4 bulb does.

 

[chuysvt]

i would go with a metal halide light..i payed $179 for a 250w m h light.with blue moon leds..new fixer...but thats me..