View Full Version : Hows This Sound?
Hiyas all.
Just got a price 4 the the following setup. (Am new to all this)
I asked the shop to put me a setup together and here are the results
Vision 450 +stand
Prizm Skimmer (Red Sea)
Flval 404
Red sea salt
Marine blue bulbs x2
Marine White x2
T8 Arcadia double started + bulbs
Test kits
Salt test
20 kg sand
All this for £998.93
Hows this sound?
Am just starting up (reading everything I can get my hands on lol) so any advice/ guidance on above is greatly greatly recieved :bow: :bow: :bow:
Cheers all
Andy
hello,
hope you have a good time in here......are you adding a sump?
Originally posted by panda30@Feb 24 2005, 14:08
Hiyas all.
Just got a price 4 the the following setup. (Am new to all this)
I asked the shop to put me a setup together and here are the results
Vision 450 +stand
Prizm Skimmer (Red Sea)
Flval 404
Red sea salt
Marine blue bulbs x2
Marine White x2
T8 Arcadia double started + bulbs
Test kits
Salt test
20 kg sand
All this for £998.93
Hows this sound?
Am just starting up (reading everything I can get my hands on lol) so any advice/ guidance on above is greatly greatly recieved :bow: :bow: :bow:
Cheers all
Andy
Get rid of the Prizm skimmer, Change the red sea Salt for Instant Ocean and What Test kits will you be getting ?
Do these few small changes and your getting there,
how ever for not much more you could look at the Perc Range and also get a halide with it !!
Regards Steve.
Nah wasnt gonna add a sump (should I?)
What skimmer do ya think I should go for Steve?
Ya said about going for the Perc range ? wot is it in relation 2 (tank filter ect) ? (sorry am new to all this)
Really appreciate all your help with this
Cheers
Andy
you get the whole package with a perc 120....halides,skimmer,sump..etc..and i think the price is around the £1,200... ;)
Have a look at the aqua medic Website for the perc range for about £1200ish mark you gat a very will built tank and set up has everything from skimmer to halides almost just add water
Regards Steve
Would love one, BUT can only really go to about a grand at mo :( need to keep back some cash for LR and stock :(
So what skimmer do ya guys think I should get from that system above? also will the fluval 404 be ok with that setup (gonna keep the filter that comes wiv the tank also) I need to confirm order for this by friday 5:30 pm so any advice greatly recieved.
Just bought a book (Reef Secrets by A J Nilsen) so gonna try get to grips with it after work 2night.
Really appeciate you ppl taking time to help me out here
Cheers
Andy :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
prism skimmer.....a world of NO!
save the extra up and go for an aquamedic......you wont regret it in the long run.
they are excellent tanks as mentioned..."add water and go!"
I'd say to lose the 404, and replace the Prizm with an Aquamedic Turbofloater 1000 Multi...
Also, lose the internal filter to increase the tank space... Or at least empty the media and use it to house heaters and pumps...
Just my 2p...
Hi, if you are going to keep either the internal filter, or go with the 404 I would use either of these to run Rowaphos or similar from day one. I did so on the advice of someone on this BB and have never seen hair algae etc in the 18mths the tank has been up
:cheers: Mark
welcome to the hobby by the way :thumbsup:
add to the original 2-4 maxijet 1200, at £15-20 a shot. too.
either the tf1000 multi or deltec mce600, both 1000times better than that lunch box.
you could ditch the 404 and internal and let the powerheads, skimmer and live rock work there magic.
long term jewel tanks can be hard workand you tend to remove a lot of the original equipment, your likely to want to ditch the lighting and swap to t5 if not halides within a month or 2.
agin my 3p worth
mclaren6969
24-02-05, 17:23
andy wait and get a perc, dont rush into this you will only regret it later for the extra you get a hole much better tank.If i was you and had the choise i would wait.The tank will take a couple of months before you can put anythink in it any way,so that gives you time to save,even if you have to borow it or put it on a credit card do it.This is your main bit of kit get it right rather than looking back in regret as you get everything you need with a perc,every body will agree with me on this,will people back me up here as he needs to do this right :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Sean the Prawn
24-02-05, 18:10
I totally agree with mac. You will get much better value for money with an aquamedic system than what you've been quoted. If you go for what the lfs are selling you I guarantee you'll be upgrading pretty much all of it very soon. The perc will serve you just fine while you save for a new ten foot system. :D
Oh and mac I really miss your avatar. The excitement as I see your name next to 'last post by' is only matched my the disappointment when those beauties aren't there. :(
Sean
mclaren6969
24-02-05, 18:48
I feel the same way but i got told off 4 them ,never mind :thumbsup:
ryanjohnstott
24-02-05, 20:32
You would be well advised to go for the Percula 120 in my opinion as it has a good skimmer, sump and halide lighting! or you could get a 4x2x2 glass tank made and drilled with a weir, put a glass sump with it, make a stand/cabinet to sit it on, buy a Deltec MC500 skimmer (this will stand nicely in a sump tank only needing 3" water depth to operate), 3000ltr return pump, and a twin 250w halide !!! all for about a grand, been there and done in the past.
I really think that Juwel tanks are better used a intended, ie tropical fish. Unless you are only running a small Juwel tank with few fish and nice soft corals only in which case Juwels work fine. The Vison 450 is large but limiting and wasteful in my opinion.
Good luck with what ever you decide mate, its a wonderful hobby!
:blink: SO many options so little money LOL.
With the perc120 do i lose much internal tank space with all the internal workings n stuff? Spoke to a guy from a shop in Swindon and he says I will ?? Really dont know what to do :wacko: :blink: :( Need to make a descision by end of today.
Hey cheers 4 all ya help everyone
Andy
i would go for a 2nd hand set up you will get alot more for your money look in the equipment section on this site if theres nothing there there probably will be over the next couple of days or try ebay or try thisMy Webpage (http://www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/all_Fish_Tanks.php) i wish i had brought 2nd hand now would have saved a fortune and you can probably get one with a sump already
allso if you go for the juwel thegodfishbowl.co.uk seem to have the cheapest prices i got the price from them and then got my local pet shop to beat it that may drive the price down a bit :dance:
It sounds like your lfs is ripping you off. Here are few things that should be taken into account. These are my opinions only.
1. The Jewel Vision 450 was never designed to be a reef aquarium. The filtration is not good enough, so you rip it out and upgrade. The lighting is not good enough, so you rip it out and upgrade. You have just spent £400 on what is essentially 5 pieces of plastic.
2. You can get a glass tank made for approximatley £300.
3. Dont even think about a Red Sea Prizm skimmer. Do a search on here to find out what people think about them. Go for a Deltec MC500 or MC600
4. The 404 is good for running Rowaplus/carbon.
5. Build the stand yourself. A bit of basic DIY is needed. Cost £50 max.
6. Lighting- 2x150W or 2x250W M/H. Check out any second hand sales.
7. Live rock- as much as you can get in/afford.
Panda:
If you take only one piece of advice from this forum then let it be this: Patience
All people coming into this hobby have made mistakes in choosing equipment that was advised to be purchased by one LFS or another.
All people who then stay in this hobby within a short time wished they had only waited and bought the bigger or better item.
I have done this in the past, but now I always hold out and get the item that I believe is the superior brand as it has saved me money in the long run.
It is not very nice to have an ok looking tank, when with a bit more time you could have saved up to get the equipment to have a great looking tank. All people on here will give you advice based on there experience, and not to fill there pockets. Even the Sponsors on here will give you better information as they will want you to come back to them (did I say that? must have a temperature).
It is foolish to get hoodwinked at the first hurdle with so many people now around to give advice freely. I only wish this board was around when I started out in the hobby, it would have saved me thousands in the long run. All aquariums get upgraded it is a given fact that this hobby is truly addictive and if you get good honest advice from the start you will have lees time worrying about problems with equipment that is not up to the task.
Enjoy the hobby and this board!!
Dont rush in (hear a song coming on here)
Regds
Jay.
:dance: :dance:
Ok guys
Have got LFS to quote me on the above system with Deltec MC500 skimmer in place of Prism, and the Eheim 2229 ext wet/dry filter to replace the 404 and internal filters. and upgrade the lighting rig for £1098. Hows that ?
Cheers
Andy :cheers:
....still go for the aqua medic.
still go for the aquamedic.
or atleast wait and think about your actions, read some more please for your own safety.
Originally posted by panda30@Feb 25 2005, 14:28
Ok guys
Have got LFS to quote me on the above system with Deltec MC500 skimmer in place of Prism, and the Eheim 2229 ext wet/dry filter to replace the 404 and internal filters. and upgrade the lighting rig for £1098. Hows that ?
Cheers
Andy :cheers:
Been reading with interest ... Listen to what you have been advised on here...
2229 Wet / Dry filter.. :o :o
Why do you have to make a decision today ??? is the LFS hassling for a sale ??
DONT BUY ANYTHING YET .....PLEASE ....
THIS GUY DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO HELP YOU ..JUST GET A SALE. :angry: :angry: HE SHOULD NOT BE TRYING TO SELL YOU A WET / DRY FILTER. JUST LIVE ROCK.........
I got a perc 90 for less than a grand and am over the moon with it......
Phil
mclaren6969
25-02-05, 17:38
still go aqua medic listen to us :thumbsup: see how happy trev is with his listen to us
Sorry about this.
So If I wanted the larger tank i.e 450 litres, what would be the best setup you guys could say to go for in relation to filters, lights, skimmers ect.
Not trying to be funny here but really fancy the extra space n stuff in the larger tank and no way can I run to any more than say £1400.
Really want to get this right, but Know you guys are the experts and really value your help in this.
Sorry to be a pain
Andy :wacko: :cheers:
mclaren6969
25-02-05, 17:43
your not a pain peps want to help we just dont want you to look back in anger later on the percs have every think you want and more :thumbsup:
Ok will look for AquaMed prices now.
Cheers
Andy :cheers:
So much to take in makes my head swim lol
PANDA30,
you got PM :thumbsup:
:cheers:
:thanx:
lukmek
:thanx: Cheers 4 the P.Ms guys.
SO how much water does the Percula 120 hold ? is it 120 litres?
checked the tank specs of the perc120 next to the Anthias 120 and they almost same tank size but it says the tank capacity of the Anthias is like 112 gallons.
So excatly how much water does the Perc 120 hold??
mclaren6969
25-02-05, 18:28
good decision :thumbsup:
Where abouts are you in the country? One of the board sponsers Essential Aquatics has some very good prices ;)
I`m from Tenby in West Wales.
Back end of nowhere :P
And still trying to find how much H2O that Pec 120 will take lol
cheers
Andy
:thanx:
And still trying to find how much H2O that Pec 120 will take lol
Around 450 litres at a quick estimate others will be able to be more precise :)
Whao really?? was holding off from the percs as i wanted a 400 litre system but was told the perc 120 only held 120 litres of water. Well if thats correct and it holds that much then its happy days and I will order a 120 2morrow. Please please please say its true :wub: :wub: :wub:
Really hope it is so.
Cheers (again)
Andy :dance: :thumbsup: :wave:
Perc 120 (http://www.essentialaquatics.co.uk/acatalog/index.html) Look here Andy and you will find a lot more info on the perc aquariums. Just click on the complete aquamedic tanks bit at the top :)
Chris
Originally posted by Esk@Feb 25 2005, 19:06
Perc 120 (http://www.essentialaquatics.co.uk/acatalog/index.html) Look here Andy and you will find a lot more info on the perc aquariums. Just click on the complete aquamedic tanks bit at the top :)
Chris
Kewl so I am gonna go for the Perc 120 Bowfront the credit card is just gonna have to suffer.
So glad I listened to you guys !! Thanks all soooooo much :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
SO is that system complete ? will I ned to add anything 2 it ? what about blue lights n stuff ? (sorry bout lack of technical terms there) ???
Just gonna call 2morrow and find out how much water it holds, as long as it more than 300 litres i`m happy.
Cheers all
Andy :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Also as all this stuff is built into the system ie skimmer n filters and stuff, wot happens if say one of the pumps break down or something. Can they be taken out n replaced or does it come crashing down aroundme ??
Sorry if stoopid question but I really need to know
The 120 bow front has in excess of 100 UK gallons of water, other stuff you'll need if you go the Perc route:
Buy as soon as poss as you need these to fill the tank!
50 Gallon or bigger RO Unit - buy from RO man sponsor on here
Salt
Heater
Buy once the tank is full, salt added and mixed:
Test Kits (ammonia, ph, nitrite,nitrate,phosphate)
Live Rock (approx 40kg+ required)
Other stuff:
net
thermometer
glass cleaner
hydrometer
books
more test kits!
Also others have upgraded their lights to 250w MH at order time and just paid the difference. If I was ordering mine again I'd probably order 250w MH with actinics built in the same unit if I could.
Others have also added a door on the left hand side of the cabinet as opposed to the shelves.
As others have said get a price from Essential Aquatics another sponsor on here, they will give you good advice and a good price.
Or if you consider 2nd hand there are one or two people looking to sell Perc 120s in the classified section of this forum.
You can get to all the pumps etc to remove them for cleaning or if they break etc.
Regards,
Greg
Kewl so I am gonna go for the Perc 120 Bowfront the credit card is just gonna have to suffer.
So glad I listened to you guys !! Thanks all soooooo much
:thumbsup: Great choice mate you wont regrete it as im sure greg and a few others will be able to tell you. The bow front looks great, saw one for the first time last weekend :wub:
Also as all this stuff is built into the system ie skimmer n filters and stuff, wot happens if say one of the pumps break down or something. Can they be taken out n replaced or does it come crashing down aroundme ??
As far as im aware and have seen, all bits of equipment are placed in the back compartment of the tank and when they need cleaning or replacing they can be pulled out without to much bother. Just make sure that when you place the tank in your home that you can get access to the back of the tank for when you need to. ie cleaning skimmer cup and pumps etc.
Chris
Panda30, You have a PM from me :thumbsup:
Martin
Kewl
Just called a different local stockist and got a price.
£1495 for the tank and £85 to upgrade the lights and add a blue light as well.
Its arriving Friday morning :dance: :thanx: :bow: :cheers:
Thank you all sooo much for pointing me in the right direction.
think I would of messed up big time if i hadnt of listened to you guys.
cheers
Andy
:thanx: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
like gregh said...don`t forget the ro unit....its just as important as the tank..
Nice one Andy :thumbsup: Sounds like the start of a really nice setup :) Glad you waited out for the better option to think what you would have bought for around the same money :o You wont regrete upgrading the lights from the start, gives you a few more options on what corals you can keep, sounds like a great deal you got aswell :)
What colour did you go for?
Chris
Sean the Prawn
26-02-05, 09:52
Good decision mate. Well done :thumbsup:
Sean
Went for beach to match my other stuff in the room.
How heavy is the tank? hom many people will I need to lift it into the house and into place ?
Cheers
Andy
:thumbsup:
I needed 3 men to get the tank into the house and onto the stand, 4 would have been easier. It came thru my french doors which are a little wider, and hence a little easier!
cheers,
greg
Good choice... :cheers:
Dont be going filling with tap water. :o
Make sure you get RO water , if your local LFS dont sell it have a look on here " RO Man" does a good filter at good prices.. :thumbsup:
hearing some of the delivery horror stories on here, if you can get it in a week you'll be laughing.
sounds great, both my tanks are diy as it were and looking back i would much rather have got an aquamedic. would have saved a couple of grand and it makes up grading easier. when the time comes and you wanna get a tridacna 160 or 200 (and it will happen) having a perc is cool because you can sell it easily and quickly for top dollar on here. none of this having to break up the bits as per diy jobbies.
by the way, welcome to the board :dance:
Looking into a RO unit now ;)
Shall I post pics of system setting up n stuff or r u guys all bored with that ?
:rolleyes: dont wanna annoy anyone B)
Looking into ditching the lighting unit that come with system and replacing with a unit that incorperates blue bulbs also..
Wot u think ?
Cheers
Andy
:thumbsup:
yes,yes,yes.....we all like pics......so get posting when you get your tank...from start to finish.... :thumbsup:
Don't ditch the lighting, get Aqua Medic to quote for the difference between the standard and what you want, hence your not paying for lights just to sell them on.
Aquamedic will take £320 off price of lights if I dont need them. but a Aquamedic setup with what I need is almost £700 so thinking about trying a set of Arcadia`s duel 250`s with 2 blue strips for about £450 ish.
Wot u think ? Really dont fancy having to add striplights n stuff to the Perc afterwards as I am crap with stuff like that and would prob mess it up LOL. :wacko:
Cheers
Andy
Oh gonna order a RO unit from the sponsors web site here. Seems like a really good deal.
:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Arcadia twin 250 watt with timers and actinics
A series 3 unit with twin 250 lamps 2 x 30 watt actinics controlled by an integral timer.
Overall length 110cm
Thats what I was thinking about instead of light unit that comes with Perc 120
Tank is 121 cm so will leave a 5cm gap each side of tank not covered by the light, will that matter ??
Let me know what ya think guys.
Cheers
Andy.
Been almost 3 days of reading n surfing. really getting bitten by the fish bug now LOL :dance:
teh aquamedic lights will look much better as they wll fit in with the rest of teh tank, ie colour wise.
the t8 tubes on the acadia unit aren't particularly good IMO.
What about heaters? in a tank this size how big would they need to be ? and should i maybe split the workload between 2 heaters? Can I place the heater(s) in the back of the Perc120 so they out of sight ?
Sorry 4 all the questions but I really wanna get this right
Cheers eveyone
Andy
:bow: :bow: :bow:
Yep the heaters go in the rear with the two circ pumps, say 2 x 150 watt
And if you dont post pics all the way , we wont speak to you again :D :D
:cheers:
you can install the heaters in the back, I have 2 in the circulation chamber, thus you can keep the wires in the wire tidy, and all out of site and neat.
I have 2 heaters, one for backup, can't remember the size though I'm afraid.
regards,
Greg
Originally posted by fire999@Feb 27 2005, 20:16
Yep the heaters go in the rear with the two circ pumps, say 2 x 150 watt
And if you dont post pics all the way , we wont speak to you again :D :D
:cheers:
LOL wont have to tell me twice :dance:
Will be only too happy to post 100s and 100s of pics :thumbsup:
Just remember YOU asked for it :dance:
Photography is my other hobby :evil:
And cheers again everyone for all your help
Andy
:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Just got a call now, tank will be here Friday morning :dance:
So expect hundreds of pics shortly LOL
:cheers:
Better pull my finger out n order that RO unit, as a tank sitting here and me not able to play with it will kill me :zzzZZZ:
Managed to get the Perc 120 bow fronted and upgrade the MH`s to next model up with 2 blues for £1698 saving of almost £420
Grin
Cheers
Andy
Hes got the bug already!!!
Didn't want to spend a grand on page one now look :thumbsup: Danny
Originally posted by DannyW@Feb 28 2005, 21:27
Hes got the bug already!!!
Didn't want to spend a grand on page one now look :thumbsup: Danny
:whistling: :evil: I know
Well thats what Credit cards are 4 aint it :P
Its mad, have spent most of my non working time since Thursday on here, reading everything I can.
Really cant wait to get it all up n running.
Am pretty sure I have made the right choice as far as equipment go (cheers guys couldnt of done it without you all)
Think i`m gonna name this tank "THE ULTIMATE REEF community tank", in honour of all you guys that have bust a gut to make sure I did it right.
I salute you all :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
Andy
think you have done the right thing Andy thats a nice tank and a good price,id chill till friday cause its going to be a busy weekend :D worth it though
all the best with it
Mark
Andy, have you ordered your RO unit yet? Just to warn you it could take up to a week to fill the tank with RO water, before even adding salt!
As somone posted a great pic, you need a big bottle of patience in this hobby!
cheers,
greg
Originally posted by gregh@Feb 28 2005, 23:05
Andy, have you ordered your RO unit yet? Just to warn you it could take up to a week to fill the tank with RO water, before even adding salt!
As somone posted a great pic, you need a big bottle of patience in this hobby!
cheers,
greg
Gonna put an order in for the 50 galllon RO unit from RO-man`s website. IS the 50 gallon figure the amout of RO water it produces each day, or the amout of water that can go through the system a day ?
cheers
Andy
:dance:
I think 50g is the amount it produces per day in optimal water pressure and at a warm temp. If you check the pics early on in my link it's painfully slow filling a Perc up !
cheers,
greg
Originally posted by gregh@Mar 1 2005, 09:32
I think 50g is the amount it produces per day in optimal water pressure and at a warm temp. If you check the pics early on in my link it's painfully slow filling a Perc up !
cheers,
greg
NOD have been through your thread about 20 times LOL (keeps me going until I get my tank)
Do I fill the tank with RO and warm it up to required temp BEFORE I put salt in ? or should I put salt in while water is cold ?
Its killing me seeing all this stuff sitting on the floor all ready for the off, but no tank *grin*
Cheers
Andy
:bow: :bow: :bow:
get the tank up to temp before adding the salt, otherwise it doesn't dissolve. You can also fire up the pumps to start circulating the water and aireate it before adding salt.
It's good fun building it all up, but when you add your first fish it's a great feeling!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ssPageName=WDVW (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20755&item=4360314827&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW)
Just got back from shopping. Got all my tank untensils and a huge 240 litre waterbutt for storing my RO water. Also got a couple of buckets and a 5 gallon brewing container to use for topping up my tank (should be able to use it with my topup unit when I can afford to get one) :lol:
One quick question, do you hook up a hosepipe from tap to RO unit? If so does it need to be any special type of hose or will a garden green hose be ok ?
72 hours n counting till Tank day LOL
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I used my standard hosepipe, as I had no other choice to get the RO unit close to tank, only issue was I ran it from outside so couldn't run 24x7 as I had to shut the window when asleep ;)
Its here :dance: :thumbsup: :cheers:
Just had a call from my LFS telling me the tank is HERE :D
Gonna pick it up at 5pm tonight
HERE GOES
:thumbsup:
Cheers
Andy
Sean the Prawn
03-03-05, 16:31
Nice one andy, happy days!
Post pics through the set up mate :thumbsup:
Sean
Originally posted by Sean the Prawn@Mar 3 2005, 16:31
Nice one andy, happy days!
Post pics through the set up mate :thumbsup:
Sean
Will do :D
Should I post the pics here or start a new thread ??
cheers
Andy
:thanx:
Sean the Prawn
03-03-05, 20:54
I think your new tank deserves a thread of it's own my friend. :thumbsup:
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