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Newbie questions

C

Chuck_NJ

I am looking at a AGA 72 gal bowfront tank new. I found a deal in a local store in Conn. tank stand light $500 . The store suggested i go with a cartridge filter that was like $279 and he would set me up with t-5 bulbs and a heater for around a total of $1000 which seemed fair to me.

He gave me a AGA catalog and they listed tanks with the megaflow system its the sump filter that I see the majority of you are using. I am looking to do FOWLR do you think i should spend the extra for the drilled tank and sump or just go with the cartridge filter?
 
R

REEFLECTIONS

ask your self this? are you really gonna always want to have fowlr? how many bulbs in the t5 fixture, and if you are gonna use a non drilled tank, i like using a hob and a canister filter, then when you thouroughly clean one filter you still maintain a good quantity of undisturbed biological filtration... but the reef bug will probably get you.... i'm upgrading to a rr tank now, and wish i had always had one... i first swithed from freshwater with a non rr tank.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

welcome to NJRC chuck! If you have a chance feel free to intro yourself over on one of the "new to the hobby threads".

I'm not sure what you mean by cartridge filter- but if I had the choice between getting a reef ready tank (pre-drilled) and one that required a HOB filter - I'd go with the reef ready.

So $1000 for 72 gallon tank, stand, T5 lights (it is a fixture I assume?), and some kind of cartridge filter (i assume overflow). Is that correct? if you are going FOWLR - why even bother with the T5s?

Honestly I bet for $1000 you might be able to get a fully stocked tank that someone is unloading...but then you'd have to inherit whatever set up the person had.
 
J

jceli728

I currently have a 72g bow front, I got the tank because I thought it was nice to have the bow. If I was you I will go with a 75g and stay away from the bow front, is not much of a difference in size but it will be much easier to fit sumps and any other equipment underneath. I could really go on with a reasons for you not to get a bow front but is all up to you.


Buying a bow front was my NB mistake, some people really like them but I just wouldn't buy one again.
 
C

Chuck_NJ

I agree I had spend a lot of time on the phone with one of your members justchad . I was going to buy his setup it seemed to be and still is a amazing deal for $1000. My problem is the size of his tank at 200 gals is way to big for the area i have. I wamm away this weekend in Conn and went to a petshop and saw this 72 gal bowfront its seems to be exactly the size i am looking for. I have been all over craiglist and cant come accross a setup yet that i like other then Justchads.
 
C

Chuck_NJ

Thanks for the info I saw that and looks like a great deal . But i really like the bowfront in black. The stand i saw seemed to have a lot of room . You could not fit a sump in yours?
 
J

jceli728

anything is possible!!! but because of the space that you loose at both sides limits you to the equipment that you could have underneath. I would have been happier if I was able to fit a 30g tank underneath so I could fit a bigger skimmer.

Currently I have 2x10g tank underneath my display tank.
 
C

Chuck_NJ

what would you reccommend as far as equipment for this 72 gal bowfront. Please give brandnames you recommend. Lighting , heat , filtration ect


Thanks
 
J

jceli728

If your only doing a FOWLR

Lighting: you should be fine a PC fixture of your choice. I like Current brand.
Heat: 300w heater
Skimmer: It all depends how much you want to spend on it, a good choice will be a Octopus. I think you should first sit down and figure out the layout of the sump before you look into a skimmer. "LIMITED SPACE"

I'm sure there is more things to add there but those are the basics
 
J

jceli728

To be honest I've never purchase a sump I like building them myself. But if you could find anything that is 30"Lx12"W or 40"Lx10"W you should be fine.
 
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