brand names you trust

[-LEVI-]

Hey,
I'm quite new to the hobby and looking at buying the equipment (i have a 75g tank and stand so far ). There are many brand names and while I read some reviews of skimmers (hang-on), lights etc.. the sources may not be very reliable. So I was wondering what brand names you trust when it comes to skimmers, mh lights, vho's, powerheads, heaters and ro/di units.

Thanks
Levi

 

[PeeJ]

wow i think theres too many to list. i think itd be a better idea if you found products you were interested in, then researched and asked...???

 

[PeeJ]

now that i think about it...i believe there was a recent thread called "what not to buy" that would be a good start...heheh

 

[Anonymous]

Hey,
I'm quite new to the hobby and looking at buying the equipment (i have a 75g tank and stand so far ). There are many brand names and while I read some reviews of skimmers (hang-on), lights etc.. the sources may not be very reliable. So I was wondering what brand names you trust when it comes to skimmers, mh lights, vho's, powerheads, heaters and ro/di units.

Thanks
Levi

that is a tall order. as in other retail markets, the trusted name is a bit more pricey.

as far as skimmers are concerned, i don't think you can go wrong with an AquaC or a Euroreef. the PM line is favored as well.

good reps in lighting are PFO and Ice Cap.

i believe maxijet is the most beloved powerhead.

RODI is kind of standardized. there might be some oddballs out there but if you stick with a spectrapure or Kent you will be fine.

this is the tip of the iceberg.

DO NOT BUY...
..any elemental additives until you research them here

..items that your LFS tell you are neccesary until you research them here.

actually just ask here before purchasing anything if you value your cash.


this is a pretty impartial board. they will shoot straight with you although we do disagree from time to time... but that is a good thing.

 

[Anonymous]

Just don't ask about DSB's.

LOL

 

[tikki50]

Remora for a skimmer thats for sure. As for lights that really depends on your setup then choosing a brand name.

 

[PeeJ]

Well, the brand name for remora would be Aqua C

 

[-LEVI-]

I had this good feeling about Aqua C thanks for the response...
For me this hobby is going to be a longer project (4-5 months) because of these crazy prices. So far I've gone through some basic books and am about to start going into details... almost every book tries to avoid mentioning any brand names

hmm i have a question about lighting, ill just ask it here and mr admin can split it off if it should be a new topic

My tank is about 20" deep and am looking for the most inexpensive (not sacrificing quality though) lighting system. I'd like to keep the 4-5 clownfishes, some anemones (probably carpet) and some invertabrates. It seems to me that the most popular choice is the 2 mh 2fluorescent setup.
My question is would I be able to get by with 4 fluorescent lights?

Levi

 

[ReeferAl]

Carpet anemones are demanding and not generally a beginner invertebrate. As for light, I would definitely rec. MH. If you need to save some cash I would do a MH only without the fluores. bulbs. Clownfish generally don't do well with more than 2 (a pair) except in rather large tanks. In nature there may be several hosting in an anemone, but unless you acquire the whole group intact (virtually impossible) you are unlikely to be successful in re-eatablishing the heirarchy structure without the death of some of the fish. Besides, clowns are readily available captive raised and it is much better to obtain those that are.
Allen

 

[Jolieve]

I don't like the aqualights. My main reason for that, is that they get too hot and the fans that come with them are just too small to move enough air around them to cool them. If you are going to go with pc's I recommend the custom sea life fixtures. Yeah, you have to buy the bulbs from CSL, but you also get a huge cooling fan in the side of the fixture that really moves air.

For metal halides... Sunlight Supply. They rock. Spendy, yes, but well worth it IMO. Especially if you are interested in keeping an anemone. If you want to know more about these, just ask me. I'll rave about how wonderful Sunlight is all day long if you let me.

Oh... and by "rather large tanks" ReeferAl means... *REALLY* large tanks. We're talking... at least six feet long... somewhere around 2-300 gallons of water. I know, getting into this hobby a 75 gallon tank seemed impossibly huge to me. It's actually about average.

For skimmers, this has been said, but... Aqua C remora or remora pro, precision marine, and euro-reef. I've used both the remora and the euro-reef skimmers. Love them both.

Other advice I can offer Levi: I got really excited about this hobby too, so I took the first good deal on a tank I could find. Since the tank was set up in May, I ditched everything that came with it except for the tank and the stand. I wasted about a thousand dollars on it that I didn't really need to spend.

Take your time. Buy things as you can afford them, even if they are expensive and you want to set the tank up right now... you will thank me later and your fish will thank you. And like Podman said before, don't take your LFS's advice alone. Ask here first. We're mostly hobbyists, just like you.

The LFS is in this to make money off of you. Reefs.org is in this to see you succeed and be in the hobby for a very long time to come.

Good luck and congratulations on getting sucked into this expensive, but very rewarding obsession!

J.

 

[Len]

A few manufacturers that have earned my utmost trust:
Iwaki
Aqualine Bushke
Aqualogic
Euro-reef
Sunlight Supply
URI
Ecotech Marine

 

[Len]

now that i think about it...i believe there was a recent thread called "what not to buy" that would be a good start...heheh

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=42376

 

[andrejka]

>> Skimmers:
As was said, Euroreef (but they don't make a hang-on model) and AquaC (Remora and Remora Pro).

>> MH lights:
For a 75 G I would go with two 175W 20,000 K MHs on an electronic ballast, and skip the fluorescent/VHO lights (you can always add them later; URI VHOs on an IceCap ballast seems to be a consensus). Here is a link to an example of a MH retrofit:
Dual MH. Try XM 20,000 K bulbs.

>> Powerheads:
Maxijets.

>> Heaters:
ALL of them can brake/fail, but the most reliable among glass heaters are considered to be Ebo Jager. My favorite, though, are Rena Cal Top Light Excel.
Titanium heaters don't break but often don't have a very reliable thermostat, so you'll have to run them on a temperature controller (expensive option: dual controller is about $150).

>> RO/DI units:
Typhoon units have as good quality as more famous systems (like Kent and Spectrapure), but cost much less. Many people swear by them.

Good luck!

 

[bergzy]

the only name brand equipment that i re-purchase is ushio mh bulbs (i have the 10k bulbs). couldnt be happier with them. well, i also recommend maxi-jet powerheads if you are going to use them. that's about it.

as for the other stuff. i get whatever is on sale.

i have found that an adequately powered cheap skimmer is more than sufficient. the ' i have no idea what it is' (came with the 2nd hand 125g tank' skimmer is driven by a mag 5. i only run it a few hours a day. i have found that skimming the scales off my fish is not needed.

i just buy whatever is cheap with a good warranty...like my pacific coast chiller. i received it broken. one call to customer service and it was promptly replaced.

that is about it for equipment on my 125g stuffed with unique stoney's, rare zoo's, rare ricordeas and crocea/maxima clams.

i have zero nitrates, phosphates etc and everything is flourishing.

i don't really feel a true need for a lot of name brand equipment. to me, it is the understanding of one's tank and its own little ecosystem nuances that make it a success.

i do not need to lean on equipment to make my tank thrive. my first reef tank consisted of a 10g nano (before they were called nanos).

i ran a 13 watt daylight pc with a 10 watt actinic. i had lps in there and a maxima. did the maxima grow under flourescents? you bet, despite what everyone thas been saying that you need mh's to grow clams. unfortunately, the little bugger died by being cooked when i had to work late and wasnt able to get home in time to drop a frozen 2 liter pop bottle into my bucket of water with a submerged fluval 102 (yes a 102...dating myself). that was my chiller.

the skimmer was a skilter with an airstone and calcium was supplied via crushed tums.

no expensive kalk or supplements etc. you bet everything grew.

all my reef tanks have one thing in common...the intentional and encouragemnet to grow as much 'controlled' macroalgae as possible to strip the water of any excess nutrients that may be detrimental to the tank inhabitants and start a micro algae bloom.

no flaming please.

hth.