New tank obsession...I can't stop thinking aout it

[dedfish]

Well it's time to make my decisions and start ordering stuff. Last chance to chime in.

If you had $1200 to spend what would you buy? Looking for dosing, skimmer, controller and other equipment recommendations.

I have a sump, return pump, OM squirt w/ T4 for closed loop, and lights. The tank is going to be a 70gal Oceanic TechTank (36Lx18Wx25H) and I'm gonna make a stand for it.

Things I've considered:
Calcium Reactor or LiterMeter either dosing 2-part or feeding a kalk reactor
Phosphate reactor
Octopus NW-200 skimmer
Aquacontroller Jr

Let's hear any other recomendations on what I should consider.

 

[chew*]

Well not to knock liter meter however IKS offeres a 3 channel dosing pump that out of the box doses 3 chemicals for the same money. You could dose 2 part and magnesium or run a kalk reactor + dose magnesium and save the last channel for whatever you desire.

For a phosphate reactor PM has 2 sizes with much better quality construction at not much cost over a phosban brand.

PM's kalk reactor isn't bad but its flaw is no drain valve at the pump, making pump maintenance sort of messy. Ecotech has a new kalk stirrer not sure on the cost, the mixer pump is replaceable without draining the unit iirc.

No qualms on the aquacontroller but the language can be a pain.

Not sure if your going with the 90G tank or not but...... If you are I still suggest getting a skimmer that can handle twice your total volume. That said the octopus NW 200 can handle 190 max.

This gives you quite a bit of headroom IMHO and has a smaller footprint.
http://www.superskimmer.com/Protein Skimmers.htm

this also is a good skimmer.
http://www.superskimmer.com/RDD.htm

LInk to the iks vario 3
http://www.iks-aqua.com/html/engl/dosiertechnik_vario3plus.php

 

[dedfish]

Hmmm...I might have to scrap my lighting plans. I was gonna use the T5's I have and then add 2 more bulbs in a few months. Well I don't think I can fit 6 bulbs over the 70g since it has the euro bracing which is about 3 inches wide. That leaves about a 12" open space. So now I think I may get a MH setup. Any recommendations for a 36Lx18Wx25H tank? I'd like to go with the economical/value setup, price is slowly climbing near the budget limit.

 

[customclimates]

Check out the Precision Marine line of skimmers! If you ask ten different people you will get ten different answers. In my opinion you can not beat the quality of a PM product……period!