Mr. Thingdoer
New member
Hey all,
I'm getting back in to the hobby after a 6 year hiatus caused by a series of unfortunate events. I was a very active member at RC, and a member of CMAS, so I've probably met a lot of you before. I could really use some help in selecting gear for my new system, so I'll ask here, and also in other places on the forum.
A lot has changed since 2010, and I'm currently doing some research, trying to figure out my ideal future set-up. My last system was a 40 breeder with 30 gallon sump/fuge. I loved it, and don't remember the desire to upgrade anything.
So far, I'm leaning toward a rimless 36" x 18" x 16", or a rimless 24" x 24" x 16". I was planning to order from glass cages, unless somebody suggests a local source for quality tanks.
I had great success with a nice 6 bulb T5 fixture, but it appears that everybody has migrated to LED. I'm not sold on LED for horticulture applications, because even the $1k+ fixtures don't perform nearly as well as conventional pressure bulbs, or even T5s. I'm not sure how well they perform in a reef system. I'd really like some suggestions on the best bang for your buck T5 fixtures, and I'm open to try LEDs. (Budget $400 or less)
I had the Vortech MP20 for circulation, and that worked very well, although this time I'm leaning towards a Maxpect Gyre.
My last skimmer was the Vertex IN80. It performed pretty well, but I'm open to suggestions here as well.
I'm getting back in to the hobby after a 6 year hiatus caused by a series of unfortunate events. I was a very active member at RC, and a member of CMAS, so I've probably met a lot of you before. I could really use some help in selecting gear for my new system, so I'll ask here, and also in other places on the forum.
A lot has changed since 2010, and I'm currently doing some research, trying to figure out my ideal future set-up. My last system was a 40 breeder with 30 gallon sump/fuge. I loved it, and don't remember the desire to upgrade anything.
So far, I'm leaning toward a rimless 36" x 18" x 16", or a rimless 24" x 24" x 16". I was planning to order from glass cages, unless somebody suggests a local source for quality tanks.
I had great success with a nice 6 bulb T5 fixture, but it appears that everybody has migrated to LED. I'm not sold on LED for horticulture applications, because even the $1k+ fixtures don't perform nearly as well as conventional pressure bulbs, or even T5s. I'm not sure how well they perform in a reef system. I'd really like some suggestions on the best bang for your buck T5 fixtures, and I'm open to try LEDs. (Budget $400 or less)
I had the Vortech MP20 for circulation, and that worked very well, although this time I'm leaning towards a Maxpect Gyre.
My last skimmer was the Vertex IN80. It performed pretty well, but I'm open to suggestions here as well.