Red Sea Reefer 250?

[saladbar]

Hello all,

Getting back in to the hobby after some time and still not sure what tank to get. however due to the basement under me, I have to keep the tank+sump to under 75 gallons or so. (Weight concerns)

that being said, I have been looking at the Red Sea Reefer 250. ($1300)

I do know that (Aquarium Center in Clementon) has one in stock right now and I could possibly swing by and pick it up day after tomorrow.

Well, before I go pulling the trigger and regret it afterwards.... are there any better alternatives for the price out there that I should conciser?
I did look at the CAD lights Artisan 70G. However, its actually $100 more and I am not sure its better than the Reefer 250.


Equipment that I have so far:
Maxpect Razor R420R 160w LED. (found a great deal on Ebay!) Dance

 

[mnat]

They are stunners of a tank and they look amazing and everything I have heard about them is awesome. If this is your one tank and you know you are never going to upgrade, I say go for it. You could probably build one out for cheaper, but the time and effort is going to be a lot higher. CAD lights was at RAP a few weeks ago and their tanks were also pretty outstanding as well, so I don't think you could really go wrong.

 

[TanksNStuff]

I live like 8 minutes away from Aquarium Center and I see that really nice Red Sea Reefer setup all the time. I think it's a really nice system with high quality materials and a well thought out system in general. But IMO, I think the price is way too high for what you are getting. The 250 model you are talking about is only a 54 gallon display tank. With a 36" x 20" foot print, it's not a whole lot of real estate to aquascape and you may be looking to upgrade soon after you get back into it and start filling it with corals and fish.

Resale value on these systems are horrible because there are so many used systems selling for a lot less. For instance, I have a 75G corner overflow RR tank, stand, canopy, and sump combo for sale for $300 OBO in our members only "Deals and Steals" forum. I don't think you can view it since you are not a paid club member... but my point is you could buy a larger package for 1/4 of the price of that new system. The furniture may not look as nice as that expensive one, but I had that system up and running for about 5 years and I always got compliments on it due to how nice the fish/corals looked inside.

Don't get me wrong, if you can afford it and the look of the stand is important to you then go for it. But from a value stand point I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Red Sea tanks are nice but pricey. I remember when I went to buy my second tank, I looked at one but ended up buying a 24G Aquapod vs a 30G Red Sea(third the price). The moral to the story is the 24G tank lasted less then a year and I moved up to a 120G tank haha. So unless you are buying the final tank like Mike(mnat) don't necessarily drop the coin for a premium name when what really counts is what is inside.

 

[saladbar]

Man......
Thanks for the comments guys, you all are really giving me a lot to think about

Is there any easy set you all would recommend?
i.e..
75 G tank (Deep Blue or all clear or marineland) + What stand and what sump?

I promised the wife I would keep the accidental spill to minimum and would not do tons or DIY or take over the closet again.

I think you are right... a 36x20 foot print would not be enough. my only concern is the weight. How much weight is too much for floor joist?
In the spot I am thinking of placing the tank it would span over 3 or 4 joists. Would I be ok with a 75 gallon tank? I figure close to 900 lbs with all included.

Thanks for the comments again!

 

[saladbar]

Here is a picture of the 4 joists it would rest on.


Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Raffle King]

You would not have a problem with the weight of a 75 gallon tank on the floor joists not at all.

 

[saltkreep88]

+1. If it will be close to that cement wall a 75 will not even be close to an issue. Also the best part of the hobby to me is selecting all the parts and putting it together. I would not enjoy a kit type tank.

 

[saladbar]

Awesome....

Lets hope it holds up then.

Can any of you point me in the right direction then?

I have a budget of around $1300 for tank + Stand + sump.

What do you all recommend?

I am pretty handy, however I have never built a stand before.

 

[Chillwill007]

I like where this thread is going. I too have been looking at the cadlights 70 but for the price you can get more. I know I called and checked out price on a deep blue 80 gallon shallow tank and they could get tank and stand around $550 and then get either a 29 gallon or 40 breeder from petco $1 a gallon sale that ends august 8th and your only in about $600. Or get your self a nice sump for $300 and your still only at about $800 and some change. So you'll have some money towards a skimmer. But man does that cadlights look nice and elegant and would be a snap to put together and not having to run out 10 times for piping and fittings and figuring out how your plumbing.

 

[saladbar]

I know man....I have been drooling at the Reefer and Cadlights tanks for some time now.

My only issue now is that I already have a Maxspect R420R 160W I just got from Ebay for a good price and now I wont be able to use it on a 48 in tank.
O well.....

 

[mikem]

Red sea salt water tank
$500 — East newark
Comes with a bunch of stuff to maintain it as well.








Here's one here on Dads's on a budget for $500. If interested, I can get contact info for you.

 

[saladbar]

Thanks for the link Mikem.
However I think I will be going with a Deep Blue rimless 75G tank.
Not sure about the stand yet or what type of overflow to use. (Durso, Herbie, etc..)

 

[saladbar]

OK.....

Done Deal.
Just picked-up a stand for a 75G tank with a 30G sump. (thanks TanksNstuff)
I will be starting a new thread documenting my adventure in full detail.
Need to call the LFS to order the tank now.

 

[TanksNStuff]

Was nice meeting you yesterday Sal. Looking forward to following your build thread and as I said, let me know if you need a hand with anything.