Newbie, need some help

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Junaid

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Hi guys, the info on this site is great and i would just like some feedback about a new tank that i would like to purchase Here is the Quote so any feedback would be highly appreciated.

4 foot tank, cabinet plus canopy R3300
Overflow Weir + Hole R300
Sump Filter R580
Plumbing from Sump to tank R170
Pump for sump R250
Pipe from sump pump to tank+u piece R30
Filter Media for sump R200
Protein Skimmer 350*2 R1200
Crushed coral R700
Salt Mix 18kg akwa instant marine R495
3 Globes: 1 ocean sun R200
1 Coral sun R200
1 Reef sun R200
3 Light fittings R450
2 powerheads for circulation sunsun HJ952 R300
1 Phosphate Reactor R315
1 Phosphate remover R727
3 Reflectors R300
Magnet Cleaner R110
7 Bottles reef supplements R700
300 liter RO saltmix tropic marine R630
organc aqua marine general treatment 1 liter R140
3 Pkts Bio balls for Weir(150 Balls) R300

Total R11867-00

Is this a good tank for a beginner and how is the quote.
 
Hi Junaid, welcome to masa

Your tank idea sounds great. But first thing, is this a private quote or from an LFS (Local Fish Shop)? Reason I'm asking is I think you might be able to save some money somewhere there.
 
My answers below

4 foot tank, cabinet plus canopy R3300
Cool
Overflow Weir + Hole R300
Cool
Sump Filter R580
Fine
Plumbing from Sump to tank R170
Fine
Pump for sump R250
Sounds a little inadequate. What size is it?
Pipe from sump pump to tank+u piece R30
Fine
Filter Media for sump R200
Don't need this
Protein Skimmer 350*2 R1200
Too cheap. What brand is it
Crushed coral R700
Hate crushed coral. Go for aragoite. Better looking
Salt Mix 18kg akwa instant marine R495
3 Globes: 1 ocean sun R200
1 Coral sun R200
1 Reef sun R200
3 Light fittings R450
Way to little light unless you want to keep fish only
2 powerheads for circulation sunsun HJ952 R300
Crap pumps rather get Seios
1 Phosphate Reactor R315
Very cheap. What brand?
1 Phosphate remover R727
Very expensive. What brand?
3 Reflectors R300
Fine
Magnet Cleaner R110
FIne
7 Bottles reef supplements R700
What supplements and what brand?
300 liter RO saltmix tropic marine R630
Not sure what you mean here
organc aqua marine general treatment 1 liter R140
Not needed
3 Pkts Bio balls for Weir(150 Balls) R300
Scrap the bio balls. They accumulate nitrates. Use live rock for you biological filtration
 
Junaid said:
Hi guys, the info on this site is great and i would just like some feedback about a new tank that i would like to purchase Here is the Quote so any feedback would be highly appreciated.

4 foot tank, cabinet plus canopy R3300
Overflow Weir + Hole R300
Sump Filter R580
Plumbing from Sump to tank R170
Pump for sump R250
Pipe from sump pump to tank+u piece R30
Filter Media for sump R200
Protein Skimmer 350*2 R1200
Crushed coral R700
Salt Mix 18kg akwa instant marine R495
3 Globes: 1 ocean sun R200
1 Coral sun R200
1 Reef sun R200
3 Light fittings R450
2 powerheads for circulation sunsun HJ952 R300
1 Phosphate Reactor R315
1 Phosphate remover R727
3 Reflectors R300
Magnet Cleaner R110
7 Bottles reef supplements R700
300 liter RO saltmix tropic marine R630
organc aqua marine general treatment 1 liter R140
3 Pkts Bio balls for Weir(150 Balls) R300

Total R11867-00

Is this a good tank for a beginner and how is the quote.
Click to expand...

What are you going to have in the tank? live rock, corals and fish? fish only?

If you are using live rock then don't get bio balls or any other filter media, you don't need water treatment stuff, what are the suppliments? 10% weekly water changes will keep your tank healthy without the need to turn it into additive soup, it will also save you a few Rand.
 
Junaid said:
4 foot tank, cabinet plus canopy R3300
Overflow Weir + Hole R300
Sump Filter R580
Plumbing from Sump to tank R170
Pump for sump R250
Pipe from sump pump to tank+u piece R30
Filter Media for sump R200 what filter media is this?
Protein Skimmer 350*2 R1200 what make of skimmer/s? You can get a single more efficient one.
Crushed coral R700 make sure it is very fine or rather use playsand, much cheaper (about R100)
 Salt Mix 18kg akwa instant marine R495 can get better and cheaper salt (Real Ocean)
 3 Globes: 1 ocean sun R200
1 Coral sun R200
1 Reef sun R200
3 Light fittings R450
2 powerheads for circulation sunsun HJ952 R300
1 Phosphate Reactor R315
1 Phosphate remover R727 what is this?
 3 Reflectors R300
Magnet Cleaner R110
7 Bottles reef supplements R700 don't need all of these initially
300 liter RO saltmix tropic marine R630 can be done cheaper
organc aqua marine general treatment 1 liter R140 not needed but can be used
 3 Pkts Bio balls for Weir(150 Balls) R300 not needed at all
Total R11867-00

Is this a good tank for a beginner and how is the quote.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum Junaid :) I have added my comments in red, also I am a bit skeptical about the lights, are they T5 or T8 lights?
 
Sheesh dude that is a bit hectic. You should shop around, you might save some serious money. I've got a four foot, got organic filtering going( DSB , Live rock), as far as my equipment goes:
2X Seios M620s
1XReeftek TS1 skimmer,
2500 Lifetech return pump,
2Xdouble ballasts 54W,
2X10000K tubes,
2X12000K tubes
and i've got fish, and plants, and my total of what i've actually spent on my tank thus far is 5000 rand. I think you should shop around a bit:):thumbup:
 
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Totally agree with scubaninja on this one, check out the sponsors on this site as well as the 'For Sale' forum on this forum, you can save yourself a lot of money in the long run

P.S. If you can save money on buying the same amount of equipment for less and you're willing to spend more you can get even better stuff than you would've originally bought
 
Thanks

Thanks alot guys as i said its going to be my first marine tank i am still shopping around this is from my local pet store, i am still researching so not so clued up, but this site has really really helped, well i would like to keep live rock, corals and fish. would it be better to purchase the tank and then buy the best equipment rather then buying this complete unit and then not having the right stuff to run my aquarium.

What would u guys recommend i do.
Thanks.
 
welcome boet i see you are already in good hands judging from the above responses...
 
Slmz Ridwaan, losta great advice already given. U have already got the just of it buy the best Equipment you can afford or save up until u can afford it, I bought my tank about 7 months ago and its still not setup because i decided to get good equipment and do lotsa research 1st.
 
welcometomasa!!!

Rather go for the following:

Basics:
4ft, cabinet plus canopy& weir
Sump- the largest you can fit!
Plumbing(How are you're DIY, would be much cheaper if you DIY it!)

Display tank:
2x 54W T5 dual ballasts@ +/-R500
4x 54w T5's, two 10000K and two 20000K's@ +/-R800
4x reflectors@ +/-R400
4x Lightfittings- Get 8x ordinary circle clips from your local DIY@ under R10 for the lot!
2x Seio M1100's as circulation pumps@ +/-R1000
Aragonite- enough for a 5cm+ layer
+/- 25Kg's Liferock- the best you can afford, I prefer Malaysian@ R150p/kg

Sump:
1X Reeftek TS1- far superior to the 2x 350's@ +/-R1300
Reggies playsand- enough for a 15cm layer as a DSB@ +/-R40
1x Phos reactor
1x Phos remover@ +/- R200
1x 2000Lph return pump2 +/- R400
2x 300w heaters
1x 20w Odinary Energy saver- from local supermarket for growing cheato
Cheatomorphia- add only after the cycle is complete, would be able to get free!

Additional:
1x Ammonia Test kit- to monitor cycle
1x Nitrite Test kit- to monitor cycle
1x Nitrate Test kit- to monitor Cycle
1x box of instant ocean salt

Total would be about R12500, a little more expensive than the LFS quoted, but then you would have everything to build a Kick@ss reef without forking anything out for more than your waterchanges as well as fish and corals!! :yeahdude:
 
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Mtroboer said:
4x Lightfittings- Get 8x ordinary circle clips from your local DIY@ under R10 for the l
Click to expand...

could you please explain what u taking about here mtroboer as i am lost?
 
ziyaadb said:
could you please explain what u taking about here mtroboer as i am lost?
Click to expand...

Sorry for the poor pic quality, used my phone! Been using these for little more than a year now:

76048c3a39fae462.jpg
 
Never had any trouble with these, including any types of shorts, but yes if you can afford the proper ones now it would be nice to have! IMO I would use these with waterproof end-caps, that way you could spend the few hundred bucks saved on something else!
 
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