Red Sea Max S 650

[Gaspare]

My wife and I have been thinking about at some point getting back into the saltwater hobby again.  But I was hoping I could get some feed back about the red sea max s 650 aquarium kits available on the market.  I know they can be pricey but if you add up all the costs related to setting an aquarium system up they add up very fast.  I remember building my 150 gal reef and  realizing just how much money I had spent on the setup alone never mind the livestock and maintenance.  At least with a kit like this the equipment has been tested to work together minimizing the chance for error in sizing (i.e. plumbing size, pump size, skimmer size, lighting configuration etc.)

From what I can tell one of the few downsides  to this setup  is the T5 lighting.  While this is a great setup I would prefer LED lighting to save a bit on the hydro costs. 

What do you think of this all in one setup by red sea?  Are there any other all in one setups on the market?

Thank you.

Gaspare

[Nyx]

Ack. You are going to put me in a nut house!! What happened to two years and new basement floors. I'm going to talk to the exec about banning you from OVAS, to preserve the little bit of sanity I have left.

[FocusFin]

What size is the tank you're looking at?

Leds are the way to go but not for hydro savings. At the end of the day the hydro savings may be pennies a day but the cost savings in replacement bulbs will be substantial over the next 5 years.

I would rather set up the tank myself (it's half the fun) and spend the savings on Leds, Vortech pumps, high quality skimmer etc..livestock etc...

[Gaspare]

It is a 150gal display, with a 25 gal sump.

I agree half the fun is building the setup.  But I have been there and at this point I think I want to do it right the first time. The last reef aquarium I had started off as a 75 gal and went to 110gal and finally a 150 gal setup.  As such every increase in tank size would involve new plumbing new, new overflow design,  larger pumps, larger skimmer and all the other costs that are escaping me at the moment.   

I like that the 650 has the fresh water reservoir and all the circulation pumps built into the back of the tank. No power heads in the tank. No trying to squeeze a fresh water reservoir in the stand or plumb it from some other room.  This is basically a plug and play setup. 

As for the lighting thank you for mentioning that the hydro difference would be minimal and you are correct the cost of 10 new T5s every year does add up.

Thanks

Gaspare

[sas]

I think you should buy two, one for each

[Gaspare]

Hi Sas

Buying one is hard enough.

As my wife stated this in not for a while and who knows what will be out there when the time comes.

I personally have not seen the max s 650 in person but would like to hear form anyone who has.

Gaspare

[Nyx]

I think you should buy two, one for each

I need to upload a *smack upside the head* emoticon.

[Stussi613]

There are systems by CADLights and other vendors that provide similar functionality in a cohesive package as well.

I would choose LED's over T5 any day of the week, and in fact I already have.  I'm going to light my tank with 2 x GHL Mitras fixtures because they cover the 6 foot area well, and provide allot of light in a great, controllable spectrum!

[Nyx]

That's good to know, Stuart, as we'd prefer to use LEDs over T5s any day. Thanks for the heads up. But I don't want to go the DIY route again. Been there. Done that. Not as much fun as we thought it would be. It's kind of like when we bought our last house. It was a fixer upper and we fixed everything in it to the point where only the drywall, the brick and the siding were original. We didn't want to do that again so we bought a new house this time around. It's going to be like that with another saltwater tank.

[FocusFin]

It is a 150gal display, with a 25 gal sump.

I agree half the fun is building the setup.  But I have been there and at this point I think I want to do it right the first time. The last reef aquarium I had started off as a 75 gal and went to 110gal and finally a 150 gal setup.  As such every increase in tank size would involve new plumbing new, new overflow design,  larger pumps, larger skimmer and all the other costs that are escaping me at the moment.   

I like that the 650 has the fresh water reservoir and all the circulation pumps built into the back of the tank. No power heads in the tank. No trying to squeeze a fresh water reservoir in the stand or plumb it from some other room.  This is basically a plug and play setup. 

Can't argue with that 

One added benefit with the Leds is that because they are completely controllable, you can run them from 6 am to 11 pm and always have something to look at. Right now I have mine set to sunrise at 6am to sunset at 6pm to twighlight at 11pm. The 11 extra hours are supplemental and at low intensity.

With so much money invested it makes sense to get as much viewing time out of your tank as possible.

[AdamN]

I just got my first Red Sea tank, not as big as what you are looking at, but made the same, and I have to say, I love it. Same issue with the lighting, but i am just going to either change it, or add LEDs. I have found a few modules that would fit into the lid with a minor amount of cutting. Still playing around on this, but love the tank design!