Required items and budget for a 180 gal reef

Hey everyone,
I'm a total noob, and am researching the equipment required (and cost) to get a reef system going. Current plan is to have a 180 gal. DT (72”x24”x24”) with a 40 gal. fuge/sump (and everything else) in the basement. I’ll have about a 10’ rise and 6’ horizontal run for the drain/return.

I spec’d what I understand to be high quality equipment, if any of you have had negative experiences with anything listed please let me know. So… without further ado, here’s a list of equipment (consumables not accounted for) that I think I need (most pricing is from www.bulkreefsupply.com):

• 180 gal. acrylic aquarium - $1900
• Materials for tank stand - $500 (DIY)
• Materials for 40 gal. sump/refugium - $200 (DIY)
• Bubble King Supermarin 200 Protein Skimmer - $1565
• GEO Calcium Reactor 624 w/ Panworld 30PX – $525
• Digital Aquatics ReefKeeper Elite w/Net - $475
• 75 GPD RO/DI 6 Stage Chloramines Deluxe System - $280
• UF-20 Universal Media Reactor - $110
• Ozotech Poseidon Ozone Generator 200 mg/hr (variable output) - $240
• ReeFlo Hammerhead 5800 GPH - $400
• 6' 3x250W HQI / 4x39W T5 Maristar Ballast / Bracket / Bulb Package - $1230
• 4x Tunze Nanostream 6045 powerheads - $345
• LiterMeter 3 Peristaltic Dosing Pump - $340
• 40 Watt (260 Gallon) Emperor Aquatics Smart UV - $340
• JBJ MINI Arctica Chiller 1/5 HP - $575
• Finnex 300W Submersible Digital Heater (x3) - $75
• JBJ ATO system - $80
• 200 lbs. Reef Saver Eco Dry Live Rock @2.49/lb - $500
• Live Sand - 200 lbs. - $520
• Misc. supplies for quarantine tank - $300
• Misc. plumbing/valves, etc… - $250

So…. Here are the questions I have:

1. This comes to around $10,850. Does this sound about right for a set-up of this size?
2. Are there any other critical items I need to consider?
3. From what I’ve read, the optional items included in this list are the ozone generator and the UV sterilizer (based on self-awareness the controller is not optional ;D). Accurate? Any others that are definitely optional?
4. Anything on here redundant? For instance, the blurb on the dosing pump said it’d control ATO. Do I need a different ATO system? Will the Digital AquaticsReefKeeper controller do all that stuff?
5. Is 40 gal. fuge/sump appropriate for a 180 gal. DT?
6. Does it make sense to have heaters and a chiller?
7. What questions should I be asking that I'm not? Obviously, I don't know what I don't know at this point.

Obviously, much more research and study is needed…. Any feedback from the community is appreciated.

--EW

 

I would suggest checking the local Craigslist. For the budget you have listed there you could probably get a really nice complete set up used from CL.

 

Try glasscages, they have ~800$ 180 gal tanks, but if you need acrylic that price is good, and the RKE unit should do ATO. Also, 200lbs of sand and 200lbs of LR isn't much for a reef, I suggest 1.5-2x that amount (~1 1/2-2lbs per gallon). Don't forget refractometer and chemicals too!

 

i agree, why not glass... its much better IMO and it would reduce your budget to spend by a lot..

10,000 is a little too much IMO... in my 150G ive spent close to 4000 but i dont have half of the equipment you plan on getting..

i guess if you are prepared to spend that much it would be a killer of a tank though!

 

looks good to me! ya, the UV and Ozone are optional and a 40G is a bit small for a sump on a 180. gotta make sure you have room for everything and a 75G wouldnt be that much more.

that price is to be expected considering you are getting premium components(the BK and and tank are more than a 1/3 total cost). dunno why your sand is so expensive tho.

Good luck!

 

That would be a very nice set-up indeed. However, much of your equipment listed is super-high end, and far more expensive than it needs to be. You could easily reduce the bill by quite a bit, if so desired, without a significant compromise on performance. However, if you've got the cash to spend...

 

That's about what I spent on my 210gallon set up. (so far, but it includes 300lbs of cured live rock)...

You do have a few more gadgets than I went with. I am using a 40 gallon breeder for my sump, works fine. If you are trying to add a fuge into that as well, I think you will want to upgrade.

 

Remember 200 lbs of dry rock is considerably more rock than 200 lbs of live rock. As stated above, a bit high end if it was me. I've priced a 400+gallon setup, all new equipment at about the same price. Most midline equipment performs at similar levels to the high high end stuff you listed.

 

I have a 65 with 6k in it but two grand was a custom stand and canopy that was 2k.

 

For building your own stand, go to an actual lumber yard that has better quality would then if you were going to Lowes/Home Depot. Trust me, spending the extra money will be worth it (somethign I wish I thought about before I bought the wood).

For the RO/DI, go to Purewaterclub.com..I bought a 6 stage, 150 GPD for $115.

Like others have stated, I think your prices for some of the equipment is a little high though, it's better to have to much then not enough imo.