Should I stay with the 175 watts MH or changeto 250 watts?

[Old Man Of The Sea]

I need to rethink something for when I was paying the money I was for my 240 reef tank in the setup it was to be, the owner made his own changes for I had paid for MH 250 watts and he puts in 175 watts MH.

So the question is, will I need to move it back up to 250 watts MH or leave it with 175 watts for the problem which comes to mind is, I not believe that the 175 watt bulbs will do as well for corals that require stronger lighting.

 

[trido]

If you paid for 250s, you should get 250s.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

I know in what I should had gotten, but the question is will the 175 watts MH do it? So maybe I not have to change it all around in much extra cost for im strongly thinking that I would have too.

 

[trido]

Personally, If I was setting up a 240 gallon reef tank. 250s would be the smallest bulb I would used. I would be more likely to get 400 watters.

What I was saying, in the first post is that if you had an agreement with your LFS to set you up with a system and you both aggreed on a set price and the 250s were included in that price. If they then supplied you with 175s and didnt credit you for the cost difference. You should be able to get your 250s at no charge because that is what you originaly agreed on.

In short, 175s most likely wont do it for you.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

trido88, That is pretty much in what I figured that 175 watt MH wouldn't cut it for me for I know of many who have even the 400 watts. What be my concerns is, if it be a content battle with algaes or not for I know that I would need species such as sea urchins and sea cucumbers, etc..

This is more then what I ever really tried in reef tanks for as well, these tanks are my final tanks in life and being that I had too many years in the hobby, is why I the patience to take my time for as well the cost involved would be of such a expense that I have to take my time about it no matter what.

But the first thing is that I get these tanks as I feel I wanted them from the very start five plus years ago and if the extra cost I'm too put into this because this other person not done the correct thing in what I asked for, I would look to temporarily do these tanks then as F/O. Not so expensive fish, like the most would cost anywhere from $100 to $150.

I posted this question at a few sites and you my friend is the only one to even quoted me that 175 watts MH wouldn't cut it for what I wanted most.
I should get what I asked for, but you also know that some people out there looks to screw others in order to make themselves a bigger profit and I figure that I would need to accept it as so that there be little I can do in the courts.

It could had been worst for this person had two years to do this and still he shows no interest to finish the job he took on for there honestly be lots to do yet.

Allow me to tell you them all if I may First thing is the sump I asked for is not of what I wanted, I told him I wanted an all 70 gal custom glass sump and one huge skimmer for the tank he put in is a 60 gal tank and because of the height it is, I not get in any larger skimmer that I would be need for these system that would left me with a junky sump with either 2 or 3 skimmers.

Second, the lights need to be rerouted to another outlet for on each outlet it can only handle 15 amps.

Third is a easy part to what still needs to be done, I had custom built canopies done and the doors are heavy and instead of opening upwards, the doors need to be on one solid hinge that swings outward.

The 40 gal breeder that was setup as the reef tanks QT, it too is of not what I wanted for this tank after as a QT for the reef fish, it will later turn into a reef tank it self for the time its to be a QT, it has just reg lighting and later that too would be changed. But the sump and skimmer, I not like those for even that I know that I can do this small 40 as a reef tank with a sump with bio balls, I prefer not too. And another thing on this 40 Jeff not put on is one of the doors.

Also another small job to be done is the protective netting covering the over flow boxes and on the back of the 180 reef tank.

And last but lease, the calcium reactors are too be changed as well for I do know that the one that's on the 180 is not a good one and this includes.
For two years now this Jeff person been dragging this out and I'm tired of his nonsense in this that he figures he not need to offer any answers to why this takes so long and in which now will take longer for with all honesty trido88, these tanks not look as I spent the more then $27K for both reef tanks.

This Jeff not has called me on my request to know if he has any intentions to finish these tanks and so far for the past months my call to speak to him was futile and I now made the decision to go to a new lfs for I giving this person just too much patience in this with never any answers.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

OK, I had this morning a person from Aquatic Concept to give a going over with both my 180 and 240 gal reef tanks and he will by this weekend email me a quote on the cost and of what other recommendations he can offer me. I can however say that what I told Jeff of fish world in what I wanted to do within the main sump to also have a fuge.

Being that the sump which was put in is large that it be a problem to remove it. Now all I can say on what was suggested is that in order to have the skimmer to best support this tank, it will have too now go into the reservoir tank and add a smaller tank as a RO/DI top off.

I'm guessing since I no other options in doing this that the only way without completely emptying the tank so that they can move it away from the wall in order to remove the sump is maybe break it up and of course I the suggestion first mentioned.

There will be 4x 250 with other lighting such as T5 or so and also lighting for the fuge. As well a calcium and phosphate reactors. Also he will change the type of way that the canopy doors open that it be the type of hinge which the doors will open upwards, but then will lock into position. It is so far sounding as it pays to switch lfs.

When I get the email on to cost quote of what still needs to be done, I then can copy it to show you what was suggested in work material and from that your can tell me of what if you approve or not.

I told the person who came out here, or better yet I asked him if the 240 gal tank look as if I spent $15K and he says yes, but still I wasn't happy with it.

SO I will make my decision on what the cost will be to if I will wait as I rebuild these tanks as in the way much too what I wanted to if I will or not go with F/O tanks until all this is completed. And if I do go this way until things are completed, I later will have the people at the new lfs come over to remove all the fish. Just that it be much easier on me if I pay them to come to do this for me.

 

[trido]

27K for two well equipped Reefs tanks doesnt sound all that unreasonable to me anymore. My 120 has numbed me to all of that. Did you by chance get anything at all in writing from the first LFS detailing what they were supposed to do for you? I would assume that you made progress payments slowly as things progressed. If so, did you complain of these things as they occured? If you feel like you have been ripped off, maybe you should write a lengthy letter detailing a timeline of events and complaints and send it to a few key people. The manager, the owner, maybe the local newspaper, the Better Business Bureau. I just moved and sold my business, and to me, as a business owner, these kind of practices are unacceptable. Unless the LFS is so busy they dont care about you raising a raucous, they me make some consolations to you.
If you have a written contract and have paid in full. You may have legal grounds to sue for any addtional costs you have to pay the other LFS to finish what the first LFS have not in a timely manner. Two years to build two custom reefs sounds a little long to me....

This, of course is JMO.

 

[maccafan]

the 175's are TOO SMALL for a reef in that size of tank in
my humble opinion...and 250s are not muchhhh better for
that size tank if you expect to keep all types of corals, clams etc....

400's might be the way to go....

Opinions will vary

Tim

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

trido, Jeff of fish world has not giving me what I wanted, for what it was I paid for, he made changes and not told me of it until afterwards. The tank that he said is a custom 60 gal tank is not what he said and I made the order with a custom 70 gal all glass sump so with both the lights and sump he made his own cut backs to make himself extra money. I not even like the calcium reactors he pick.
I now have to spend extra $$$$ and will not know the cost until this weekend at most and also have to add to it what the electricians cost will run me for this was why Jeff put in 175 watts MH bulbs other then what I wanted in which was the 250`s.

The worst part in all this it not takes two years to complete and to top it off, still its not finish in setting up so I told my daughter today of the new lfs and she was glad that I simply break away from fish world. For jeff never giving me why he drags with this and there really isn't any reason why other then he screwed me with his lies.

And this person never made me any consolations, he never called me period and in two years time, I had enough of his type of business and I will see if I can get the Better Business Bureau on the phone to see how I can make a complaint on this person.

I wouldn't say however as your saying it that I am raising a raucous as you put it, it is simply that I have a whole load of patience in this and had giving this person every chance to better in what he was doing and I am not calling him asking him again on it, I cut my loses with him and switched to another lfs in the area. If you can talk with me on the phone, you would know this then for I already understood that Jeff had no intentions to finish up in what he promised and as you heard in this thread, he did it in his way in what I not had asked for.

So being that this person had made arrangements to come out and do these tanks and he most those times never showed up and not even called he wasn't coming.

"Two years to build two custom reefs sounds a little long to me...."

LMBO, I might say that it is way too long and now because most his work he did wasn't of what I wanted, it will take a bit longer and depending on what the additional cost will be, I will then make the decision to start these tanks as F/O systems until the new cost in this is completed.

I would have grounds as you say to sue, just too things wrong there. One is I not like to do things to people even that this person would deserve it so and second is, I lost the contract of the job to be done and the only proof I would have is the credit card monthly statements that I paid him in the cost of a years time a thousand dollars a month in on average seven to eight thousand dollars each year for four years.

That was when most the time I was still at my old apartment and now my bills are much higher and can afford about only $5K for the year since I bought this home a little more then two years ago.

One thing you should know here trido and that is I am retired and disabled, I cannot carry these tanks as any more even set them up for I have much pain all the time and even that I must deal with this, I still interact with my grandchildren.

I been complaining of these things as they occurred for the past two years and I'm pretty sure now that the people at the store are happy that I'm calling no more for I wasn't angry at them, only with this person Jeff for they had no doings or knowing to what he did or not do.

Yes, I told jeff that I wish I known that his word was meaningless for he had giving me his word that he wouldn't took so long as he did for like more then a year ago he promised that right after he moved his store that after he would be all mind, just that never happen and then he promised again to be done with the tanks by X-mas, and again it not happen and now it is two years to this date, I have to say that this has too end some time.

Just for your curiosity trido, I told jeff a good number of times that the tank sump he put in this stand that we wouldn't be able to put in this sump the ideal skimmer of choice because it is to tall a sump that there is only about 7" of height to play with and I was thinking if he was going to finish this job that I about four months ago or so had ordered with him the all glass custom sump which I wanted from the start and he then said that he was waiting to get this sump to come out to finish and I told him that his lots of other work to do on these tanks that he not have too wait for a lousy sump. This was always the story with him that he used excuses like these to justify his dragging all this time. So no, I am done waiting for someone who had never giving me any straight answers. And to think about that I took real good care of him at X-mas time as well.

So the bottom line here is, I giving Jeff all the patience one can and had gotten little to no results for it :?

I'm sorry if I giving too much a explanation for the only thing i regret is that I done business with him or better yet I located his store :x

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

Tim, there will be other lighting as well like T5 and vho or so for in these tanks when all is said and done, the lights will be on for some 12.5 hours a day, you still think there is some concern to it? For later I will get everything this new lfs will do and what the cost is and I will show it here and there be plenty of time to make any adjustments if needed :wink:

 

[trido]

Sometimes a person just needs to vent. Its O.K. What I ws saying in my last post is that maybe you should be raising a raucous. It sounds to me like you dont have the time, energy or desire in which case simply moving on is definately the best choice of action. We all do it. Somethings aren't worth the fight to us. Keep us posted on the new progress and be sure so post some pics as the tanks come together.

Again, I will say. 175s wont satisfy your needs for the 240G. 250's will work, but 400s wont cost all that much more. I have 250s and am already day dreaming of 400 lumenarcs after only six months with my 120.

 

[Old Man Of The Sea]

trido,, I am thinking of adding 400 watts, just too many conflicting advise that 250 watts would do well and right now I'm thinking if I add a mix of 250 and 400 watts together for I readied many threads on line that a number of people are doing this.

I'm also thinking of what I might do about the sump and RO/DI reservoir for the person who came out to look over the tanks had suggested this:

That we would leave in the tank that Jeff had placed in as a sump and set it up as a fuge and use the reservoir as the skimmers sump and add a smaller tank for the RO/DI reservoir for if I go that way he suggested, it would then leave me with no reservoir tank.

I told tong that I'm not concern about cost that if something better that cost another $100 or $300 that I would be all for it for yes, buying all expensive aquarium equipments not mean that one would be as successful. Just that this 240 is my final new main tank in my life time and if I not said this, I been making plans on it for more then five years now and is way too late for me to change it into something else.

For Tong said the water in the 240 would have to be completely drain to pull the 240 away from the wall in order to get the tank out in order to put in a new custom made sump, this is work and right now I just like to make the right decision. I can later take some pics of the tank sump and the reservoir that is in place and would give their measurements as well for even that this weekend Tong will email me his price quote, I can always make some changes to it.

Just this moment I gotten off the phone with Tong and he will now give me two quotes, the one I mentioned here on using the reservoir as a sump and switch the large sump too a fuge or this in what is my new idea in which will cost even more.

I asked Tong in what he thinks that we break out after draining the sump and he will put in a 5' custom sump that will also be a fuge as well and the chiller might have to be outside of the stand. So he will email me designs on both quotes and cost and then I will take it from there.

Which way would you think you go with? And thanks for talking on the 400 watts, I told Tong that I will go with 400 watts MH bulbs on both reef tanks.