Sump tank Pricey or Just Right?

[Max_in_SD]

Turboflotor 1000 Protein Skimmer w/ Rio 2100 Pump w/ 300 gal. capacity top of the line fluidized bed ï Includes: an acrylic "Lexan Sump" with attention to DETAIL. A mounted 100 micron 16" total reusable mechanical filtration bag. Chemical reaction chamber and electronic probe holder. 1.5" or 2" flexible bulkhead with union (please specify). 1" tank adapter w/semi-automatic water change system. A framed top. Quiet with low evaporation, this system is complete.

A friend of mine who is doing a 125 gallon reef tank is considering purchasing for his sump tank. Is this a good price for a system or is this to pricey? Cost of this system is 470 + tax i believe. I started a FOWLR tank without a sump tank. I got a bunch of stuff hanging on the sides and the back so he thought he'll invest in the sump to avoid what i got. I just dont got the dough fork over but if this works for him and you guys think its a good system i might have to save up some dough to get this as my X-mas present

 

[tripper]

In my opinion that is a lot of money to spend on a sump. He could DIY very easily and spend a lot less money. All he would need to do is buy a 20G long tank, a protein skimmer, an overflow box and a return pump and you would have a basic necessities for a sump. He could then put the heater and whatever else he wanted into the sump and the back of the main tank would be much cleaner.

tripper

 

[pearsont74]

what is the price....am i blind or have i just been sitting infront of this monitor too long.... LOL
I got mine off ebay used and got it and was very happy with it...it is a maxireef w/ everything but the pump and got it shipped for about $100. Not saying that is what you should do but look all over this hobby is expensive and unless u have money growing on a tree out back...you have to be smart and do what you can to get good stuff at a good price.

 

[Brisc0]

If you got a 125g tank you have around 5.5 feet of room under a stand. I would build something really sweet that was customized to your setup before i spend 500 bucks on a pre-made that gives you no flexibility.

i.e. a 48" sump about 16" tall. use about 16 - 24 inches to house equipment and then use the rest as a fuge. This not only looks cool, you have tons of room to play with it, and you potentially add around 40 - 60 gallons of water to you system volume. If you don't want to custom build the sump housing you could easily stick a 55G down there.

 

[Salttanker]

I decided to buy a new sump from customaquatics.com for $180.00. It's 30x16x16, which is roughly 33 gallons give or take. I'm not a DIY person. I just wanted something bigger that I could throw all my equipment in, and make water changes easier. You could buy this one and add a skimmer and it would still be under $470.

Mike