red sea max reviews

[redonimask1]

hello i am looking for some advice i have been to 3 different well known shops today and i came up with 3 different opinions on the red sea max 250. i am looking at get a 65 gallon tank setup for some fish and some corals and was looking to have a budget of around 1000 give or take

any thoughts, any advice would greatly appreciated

thanks
dave

[chevyjaxon]

after having the Wavemaker pro, (it failed shortly after purchase) I havent many nice things to say about Red sea.

[Mike-fish]

I have the rsm 130. There not bad but way over priced as far as I'm concerned for what you get but each to his own.

[Borderjumper]

I have a RSM 250. I really like it. the skimmer is crap.. I tossed that.

I also replaced one of the pumps with an eheim. With the skimmer gone and the different pump it runs cooler. these do run hot, and I think are actually meant to run a chiller.

[reef_rookie]

I also have a 130. And I do like it. But I have upgraded the skimmer, the basket, the lights and had to replace 4 burnt out fans. Would of been cheaper in the long run to get one custom made.

[Stones]

I also own a RSM 130D and agree with what everyone above has already stated.

The stock skimmer is crap. Not because it doesn't perform well as a skimmer but rather because it sounds like a 70s muscle car with an agressive cam and non restrictive exhaust. Seriously I couldn't hear my TV over the constant drone that the stock skimmer put out. Ended up replacing it with a Hydor Nano slim skim and couldn't be happier.

The stock lighting also leaves alot to be desired. Who uses power compacts in this day and age? I ended up swapping out the 2 x 55 PC lights with 52 x 3 watt bridgelux LEDS and am now fairly happy with the light output.

You do pay a huge premium for what you really get. With that said though, it is very nice to have an all in one tank look so sleek. One of the best features of these tanks is that they have an American DJ like powerbar with individual switches for all of the components in the tank so you only need 1 cord running from the tank to an outlet.

The factory return pumps also don't provide enough flow for the 34 gallon so I can only imagine that they would not even be close enough to suffice for the RSM 250. You'll definately be needing additonal powerheads for flow.

Something to consider as well, Red Sea already has a newer model of the RSM series in the works called the S-line. These will boast a much better T5 lighting system as well as built in auto top off reservoir as some of the major improvements. Might be worth waiting for as the lighting is one of the major drawbacks on the current RSM 130 and 250 systems.

http://youtu.be/oIX5UjITQ3k

[RGS88]

hello i am looking for some advice i have been to 3 different well known shops today and i came up with 3 different opinions on the red sea max 250. i am looking at get a 65 gallon tank setup for some fish and some corals and was looking to have a budget of around 1000 give or take

any thoughts, any advice would greatly appreciated

thanks
dave


I've had a RSM250 for over a year now... and so far (knock on wood) all has been well. Everything in the RSM250 is still stock (pumps, skimmer, etc.). I am looking though to converting the stock T5 lighting to LED in the next month or so. Replacement T5 bulbs for the RSM250 can cost upwards of $150... and bulbs need to be replaced every year. So with an LED retrofit of around $450... I figure it'll pay for itself in 3 years.

The stock protein skimmer does an ok job. There are better skimmers out there, but it's a good start... and does an ok job at skimming. It's a hassle at the very beginning to get the skimming and water levels working with each other properly... adjusting the back flow gate, while adjusting the skimmer air flow and foam height adjustments.

The tank does run warm, which is combination of heat being produced by the pumps and the T5 lighting. I'm hoping that by converting to LED, the tank should cool down some.

I don't know if you're budgeting $1000 overall, or just for the tank. I purchased my RSM250 new for $1000... but that was well before any of the additional expenses... and there are many... such as salt, live rock, chemicals/additives/test kits, fish, corals (if you plan to have a full reef tank), auto-top-off device, etc.

For me... I've had tropical and cichlid freshwater tanks for years and years. The next obvious progression for me was into saltwater. I've always wanted a reef/saltwater tank, but knew there was a lot to learn, so there was no way I was going to immediately delve into purchasing a 200gal tank so I could experiment with setting up a reef tank. I knew from the onset that I wanted an all-in-one (plug-and-play) tank, and I wanted something around the 50-60gal size... so the Red Sea Max 250 fit the bill to get my feet wet (so to speak) in saltwater/reef. I has been an eye-opening and learning experience, but I don't regret it at all.

Any other questions, let me know... always happy to offer advice.