For the past 8-9 years I have been keeping mainly freshwater South American Cichlids, including Discus and Geophagus in bare-bottom tanks. For many years I have intrigued by marine/reef tanks, but from all accounts was always told that they where very demanding tanks to keep and required of skill and understanding.
After spending a couple of months researching the 'basics' of marine/reef keeping I finally decided to have a go and see where it would lead me. I was then faced with the daunting decision of what equipment to buy and what the setup of my future reef tank would be. To be perfectly honest the equipment list that I had put together for what was considered to be a stable and successful setup was intimidating to say the least. Around the same there was a buzz on various marine forums about an up-and-coming all-in-one tank by Red Sea called the MAX. Once I had gathered some more info on the MAX and seen what a complete component set up would cost I then had some decisions to make: component system or the Red Sea MAX ? Hmmmmmm...
The component system 'should' be well thought out with a drilled tank with remote sump and careful selection of equipment. Being that I was so new to the marine game I had no idea of what was considered to be best-of-breed componentry, let alone designing the plumbing for the sump etc. There was also the issue of having a young son on the verge of walking who just loves to get into everything and the prospect of numerous power cords, timers, sump and skimmer etc raised our concern. Then there are the aesthetics of a component system, some prefer the look, some don't.
The MAX was a completely self-contained unit with a single power cord and the was no chance of my little one, for example, getting hold of the lighting power cords or getting into the sump. Aesthetically the MAX was also pleasing with very simple clean lines and again everything was contained neatly within the tank. So for what I wanted - an easy-to-setup and maintain reef aquarium, self contained, easy on the eye - the Red Sea Max was the choice I made. There are other all-in-one tanks on the market, but the MAX had the advantage of overall size and really does include all the equipment you need, so that swayed my decision in the end. Not to mention my wife, who was a lot more impressed by the look of the Red Sea MAX over a component system; and let's face it, if the tank was going to be in the living room it's only fair that I take her opinion into account, so I chose the MAX.
The set-up of the MAX was very easy and straightforward and after fresh water leak testing the tank I then began on cycling and aqauscaping. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase live rock from and existing setup so it only took around 1-2 weeks before the tank was cycled and I could start stocking. During the cycle the skimmer was pulling a nice amount of skimmate from the water. I had decided to use only live rock for my biological filtration and did not install the filtration medium supplied with the MAX, so the last chamber in my MAX's sump was left empty. Overall I found the MAX a easy setup to maintain - once a week 15% water change and clean the skimmer collection cup and intake foam twice weekly. During the cycling period I made a few mods to MAX's stock setup: I installed a Tunze NanoStream 6205 to push water around and through the back of my 'bommie' style aquascaping (this is due more to my particular style of aqauscaping than not having enough circulation). Out in front of the 'bommie' and to the sides had enough circulation, but I didn't want any dead spots down behind and inside the 'bommie'. I also removed the white filter pad and cut the black intake foam down to about a third of it's size as I found it was restricting the flow level too much in the heater chamber as, well as in the powerhead chamber. The one thing I like a lot about the design of the MAX is the integrated sump, meaning that if there ever is a power out, which I have had happen once already, there is no chance of the tank draining or flooding which can be the case with some external sump designs.
This being my first go at a marine/reef tank I was convinced I would encounter some issues along the way, but surprisingly the MAX has been very stable in regards to water chemistry and as far as the reef environment in general. Naturally as I added more corals I had to begin adding Alk/Calc supplements, which I'm currently doing on a daily basis with my fresh water top-ups. I also bought the Starter Pack with the MAX and found the inclusion of the test kits and supplements etc very handy in keeping an eye on things and keeping parameters in check. Overall the MAX has pretty much well made reef aquarium ownership a pain-free experience in regards to set-up and maintenance as well keeping the tank inhabitants happy. Most of my corals are showing healthy growth in the 4 months the tank has been running.
I have had my fair share of issues with my MAX, mainly microbubbles (which I'm still working on) and a few issues with my hood. That being said, the guys at Red Sea have been great with their after-sales customer service, even going as far as calling me directly to discuss any issues or thoughts I may have had on the MAX system. Red Sea have been terrific with sending me any parts that have needed replacing; it's not something a lot of companies in general would do with minimal fuss. It seems Red Sea are very open to hearing any customer feedback and are taking on board what feedback they receive, good or bad, in a effort to make the MAX a better system. It's refreshing to see a company taking a vested interest in customer feedback and to me it shows that they are willing to stand behind their system. I know it may sound as though I am somewhat flying the Red Sea flag, but as I said, Red Sea have provided a level of customer care that I encountered before.
The only things I would like to see on future versions of the MAX is the possibility of having one power head either side of the tank as opposed to both in the same corner. This would give a lot more room to direct water flow around the tank. It would also be nice if you could use the surface skimmer with the water level up to or above the rim, although this is a minor issue. It's easy enough to drop the water level prior to a water change and surface skim, then do your water change and fill back to above the inside of the rim again; it only becomes an issue if you want to continuously surface skim. The option of MH lighting would also be great, but I assume there would be heat issues for those among us who don't have or want to install a chiller. Lastly, I think it would be great to see a larger (size/water volume) model available.
I think the MAX is a great system for any budding reefer and has been a great entry into the world of reef keeping for me. It has enabled me to concentrate on the husbandry aspects of reefkeeping. I would recommend the MAX to anyone that has an interest in reef keeping, but does not want to be weighed down with various equipment choices and complex set-up decisions. It's been a very easy set-up to maintain and keep running, plus it looks great with everything self-contained. Would I buy the MAX if I had the choice again? Definitely. I feel that Red Sea's customer service alone is enough incentive to do so... couple that with a great looking and functional tank, a pretty easy choice really!
