rkb
07/11/2009, 10:41 AM
Hello all, my first post- I'm returning to reef keeping after a 10 year absence. Years ago I had a 30 gallon reef that reached the level of mediocrity. But this was back in the early eighties when at least in my neck of the woods much was trial and error. In fact my first protein skimmer was a glass model from Dupla. Fast forward to the early 90's and I had graduated to a 75 gallon tank with no substrate, 80lbs of live rock and a lack luster skimmer (SeaClone). This tank actually did fine until the attack of the Aptasias- enough said.
After the anemones from hell I decided to explore my other aquatic goal of keeping a freshwater planted tank. I dove into this all the way with CO2 and studying every written word by Amano. In the end I had successfully created a flourishing planted tank that need as much regular trimming as a well watered lawn. The killer was that to maintain this level of planted tank required an amazing amount of water changes (50 percent every 7-10 days). This became a real drag and in the end a cross country move dictated the dismantling and now the 75 is home to my daughter's Guinea pig named Tad.
So that brings me to this week, I have returned to the reef world with a small 29 gallon tank, plenum, power sweep power head, a CPR Bak Pak and Coral Life power compacts. I'm using water from the LFS, just introduce around 22lbs of live rock. I tried to create a loose structure to insure water flow.
Russell
After the anemones from hell I decided to explore my other aquatic goal of keeping a freshwater planted tank. I dove into this all the way with CO2 and studying every written word by Amano. In the end I had successfully created a flourishing planted tank that need as much regular trimming as a well watered lawn. The killer was that to maintain this level of planted tank required an amazing amount of water changes (50 percent every 7-10 days). This became a real drag and in the end a cross country move dictated the dismantling and now the 75 is home to my daughter's Guinea pig named Tad.
So that brings me to this week, I have returned to the reef world with a small 29 gallon tank, plenum, power sweep power head, a CPR Bak Pak and Coral Life power compacts. I'm using water from the LFS, just introduce around 22lbs of live rock. I tried to create a loose structure to insure water flow.
Russell