the "if I knew then what I know now" thread about starting a reef tank

[cyrusthevirus]

Jacksonpt started a great thread in the DIY section about sump baffles.

Hopefully within the next 3-6 months, I will replace the air in my tank with water and I was wondering if anyone could share some "if I knew then what I know now" information on starting a reef tank.

[pledosophy]

Save up and buy the thing you want, not the thing that will do.

I went from Maxijet, to Seio, to koralia's, to maxijet mods, to some sweeper pump, to wavemakers and maxijets, all the while I really just wanted the vortech, which I ended up getting. I just wasted a grand to get there so I didn't feel bad about buying a $400 pump.

Waterchanges are great, but removing nitrate and phosphate through carbon dosing saves me a couple hours a week.

Hooking up an RODI unit as opposed to driving to the LFS to buy water has saved me thousands. Now I don't buy random crap at the LFS

JMO

[jcolletteiii]

Start BIG right away.

[piscivorous]

I would have bought a 120 up front...same length as my 55 so it would not have made much of a difference in terms of space constraints, but it would have made a huge difference in terms of working space under the tank and aquascaping space....and overall looks.

[KRASHPD]

Start BIG right away.

Heh I think it's just the opposite. Resist the urge to build 225g 9 months after you start your 90g. Bigger tanks don't always make the hobby more enjoyable.

[sleeperls]

Heh I think it's just the opposite. Resist the urge to build 225g 9 months after you start your 90g. Bigger tanks don't always make the hobby more enjoyable.


I second that. I got out of the hobby for a while due to this. Went from a 55g to a 125 gallon. I just couldnt afford todo the big tank right. Water changes/lights/ supplements and so on. It was just too expensive.

I kept a few things from that tank and set up a12g nano and neglected the heck out of that tank and let atepsia take it over. I was just bumed from my last tank i think.

My current tank is a 40 breeder and im slowly getting all the goodies. The last things on my list are a bigger skimmer and maybe a kalk stirrer and better way to run carbon. Right now i just throw it in a bag. I've got t5's and mh, vortech mp20, a nice sump, ato, neptune ac3. Water changes dont break the bank and take alot less time. I do wish i would have drilled it or got a rr setup.

Plan plan and plan. Figure out what you can afford and double it. then re think what your getting into. My goal has always been to have a mature breeding pair of nice clowns. I'm getting there but it just takes time


Do not spend a ton on supplements and miracle oils. Just stay on top of your water changes. Make them as easy as you can. My next tank will have a small fish room, and a floor drain. Simple as drain the old and flip a switch. water change done. You will have to supplement eventually. Just read up on what you'll need.

And the #1 rule patience and always prepare and watch for pest. read up on them if you are buying live rock from a local store and doing all live rock. If you notice flat worms stay awaaaay.

Good Luck and your at the right place to ask questions. I look at my tank as a piece of living furniture and guest always enjoy it. Plus you get to learn some biology and chemistry :)


Good luck.

[brycerb]

Buy as much stuff off craigslist as possible. I saved thousands buying good used stuff instead of new.

[jupiter]

Save up and buy the thing you want, not the thing that will do.

I went from Maxijet, to Seio, to koralia's, to maxijet mods, to some sweeper pump, to wavemakers and maxijets, all the while I really just wanted the vortech, which I ended up getting. I just wasted a grand to get there so I didn't feel bad about buying a $400 pump.

I agree with this 100% and although it is probably said a 1000 times, it is the best advice. People never seem to heed it until they experience it themselves.

Buy as much stuff off craigslist as possible. I saved thousands buying good used stuff instead of new.

This is good advice if you know what it is you are looking for before hand. I don't recommend buying something on Craigslist just because it's cheaper if it wasn't something you were planning to buy anyway. I also would never buy a used tank unless it came from a fellow aquarist I trust.

I've tried to do everything properly with my newest tank so I don't regret much yet, but my advice for a new tank is to plan everything out beforehand. And once you've planned it out, go over it again and again until you are sure the path you're taking is the best. And stick to it. If I have any regrets it's that I didn't follow my plan exactly and now I have a few very minor details about my tank I don't like but I can overlook them or change them for very little.

[piscivorous]

Reef ready..that would be another thing I would have done in the beginning...just looks cleaner....

[PogoMonogo]

I agree with some of the other posts and would do the same. Don't put off buying something because of the price. In the long run, if you got the better, more expensive item right at the start, you would have probably saved a lot more than spending so much on upgrades only to eventually end up at the high ticket item anyway. I unfortunately learned the hard way. Took a few skimmers, took a few power heads, took a few lights. Easily hundreds to thousands of dollars could have been saved.

[Dadekster]

Realizing how much the industry charges for things like baking soda with a cool looking wrapper. Realizing that a fancy named coral with an astronomical price tag doesn't equate to the same thing 100% of the time six months down the road. Realizing I want a 'reef' tank that looks like something found naturally in nature as opposed to a living stamp collection.

[piscivorous]

I am trying to learn from all of this ahead of time. In setting up my tank I was considering a Pinpoint pH monitor, an auto top off controller, wavemaker, light timers etc....instead of spending all of the money on all of these different components and being unhappy with the mess down the road, I just put an order in for an Apex Controller....which, will hopefully do all of the tasks of all of the other equipment in one nice unit....and I won't feel like I will want to upgrade down the road....as this would have been what I would have upgraded to anyway....costs more than I would have liked to spend up front, but from what I've read, I think I will be happy with the decision to spend more up front and save in the long run.

[Rich D]

Its usually a good idea to dip corals...
wish I thought about that from 2 years ago till now.

[IrishStock]

Heh I think it's just the opposite. Resist the urge to build 225g 9 months after you start your 90g. Bigger tanks don't always make the hobby more enjoyable.

AHMEN to that. I started with a 25 gal...it was fun. Went to a 75 gal which I LOVED and had both set up. Moved to a new house and decided to combine and got a 135....really haven't enjoy the 135 much. Now, after 12 yrs would love to have a 55-75 back again.

[fishchef]

I always try to remember to take a look at what I have. First there was a 55
FO and then the FOWLR 55. Then I converted the FOWLR to a full blown Reef.
It's been a great ride learning all the way for the past 18 years. No matter how much you read, etc. you'll always find something new. I try to stay with what I know and understand. Finally the 125 came to be about two years ago and I do use forums more than I did before. Learned a lot, but what I was already doing works, too. It can seem like a lot of work, but when experienced people see my tank they tell me I should be proud. I am and I still enjoy my Reef. For those who don't I'm sorry. Its a great hobby and responsibility. There's a lot of technology out there and many choices of approaches. Keep it simple if you can or don't, but have fun, sit back, and take it all in. Remember how cool you thought that reef tank was in the LFS a long time ago or maybe yesterday.

[jhawkor]

Quarantine.

[ddwbeagles]

SURE.....lol I would of never of placed a damn mushroom, zenia, GSP, leather corals in my tank. They are hardy as hell, but quickly become a nuisance and spread. Same would apply to the cheaper run-of-the-mill ZOAs/Palys. If I could turn back time, I would of bought less of the semi-bland ones and spent the same money on fewer of the highend eyecatching varieties. We seem to run out of reefing realestate pretty quickly.

Next, I would not of done a mixed reef and should of done "variety specific" tanks. I would of also not of gone the AIO route as I ended up adding a sump to the system anyway and I strongly encourage having one.

I would of spent more on my initial lighting as soon, you'll be upgrading anyway to keep more demanding species.

I would of bought one of the reef controllers (Apex, Neptune and/or Reef Keeper) instead of a bunch of independant devices/timers. Would of made the whole operation so much easier, neater and cheaper.

I too would of went with a bigger tank.

I would of done more research on what fish compatibility before adding certain ones. I bought what was sold as a Royal Gramma at the LFS, ended up being a Psydo Chromis (aka Bicolor Dottyback) which is an absolute nightmare in the tank.

[DBarsotti]

I feel that not having the perfect system going into this hobby give you the knowledge and know how for a perfect system in the future.

One thing i wish i had tho is a drilled tank.. external overflow boxes SUCK

[super1man]

i would of done research on what fish i wanted to keep and biult a tank around them. not go to the LFS and say who that fish is cool and buy it and the find out it gets huge or wow it really eats fish smaller that it.

bigger is not always better. i went from a 125 to a 120 to a custom 48"x24"x10" tank.

keep it simple dont buy all the gagets right away start slow

invest in the best lighting that way i wouldnt be stuck with fixtures that no one wants.


most of all just have fun not to push myself into rushing.

[tidepool2]

Great thread - thanks everyone! I've had my 65 gal. reef tank since Oct. 09. Reef Central and other reef-keeping forums have been incredibly helpful. And I don't think I've ever met a nicer group of people! Reefers ROCK...or should I say, Reefers LIVE ROCK! :)

[cody6766]

Reef ready!
I screwed with a HOB overflow for almost 2 years. I just drilled my 40g and love it. I forgot to drill the return, but it's not intrusive or problematic. I'll take care of that when I move in a year and a half though.

Plan, then buy. I bought equipment and kept adding and upgrading. It's best to look at others' tanks, look at what you like, plan to want something more, research products and DIY projects, find out what chemicals can be bought w/o a brand name on them, plan a frag system so you can have a backup coral waiting down below

basically, plan and go big. Go big doesn't always mean tons of money and gallons. Go big means don't skimp and always buy a few gallons bigger than you think you want.

Oh, deep tanks are the best. You can beat having room between the front and back glass.

[Rich D]

oh another one,
get your first corals from local reefers. You can often times get corals like GSP, xenia and mushrooms for free. Other easy corals like leathers can also be found either free or for dirt cheap.

[ChadTheSpike]

Design with efficiency and maintenance in mind.

1) Efficiency: dont fret much about the up front cost of efficient equipment, when I replaced closed loops with tunzes and vortechs they paid for themselves within 8 months. One of the keys to long-term sustainability (unless you have enough money to not care) is an efficient tank that doesnt stand out on the electric bill.

2) Maintenance: Designing a system with maintenance in mind will help make sure that you actually do the maintenance! Make sure that everything is easily accessible (for example, dont put your skimmer in a place where you have to take your sump apart to take the top off or make your sump so large that your arm wont fit in when it is in the stand). Make sure that there is enough room between what you put in the tank and the glass to make sure that you can efficiently clean everything. Design in a method for doing water changes that is quick and easy.

Im sure I can come up with more, but these, I think, are the biggest.

[Tyrenlds]

realize that a mediocre 90gal tank costs upwards of $6,000.00 to setup. And that about 18 months into the hobby you'll get tired of worrying about that damn thing and then sell it for a huge loss! =)

[Rich D]

realize that a mediocre 90gal tank costs upwards of $6,000.00 to setup. And that about 18 months into the hobby you'll get tired of worrying about that damn thing and then sell it for a huge loss! =)

a mediocre 90gal... 6 grand?
you must have very high standards...


if my 120 were that expensive then leave this hobby and put more money into my triathlon bike :lol:

[Tyrenlds]

those are quotes from the show 'east bound & down', i've got nothing against triathlons! =)

it's ridiculous how the money stacks up in this hobby. once I had the thing stocked and completed I sat down and tallied up all the purchases... and then about passed out.

[sminker]

those are quotes from the show 'east bound & down', i've got nothing against triathlons! =)

it's ridiculous how the money stacks up in this hobby. once I had the thing stocked and completed I sat down and tallied up all the purchases... and then about passed out.

ditto, did that also. i immediately tore up the piece of paper before my wife saw it.

[Tyrenlds]

ditto, did that also. i immediately tore up the piece of paper before my wife saw it.

smart man.

[hyperfocal]

2) Maintenance: Designing a system with maintenance in mind will help make sure that you actually do the maintenance!

This is my #1. Routine tasks that seem like fun in week #4 of the new system will be the bane of your existence when you make it to year #2. Everything should be designed with maintenance in mind... sump, skimmer, dosing, lighting, access to 3 tank walls for cleaning... everything. Your future self will thank your present self with great sincerity.

[mchud]

Would of went big and got it over with.

[ChadTheSpike]

a mediocre 90gal... 6 grand?
you must have very high standards...


if my 120 were that expensive then leave this hobby and put more money into my triathlon bike :lol:

Haha, I took a break from doing anything more than maintenance and food when I was saving to buy my triathlon bike!! hehe

[Dadekster]

This is my #1. Routine tasks that seem like fun in week #4 of the new system will be the bane of your existence when you make it to year #2. Everything should be designed with maintenance in mind... sump, skimmer, dosing, lighting, access to 3 tank walls for cleaning... everything. Your future self will thank your present self with great sincerity.

I'm gonna have to give this a +1 as well. My first tank sucked to maintain and I incorporated ease of maintenance into my current one. Soooo much nicer now without having to dread doing the water change, skimmer etc.

[KafudaFish]

Start researching now what you want to do or think you want to do. Make a list of what you want to keep such as type of corals vs. types of fish and see what interests you the most. Then start designing a system to fit the needs of those animals. People will often ask what is the minimum …….
Figure out how much time and money you are willing to invest per week etc. This will influence some of your equipment choices as well. Automation saves time but costs more. It is also better to buy the correct piece of equipment the first time vs. a will do or this is cheaper. Example: tank is in the living room, return pump is too loud to hear the tv what is the point?
Join your local reef club. They are a wealth of information and when the time comes to stock your tank many people will either pass it forward or give you good deals. Frag swaps are also a plus.
Many people act like kids in the candy store and get one of everything only to realize that more does not always equal better.
People will start off with a fury have pretty good success and in 6 months things change or an issue will arise in the tank and people will get frustrated and will give up.
It is human nature especially in today’s society to want instant gratification and success. We all want a TOTM but few can reach that level. If yours does not yet the tank makes you happy isn’t that the point of this hobby?

[rsisman]

"If I knew then what I know now" I would have never started a reef tank and just keep my freshwater tank. I would have saved thousands for a measly 65G cichlid tank compared to my reef setup now.

[Holyreefer]

Save up and buy the thing you want, not the thing that will do. JMO

WOW! Great advise i think we all need to follow this!
REAL TALK

[CyCLoBoT]

"If I knew then what I know now", I would have never followed the advice given to my by the LFS. When I first decided to start a saltwater set up, I was told by them that a 5lb live rock would be sufficient enough and that I could start keeping fish after 1 week. I was told it was okay to keep a yellow tang in a 20G tank. At one point, I had 11 fish in the tank with just 10lb of live rock...all in a 20G tank.

[HHIreefer843]

i know it was said before but i wish i woulda bought some damn vortechs instead of wasting time and moneyyyyyyyyyyyy

[hoffy02]

"its easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission" (if married)

seriously though,

Scratches- you may not see them when filled, as the used ads say, but you will when algea has bedded down in them...

Reef central...... Nough said

Maintenance- as stated already.. do the extra work/ spending now that will allow for these mundaine tasks to be easy...

[goldmaniac]

1) question the advice that you get from employees at LFS before acting upon it.
2) Keep it simple whenever possible.
3) let and help the system balance itself out. use natural predators instead of chemicals or additives whenever possible (i.e. with flatworms, aptasia, or hair algae)
4) RO/DI, to be sure. Otherwise, garbage in means garbage out.
5) Making drastic changes to a tank is asking for trouble. Slow and steady is the key. Want to switch to a bare bottom tank? remove 20% of sand at a time, once a week. Starting a new supplement routine? start slow and test.

[L98-Z]

Heh I think it's just the opposite. Resist the urge to build 225g 9 months after you start your 90g. Bigger tanks don't always make the hobby more enjoyable.

Agreed.

[Rich D]

Haha, I took a break from doing anything more than maintenance and food when I was saving to buy my triathlon bike!! hehe

hahaha its nice to see theres a few of us on here. I could use a wetsuit also but that wont happen...

[Flightpipe]

SUMP!!!!!!!!!! no canisters!

[Logzor]

Always cut your losses - stuff always grows back! For example, that rock with the really nice encrusted coral has a little bit of nuisance algae growing on it. Not a big deal, right? WRONG. Just toss the rock or try to bust off a few polyps.

I had a nasty experience transferring dictyota into my new system - it's under control now and nearly gone but it was a huge pain.

[Hooknose5]

Go big or go home!!!!!!!!

[travis32]

I'm only 2 months into my tank, just over the 2 month mark and just adding fish. And as a total noob, I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my own learnings, just in the last two months.

-- I am a strong believer in buying used. I saved over a grand. Got LR WITH NO ISSUES ON IT (other than xenia.. LOL) for $1.50 a pound - 90 lbs of it. Got a $200 skimmer for $50 that works WONDERFUL! Just to name a few things. Tank, light, sump, plumbing, was all purchased off craigslist, and no issues. -- Other people's loss, is my gain!!! (Someone mentioned buying all this stuff and selling at a huge loss later..> Well, buying used cuts off some of that loss. :) )

-- I would have done a different Overflow that limits the possibility of well overflows. May still change it out eventually.

-- I would not have done a CC substrate with Live sand over the top.. It adds to an oceanic scene, but it looks messy with the shells surfacing. Hasn't impacted my alk or ph yet though.

-- I might have placed my tank in a more accesible spot. Right now it's only accessible from the front. The other three sides are against walls or furniture...

-- I would have had an electrician install GFCI before putting the tank in (see above mention for the reason this could be an issue).

-- I would have purchased an RODI from the start. Still don't have one, using RO water with TDS of 25. I've attempted installing an RO unit in the past and I looked at the instructions and called a plumber.. I'm terrified of DIY plumbing, carpentry, and electrical... And have difficulty interpretting written instructions. (Why did I pick this hobby??? :) )

That's the short list. I'm sure I have plenty more to learn.

[nowlan]

6000 /18 = $300 a month.
$10/day; cheaper than crack.

Wish I had not gone sumpless.
Joined local reef club, before buying anything.

[shrimphead]

wish i had bought lots of decent books before setting anything up.

[piscivorous]

I would have stuck with my original plan of putting some pretty freshwater oscars in my tank instead of making the mistake of wandering into the salt water/reef section of the shop and seeing the possibilities....

[ChadTheSpike]

hahaha its nice to see theres a few of us on here. I could use a wetsuit also but that wont happen...

A few years ago I got home from a late season race (September 20 something) in upstate NY; the water temp was ~65 and I raced without a wetsuit... I was so cold when I got out of the water that I couldnt stand up to put my shoes on, so I fell over... directly into the volleyball sand pit next to where I had my bike racked...

Needless to say after racing cold and covered with sand, I bought a wetsuit as soon as I got home!

The Xterra suits go on sale 50% off a couple of times a season (usually early and late so it is coming up), you can get a pretty smoking deal on one! They always email me about it, if you want, PM me your email address and I will forward it along whenever I see it.

It is nice to see some other triathlon reefers out there :dance: Nice to know that I am not the only one with almost zero time between work, reefing and tris!

And on topic... I really cannot stress the maintenance and efficiency aspects enough!! plan to make it easy to do maintenance the week your life is at its craziest, not just quiet weeks, and your tank will be more successful.
1 - have access to as many sides of your tank and sump as you can (three sides of doors on a stand is good). Also, maximize the footprint your sump takes up, but make sure that the height within your stand is reasonable to work in (dont put an inaccessible box of water under your tank, see my dumb story below)
2 - put all plugs that you need to shut off for a WC on the same plug bank, one switch to shut off what you need (no remembering which plugs)
3 - buy a spare pump and figure out a method where you do not have to manually mix water or carry buckets around (your 20 year in the future self will thank you)
4 - every time you add a piece of equipment, think about how you will remove it, clean it and service it (this prevents you from doing really dumb things like putting a protein skimmer into the sump through the back of a stand and then moving the stand against the wall and then filling the tank with water...)

[Holyreefer]

I have learned so much from ReefCentral.
I wish i wouldn't of rushed into this hobby at the start and would have taken my time instead of wasting so much money at 1st to only have to start over

[awholelota]

seems simple enough but I would not have placed rock on or near viewable glass. eventually it gets covered with coralline algae and that section is no longer viewable since you can't clean it.

[CorkPullerPHL]

seems simple enough but I would not have placed rock on or near viewable glass. eventually it gets covered with coralline algae and that section is no longer viewable since you can't clean it.

Stay on top of ALL coralline algae. Scrape frequently, because 'that little purple spot' will cover entire pains of glass very quickly.

Keep rock work off of the back (and all other) walls.

If you have a sand bed, make sure some part of the stand covers the bottom couple of inches. Sand beds that are nice and shiny white on top are black and disgusting underneath. Kills the aesthetic.

[Rich D]

A few years ago I got home from a late season race (September 20 something) in upstate NY; the water temp was ~65 and I raced without a wetsuit... I was so cold when I got out of the water that I couldnt stand up to put my shoes on, so I fell over... directly into the volleyball sand pit next to where I had my bike racked...

Needless to say after racing cold and covered with sand, I bought a wetsuit as soon as I got home!

The Xterra suits go on sale 50% off a couple of times a season (usually early and late so it is coming up), you can get a pretty smoking deal on one! They always email me about it, if you want, PM me your email address and I will forward it along whenever I see it.

It is nice to see some other triathlon reefers out there :dance: Nice to know that I am not the only one with almost zero time between work, reefing and tris!



yea im actually only 17 and only work in the summer so I can focus more on the reef in the winter.
Im a competitive swimmer so I cant really train for much more distance than a sprint tri. Because I swim, it makes it faster for me to go without a wetsuit because I save time in transitions.

plus Im usually racing in the mid summer in the long island sound so its very nice water tempurature. Only problem with the sound is the jelly fish...

[ka2zesmi786]

to never listen to the LFS and buy fish so that it can "help your tank cycle" i felt so bad finding my babies dead.

unless you know exactly what you're doing, DIY is not for noobs. never try to make something having no clue what you're supposed to be doing. i wasted a lot of money trying to make an overflow box. i could have bought a pre-made one. so ME=FAIL

i jus want to say that this thread in particular is great and i'm adding it to my bookmarks.

[cveverly]

Close my wallet and RUN FAR AWAY as fast as I could.

[ka2zesmi786]

Close my wallet and RUN FAR AWAY as fast as I could.

hahaha +1

[STEELERFAN747]

I would definantely leave some of the larger diy projects to the pros. ( can you say about 180g of salt water bursting out of a diy acrylic tank onto your living room?)
and I would certainly recommend starting where you want to be ( size of tank and quality of equipment) I know I spent ALOT of $ from one tank size to the other and then having a hard time selling my current system due to cheaper, less desireble equipment.

Now eventhough there are a few mistakes in fish, coral and maintenace that I regret (mainly for the livestock) I feel I learned from them and feel I am better today for them.

The last thing I would do is make sure I/ you plan, plan, plan, measure, measure, measure and research, research, research, then once you've done that I would do it all over again. The worst thing is buying a alot of stuff only to find out that some of it won't fit or that it just is not practical.

Oh yeah, and water and electricity do not mix.

[cyrusthevirus]

Building an LED array takes a lot longer than it looks.

[cyrusthevirus]

Buy a wet vac. Found that out tonight when my sump blew a seam!!

[EMUReef]

just stick with using killz to seal your tank as a urathane seal doesn't seem to work as well as killz.

So next tank build i plan on coating all boards in killz first than putting them together.

oh and one coral...leads to many coral.

[teamdulski]

Go drilled, you need more light than you think, you need less flow than you think and a 34 gal is more fun than a 180 gal. Only use RODI, and make sure you have a few friends that have successful tanks to guide you.

[gp2]

My hardest lesson so far was to buy a tank second hand that came with a long list of problems (I did not know enough to know they were even problems.) I almost burned myself out trying to bail out that sinking ship with a teaspoon. At one point I was doing 50% water changes 2-3x week. Researching every move on reef central has been a huge help for me. I am just getting the lesson of carefully adding corals, and spending more to get the ones I really want versus the bland brown/green ones that seem to grow like weeds.

[Alex T.]

Oh man...so many lessons:

1. As a hobbyist, we have fish, corals and invertebrates...but we keep
water!!
2. Anything that works overnight will not cure the problem long term.
3. As a beginner, think of your dream tank...then double it and save yourself
the money now.
4. Patience is your ally.
5. All fish will grow. Think about their adult size before you buy them.
6. Plan for a power outage and course of action in both summer and winter.
7. Don't keep changing salt mixes just because you like how someone else's
tank looks using brand "x".
8. Your tank only looks natural. Unlike nature, it needs routine maintenance
or it will look very un-natural.
9. Don't spend more on the stuff that's in the water than than the stuff that
takes care of and moves the water.
10.Get out now while yo still can.

[Ben_Im]

I found SIMPLICITY keeps the tank "fun" and less of a chore. Instead of running reactors I keep media bags near my drain line. Instead of running skimmers I do 10% weekly water changes.

I keep electricity costs in mind, and try to utilize the most energy efficient equipment possible. For example, I use LEDs instead of VHOs for supplemental lighting.

Don't pay big $ for large coral colonies, it's much more rewarding growing out your own colony from an insignificant frag. Not to mention, you'll save hundreds if not thousands.

[phenom5]

There are a lot of good things brought up already in this thread. For me...

Get an RO/DI, ATO, and refractometer from the get go. Can't imagine not having an ATO, and can't believe how much money and time I wasted hauling RO water.

Something I ran into on my current tank...make sure you have good access to the bottom of your bulkheads, dang it I should cut that hole in the top of my stand bigger.

Beyond that, buy the right equipment the first time, because no matter how expensive something is, is cheaper than buying that piece of equipment twice (or three times).

[cornraker]

heh i think it's just the opposite. Resist the urge to build 225g 9 months after you start your 90g. Bigger tanks don't always make the hobby more enjoyable.

agreed

[kv2wr1]

Research! Research! Research! Not just what you want to keep but every aspect of the hobby. When I first started out, I thought I needed the premium live rock. It turns out I didn't need live rock. I could have used dead rock and make it live. I could have saved $100+ had I known that.

Get into a local reefing club! You'll meet lots of nice people who are going through or went through the same problems you may have with your tank and can share their experiences.

Making your own RO/DI water will save you $$$ in the long run.

Use quality products from everything like salt to skimmers. You don't need to buy the most expensive, but don't skimp either.

[davocean]

I'm w/ the bigger is not always better crowd.
Like most I couldn't wait to bump up, but w/ bigger tanks comes more maintenance and $$, and at least half the day running water for WC's every week.

[Mouse]

Let someone else do experimental methods, then let everyone else use that method, then when they figure out all the things the 1st guy missed you dont have to worry cause the problem took care of itself.:bigeyes:

[FranktheTankTx]

a mediocre 90gal... 6 grand?
you must have very high standards...


if my 120 were that expensive then leave this hobby and put more money into my triathlon bike :lol:
This may not be all that unrealistic when you start to think about it.
In my case, 115g Custom Ocean View:

Tank/Stand/Canopy $800 (Steal of a Deal)
Light $1,000
Skimmer $349
Sump/Refugium $350
Pump $100
Powerheads $600
Heater $30
Controller $280
RO/DI $200
Salt/Testing/Misc $300 (easily)
Total: $4,000

I haven't even put water, rock, sand, fish, or corals in the tank yet. It's amazing what you can spend in this hobby without realizing it.

[reefgeezer]

If you buy cheap, you'll buy twice - or more! Learn what quality equipment is before you buy it and buy everything before you begin set-up. Decide what biotope you are building BEFORE you start and buy equipment to support your choice. Do not mix biotopes. LED's rock!

[Rotknee]

If you buy cheap, you'll buy twice - or more! Learn what quality equipment is before you buy it and buy everything before you begin set-up. Decide what biotope you are building BEFORE you start and buy equipment to support your choice. Do not mix biotopes. LED's rock!

+1...Words of Wisdom!!! :thumbsup:

[Oldude]

Quarantine.
+1
Also dip all new corals - period!

[travis32]

Well, I just learned, and wish I'd known this. That Mixed Limewater = 100% guarantee of total tank destruction including rock. I've never seen a tank wiped out so fast as simply OD of mixed Limewater. I'm in the process of scrubbing down my rock and trying to get the ammonia down from 8.0ppm.

DON'T CHANGE REEF CHEMISTRY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, and DON"T THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING EVER!

:)

[strike2867]

Well, I just learned, and wish I'd known this. That Mixed Limewater = 100% guarantee of total tank destruction including rock. I've never seen a tank wiped out so fast as simply OD of mixed Limewater. I'm in the process of scrubbing down my rock and trying to get the ammonia down from 8.0ppm.

DON'T CHANGE REEF CHEMISTRY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, and DON"T THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING EVER!

:)

Wow, I so had the same thing happen. I was amazed what lived through it with massive water changes and tons of hard work. With two exceptions still have all the corals and they're growing. One exception was a frag that just got lost in a tank move, the other was given away because it outgrew the tank.

[gofor100]

Ah geez... if I only knew then what I know now... almost too many things to list, but here are the top ones (at least for me):

> Consistency Is Key- Consistenly (rather than sporatically) doing water changes (for me smaller water changes weekly are easy) makes a world of a difference
> Always dip (and quarantine if possible) your corals
> Always quarantine your fish- not necessarily to guard against disease (since somehow, someway, this seems to get in the system), but more to make sure they are eating and healthy before getting into your DT where competition for food and hiding places await
> NEVER Overreact... nothing good happens fast, but a lot of bad things do- good motto to have... don't overreact to things... if something looks like it's wrong, check your params (i.e., ammonia, nitrate, etc.), then your levels (Ca, Alk, Mg) BEFORE doing anything else. It's likely one (or a few of those) is the issue, and if they are, don't change it dramatically, but do it slowly since the shock of dramatic change will likely worsen whatever stress the livestock is currently under.
> Keep It Simple & Don't buy into the hype too quickly... I, for one, like to keep things simple, and don't buy the "magic potion" everyone claims made their corals brighter and fish live longer... I simply make sure I have sufficient flow, proper lighting, a good skimmer, and keep my levels/parameters in check with water changes and supplements (I only dose Ca, Alk and Mg... nothing else).

Sorry if some of the above items were already stated, I didn't have the time to read through all of the posts, but wanted to provide my insight.

Thanks,

Chad

[solitude127]

Patience, patience, patience.

[jgrog76]

Use something like marco rocks or another type of dead rock to start your tank. I will never buy live rock again. Starting pest and problem free makes the first months/years of a tank soooooo much easier. Pickling lime, baking soda, and driveway deicer are way cheaper than brand name supplements!

[lucidheights]

if i knew then what i know now i would have walked away and never looked back... this hobby is insane! :D

[preef]

Make changes very slowly.

Only change one thing at a time so you know what caused the changes you are seeing.

For example don't replace your bulbs and up your Alk at the same time. When you do replace bulbs only replace one bulb every week.

[dzhuo]

Go join a local club. Get involve. Talk to your local reefers; be friends with them. It will make your coral keeper professional career easier and a lot enjoyable.

[mdhnatow]

1. Dont start with Damsels, they are too territorial.
2. Dont add CUC too early in the cycle :(

[david pinder]

When you upgrade your tank with a new one immediatly get rid of the old tank. started with 140 to 350 to 600 to 1200 still taking care of all and thats just the main tanks

[Pallobi]

bump for a good thread ;)

[L98-Z]

This is my #1. Routine tasks that seem like fun in week #4 of the new system will be the bane of your existence when you make it to year #2. Everything should be designed with maintenance in mind... sump, skimmer, dosing, lighting, access to 3 tank walls for cleaning... everything. Your future self will thank your present self with great sincerity.

I too think this is one of the biggest ones out there. Now days I've attempted to automate as much as I can. When you dread maintenance, your tank will show. You will put off working on it and it will show. Think ahead on this and do your best to either automate it or make it very easy to work on.

[Pallobi]

myself, the only thing i want to be automated is the light, as i dont want a doser or anything that can malfunction... doing by hand for me is better, but that is jus me... however i completely agree, when setting up your tank, dont think of the now so much as the one or two years down the road... accessibility is HUGE!

[Johnny C]

This thread has been nominated for the April 2011 Thread of the Month! You may vote here (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2002038)... Good luck! :)

[JasonBJones]

A lot of great info in here. A few more things I would add

-Wash your sand thoroughly before you put it into the tank. This will eliminate the cloud that happens every time the sandbed is disturbed.

- Build a solid rock structure. Very sad when rocks cave in and destroy colonies you have worked so hard to grow.

- Go back to the basic science. Read the great aquariums books (e.g. The Reef Aquarium Volume 3) and understand the science behind what you are doing. Often the advice you find online comes in fads and may have much more to do with anecdotal evidence, correlation and not causation, and parroting of others opinions than any actual science. 13 years ago, the jaubert plenum and deep sand beds were all the rage, 5 years ago you had to be barebottom, and today, sandbeds are back in fashion.

- Listen more to those whose tanks you would like to emulate and less to that given by those whose tanks you wouldn't want to emulate.

[psyrob]

Will just try to add something new:

I would have Kept my log up instead of just tracking changes for the first two months then never again...

I would never have let my kids pick the fish (cowfish, bi-color psuedo chromi, clown fish and blue tang ala Finding Nemo, etc)

And for next time, maybe really go for it and do a solar tube set up!

[Bamm Bamm]

sorry I didn't read all the posts but these may have been mentioned..
1. never trust the LFS they just want to make money(there are exceptions)
2. DO NOT use undergravel filters or deep sand beds
3. do not use bioballs
4, dont put a mandarin in a new tank I hate when people do that then wonder why it died
5. buy a Ro/di going to the water store or lfs every week SUCKS
6. Buy a ATO(auto top off)
7. Buy a new or used controller(it makes life much easier plus then you dont have any of those lame twist dial timers allover the place..
8. buy the biggest tank you can afford
9 always buy a skimmer Overrated for your tank
10. Have fun meet some great people and alot of really weird geeky ones too=)

[risika67]

seems simple enough but I would not have placed rock on or near viewable glass. eventually it gets covered with coralline algae and that section is no longer viewable since you can't clean it.

Oh so agreed on this!!! Then again I have a pistol shrimp so my rockwork is all over the place now :hmm4:

[Mr Smiley]

Go drilled, you need more light than you think, you need less flow than you think and a 34 gal is more fun than a 180 gal. Only use RODI, and make sure you have a few friends that have successful tanks to guide you.

Ive seen this a few times, where its suggested that a smaller tank is more fun then a larger tank. Can you explain why this would be as im confused on this.:hmm4:

Thank you

[Pallobi]

tank size is a very debatable idea... it is about what interest one person to the next... indeed a larger tank, if done right offers more stability, but also requires a lot more work, which is where the "fun" factor could come in for some... imo

[L98-Z]

Ive seen this a few times, where its suggested that a smaller tank is more fun then a larger tank. Can you explain why this would be as im confused on this.:hmm4:

Thank you

I think both have something going for them. Your larger tanks can have the bigger fish as well as more room for corals to grow in. Being larger they allow more unique rockscaping formations. Downside is they cost alot more, maintenance can be more troublesome (quantity wise), and many times you add something only to never see it again.

What I've noticed with a small tank is that you pay attention to everything. That emerald crab you lost in your 300 gallon? Well you see it every day in a 24 gallon. Those polyps you bought barely make a dent in the grand scheme of things in a large tank... but in a small tank, they can easily become the center piece of the tank. Stuff like that makes the small tanks unique to me. Even though the large tanks have the same polyps, or the same inverts, when on a smaller scale things seem more personable and you pay attention to those little things alot more.

[Pallobi]

Both can be very well done and have their own benfits of aesthetic beauty and of course maintenance... i plan on upgrading to a shallow 5' x 2' footprint tank, but also will be changing my 40 breeder liverock fuge (very very little sand) into a 30 breeder and using the 40 breeder for a mini island reef with actual sand and less flow than my barebottom display, which the large tank upgrade will also be... it is and all will be one system, so maintenence for a small tank wont be in my future regardless, but i am still stoked... i hope to have big and small, one system, and one tank under t5's and one under a 250 watt halide... should be great for comparing halide to t5 growth if i get the halide setup correct as far as proper bulb selection... jus figured i would share that thought lol

[cyrusthevirus]

Simpler is easier. I started by building my own sump, then after blowing four seams and dumping 40 gallons on the floor I switched to rubbermaid stock tanks. Ahh no blown seams!

[Pallobi]

good call ;)

[TLXB]

First lesson learned - don't assume your hydrometer is broken when the reading is absurdly off.

[Agu]

Me to the LFS owner 13 years ago,..... " Why didn't you tell me this was going to cost so much?"

Response, "You would haver never started."

True story ;) ......

[kolokefalo]

The product called Dip-a-Way is to be used 1 cap full per 1 gallon of water....OUTSIDE the aquarium. Thats right, I am admitting it. :spin2:

[salty joe]

SURE.....lol I would of never of placed a damn mushroom, zenia, GSP, leather corals in my tank. They are hardy as hell, but quickly become a nuisance and spread. Same would apply to the cheaper run-of-the-mill ZOAs/Palys. If I could turn back time, I would of bought less of the semi-bland ones and spent the same money on fewer of the highend eyecatching varieties. We seem to run out of reefing realestate pretty quickly.

Next, I would not of done a mixed reef and should of done "variety specific" tanks. I would of also not of gone the AIO route as I ended up adding a sump to the system anyway and I strongly encourage having one.

I would of spent more on my initial lighting as soon, you'll be upgrading anyway to keep more demanding species.

I would of bought one of the reef controllers (Apex, Neptune and/or Reef Keeper) instead of a bunch of independant devices/timers. Would of made the whole operation so much easier, neater and cheaper.

I too would of went with a bigger tank.

I would of done more research on what fish compatibility before adding certain ones. I bought what was sold as a Royal Gramma at the LFS, ended up being a Psydo Chromis (aka Bicolor Dottyback) which is an absolute nightmare in the tank.

What does AIO stand for? Could not find it in the list of acronyms.

What exactly do you mean by variety specific? Only SPS or only softies or only LPS or only zoos? Aren't all these found in close proximity in nature?

[davidr2340]

What does AIO stand for? Could not find it in the list of acronyms.

All in one.

:beer:

[Nlangan]

I won't repeat what I think are excellent points made by others. Here are some of my hard earned lessons - maybe someone out there will learn the easy way.

1. There are no reef safe crabs.

2. When you see the earliest and tiniest sign of bubble algae then do nothing else until you have destroyed it utterly and absolutely. I mean this seriously. Put on your "war face" and get busy.

3. Aptaisia - I actually thought it was kind of "cute" when I was a noob. Anyway, see #2 above.

4. I aquascaped my tank with the lightweight "dead" brs rock, and put some excellent Florida live rock in the sump. So far so good. But then I started to worry that the pods wouldn't make it to the tank from the sump so I put the life rock into the tank. At this point I should mention that mantis shrimps are known hitchhikers for this kind of rock. So the first critters added to the cycled tank were pistol shrimp and YWG, both of which promptly disappeared not to be seen again for months. After a while, I would hear this loud bang coming from the tank. Two things make that noise: pistol shrimps and mantis shrimps. A year later I have concluded that there was no mantis. But for the first few months, 4-5 times a week I'd hear that *bang* and my heart was in my mouth as I worried that every other creature I had added was about to be mauled. Lesson: don't put live rock in your tank, it belongs in the sump.

5. This mistake concerns a basement sump. If your sump would be more or less directly below your tank then this doesn't pertain to you. My basement has an unfinished bathroom that I thought would make a nice fish room. So I ran the drain pipes into the floor, and went probably 12 feet laterally between the joists before making a turn and dropping into the fish room. This works fine for the drain line running under syphon. But for the other drain line that just gets a trickle of water it is quite a problem. It is very difficult not to get some dips and rises in the pipe over that distance and under these conditions the pipe becomes an anaerobic (oxygen free) environment. The trickle of water picks up nasties that then drain into the sump creating, in effect, a constant trickle of foul water into the system. The fish room makes water changes easy and I'm able to keep my acans and a hardy SPS happy. But it is one of the reasons I'm taking a do over.

[Napzard]

Great thread so far, thanks.

[hpfunk]

wish i had bought lots of decent books before setting anything up.

I wish I would have looked at the publish date on the book I was taking advice from.

[tegee]

I won't repeat what I think are excellent points made by others. Here are some of my hard earned lessons - maybe someone out there will learn the easy way.

1. There are no reef safe crabs.

2. When you see the earliest and tiniest sign of bubble algae then do nothing else until you have destroyed it utterly and absolutely. I mean this seriously. Put on your "war face" and get busy.

3. Aptaisia - I actually thought it was kind of "cute" when I was a noob. Anyway, see #2 above.

4. I aquascaped my tank with the lightweight "dead" brs rock, and put some excellent Florida live rock in the sump. So far so good. But then I started to worry that the pods wouldn't make it to the tank from the sump so I put the life rock into the tank. At this point I should mention that mantis shrimps are known hitchhikers for this kind of rock. So the first critters added to the cycled tank were pistol shrimp and YWG, both of which promptly disappeared not to be seen again for months. After a while, I would hear this loud bang coming from the tank. Two things make that noise: pistol shrimps and mantis shrimps. A year later I have concluded that there was no mantis. But for the first few months, 4-5 times a week I'd hear that *bang* and my heart was in my mouth as I worried that every other creature I had added was about to be mauled. Lesson: don't put live rock in your tank, it belongs in the sump.

5. This mistake concerns a basement sump. If your sump would be more or less directly below your tank then this doesn't pertain to you. My basement has an unfinished bathroom that I thought would make a nice fish room. So I ran the drain pipes into the floor, and went probably 12 feet laterally between the joists before making a turn and dropping into the fish room. This works fine for the drain line running under syphon. But for the other drain line that just gets a trickle of water it is quite a problem. It is very difficult not to get some dips and rises in the pipe over that distance and under these conditions the pipe becomes an anaerobic (oxygen free) environment. The trickle of water picks up nasties that then drain into the sump creating, in effect, a constant trickle of foul water into the system. The fish room makes water changes easy and I'm able to keep my acans and a hardy SPS happy. But it is one of the reasons I'm taking a do over.


All GREAT points.......

Scarlett Hermits have been fine in my SPS tank...but maybe I just haven't notice any damage.

How did you get rid of your bubble algae? I think I may be seeing a small crop kicking up and want to attack it now.

Yes, Aptaisia is a bit*h and trying to get rid of it right now with a CBB. He is eating it, but it is going to take a long time for him to completely eradicate.

BRS dry rock works great and want to add that I used it and it went great for 6-months until it hit a wall and released all the bound up phosphate and go a BAD bout of cyano that took out quite a bit of my nice SPS frags and some fish due to deprived oxygen. Lesson learned......cycle your rock at least 6-months prior to your build.

Funny you mention you basement build issue. Had the same problem and really had to work hard to get all drain piping on a slight angle. Took several days, but paid off with no issues.

Many thanks for a great post.....

[salty joe]

I'd have never filled anything with RO/DI water with the thought of coming back before it got full. Too many distractions in this life. A minor flood waiting to happen. And it did.

I will plumb an emergency "water level too high" drain to a sink in case the ATO malfunctions. It will be arranged so that if it ever does overflow, it runs across a water detector alarm.

[Nlangan]

All GREAT points.......

Scarlett Hermits have been fine in my SPS tank...but maybe I just haven't notice any damage.

How did you get rid of your bubble algae? I think I may be seeing a small crop kicking up and want to attack it now.

Yes, Aptaisia is a bit*h and trying to get rid of it right now with a CBB. He is eating it, but it is going to take a long time for him to completely eradicate.

BRS dry rock works great and want to add that I used it and it went great for 6-months until it hit a wall and released all the bound up phosphate and go a BAD bout of cyano that took out quite a bit of my nice SPS frags and some fish due to deprived oxygen. Lesson learned......cycle your rock at least 6-months prior to your build.

Funny you mention you basement build issue. Had the same problem and really had to work hard to get all drain piping on a slight angle. Took several days, but paid off with no issues.

Many thanks for a great post.....


I basically have a bubble algae species tank, with some fish and corals for variety. :jester: I tried high levels of Magnesium - which has worked for other people. The bubbles definitely lost their glossy sheen, turning a flaccid and sickly pale green color, lots of them died, lots of sick ones came loose, and wedged themselves in the grates of my powerheads. But new sickly looking growth kept coming and I realized that it was just too late for me. So I let Mg levels fall to normal levels. I mean, if you're going to have a tank full of bubble algae then it might as well be as pretty, am I right? Takes 2 min a week to scrape it away from corals. Also, pods love it, which keeps my mandarin fat and happy.

Way more successful on the Aptasia front. Heard bad reports on Joe's juice, but I never tried it. Aptasia-X got rid of all the big ones, but little ones kept popping up. I put some peppermint shrimp in the tank and the tiny ones were gone in a week or two and since then the peps have been model citizens.

I've heard that before about the BRS suddenly releasing phosphates months after you start your tank but I'm not a chemistry guy and I don't really understand it. Is this just one of those thing people say or has someone like Randy Holmes-Farley agreed that this is a real problem? I'd like to know because I was so pleased with the BRS rock I got before, and I was planning to use it on the new tank. FWIW, I blame my Valonia problem on the fact that I feed too much. The rock could have been a contributing factor, I have no idea. Seems like the sort of thing a chemistry guy could check out pretty easily. I mean, crush up some BRS into a powder, add it to a beaker, lightning flashes, pour in some colorful liquids while cackling insanely, fog rises out of the beaker, a wolf howls in the distance, and UREKA! We have our answer, BRS does/does-not have a bunch of phosphate bound up in it. Come on chemistry guys - do your thing already!

Glad you got your basement situation sorted out. I read everything I could find before setting up my reef and I never saw any cautions about this issue. That's understandable since offset basement sumps seem to be pretty unusual. But I sure do wish I had known about this for my first setup.

Good luck with that algae. I think you should pick out what you can without breaking it and as for the rest, to hell with it. Stab it, squash it, slam it - kill kill kill! You're way ahead crushing a small bubble than waiting for it to grow big and split open on its own. Just get it out of there without delay. Otherwise, see above for tips on how to make the best of a bad situation.

I actually add cyano to my DT from my fuge. My Rainsford Goby just loves the stuff & my Kole tang picks at it too. I put a 2x3 foam piece covered with the stuff and it's eaten up in 48 hours. I've never heard that about the Rainsford but I posted picks of mine chowing down on the stuff a while back. He was real small and timid when I first got him - he wouldn't even eat live brine. If it wasn't for the cyano in my fuge he never would have made it.

[Matt Dean]

I would have saved $20,000 and maybe put a down payment on another house that I could have almost carried with the money I spend on the tank! :eek:

But then I wouldn't have a gorgeous masterpiece in my house, so.......

[firstlight10]

Plumbing in nano tanks needs to be very well thought out or you end up having to order parts multiple times.

[mess7777]

Well I am new here, but the best things I have learned so far are :
1)Don't trust 1 guys opinion. Although they may be very well versed in some aspects, in other areas they may be as green as you
2)Be ready to spend a lot more than you think. I bought a setup used for 1K, and that's already almost doubled with improvements (new stand, adding a sump, extra rock, etc, etc , etc).
3)on the 2x4 stand, don't believe you'll build it for $100 unless you want an ugly *** wood frame. If you want a solid frame and want to add some finishing so it looks like something, you can easily get to $300. If you want nice hardwood, go up from there.

If I had it to do again.... I am not sure it would be different. I am learning a lot, and the kit I bought is still what I wanted to start with. That said....i would have checked for scratches and turned it around before drilling!!!

[tegee]

I basically have a bubble algae species tank, with some fish and corals for variety. :jester: I tried high levels of Magnesium - which has worked for other people. The bubbles definitely lost their glossy sheen, turning a flaccid and sickly pale green color, lots of them died, lots of sick ones came loose, and wedged themselves in the grates of my powerheads. But new sickly looking growth kept coming and I realized that it was just too late for me. So I let Mg levels fall to normal levels. I mean, if you're going to have a tank full of bubble algae then it might as well be as pretty, am I right? Takes 2 min a week to scrape it away from corals. Also, pods love it, which keeps my mandarin fat and happy.

Way more successful on the Aptasia front. Heard bad reports on Joe's juice, but I never tried it. Aptasia-X got rid of all the big ones, but little ones kept popping up. I put some peppermint shrimp in the tank and the tiny ones were gone in a week or two and since then the peps have been model citizens.

I've heard that before about the BRS suddenly releasing phosphates months after you start your tank but I'm not a chemistry guy and I don't really understand it. Is this just one of those thing people say or has someone like Randy Holmes-Farley agreed that this is a real problem? I'd like to know because I was so pleased with the BRS rock I got before, and I was planning to use it on the new tank. FWIW, I blame my Valonia problem on the fact that I feed too much. The rock could have been a contributing factor, I have no idea. Seems like the sort of thing a chemistry guy could check out pretty easily. I mean, crush up some BRS into a powder, add it to a beaker, lightning flashes, pour in some colorful liquids while cackling insanely, fog rises out of the beaker, a wolf howls in the distance, and UREKA! We have our answer, BRS does/does-not have a bunch of phosphate bound up in it. Come on chemistry guys - do your thing already!

Glad you got your basement situation sorted out. I read everything I could find before setting up my reef and I never saw any cautions about this issue. That's understandable since offset basement sumps seem to be pretty unusual. But I sure do wish I had known about this for my first setup.

Good luck with that algae. I think you should pick out what you can without breaking it and as for the rest, to hell with it. Stab it, squash it, slam it - kill kill kill! You're way ahead crushing a small bubble than waiting for it to grow big and split open on its own. Just get it out of there without delay. Otherwise, see above for tips on how to make the best of a bad situation.

I actually add cyano to my DT from my fuge. My Rainsford Goby just loves the stuff & my Kole tang picks at it too. I put a 2x3 foam piece covered with the stuff and it's eaten up in 48 hours. I've never heard that about the Rainsford but I posted picks of mine chowing down on the stuff a while back. He was real small and timid when I first got him - he wouldn't even eat live brine. If it wasn't for the cyano in my fuge he never would have made it.


Pretty confident that the "dry rock" (not necessarily BRS rock) was the source of a major algae outbreak at the 6-month mark. Had another tank here on RC happen the same exact way, so I feel strongly dry rock holds died matter in there and then gets released back into the tank once it matures again in your display. Lesson learned...cure any rock prior to your build.

Regarding bubble algae, I took the single rock out of the tank and scrubbed the living crap out if it and then rinsed it twice in two separate 5-gl buckets. Hopefully I nailed it with that one rock only showing signs and no other bubble algae appears. I really hate dealing with any algae issues for that matter.

As far as Aiptasia, I am really counting on my CBB to get this out of my tank. If not, I know for a fact that Aiptasia Eating File Fish DO WORK. In my last display it eradicated them on the spot. The only problem they will go after softies when they are finished with the Aiptasia; like my wonder Elegance coral, etc.

Well......HTH and many thanks.

[Meercat_Maric]

Setup 2 tanks, one reef one FOWLR. Prime reason? Angel fish, you will eventually want one - so make sure you can house it without losing corals along the way. WHo wants to babysit their fish an ensure they arent eating everything in the tank?? I did, now I dont.

[donkeys4hire]

Too bad I joined the RC community after I set up the reef, probably like most others. This would be a great read to anyone before starting a new tank. Instead of reading this upon a rebuild.

[huskysglare1]

I would build a simple SUMP! no rocks, just a little live sand and a lot of Cheato.

[Lamball1]

1. +1 for not trusting 1 guy's/LFS opinion.
2. Do it your own way, don't let people push you around if you don't do it the "right" way.

[cr500_af]

I would have bought better equipment the first time, so I wouldn't have to buy it again.

I would not trust a LFS' advice UNTIL I got some feedback on the store. The LFS that took advantage of my "noob" status is gone now, but I still wasted some money. Very much related to statement 1 above.

I would start my tank with ALL dry rock, and I would have learned earlier about why we dip corals. Zero "pests" isn't possible in my current tank, but you can bet it will be in the next one. I had a couple of aiptasia, no biggie, but I've had to fight bubble algae and my wife's tank has had to deal with GHA.

I wouldn't let anybody sell me a pseudochromis at any time. :)

[Reefahholic]

Isn't it amazing how complex it is to have a small piece of ocean in the living room! Yet God created and maintains it so well in the natural! What a Big God we have.

If I could do it over, I would have drilled my tank with a template, started with a 90/g, took more time to plumb with perfection.

Like mentioned before... slow down, research, think about future mantience, and know ur gonna spend $4,000 quickly. It is gonna happen..

[cherubfish pair]

From now on I'll have a professional drill my tanks and sumps. I was always drilling too fast and had tiny chips which turned into cracks. I had to throw away a nice system since it cracked after I had it running.

[Fish4Me2]

My advice, learned the hard way, is that whenever you first see any kind of pest, be it bubble algae, hair algae, dinos, asternia, overgrowing xenia, AEFW, red planaria, or anything else, take action right away. Don't let it sit for just a few weeks while you "decide what to do" or "gather supplies", because it will become more impossible to eradicate each day you wait. Think through it quickly, and take well researched action. :)

[canrio]

Great advise. Thanks