I have returned! (Maybe)

[Fmellish]

I was super active here a decade ago. Built a huge reef tank, ran it for years. Became a slave to it, then tore it all down. I was unhappy with the amount of manual daily maintenance required.

After being reef free for 10 years, (and just having a small fresh water planted tank), I walked into a pet store the other day and noticed lighting seems to have come a long way.

I had to run large Metal Hallide lights to get sand floor shimmer, and it heated up the house, and required a chiller, etc, etc. But I saw now days they have these awesome LED lights that are super slim and produce shimmer on the sand?

Is it time for me to come back? Is it time to get back into this hobby? Has technology solved all the problems of yesteryear?

Anyway, if I don't come all the way back, at least I've come back here to do a little research. Kids will be off to college soon and I'll need a hobby.

/wave

[mcgyvr]

Well...leds are certainly here to stay and capable..
Welcome back maybe.. ;)

[Fmellish]

Thanks!

just got done watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukePe3OzaQU

It looks like LEDs can be pretty expensive if done right.

[pshootr]

Long story short. This hobby still requires a lot of attention. LED lights are cool but T5's produce excellent results.

LEDs have some benefits. But none of them make the hobby easier.

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[pshootr]

Water chemistry, stability, and flow are still the most important factors. Lighting is optional as long as you have the correct Spectrum and par. It does not matter how you achieve it.

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[pshootr]

I would like to quote Than, from tidal gardens. "If I had to pick a single source of light, without using a combination of tech. it would be T5's"..



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[shamoo]

Hello

if you're looking at a reducing the maintance,, re-search the Triton Method. Youtube is also a good place to re-search it. in a nut shell, you get 4 different dosing liquids, send your sample to Germany, they analyze the water and recommend how much to dose untill your levels are near as what sea water is. then you dose around 12ml a day. the enitial start up is a bit costly, but like you i want a minimal amount maintance which this claims to do by not needing to do water changes. i am in the process of getting mine set up.
have a search for BRS on youtube, they do loads of quality videos

[homer1475]

Triton method requires a rather large refugium, no mechanical filtration, a whole bunch of tests that cost about 50$ a piece to do, a whole slew of chemicals that they want you to add, and the test results takes weeks to get.


Personally not sold on the triton method, but there are certainly plenty of people running variations of it, and they seem to be going good.



Nothing will replace the berlin method for plain and simple. The trick with water changes is to set your tank up so all you have to do is throw a few valves and your done. The idea as we get older is to work smarter, not harder.

[JWClark]

And once things are out of whack--recovery can be long, if not impossible (RE Triton). Read through D2Mini's most recent build as an example.

I would say the biggest change has been the automation technology, not LEDs per say. When I left the first time none of it existed, and I didn't have the funds to pay for it. Between dosing pumps and controllers you can set up a nice system that only requires a few tests a week and periodic filling of top off and salt water change reservoirs and adjusting dosing rates.

But the basics are the same. I second Berlin method as still the best.

[bcb577]

Basically leds are great but it doesn't change the fact that things can and will go wrong and technology can be of great value but the natural way of things dont change,fortunately for me I like the maintenance part of having a reef tank I find great satisfaction when my tank looks great and everything in the tank seems happy!

[Green Chromis]

Hello

if you're looking at a reducing the maintance,, re-search the Triton Method. Youtube is also a good place to re-search it. in a nut shell, you get 4 different dosing liquids, send your sample to Germany, they analyze the water and recommend how much to dose untill your levels are near as what sea water is. then you dose around 12ml a day. the enitial start up is a bit costly, but like you i want a minimal amount maintance which this claims to do by not needing to do water changes. i am in the process of getting mine set up.
have a search for BRS on youtube, they do loads of quality videos
:fish1: Why not just use NSW as weekly water changes, or automatic water changes? :fish1:

[shamoo]

:fish1: Why not just use NSW as weekly water changes, or automatic water changes? :fish1:

The post stated he was a slave to maintance, setting up automatic water changes requires more maintance.. making the water, storing it etc. I gave him an option of something that claims to reduce/eliminate water changes whilst keeping the paremters in check.

[Green Chromis]

The post stated he was a slave to maintenance, setting up automatic water changes requires more maintenance.. making the water, storing it etc. I gave him an option of something that claims to reduce/eliminate water changes whilst keeping the parameters in check.

:fish1: Hi, I thought the Triton Method was pretty labor intensive, due to adding chemicals everyday, and constantly testing the water. It seems a lot easier to set up a water top off and water change system using a controller to run everything, all you need to do is either make water once a month, or collect your own NSW. :fish1: