Hi!
I just setup a reef tank after being out of the hobby for almost 20 years! Man, have things changed since then! I use to have a 120gal reef tank that was "powered" by 2x250w metal halide bulbs and 440w of blue actinic fluorescents. I don't miss the power bill and the need to change the bulbs so frequently. What a pain! I went relatively small for this build... a WaterBox 60.2 with a Ecotech XR15 G5 Pro that fits nicely in a little niche in my home. I set it up in August and am now in my 6th month! I unfortunately have been battling dinos for the last couple months, which was not a problem when I use to be in reefing. Granted, I started with REAL live rock from Fiji and Tonga. I think we are better as a hobby using aquacultured or synthetic live rock, but it has its pros and cons. One con is that we just can't replicate the diversity we use to get from real live rock, and I feel that is the reason people have been battling with more dinos. That of course came with lots of stowaways and unwanted pests, but I kinda miss finding new critters in the tank. Anyways, I am just happy to be back in it! I am located in Orlando, FL and am lucky enough to be a shortish drive from WWC! I am also a research scientist by profession. So this hobby is right up my alley! Hopefully there is more enjoyment than frustration in my future!
I just setup a reef tank after being out of the hobby for almost 20 years! Man, have things changed since then! I use to have a 120gal reef tank that was "powered" by 2x250w metal halide bulbs and 440w of blue actinic fluorescents. I don't miss the power bill and the need to change the bulbs so frequently. What a pain! I went relatively small for this build... a WaterBox 60.2 with a Ecotech XR15 G5 Pro that fits nicely in a little niche in my home. I set it up in August and am now in my 6th month! I unfortunately have been battling dinos for the last couple months, which was not a problem when I use to be in reefing. Granted, I started with REAL live rock from Fiji and Tonga. I think we are better as a hobby using aquacultured or synthetic live rock, but it has its pros and cons. One con is that we just can't replicate the diversity we use to get from real live rock, and I feel that is the reason people have been battling with more dinos. That of course came with lots of stowaways and unwanted pests, but I kinda miss finding new critters in the tank. Anyways, I am just happy to be back in it! I am located in Orlando, FL and am lucky enough to be a shortish drive from WWC! I am also a research scientist by profession. So this hobby is right up my alley! Hopefully there is more enjoyment than frustration in my future!
