One year into reefing - lessons learned, lessons still to learn

[ThunderGoose]

This week marks the one year tankiversary for my Red Sea Reefer 250 (55 gallons in display). I've learned a LOT in the past year.

1) no matter how much research you do you will not know enough when you get started

2) things will go wrong - do your best to roll with it (good advice for life in general IMO)

3) try to find a local mentor or a reef tank set up/maintenance company for when things go wrong; around month 11 I hired a local guy and he helped me change things up in the sump - it all seems to be working better now (fingers crossed) and my skimmer is finally working correctly!

4) ask questions - here, there, everywhere
4b) you will get more than one answer, they may all be correct

5) bigger is not always better. Yes a big tank is more stable but around month 6 I set up a nano tank that has really been easy to manage and has brought me a lot of pleasure (not shown)

6) you will get frustrated and consider quitting - don't!

Things I still have to learn:

1) how to take and process decent pictures (project for the holiday break???)

2) how to get my corals to grow and not just survive (I may be on the right track now but we'll have to wait and see)

3) patience

Things I wish I had done different:

1) gone slower with buying corals - maybe actually having a PLAN and not just impulse buying

2) live rock and let the tank sit fallow for months while I dealt with bad hitchhikers (I have live rock in my nano and love it!)

3) more sand area and not built my left hand rock pile so high (in the FTS you can't see the peak because it's hidden behind the BTA)

4) gone slower with choosing fish and waited for what I wanted rather than buy what was available - more blennies and gobies!

5) figured out a way to put the sump in another room or the basement so I wouldn't have the pump noise in our living room

I'm looking forward to 2018. Hopefully it will be more satisfying and less frustrating!

 

[skiergd011013]

I agree, bigger is not always better. I enjoy smaller tanks now. I used to have a 55. now I have a 30 gallon, sumpless, bare bottom, and i am enjoying the hobby more now because this tank is 1/4 of the work that my old one was!

 

[Zagreus]

Great perspective and share. Thank you for taking the time. You have a beautiful tank and I look forward to following your growth into year two!

 

[914joe]

Nice job! You have a good plan, stick with it. After a few years I'm still constantly learning and ideas are always changing.

 

[Susan Edwards]

Much of what you posted mirrors my thoughts as I just hit the 1 year mark as well. Except I am going bigger. Or adding. I have the RS Max c250 (66 gal) and am starting in on my 125 build. the smaller tank is in my office. The other one is going in livingroom. My hubbie really enjoys the corals. For the new tank I am going to try to plan corals and fish. It will mean ordering online to get what I want as lfs are hit and miss. Coral choices are usually good but available fish seem very limited. I love this hobby, love seeing coral growth and have always enjoyed fish watching.

Good luck with your year 2018

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I think you will be quite surprised to find , that what they say about an older tank is true.
I’m the coming months I think you’ll find it’s a different tank than the one you had six months ago.

 

[Tahoe61]

Tank looks excellent.

My title would be 32 years in lessons learned, lesson still to learn.

One of the most dynamic, amazing aspects of this hobby is you can always find something new, re-invent something....it's like no other hobby. No one can encompass it all.

Looks like you're on the right path to getting the corals to grow and thrive to me. The tank really does look excellent.

 

[ThunderGoose]

I think you will be quite surprised to find , that what they say about an older tank is true.
I’m the coming months I think you’ll find it’s a different tank than the one you had six months ago.

I'm looking forward to the second year - I keep hearing a tank doesn't mature until 1 (or 2) years and I'm eager to get there.

 

[ThunderGoose]

Much of what you posted mirrors my thoughts as I just hit the 1 year mark as well. Except I am going bigger. Or adding. I have the RS Max c250 (66 gal) and am starting in on my 125 build. the smaller tank is in my office. The other one is going in livingroom. My hubbie really enjoys the corals. For the new tank I am going to try to plan corals and fish. It will mean ordering online to get what I want as lfs are hit and miss. Coral choices are usually good but available fish seem very limited. I love this hobby, love seeing coral growth and have always enjoyed fish watching.

Good luck with your year 2018

I'd love to go bigger if I had the space. My husband likes looking at the tank but he's not "into" the hobby like I am.

Good luck with your second year, as well. I'm sure this hobby will have ups and downs but the trend should be up.