Tips & Tricks Of Old School Reefing

[Tjakes680]

Reeefing for 30 + years When buying a tank get one as big as you possibly can because if you go small you will want to upgrade in a month !!!!!

 

[jsker]

Put in one of these sunken ships where the bubbles come out of it.

It has been sometime since I have seen one of those

 

[jsker]

Reeefing for 30 + years When buying a tank get one as big as you possibly can because if you go small you will want to upgrade in a month !!!!!

I guess the term, "go big, or go home" works

 

[Flippers4pups]

I guess the term, "go big, or go home" works

Maybe not as big in terms of DT, but total system volume. Sump, refugium.... Definitely more water helps.

 

[Rakie]

"Look for Trends"

"Question Everything"

 

[Paul B]

It has been sometime since I have seen one of those

Me too, but when your Grand Kids get one for you and want to see the bubbles come out of it, what can you do?

 

[shred5]

Best advice - “nothing good happens quickly in reefing”



I break this advice/rule but I try not to!

Been keeping fish since I was like 10 and doing saltwater for like 40 years and reefing over 30 maybe nearing 35.

Best line.. Only bad things happen fast and good things happen slow so have patients.

Also keep it simple stupid.


Over the years the people lasting in the hobby is getting shorter and shorter with the majority not lasting 5 years.



One of the biggest reason is most get in so over their head. Start slow learn the biology and do not rush things. I have lost so many close friends because they break this rule.. Couple of years in the hobby and too many or too large of tanks or spent to much on equipment or corals and something bad happens and they lost so much money or are so disgusted they are out. The hobby can be very addicting.

Another advise is do not be cheap buy a good skimmer now it will save you in the future from having to buy another.

Water changes are the most important thing you can do.


Most of those who have been in the hobby a long time and I mean over 20 years do not go crazy. They mainly have a tank and maybe a frag tank. They can wait till the price comes down on a coral, they always do. They do not have the latest and greatest.

 

[Abhishek]

Been keeping fish since I was like 10 and doing saltwater for like 40 years and reefing over 30 maybe nearing 35.

Best line.. Only bad things happen fast and good things happen slow so have patients.

Also keep it simple stupid.


Over the years the people lasting in the hobby is getting shorter and shorter with the majority not lasting 5 years.



One of the biggest reason is most get in so over their head. Start slow learn the biology and do not rush things. I have lost so many close friends because they break this rule.. Couple of years in the hobby and to many tanks or spent to much on equipment or corals and something bad happens and they lost so much money or are so disgusted they are out. The hobby can be very addicting.

Another advise is do not be cheap buy a good skimmer now it will save you in the future from having to buy another.

Water changes are the most important thing you can do.


Most of those who have been in the hobby a long time and I mean over 20 years do not go crazy. They mainly have a tank and maybe a frag tank. They can wait till the price comes down on a coral, they always do. They do not have the latest and greatest.

Loves the advice @shred5 .

I shall admit I have been guilty of trying some of the newer varieties of tenuis like OP only to realise how much I missed those giant stags and Formosa acropora reefs were known for in the past .
Stags and Formosa have become things of the past and sadly we don't see their dominance in Reef tanks any more .
I promised myself - no more newer signature ones but to strive and go back to finding stags and formosas I used to enjoy a lot .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[shred5]

The solution to pollution is dilution.

 

[jsker]

Me too, but when your Grand Kids get one for you and want to see the bubbles come out of it, what can you do?

LOL, put it in the tank

 

[jsker]

Loves the advice @shred5 .

I shall admit I have been guilty of trying some of the newer varieties of tenuis like OP only to realise how much I missed those giant stags and Formosa acropora reefs were known for in the past .
Stags and Formosa have become things of the past and sadly we don't see their dominance in Reef tanks any more .
I promised myself - no more newer signature ones but to strive and go back to finding stags and formosas I used to enjoy a lot .

Regards,
Abhishek

Same here

 

[Nano sapiens]

Old School reefers may have different likes and dislikes, but the common themes are an inquisitive nature, the ability to apply learned knowledge appropriately, the realization that the simplest solution is most often the best one...and patience.

 

[jsker]

Old School reefers may have different likes and dislikes, but the common themes are an inquisitive nature, the ability to apply learned knowledge appropriately, the realization that the simplest solution is most often the best one...and patience.

Yes the trend is simple and sit back.

 

[Ranjib]

Wow, well where to start? As @jsker stated, there's been a lot of advancements in the hobby since I started. The resource of the internet is to me the biggest. With that said, on to the "old school" stuff........

Reliance on automation is a double edge sword. It is useful and can aid in management of a system, but there's something to be said about "hands on". (Not "hands in the tank"!) Automation has it's flaws and it's total reliance can "bite" you when you thought it had your back. Never trust completely.

Daily "eyes" on a system is truly needed in this hobby. I personally, each day, look at every aspect of my system. From live stock health, to equipment performance, to a simple walk around and look under to inspect for potential issues.

A complete daily visual inspection is needed in my book. Vacations and long duration absence is covered by family and friends educated on what to do if there's a issue.

"Set it and forget it." In other words, little adjustments to any aspect of a system. Water, lights, corals....... Any thing and everything related to the system is done in small moves. Big changes can result in "big" problems. Research before changes, before acting, before purchases.

Reef tanks DON'T LIKE BIG CHANGES!

"Test on a regular basis and be consistent." Wether its every other day, it's weekly, semi weekly...... consistent tells the tale, act accordingly.

"Basics for success"

Quality lighting with proper spectrum

Quality test kits, within expiration dates.

RO/DI unit, maintained as required.

Refractometer, calibrated.

ATO, helps in stability.

Live rock for bio diversity and filtration

Sump for water volume and equipment

Back up equipment, when a piece of critical equipment is serviced or fails.

Medicines and treatment equipment, QT/hospital tank.

Heaters, powerheads/wave makers......etc

I started out back in 93 with the "Berlin method" and pretty much do that still today.

I like your points here. I think this should be the new frontier for reef automation “daily visual inspection of the tank “

 

[dankreef]

Can put syphon hose in a filter sock in the sump and clean tank without doing water changes .

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Here's a good tip from old school successful reef keeping: start a tank with real live rock from the ocean, not that dead junk.

 

[Lasse]

The solution to pollution is dilution.

In the Scandinavian languages - its impossible to play with words in that way - Its possible in English, French and Russian. I have always pondered if that's why we purify our emissions much more than English, French and Russian speaking countries
It is impossible in German too - and consequently - they are also rather good in cleaning water and air.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Cayenne1]

Don't make any changes just before a vacation.

OMG, yes!

I made a change to my filter on a tank I had with two breeding clownfish and a connected fry tank just before leaving on a long vacation. The filter clogged and my house sitter had no idea what to do. Everything died including a mantis shrimp I was never able to trap.

Now this disaster occurred in 1990 while I was working in Saudi Arabia. At that time, you had to learn to scuba dive, travel out to a reef on an old Arab fishing dhow, learn how to collect fish and bring them back alive to your house. That however was nothing compared to loosing a breeding pair of clowns with a successful batch of baby clowns. Again, this was in 1990 when breeding salt water fish was deemed near impossible.

So as Randy states,

"Do Not Make Changes Before Going on Vacation"

and

"Do Not Assume Your Tank Sitter Knows What They're Doing"

 

[Matthew Frost]

As a "new reefer" who has really yet to get their first tank off the ground and running my advice to someone coming into this behind me:

1. Have a plan, write it down.
2. Don't be affraid to buy quality used equipment.
3. Ask A LOT of questions. If something doesn't make sense to you don't glass over it. Chances are its important and ties directly to something else important.
4. MOCK UP EVERYTHING YOU CAN BEFORE YOU FINALIZE/GLUE/FILL WITH WATER. TEST - TEST - TEST. Its a 1000 times easier to fix things when your not working in or under 1000 lbs of water.
5. Money spent on testing equipment is money well spent. Test often and track your measurements.

 

[Midrats]

I do.Waste of money.

I beg to differ, in fact I'd say that that skimmer deserves a spot in the Skimmer Hall of Fame. It was inexpensive, easy to dial in, easy to clean and repair, had a nice chamber for a heater and some chemical media, and you could just hang it right on your tank. CPR helped a lot of people have successful reef tanks back in the Nineties and really propelled the nano hobby with the Bak Pak.

Now the Skilter, that was a piece of junk.