New, but Not New to the Hobby

[apache73]

Hey Guys,

Have a few questions about where things are presently with the Reefer hobby community.

It's been close to 20 years since the last time I kept a reef/salt water aquarium. In those days, water controllers were the newest thing, T5s were projected to replace MH lights, LED lights weren't on the scene yet (at least not mainstream), etc.

So, in 20 years time what have been some of the innovations?
What are some of the bigger improvements with the equipment?
Have any major strides been made with water management such as bacteria (the good kind), algae control, etc?
I see synthetic live rock is more of a thing.

Reason I ask all this stuff, is that I am contemplating jumping back into the hobby from a long hiatus.

Your insights are appreciated!

G

 

[Uncle99]

The main concepts of building your saltwater bio-sphere had not changed but as you said, equipment has changed.
While there are a ton of choices especially in terms of automation and monitoring of water chemistry, caution should be exercised as while they are supposed to make things more stable, or easier, some cause more problems than they solve.

LEDS are popular becuase of the ability to make many corals “pop” and run less hot than T5 or MH. They can also be one of the cheaper options if you look at lights like WILLIS, Viparspectra and a few others. Many come with limited control of colour, intensity, but, I assure you corals don’t care about sunsets, lighting storms and that stuff, people like those things. So if your a tech kinda person, the skies the limit. The bad part of to much control is the want to keep changing things….now this….corals hate hate hate.

So you need to ask yourself, what style are you? Do you have a ton of money and like the latest greatest?
Or are you on a budget? Either way, you can have a nice tank.

There’s a ton of hype of products these days with zero proof they do what they say. So beware.

There are a few absolutes.
Rock. This is where the algae’s and bacteria’s live. Without a strong team here, not going to happen.
Sand. For me, it’s an extension of rock and provides a ton of surface area for your bio friends to develop.
Saltwater, 1.025-1.026 assuming your keeping inverts.
Skimmer. While not needed immediately, is a great exporter of dissolved organics.
Light. Most of your inhabitants are phyto synthetic so a must have. But I’ve grown every type of coral with cheap reef lights. But they come on in the morning, off at night, same spectrum, same intensity, same same same. Corals love that.
ATO. I include this as keeping salinity stable is a key water chemistry issue. The ATO acheives this well and prevents you from dumping water in every few hours to mimic the ATO.
Test kits. For me, a big player. No chance of providing great water without knowing tank monitoring levels. You can get things to both auto test, and auto dose based on those tests. The problem I found is after some time, the probes go out of calibration and then the dose follows that. Can be very a disaster.
Temp controller. A must IMM. This device prevents a “stuck” heater from cooking everything, could happen in minutes so this one a big big must….I use INKBIRD, it’s $40, will also send a notice to your phone advsing of any problem found and what action was taken.

So those are mine, I sure others may add to the list.

Everyone different. Good luck if you go forward.

 

[griss]

The main concepts of building your saltwater bio-sphere had not changed but as you said, equipment has changed.
While there are a ton of choices especially in terms of automation and monitoring of water chemistry, caution should be exercised as while they are supposed to make things more stable, or easier, some cause more problems than they solve.

LEDS are popular becuase of the ability to make many corals “pop” and run less hot than T5 or MH. They can also be one of the cheaper options if you look at lights like WILLIS, Viparspectra and a few others. Many come with limited control of colour, intensity, but, I assure you corals don’t care about sunsets, lighting storms and that stuff, people like those things. So if your a tech kinda person, the skies the limit. The bad part of to much control is the want to keep changing things….now this….corals hate hate hate.

So you need to ask yourself, what style are you? Do you have a ton of money and like the latest greatest?
Or are you on a budget? Either way, you can have a nice tank.

There’s a ton of hype of products these days with zero proof they do what they say. So beware.

There are a few absolutes.
Rock. This is where the algae’s and bacteria’s live. Without a strong team here, not going to happen.
Sand. For me, it’s an extension of rock and provides a ton of surface area for your bio friends to develop.
Saltwater, 1.025-1.026 assuming your keeping inverts.
Skimmer. While not needed immediately, is a great exporter of dissolved organics.
Light. Most of your inhabitants are phyto synthetic so a must have. But I’ve grown every type of coral with cheap reef lights. But they come on in the morning, off at night, same spectrum, same intensity, same same same. Corals love that.
ATO. I include this as keeping salinity stable is a key water chemistry issue. The ATO acheives this well and prevents you from dumping water in every few hours to mimic the ATO.
Test kits. For me, a big player. No chance of providing great water without knowing tank monitoring levels. You can get things to both auto test, and auto dose based on those tests. The problem I found is after some time, the probes go out of calibration and then the dose follows that. Can be very a disaster.
Temp controller. A must IMM. This device prevents a “stuck” heater from cooking everything, could happen in minutes so this one a big big must….I use INKBIRD, it’s $40, will also send a notice to your phone advsing of any problem found and what action was taken.

So those are mine, I sure others may add to the list.

Everyone different. Good luck if you go forward.
View attachment 32413727

As someone who’s been in the hobby since the 1980s, I couldn’t have said it better.

 

[apache73]

The main concepts of building your saltwater bio-sphere had not changed but as you said, equipment has changed.
While there are a ton of choices especially in terms of automation and monitoring of water chemistry, caution should be exercised as while they are supposed to make things more stable, or easier, some cause more problems than they solve.

LEDS are popular becuase of the ability to make many corals “pop” and run less hot than T5 or MH. They can also be one of the cheaper options if you look at lights like WILLIS, Viparspectra and a few others. Many come with limited control of colour, intensity, but, I assure you corals don’t care about sunsets, lighting storms and that stuff, people like those things. So if your a tech kinda person, the skies the limit. The bad part of to much control is the want to keep changing things….now this….corals hate hate hate.

So you need to ask yourself, what style are you? Do you have a ton of money and like the latest greatest?
Or are you on a budget? Either way, you can have a nice tank.

There’s a ton of hype of products these days with zero proof they do what they say. So beware.

There are a few absolutes.
Rock. This is where the algae’s and bacteria’s live. Without a strong team here, not going to happen.
Sand. For me, it’s an extension of rock and provides a ton of surface area for your bio friends to develop.
Saltwater, 1.025-1.026 assuming your keeping inverts.
Skimmer. While not needed immediately, is a great exporter of dissolved organics.
Light. Most of your inhabitants are phyto synthetic so a must have. But I’ve grown every type of coral with cheap reef lights. But they come on in the morning, off at night, same spectrum, same intensity, same same same. Corals love that.
ATO. I include this as keeping salinity stable is a key water chemistry issue. The ATO acheives this well and prevents you from dumping water in every few hours to mimic the ATO.
Test kits. For me, a big player. No chance of providing great water without knowing tank monitoring levels. You can get things to both auto test, and auto dose based on those tests. The problem I found is after some time, the probes go out of calibration and then the dose follows that. Can be very a disaster.
Temp controller. A must IMM. This device prevents a “stuck” heater from cooking everything, could happen in minutes so this one a big big must….I use INKBIRD, it’s $40, will also send a notice to your phone advsing of any problem found and what action was taken.

So those are mine, I sure others may add to the list.

Everyone different. Good luck if you go forward.
View attachment 32413727

Hey, thanks for the very informative reply!

 

[wvned]

The best new thing to me is the Hydros controller. It can do the work of several other common tank Items like the Temp controller and an ATO in a cost effective way.
It can grow and do a whole bunch of things now. It is simple to use because you simply fill out forms so it isn't really programming at all. It is so simple I even have one on a freshwater tank running the heater and topping it off.

Look at the Brand Jebao for pumps and wavemakers. Ignore old posts complaining about them. They caught up with everyone else and will do the same thing for half the price.

A lot of things arent a thing any more. Deep sand beds, wet and dry filters and for some people even a skimmer aren't used anymore.

Live rock isn't from a dynamited reef anymore. It is mined rock placed in the ocean to get life on it and then recovered to be sold. You will see the word live or life on many types of dry rock but it isnt really alive with anything at all.
You can mix the man made stuff and ocean rock 50/50 and save a bit of money.

 

[griss]

The best new thing to me is the Hydros controller. It can do the work of several other common tank Items like the Temp controller and an ATO in a cost effective way.
It can grow and do a whole bunch of things now. It is simple to use because you simply fill out forms so it isn't really programming at all. It is so simple I even have one on a freshwater tank running the heater and topping it off.

Look at the Brand Jebao for pumps and wavemakers. Ignore old posts complaining about them. They caught up with everyone else and will do the same thing for half the price.

A lot of things arent a thing any more. Deep sand beds, wet and dry filters and for some people even a skimmer aren't used anymore.

Live rock isn't from a dynamited reef anymore. It is mined rock placed in the ocean to get life on it and then recovered to be sold. You will see the word live or life on many types of dry rock but it isnt really alive with anything at all.
You can mix the man made stuff and ocean rock 50/50 and save a bit of money.

Yep, Jebao are great pumps.

You really can’t get Indo-Pacific rock anymore. We do have some outstanding companies that aquacultured rock here in the US.

Tampa Bay Saltwater - Gulf Rock
KP Aquatics - Caribbean Rock
Gulf Live Rock - Gulf Rock

 

[griss]

Oh, and Australian is exporting live rock, but it’s pricy as hell.

 

[apache73]

Thanks guys!

 

[griss]

Thanks guys!

You bet, if money were no object, I'd do all Aussie rock for my upgrade. But, I'm going to use my existing rock and a combo of the three Gulf/Caribbean vendors for variety.

 

[apache73]

You bet, if money were no object, I'd do all Aussie rock for my upgrade. But, I'm going to use my existing rock and a combo of the three Gulf/Caribbean vendors for variety.

If I jump back in it will be along the nano route in terms of aquarium size. I am kind of a minimalist with my aquascapes.

 

[Guygettnby]

I have and always will be a fan of the real rocks. Marketplace or Craigslist is a good option for sourcing those hard to find imported rocks. 95% of all of my rock has been carried around from tank to tank thru the years. Finding actual live rock is harder these days. I decided this time around to take about a month and bleach all my old rock. Took a long time, but im cautious and took extra time on the final steps.

LED lights can be great once you find a decent fixture that you like, can stomach the price and get it setup properly. Nothing compares to the good old MH/VHO or MH/T5 combo IMHO, But many LED fixtures come very close to the shimmer.

Wet/dry I am not really a fan of and have only ever really used once. I always use a refugium now. Protein Skimmer is a must for me, always has been and always will be. There are those who do not use them and have great success.

Sometimes the good old tried and true just works and as always patience is the key. Nothing good happens overnight and takes time. That at times can be the hardest part for me personally.

Good luck with everything!

 

[apache73]

I have and always will be a fan of the real rocks. Marketplace or Craigslist is a good option for sourcing those hard to find imported rocks. 95% of all of my rock has been carried around from tank to tank thru the years. Finding actual live rock is harder these days. I decided this time around to take about a month and bleach all my old rock. Took a long time, but im cautious and took extra time on the final steps.

LED lights can be great once you find a decent fixture that you like, can stomach the price and get it setup properly. Nothing compares to the good old MH/VHO or MH/T5 combo IMHO, But many LED fixtures come very close to the shimmer.

Wet/dry I am not really a fan of and have only ever really used once. I always use a refugium now. Protein Skimmer is a must for me, always has been and always will be. There are those who do not use them and have great success.

Sometimes the good old tried and true just works and as always patience is the key. Nothing good happens overnight and takes time. That at times can be the hardest part for me personally.

Good luck with everything!

I have and always will be a fan of the real rocks. Marketplace or Craigslist is a good option for sourcing those hard to find imported rocks. 95% of all of my rock has been carried around from tank to tank thru the years. Finding actual live rock is harder these days. I decided this time around to take about a month and bleach all my old rock. Took a long time, but im cautious and took extra time on the final steps.

LED lights can be great once you find a decent fixture that you like, can stomach the price and get it setup properly. Nothing compares to the good old MH/VHO or MH/T5 combo IMHO, But many LED fixtures come very close to the shimmer.

Wet/dry I am not really a fan of and have only ever really used once. I always use a refugium now. Protein Skimmer is a must for me, always has been and always will be. There are those who do not use them and have great success.

Sometimes the good old tried and true just works and as always patience is the key. Nothing good happens overnight and takes time. That at times can be the hardest part for me personally.

Good luck with everything!

Yep, Jebao are great pumps.

You really can’t get Indo-Pacific rock anymore. We do have some outstanding companies that aquacultured rock here in the US.

Tampa Bay Saltwater - Gulf Rock
KP Aquatics - Caribbean Rock
Gulf Live Rock - Gulf Rock

Of the online vendors who would you say are willing to go an extra step with the customer by accommodating size and shapes requests?

I stopped by the LFS closest to me and was unimpressed with their selection of live rock. So, it looks like I am going to do this online.

Cheers,
G

 

[griss]

Shape is going to be hit or miss for Gulf and Caribbean aquacultured rock. I’m pretty sure they all use something similar to Marco Rocks dry rock. So, it’s all pretty much the same shape. Then, they dump it in the ocean for several years before harvesting.

When I bought my KP rock, I told them my tank size and they did a great job matching the rock size to the tank.

 

[wvned]

I told TBS I wanted some large rocks but they had to fit the 2 x 2 openings in the top and they came through. They will dive to find rocks if you have special requests. It did take about a week longer to get the order.

 

[Uncle99]

Of the online vendors who would you say are willing to go an extra step with the customer by accommodating size and shapes requests?

I stopped by the LFS closest to me and was unimpressed with their selection of live rock. So, it looks like I am going to do this online.

Cheers,
G

The only time I used live rock, I was unlucky.
Got a green mantis and likely Aptasia from this rock.
It was months down the road before they showed themselves.

The mantis stalked and killed three fish before being eliminated.
It took years to rid the Aptasia, in the end only the CBB did them in.

After that, I always used dry rock, use the Carib-Sea stuff as it looks great, day one.

I can’t tell the difference between live and dry starts over time, just the live rock is instant cycle.
I can wait the week to ensure no pests are introduced.

Some say live rock is best and worth those risks. Just a choice thing.

 

[Guygettnby]

Take a look on marketplace, Craigslist or another local source like clubs. There is always somebody selling rock for cheap and then you get to pick and choose what you get. Simply take the time to clean the rock correctly and you don't run into any pest issue's. The cycle will take alittle longer, but this hobby has always been about patience anyways.

 

[wvned]

I guess it depends on what you want. Do you want a piece of the ocean or just a fish tank with salty water. If you choose the piece of ocean you have to take the bad with the good. Personally I dont think any of them are bad or pests. They are simply incompatible with other things you may want to do. They are certainly fascinating to watch.

a molt. I kept several types of crabs that came in my rock. Fascinating things. Some got large and let Jill and I feed them by hand.
With gulf rock most things you get can be Identified with various websites. I got 150 pounds of live rock for the 240. I had all kinds of things. I also used 120 pounds of man made stuff with it. It is true that after a year or so you cant tell them apart.
There is nothing wrong with having a simple reef tank with carefully controlled additions of corals and fish. It just doesnt appeal much to me. I am more of a watch the animals do their thing type.

 

[Guygettnby]

I always loved the free hitchhikers! Even set up a separate tank for them at one point.