Old Time Reefers

[Rosseau]

-Stubborn old timers won't change...-


This weekend I was out at a few LFS's shopping around for whatever interests me (as usual). More specifically I'm out seeing what the local suppliers can offer me in terms of lighting for a 10 or 15 Gallon Long that i'm in the process of planning.


One of the local stores' clientele is mostly those with custom built large reef tanks (wealthy part of town). I was in asking what they could do for me in terms of MH lighting. The short of it is that they thought I would (i) kill everything in the tank (ii) was wasting my time with a tank smaller than "65 gallons".


Apparently tanks under 65G aren't enjoyable enough to be worth keeping......

They asked my why I wouldn't just buy one of their "frag systems" and put in about 30W of PC... They then directed me towards off-brand nanocube set ups.


I left without spending any money.


I continued on to another store where we happily exchange talk about T5's and MH's over a 15 G. The people at this second store were much younger. I spent money here.


Though I am personally new to the hobby I'm glad that there are new, fresh thinking individuals who aren't afraid to make a tank "under 65G".

IMO a nano is just as exciting and fun to build/maintain (perhaps even harder to do so) than a larger reef tank. Many of us are tight on space or know we aren't going to be living in the same place for the next 15 years and so nanos are a great alternative.


Anyways, keep the good ideas coming and congrats to Louist's nano for getting RC tank of the month!



Thanks for reading along (if you made it).

Cheers,

Rosseau

 

[Rosseau]

comments welcome

 

[Slakker]

I've been to a shop or two that highly recommended I not waste time with anything under 55g, but as you said, the reality of it is that all I can reasonably move is a nano, and with living in the dorms I don't have a choice...I've gotta move it.

 

[kkyyllee]

i went to a store and they told me to let the tank "cycle" w/ out anything in it but sand for at least three weeks before adding live rock

 

[siren]

There is a store here in town that is stuck in about 30 years ago. They still say that underground filters are the way to go, sumps are a waste of time and money, corals are nice, but not worth keeping, and if it's not sterile, get it the hell out of my store!

needless to say I only went there once.

 

[diciple]

Fortunately,Rosseau others have blazed many trails in this hobby for success and not profit,some lfs just want to upgrade you too death,check the nano threads great folks and ideas

 

[dendro982]

Mmmm, in the chain LFS here I'm seeing mostly teenagers, managers are young too. Still oriented on the bigger and more expensive systems, but have a lot of items for nanos too, if you know what you want without asking them.

Coming to LFS is experience, I would like to avoid, if only could be able to find the source of the feeder shrimps (with the bulk price) somewhere else. My dream store is like a vending machine - money in, goods - out, no comments and behavioral patterns.

Trying to get whatever I can online, not live or a food items - from US.

 

[jcjstl]

Yeah i had a 2.5 pico set up and was told im wasting my time.. and was actaul rebuffed when asking questions because i must not be serious if i only had a 2.5

 

[Rosseau]

I feel I've made it look like I don't appreciate "old" reefers. This isn't the case. I more mean the old style of thinking, stubbon, unwilling to try new things sort of reefers. You don't have to be young to try something different.


I understand that these people are always out there. I wanted to say that I've really enjoyed my experience with nano's and maybe someday i'll get myself a bigger tank.

 

[GoingPostal]

I don't have any fish stores near me but in a much larger city a few hours away a fish store had a sign up "Nano reefs are easy, let us help you set one up" next to a few small tank set up with with those 7 watt 6500k bulbs a few ugly pieces of live rock and very little if any corals, one had some polyps, the other had some nice dying ricordia. That'll get people into the hobby alright.
Honestly it just seems to me that a lot of the older owners believe what they learned twenty years ago still and don't bother updating what worked for them. Another problem is that non reefers can't wrap their heads around just keeping coral and inverts and maybe one or two small inactive fish. They don't see the fun in it, but a really nice nano display can change all that.

 

[oldreefer76]

www.saltycritter.com a local store to us, will help you with any size tank you want, discuss the pros and cons of running old versus new technology and there experiences of running both, they will not sell you anything you don't need they are also a sponsor on here ... we do though have another huge store who only believes in the highest of tech stuff and some other smaller stores that need to get with the times

 

[Grunt]

I've been reefing for close to 10years now. I was thinking about putting a 400w14k MH over a 15gal. LOL As long as it was high enough to keep the temp stable. (Didn't end up doing it btw) going to prop systems instead.
Cheers

 

[obsled]

My LFS seems content on selling whatever they can. If that $200 nano all in one system was a sale, they'd tell you to get it regardless of your purpose. They also seem willing enough to give their time but really have no idea. Fortunately, for me all this stuff worked well, but only because I found this and many other sites.

 

[Rosseau]

The power of accesing so many opinions and experiences on the internet is so valuable. We would have many many more problems if these resources weren't out there.

I should keep track of the things I hear said at the LFS'.


I bought mandarin some time last year, after it was bagged and in my hands the woman helping me said "you have a marine tank, right?!".. fortunately I knew what I was getting into

 

[Azial]

Fish stores are all over the place in regards to advice. Ironically so is this very board. It's the hobby in general. I don't attribute it to any specific type.

Here are the common ones:

Suppliments: Natural Suppliments or Liquids

Skimmers: Remora, Tunze, or others? Which is best?

Canister vs Wet Dry: Do they harbor Nitrates or just dang convenient.

Nano Vs 55Gallon +: Can you do a micro reef?

Everyone seems to have an opinion, and they are all mostly right, the problem is that there are so many roads to the same place it only causes confusion for people.

I say, go with your gut, ask questions and when you think something is crap, it probably is, make your OWN decisions. And I am willing to bet not one person has made a mistake that has led to mass death or at the very minimum no growth in a tank.

 

[dragonforce]

I personally keep a 3g and a 37g. Both are mixed reefs good luck, this hobby is nothing more than an art.

 

[dendro982]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9684435#post9684435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rosseau
I more mean the old style of thinking, stubbon, unwilling to try new things sort of reefers.

And their tanks survived?
If seriously, reef keepers are different from LFS sales people: for the business, if the the single expensive items bring more profit (just a guess), who can blame them for unwillingness to sell less profitable items. And they will be stubborn, defending their staying in business...

BTW, North York, Scarborough and Yorkdale mall have a small tanks setups: the first two - Bio-Cubes, the last - mayan style, vertical tank (don't remember - with inhabitants or plastic decorations only). Love these shapes! And, just for laughs, the NY made the first degree questioning my tank's ability to support 2 mandarins before selling them, with follow up questioning month later

I tried different sizes of the tanks - 1g, 2.5, 5-6g, 10, 20L an 20XH, and 90g.
Most physical work and expenses are with 90g, nanos are much easier!
I still have unsolved problems with picos - access to the cleaning debris and scrubbing off coraline algae at the bottom, removing objects from under the rock. May be, eventually will be able to keep them.
The best trouble free size for me is 5-6g.