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New member
Hi,
I am new to the forum, however have been keeping saltwater tanks on and off for twenty years. I have recently returned to the hobby to find a plethora of new techniques, equipment and theories! Having researched as much information as possible I have formed the following conclusion; Firstly I should state that I am from South Africa and do not have access to all the online ordering sources you guys have in the first world. As a result of this I have been an adherent of the "less technology more biology" approach to reef systems. The advantage we have is access to large outdoor areas, a tropical climate and flexible municipal laws.
I have been of the opinion that tank approaches are similar to the situation that car manufacturers find themselves in. You get the German/Japanese approach where a small engine is nursed and tuned to get the maximum output from it, and then there is the American way of simply putting a larger engine in it. I am of the larger engine school. Currently I am setting up a 1400l (400 gal) tank, however my opinion is that bigger is better. As a result I have plumbed my existing 1400l tank to my 400l sump and then I pump the water outside of the house to a 2500L tank with perspex covers and macro algae as well as a DSB. After circulating through this reservoir the water is returned to the display tank giving me an effective 4000L+ (1000 gal +) system.
What I would like to know is if there are any possible issues with this system such as sudden nutrient spikes etc. that anyone knows of. I have done an extensive online investigation without any results.
I am new to the forum, however have been keeping saltwater tanks on and off for twenty years. I have recently returned to the hobby to find a plethora of new techniques, equipment and theories! Having researched as much information as possible I have formed the following conclusion; Firstly I should state that I am from South Africa and do not have access to all the online ordering sources you guys have in the first world. As a result of this I have been an adherent of the "less technology more biology" approach to reef systems. The advantage we have is access to large outdoor areas, a tropical climate and flexible municipal laws.
I have been of the opinion that tank approaches are similar to the situation that car manufacturers find themselves in. You get the German/Japanese approach where a small engine is nursed and tuned to get the maximum output from it, and then there is the American way of simply putting a larger engine in it. I am of the larger engine school. Currently I am setting up a 1400l (400 gal) tank, however my opinion is that bigger is better. As a result I have plumbed my existing 1400l tank to my 400l sump and then I pump the water outside of the house to a 2500L tank with perspex covers and macro algae as well as a DSB. After circulating through this reservoir the water is returned to the display tank giving me an effective 4000L+ (1000 gal +) system.
What I would like to know is if there are any possible issues with this system such as sudden nutrient spikes etc. that anyone knows of. I have done an extensive online investigation without any results.
