Randy Holmes-Farley

[StupidsReef]

After reading thousands of articles from you and Eric Bormann among other's I've come to a question.

Without getting to crazy here, I come to the conclusion that due to my ignorance in this hobby I have to look towards those who have more knowledge than myself. Someone to whom can be trusted??

I've been in this hobby since 2004, so I'm a newbie yet. I've come across so much information that at time's I wasn't sure if any of it was useful or not?? Use this.....Don't use that.....This does this, and that does that. Really does anyone have a simple understandable answer to anything??? I have just a few questions that I'd like to get your incite on. Just simple yes or no answer's will do. Anymore than that seem's to start a debate. Everyone is right and everyone else is wrong?? Do I jump or do I run?? Who really knows, I think the answer to that is, No one.

So on with the questions:

1)Is a calcium reactor needed to obtain certain levels and is it worth speeding the money on it?? (if one didn't want to deal with a 2 part solution)

2)Is a GFO reactor needed to obtain a mixed reef in our homes?? This is an area I find of touchy results. The yes & no area. Use it.... don't use it. Which, is the straw that has broke me to this questioning.

3) Is all of the equipment that we use to obtain a mixed reef in our homes really needed? Can you keep a mixed reef with little more than just light's?? No skimmer. No reactor's of any kind?? No 2 part solutions?? Is it possible to just do weekly water changes with a system of only Live Rock & Live Sand without any added techno equipment and have it not only survive but thrive??

I mean other than a few power heads to create water movement it seems that so many lead to nothing else. Or maybe it's so controversial that it would make one ponder if anything is really needed. And if that's so, why then are so many attempting to use so much equipment and additives??

In the beganing I found this hobby exciting and interesting, Now more and more everyday I find it becoming confusing, conflicting incorrect, debating and down right exspensive. It's like being a child and walking into the biggest candy store in the world. Then being told yes you can eat the candy, BUT if you eat to much of it all of your teeth will fall out, then failing to tell you how much is too much?? Leaving you to wonder??? Should I eat it at all, if my teeth are going to fall out. Maybe I'm just feeling a little over whelmed by a wealth of information, but isn't that how we learn?

 

[BeanAnimal]

Re: Randy Holmes-Farley

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13386695#post13386695 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by StupidsReef
So on with the questions:

1)Is a calcium reactor needed to obtain certain levels and is it worth speeding the money on it?? (if one didn't want to deal with a 2 part solution)

There are several ways to achieve an acceptable alkalinity and calcium balance in your tank. A calcium reactor is certainly one of them. Dosing a 2-part solution is another perfectly acceptable method. If you read Rany's articles on this subject you will find that some methods are "self" balancing, and others require YOU to keep things in balance. Each method has pros and cons. You will have to choose a method that fits your husbandry and setup style. I use 2-part and find it the perfect method for me, but other members in our club find calcium reactors perfect for them.

So is it worth spending the money on? That depends on how you consider (or what you consider) to be pros and cons and valuable.

2)Is a GFO reactor needed to obtain a mixed reef in our homes?? This is an area I find of touchy results. The yes & no area. Use it.... don't use it. Which, is the straw that has broke me to this questioning.

If you are looking for a "YES" "NO" answer, then NO. There are plenty of acceptable methods of phosphate removal. Each method has pros and cons. GFO is simply one method of export available to you as a reefkeeper.

3) Is all of the equipment that we use to obtain a mixed reef in our homes really needed? Can you keep a mixed reef with little more than just light's?? No skimmer. No reactor's of any kind?? No 2 part solutions?? Is it possible to just do weekly water changes with a system of only Live Rock & Live Sand without any added techno equipment and have it not only survive but thrive??

That is a very open ended question. There are MANY variables involved, but in general if the water changes are large enough and frequent enough, then you would NOT need any other means of export for nutrients and waste or import of trace elements. That is of course assuming that your change water has everything needed in it.

I mean other than a few power heads to create water movement it seems that so many lead to nothing else. Or maybe it's so controversial that it would make one ponder if anything is really needed. And if that's so, why then are so many attempting to use so much equipment and additives??

Each piece of equipment has pros and cons. We use equipment to help ease our maintenance chores or reduce things like water changes. Each person has a different way of assigning value to time and money and each person gains enjoyment from different aspects of this hobby. What you ENJOY and find VALUE in may not be enjoyable or valuable to another person.

In the beganing I found this hobby exciting and interesting, Now more and more everyday I find it becoming confusing, conflicting incorrect, debating and down right exspensive.

It is only what YOU make of it. You can choose to ignore information, equipment, opinions or methodologies that you wish. Blaze your own path and find out what works for you. Don't beat the rest of the people in the room up because they have differing opinions or methods.

 

[dots]

I find one of the best things of this hobby is that we still don't have all the answers and are still trying to figure it all out.

Did you know the average lifespan for a "reefer" is about two years? So buck up little camper, your ahead of the curve, and I personally have more respect for those who "keep on keepin on" and getting better at it each year.....earning ones "stripes" one could call it. Than those fresh off the turnip truck trying to buy success.....I just wait them out now, 'cuz I know in a month they will be frustrated and be gone. So as the movie that ruined forever your trips to the LFS when childeren are present....."Just keep swimming"

This hobby is more about comitment and less to do with Betty Crocker Cookbook Reeftank Recipes, where 1,2,3=A,B,C all of the time......there are no absolutes and no garuntees.

Its a rare thing today that you find something that just isn't handed to you "turnkey", and someone can't "hold your hand" all of the time........refreshing I say!!!

I enjoy the challenge, and hopefully being part of finding some of the answers...........knowing what the question is, and if everyone talking about the same thing.......now thats the hard part.

 

[hahnmeister]

If you are looking for Randy, its best to get his attention in the chemistry forum... thats where he lurks.

 

[mxett]

I think most of the gadgetry is designed to make the hobby less maintenance demanding whilst improving the ability to provide the consistant necessary conditions your chosen tank inhabitants require..

Using water movement as an example: many qualified aquarium experts agree that strong random water motion is necessary for good coral (and tank) health.
- At a basic level, if you were willing to do it, you could stand above your tank and constantly collect water in a bucket and pour it back into the tank, therefore creating movement. Of course this would be very time demanding, but it would be free.

- Option two, for a little more money, would be to use powerheads to do the work. Of course they are not really random flow, causing dead spots in the tank, allowing the collection of waste. A manual solution for random flow would be to adjust the position and direction of the powerheads manually each hour. This would again be time demanding, but cheaper than a wave maker.

- Option 3, for some extra money again, would be using powerheads with timers, allowing for more random flow, to a limited degree. A little more expensive than option 2, but less demanding on time.

- Option 4 would be to utilise a wave-maker such as a tunze wavebox and stream on a controller, or vortech. These are great at producing strong random flow requiring virtually no maintenance or manual effort, yet are the most expensive option.

Each option is possible. However, generally speaking the ones that are mor expensive are less maintenance demanding, and more consistant.

What you need to do is decided what factors you believe are required to maintain the health of your chosen livestock, such as flow, chemistry, nutrient export etc. Then you need to decide how to maintain those factors given your budget and maintenance commitment.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks for the comments, stupidsreef.

1)Is a calcium reactor needed to obtain certain levels and is it worth speeding the money on it?? (if one didn't want to deal with a 2 part solution)

It is never necessary, but can be a fine choice when demand is high. A two part can also always be used. For a medium to low demand situation, limewater is the third leg of the big three that most folks use one or more of.

2)Is a GFO reactor needed to obtain a mixed reef in our homes?? This is an area I find of touchy results. The yes & no area. Use it.... don't use it. Which, is the straw that has broke me to this questioning.

No, it is not mandatory, but using GFO can be very useful. I have a mixed reef and I do not regularly use GFO, but have occasionally used it when it was handy to do so.

3) Is all of the equipment that we use to obtain a mixed reef in our homes really needed? Can you keep a mixed reef with little more than just light's?? No skimmer. No reactor's of any kind?? No 2 part solutions?? Is it possible to just do weekly water changes with a system of only Live Rock & Live Sand without any added techno equipment and have it not only survive but thrive??

A lot of equipment can make success more likely or easier to attain, if it is used properly. One can succeed in many different ways. The method you propose seems to lack a good phosphate export mechanism, and that may be a problem algae-wise or for calcifying organisms.

 

[BeanAnimal]

How do you always manage to say things in 4 sentances that take me 4 paragraphs...


...don't answer that.

 

[StupidsReef]

Thank you for those who replied. And thank you Randy. I've read most of your articles you've post. I've had a tank going for 4 years now. However I always seem to do something wrong or don't do something, that cause's issues. Thus keeping me on my toes with the latest way's to combat these issue's. I love that part of this hobby, it's challenging.

As of lately I never needed any other form of export of GFO. My cheato has (I assume) kept it at bay. I done nothing different I thought, to change that. Although I've gain a few more sps than in the past. Anyway, at researching GFO & reading your articles among others I started finding everyone disagreeing on which method as well as brand & form of GFO media to use. When I first learned of the Calcium reactor, research was rather easy. Choosing what brand, and what type of media and so forth. Most of the equipment I have has always been rather easy to research and understand the long term needs, the pro's & the con's. However when I came to the GFO, that turn out to be much different than before. And I became frustrated with what to do, or who to turn to for guidance.

I hope I didn't come off brash, I certainly didn't mean to. Like all of us have, I've been through the UP's & Down's of this hobby. I'm on the up side right now and trying my best to stay there. I ended up buy a GFO reactor from Bulk Reef Supply. I fear now that I may have over done it :lol:. I bought the dual reactor thinking because I have 300 gallons that I would need it. I'm finding now, that I shouldn't need that much, but I can still use the second chamber for Carbon. So no harm done.

And all of you are correct, This is a hobby that you have to make work for you. What doesn't work for one.....Might very well work for another. That's what I loved about it when I first started learning about the hobby. As of lately, I lost that. Your replies helped to remind me of this fact. And I thank you all.

Thank you all again for helping me realize why I'm here.

Mike.

 

[StupidsReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13395926#post13395926 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley


2)Is a GFO reactor needed to obtain a mixed reef in our homes?? This is an area I find of touchy results. The yes & no area. Use it.... don't use it. Which, is the straw that has broke me to this questioning.

No, it is not mandatory, but using GFO can be very useful. I have a mixed reef and I do not regularly use GFO, but have occasionally used it when it was handy to do so.[/B]

I think in short this is the answer I was desperatly looking for. Rather than the "yes use one" and the "No don't use one" answer's that I seemed to be receiving. My research pointed towards your answer from what I was understanding. But when I asked if I was right, I was getting either use it all the time, or don't use it at all.

Angain thank you Randy, & all of you.

Mike.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck.

 

[kalosbios]

Sorry to get on this thread so late, but I just found it. . . .

dots (I like the "buck up, little camper" line!), and all, great responses; I came looking for a technological answer, but ended up with a dose of encouragement.

StupidsReef--I know exactly how you feel; I'm even newer at this than you and have often found myself wondering and speculating the same way, especially on a tight budget.

This hobby can be so frustrating at times, and so often, the posts seem to indicate that spending more money on new equipment will solve all our problems. I know different from my profession--education; more money spent on higher technology rarely equates to greater knowledge and and a useful understanding of how to utilize it.

It does, however, provide variety, and a fresh, perhaps more effective, way to deliver the knowledge.

Since we're referring to movies here, In "The Pursuit of Happyness", it's the pursuit that gives meaning and satisfaction to the happiness--you all pointed that out in your own way.

Thank you all for reminding me of that at a time of frustration and revelation (setting up a new reef, of course!).

I love this site!

 

[DidYouSayReefer]

I am close to hitting my 2 year mark. I feel that I have had a successful reef, although small. I have come to the conclusion, while all the gadgetry can be fun to tinker with, sometimes it just adds to more maintenance and head aches. I am going with the less is more attitude as of late. I don't have a heavy demand right now on calcium so kalk works for me. I will go with a two part when I soon upgrade. I am not sure who said it but, "Less technology and more biology". GFO reactor would be nice to have around and give you more room for error. I do agree that all of the choices out there do complicate things. That is why I try to stick with the above saying.

 

[vito is hooked]

I just wish I had the guts and the internet years ago (about 20 years ago ) to do this saltwater adventure, so much to learn and so little time!!! Im hooked big time ! Good Luck and dont STRESS!!