RokleM
Premium Member
Everyone is breaking down and setting up recently, so add me to the list 
Seems like every year around this time I have a major project. Five years ago I brought up the first tank. The next year it was the basement sump and first GEO skimmer (and it's been nothing but GEO craziness since). Then the 180 and monster custom acrylic sump. Then the migration to the 200.... Which leads to apparently this year's task...
Long story short, my time to maintain the tanks doesn't exist like it use to. The twins are will be celebrating their first birthday in a few weeks. I use to spend in a day what I'm lucky to spend in three weeks now on my tanks (and don't get me wrong, the twins are a blast). My corals and systems aren't doing "bad" per say, but they aren't blowing up with growth like they use to. I've decided I'd rather have a smaller easier to maintain system that's flourishing big time due to not having many requirements, than have the larger systems with lackluster growth. For that reason, I'm going to be getting back to my roots with a LPS dominated system (maybe a SPS monti or softie here or there)... At least for a few years until things kind of clam down a bit.
The decision has been a long time coming. I've decided to break down both tanks, and go with a somewhat smaller one. I've talked about breaking down and redoing my LPS tank for over a year now. There are a ton of options for "smaller" systems out there. I'm working on some numbers for the smaller Marineland cubes right now (the 24x24x24 or 30x30x24).
As time is not abundant, this will be a slower process that certainly isn't completed overnight. The list is long of things to accomplish:
As I said, not going to be done tomorrow I'll likely start the early phases in the coming weeks since I have a LOAD of vacation time. We didn't even take a vacation this year, for obvious reasons. I'll probably try to get the SPS in the frag tank gone and 58 broken down by the end of the year, but obviously that depends on the economy and who's interested in frags. To be clear, when/if I'm selling things, I'll start threads specific for that. This is not my sale thread, but the "build thread" I always do when I make changes.
As always, I'll be documenting as I go, hence the reason to the start of this thread. Learn from my success, or abysmal failure. Either way, it should be fun. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it :lol:
Seems like every year around this time I have a major project. Five years ago I brought up the first tank. The next year it was the basement sump and first GEO skimmer (and it's been nothing but GEO craziness since). Then the 180 and monster custom acrylic sump. Then the migration to the 200.... Which leads to apparently this year's task...
Long story short, my time to maintain the tanks doesn't exist like it use to. The twins are will be celebrating their first birthday in a few weeks. I use to spend in a day what I'm lucky to spend in three weeks now on my tanks (and don't get me wrong, the twins are a blast). My corals and systems aren't doing "bad" per say, but they aren't blowing up with growth like they use to. I've decided I'd rather have a smaller easier to maintain system that's flourishing big time due to not having many requirements, than have the larger systems with lackluster growth. For that reason, I'm going to be getting back to my roots with a LPS dominated system (maybe a SPS monti or softie here or there)... At least for a few years until things kind of clam down a bit.
The decision has been a long time coming. I've decided to break down both tanks, and go with a somewhat smaller one. I've talked about breaking down and redoing my LPS tank for over a year now. There are a ton of options for "smaller" systems out there. I'm working on some numbers for the smaller Marineland cubes right now (the 24x24x24 or 30x30x24).
As time is not abundant, this will be a slower process that certainly isn't completed overnight. The list is long of things to accomplish:
- Empty the frag tank of all SPS (beyond the one or two pieces I will keep, easy ones like the encrusting monti's)
- Make a decision on the anemone and clowns. My orange ocellaris have been with me since the very beginning (second pair of fish after the gobies), and are probably apporaching five years old. They're EXTREMELY active breeders on a very quick cycle. I also have my black ocellaris that are about four years old, also breeding like crazy. However, with only one main tank, that leaves me with an extra pair of clownfish. Not sure if I keep them somewhere, find them and the anemone a new home, or what.
- Break down the 58. I've moved a ton of corals out of this, so it's not a HUGE deal. But I need a ton of frag tank space. The acans, 8-10" open brain, 80-100 heads of porkyspawn, etc all will take up considerable room.
- Sell off all my SPS colonies in the 200 so it can be emptied and broken down.
- Decide what hardware to keep, what needs to be sold, what I want to keep for later use or reallocate, and what needs to be reevaluated. I know the deep dimension marineland 200, the 58, the lighting for probably both of those systems, and some pumps (panworld) and power heads (vortech) will go. I also have to determine things I want to change. My water volume will drop quite a bit, so do I keep my monster skimmer and large sump? More than likely, but I have to think it through in detail.
- Hardware fire sale
- Cook all the rock I have (which is a considerable amount), and decide what I want to keep.
- Acquire and setup the new tank. It will probably be in the computer room as my 58 is now. It's an easy place I can keep things "safe" and locked off for now.
- Tidy things up.
As I said, not going to be done tomorrow
I'll likely start the early phases in the coming weeks since I have a LOAD of vacation time. We didn't even take a vacation this year, for obvious reasons. I'll probably try to get the SPS in the frag tank gone and 58 broken down by the end of the year, but obviously that depends on the economy and who's interested in frags. To be clear, when/if I'm selling things, I'll start threads specific for that. This is not my sale thread, but the "build thread" I always do when I make changes.As always, I'll be documenting as I go, hence the reason to the start of this thread. Learn from my success, or abysmal failure. Either way, it should be fun. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it :lol:
