If you had it all to do over again.....

[thetedinator]

what is the one thing you would do differently. An answer like "start with a bigger tank" is actually more than one thing because you would likely change some equipment to use with the bigger tank.

I'll start.....I would have bought a euro style tank. I didn't know better and let my LFS order me a tank more suitable for fish, than for MH lighting and corals. He did this knowing I was going to emphasize corals in the tank.

Ted

 

[reedman]

Get an acrylic reef-ready tank. That way I'd have a sump without any worries of flood and I could run my closed loop through the back without all the extraineous plumbing I have now. Bigger skimmer. Calcium reactor. Refractometer. Barebottom from the start. Longer tank so I could keep the fish that like to swim in open water. Deeper front to back tank for better aquascaping. Probably would have used tunze streams with the controllers instead of the AM3K for flow.

Most importantly, I would have set up a quarantine tank so that I could observe an remove the unwanted nasties (Red Bugs in particular).

Good thread for people to learn from our mistakes

 

[mojoreef]

I wouldnt have broken the absolute cardinal rule "Yes Honey if I get to buy something so do you"

Cost me thousands


Mike

 

[Oscapus]

I would have thought more about electrical power requirements and what outlets and circuits were available for my tanks, especially in the living room where you may want something besides aquariums (hard to believe, eh?). A MH lighting system with all the works on the same 15 amp circuit as a chiller, or my home theater system, etc. You get tired of setting the blinking clock all the time...My main tank is now powered by 2 very heavy duty extension cords coming discretely from the kitchen, where there was a 20 amp outlet dedicated to an installed microwave. The microwave is stored in my closet now.

 

[Angelscrx]

The only thing I would change is the plumbing and the stand. I love my current set up but will be upgrading soon. I haven't been in the hobby long enough to know any better so any progress in my current system is a success. I will however do a lot more research on coral placement and requirements as I have killed two due to newbieness. So I guess more research would be my biggest thing. The more I learn the more I am in awe of this awesome hobby and the more I become a reef addict.

 

[ScottT1980]

Plenty of things:

Gone with a 90 or 75 instead of a 55...

Drilled the tank instead of using a hang-on overflow...

Not used a plenum, but instead just run with a DSB...

Never gotten a maroon clownfish, or my biggest bully, a red-lipped blenny...

Never have introduced a wild zoanthid colony, it introduced some pathogen (I presume bacterial or viral) that took out most of my zoanthids...

 

[Craig Manoukian]

I never read directions or the owners manual so probably nothin' different. I'm an expert in the school of hard knocks. For instance you have to goof-up a sump/refugium arrangement before you get it right.

Now my next tank, I'll just learn some new stuff and add it to the old!

 

[coralseas]

i would have bought test stuff lots of it , cuz knowing is haf the battle, and ran phosphate remover sooner , for about 18 weeks my sps slowed to a stop on growing, i learnd and got a remover and now they are growing nice and fast

the key is to get as much info as posible and use it

 

[jazznreef]

Well, had I known better, I never ever would have stepped foot in a Seattle LFS called The Fish Store. Just plain bad and bordering on evil I tell 'ya....

 

[Elmo18]

Well, had I known better, I never ever would have stepped foot in a Seattle LFS called The Fish Store. Just plain bad and bordering on evil I tell 'ya....

I agree on the bad and evil part.

- Elmo

 

[AussieReef]

Take my time and not rushed this time too.
i would automated water changes and as much as i possibly could.
Redo sumps and plumbing.
maybe go starboard as i find DSB's ugly and any sand causing scratches to glass.

Cheers
Brad

 

[dgasmd]

I would have designed my tank a little differently so I could use the tunze streams and not have to see them instead of using close loops. Thn again, this is pulling straws here LOL.........

 

[wrightme43]

Put the sump in before I set up the tank.
Bought the aqua c skimmer
bought the metal halide system instead of the pc system
had the tank drilled instead of cpr overflow
painted the back of the tank instead of plastic backing
had the tank drilled for a closed loop
never gotten married to my second wife. LOL
would of left out the bicolor angel and just had the blueface, coral beauty, and pygmy
would of left out the yellow tang and just had the blonde naso
would of not put the palys so close to the pretty monti cap frag I have.
would of had the sump drilled for a external pump
would of made the baffels taller
would of aquascaped 1" further away from the glass
Thats about all I can think of LOL
Did I mention not ever meeting my second wife? LOL
Steve

 

[coolcol]

Am just about to start fresh...first time with my 7ftx3ft(high)x2ft glass tank.
Doing everything slowly...and trying to save money aswell (not an easy proposistion with a reef tank!!!!)
first things first......Correct size skimmer.....well so many to choose from...but I am seriously considering building my own along the lines of a giant ''Deltec 850''....1st problem...trying to get a large Acrylic or similar tube...oh well am enjoying reading your posts in the meantime!
And threads like this are a great bonus to see what you guys would have changed....
Oh and '''wrightme43'''...........Hope your wife doesnt read your posts!!!!.. I bet you love her really!

 

[wrightme43]

Now thats a big glass tank. It will be nice. Nope I really had to get shut of her. Psycho! She is just way up there on the list of things if I had to do over, I wouldnt do. LOL. Hope you all have a good day. Steve

 

[thetedinator]

Am just about to start fresh...first time with my 7ftx3ft(high)x2ft glass tank.
Doing everything slowly...and trying to save money aswell (not an easy proposistion with a reef tank!!!!)
first things first......Correct size skimmer.....well so many to choose from...but I am seriously considering building my own along the lines of a giant ''Deltec 850''....1st problem...trying to get a large Acrylic or similar tube...oh well am enjoying reading your posts in the meantime!
And threads like this are a great bonus to see what you guys would have changed....
Oh and '''wrightme43'''...........Hope your wife doesnt read your posts!!!!.. I bet you love her really!

coolcol, going slow is wise. Good luck with the tank.

 

[coolcol]

I know just what you mean ''wrightme43''...lifes to short to waste it in the wrong company.....

Cheers ''thetedinator''...............I had so many ideas before joining forums like this and now realise most of them were Bold and naive to say the least!!

My one real desire is to construct my own Skimmer....my one question to any of the scientists out there is concerning the air venturi tube.........
When i have used such a device on say an aquaclear 802....the bubbles ceased when the powerhead was submerged about 6-8in ...obviously the suction created by the venturi device on the powerhead was not stong enough to overcome the water pressure at 6-8in.....NOW....
When i use the same feature on my Red sea Berlin skimmer the air line is over 12in long ...well below the height of the water in the skimmer.....this seems true of any skimmer.....
How is it possible for the venturi in my Red sea Berlin skimmer to overcome the pressure of water in the deep skimmer?

Beats me......if anyone can explain i would be pleased to hear it.....anyway....here is a pic of my proposed Skimmer..any helpful comments or advice would be appreciated......Colin.

Oh forgot to mention........does anyone have any ideas on a suitable tube...i was thinking of Acrylic or perspex but availability is a problem.....anyone made a skimmer that is not made from either a TUBE or from a different material?

In fact i might even copy this over to the DIY section

 

[snobanker]

Let me just say , I wouldnt have done any of the things I did.... lol

 

[gobie]

I Woldn't Change A Thing Even Though I Have Had My Share Of Headaches I Have Learned Some Invalueable Lessions Form My Years Of Doing This. It Is Cool When I See People At Some Of The Lfs And New To The Hobby. Isee The Whispering And Wondering And I Will Give Them The Best Advice Read, Learn, Ask. Cause We Are All Still Learning.

 

[snobanker]

Dave, I amend my former post.....although it was mainlly meant humorously...You're absolutly right. I guess I wouldn't trade my experiences. The mistakes I made, and the mistakes I will continue to make, are what helps me learn. I guess if I had done it all right, I would have no clue what to do when something goes wrong. I suppose when it really comes down to it the one thing I would have changed is finding this site sooner.....I have learned a ton asking questions, and reading other posts.