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rockymountreef

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So it really isn’t that hard to have a killer reef aquarium if you find all the right information early before making mistakes.

15 years and I have learned from several mistakes


mistake 1)
Do not get a little canister filter or overhang filter – like the $250 eheim 2222 I purchased. It requires constant cleaning and effort- what a waste of time and money.
Solugion:
Get a refugium – It looks complicated but really isn’t – it is a system placed under your tank that lets water overflow from your tank to the cabinet under your tank. The Refugium is a ecosystem in itself that grows plants, etc. The fish waste naturally breaks down in your refugium so you do not have to clean it your self. It will make your filtration life so easy. No clean up, at all you make your tank a self sufficient being. This was the refugium I got
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/product ... ts_id=1316


mistake 2) Don’t buy Jebo lights or any imported lights from china that last for a couple months and leave your tank in the dark.
2 months of operation and the cheap Chinese ballast that powers the unit goes out, and my tank is left totally dark. All my investment in inverts over $500 – dead. Pay the extra money and buy something USA with a warranty.
Solution: Look into Companies like Orbit or Catalina Aquarium. They are very solid in their craftsmanship and offer warrantys. Catalina offers a 5 year warranty on their fixtures – I purchased a 3 X 250 HQI Hood from their company with 4 X 96 watt power compacts through www.aquauniverse.com - wow I have never been happier. This was the unit here - http://www.aquauniverse.com/component/p ... Itemid,31/
You just install it into your canopy and you are ready to go – no assembly required.

mistake 3) Heat is an issue so get a chiller.
Summer came and when I was on vacation the temperature on my tank went to 95 degrees. Everything survived even my pulsating xenia which usually fries when hot temps come. Prepare yourself for a hot day and have a chiller on hand.
Again I do not dislike china but have had trouble with the Via Aqua Chiller – stopped working quickly after purchase. So I bought a Pacific Coast Chiller and have been in heaven since. Their chillers are all over ebay so I just snagged on there.

Doing it yourself is something you need to do – don’t let companies just sell you stuff- do some research before you make bad decisions.
 

Ben1

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Summer came and when I was on vacation the temperature on my tank went to 95 degrees.

I dont think a chiller is a requirement to have a killer tank, neither is MH lighting or any expensive gadget. I have a/c and havent had a heat issue in a long time. I instead use a fan/heater on a dual medusa temp controller.

As far as lighting goes, I perfer brands like PFO or icecap. Also a refugium can be nice but not needed either to have a "killer tank". Canister filters can be helpful to occasional scrub the tank or run carbon for a few days, but again I perfer a fluidized reactor for running media.

Welcome to RDO!
 

rockymountreef

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Chiller is a requirement usually around summer when the heat gets abnormally high. So the chiller is no a requirement unless you are around a warmer climate.
 
A

Anonymous

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#1 yes, canister filters are the old days of reef keeping, infact they're more for fish only tanks than reef ones, and yes they are a royal PITA to keep. That being said a cheaper/smaller one that is dedicated to run nothing but carbon isn't a bad idea, the maintainence can come when you change your carbon.

#2 Year Jebo/Odyssea/Chinese knock offs are fairly hit or miss. I've had good luck with them myself, but then again I live near one of the distributors (aquatraders) so I have a place I can vent on :) How did all your inverts die though?? Did you not notice it for weeks? Or do you live way out in the boonies with no ability to get anything you could replace most any ballast with a home depot T8 ballast (they're electronic as well).

#3 Depends upon the area, if you don't have AC on to keep the temperature down, then yes probably a good idea. But if your temperature doesn't get into the extremes, or you do have an AC that you dont mind keeping the room at 73F not necessary. Fans can make for an inexpensive filter if used approriately.

But as Ben mentioned you don't need the expensive stuff. Some have fantastic reefs with nothing but VHO lighting.
 

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