Hello all,
I just found this forum and am hoping to get off on the right foot. Within the next year or two I would like to get back into reef keeping. It has been about 12 years since my last tank and I assume I have been pretty much left in the dust where reef technology is concerned.
My last tank was a 29gal reef. I also kept a 5 gallon mini reef, which back then was fairly unheard of. My set-up was basic but very effective:
Fluval canister filter (don't remember the model) for main particulate and carbon filtering, this I ran through a PVC system with intake at the top of the tank and output through a PVC bar drilled with holes running across the bottom back thus pushing all detritus forward for easy cleaning.
All live rock suspended, again to ease cleaning and detritus clean up, on square plastic grid.
I also ran a double Bio-wheel filter which was the heart of my bio filtration, as I had decided against a traditional wet dry.
I also ran a skimmer though I can't remember what.
I read a lot of Julian Sprung and John Tullock back then, not sure who to read now. I'm basically looking at this as if I'd never done it before. I am hoping to get advice on:
- what to read
- what gear is like and what brands to look for
- anything you wold tell your best friend who has no experience with slat water.
I do know I want:
- at least 40 gal, maybe as much as 60+
- I kept all live rock with soft corals before and I suppose I'd be doing that again as hard corals, at least back then were troublesome and quite a lot more expensive.
- a few small reef fish, I had a clown, yellow tang, mandarin and probably a gramma of sorts before. That was enough to keep the tank interesting. Plus your assorted shrimp or small anemone crab.
- giant clams were always a favorite of mine.
As for the system, I assume there are new choices now. What I had before was very successful but I wouldn't want to duplicate it again unless it was the best way to go.
As for lighting, back then I was always partial to halides over fluorescents, not sure I would be today as I don't know what is available. My preference for the halides stemmed from the shimmer/sunlight effect you'd get which fluorescents couldn't duplicate.
I hope that makes things more clear. I also don't want to go broke!
Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you all.
I just found this forum and am hoping to get off on the right foot. Within the next year or two I would like to get back into reef keeping. It has been about 12 years since my last tank and I assume I have been pretty much left in the dust where reef technology is concerned.
My last tank was a 29gal reef. I also kept a 5 gallon mini reef, which back then was fairly unheard of. My set-up was basic but very effective:
Fluval canister filter (don't remember the model) for main particulate and carbon filtering, this I ran through a PVC system with intake at the top of the tank and output through a PVC bar drilled with holes running across the bottom back thus pushing all detritus forward for easy cleaning.
All live rock suspended, again to ease cleaning and detritus clean up, on square plastic grid.
I also ran a double Bio-wheel filter which was the heart of my bio filtration, as I had decided against a traditional wet dry.
I also ran a skimmer though I can't remember what.
I read a lot of Julian Sprung and John Tullock back then, not sure who to read now. I'm basically looking at this as if I'd never done it before. I am hoping to get advice on:
- what to read
- what gear is like and what brands to look for
- anything you wold tell your best friend who has no experience with slat water.
I do know I want:
- at least 40 gal, maybe as much as 60+
- I kept all live rock with soft corals before and I suppose I'd be doing that again as hard corals, at least back then were troublesome and quite a lot more expensive.
- a few small reef fish, I had a clown, yellow tang, mandarin and probably a gramma of sorts before. That was enough to keep the tank interesting. Plus your assorted shrimp or small anemone crab.
- giant clams were always a favorite of mine.
As for the system, I assume there are new choices now. What I had before was very successful but I wouldn't want to duplicate it again unless it was the best way to go.
As for lighting, back then I was always partial to halides over fluorescents, not sure I would be today as I don't know what is available. My preference for the halides stemmed from the shimmer/sunlight effect you'd get which fluorescents couldn't duplicate.
I hope that makes things more clear. I also don't want to go broke!
Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you all.
