Before I talk about the inspirations for this tank, I’d like to touch a little bit on my philosophy.
I’ve already touched on my three main goals with this tank-
1. Returning to a shallow reef
2. Having the reef more visible in my home
3. Keeping a more species specific LPS dominated system
Lessons Learned-
In this hobby there is simply no substitute for consistent water changes.
While the vast majority of modern equipment is interesting, and it all serves its place, I believe the same results can be had with the simplest of tools. We tend to overspend on the latest and greatest expecting to have that translate into beauty.
Conversely, I’ve done a lot of cheaping out and buying the most economical product- this can also be a mistake. This time around I wanted all my equipment centralized and higher end, but not extensive and purposeless.
Know thy self-
Let’s face it, if I have to stay on a schedule of calibrating something, or something can lose calibration, I’d rather just test myself. The apps are neat and useful don’t get me wrong, but that level of control finds its highest benefit in the form of a heavily stocked sps reef. I would consider a trident in the future, but for now, I’d rather spend the money on the foundation.
I think keeping a bio load manageable is another overlooked key- balance.
Pick what you love and what strives in your system- making your water beautiful for one coral might be a tense situation in the making for other corals. We all love a beautiful mixed reef, but we truly underplay the vast differences in coral and invert requirements.
KISS- we all know the acronym, but I’d like to take it a step further.
There was a great BRS video awhile back about picking one nutrient export option- trying to run all the things at once is oftentimes detrimental.
Handle things as they come- trust your instincts. You can oftentimes make visual estimations of what is wrong.
If it’s reef safe with caution, then the one I get will invariably eat everything lol seriously though I think it’s all just marketing so suppliers can sell more of “x” popular thing. I’ve learned to act more quickly if I suspect rude behavior. I’m also convinced emerald and other larger crabs swipe at fish. Clean up crews in general are overrated. Snails are hit and miss, they add bio load, and many are slow cleaners. Stable water parameters and water changes are greater than your clean up crew- fight me.
Finally- ease up on the light and flow. I’ve nuked corals with both, and this speaks to my extolling the benefits of keeping a more specialized system. I also don’t like seeing my fish in a washing machine.
