Thanks for the comments/questions
@Newb73. I have replied below:
1) If you only run 1 pump then only one pump has to fail to crash your entire system. No thanks, I'll keep running dual returns and 4 or 5 circulation pumps and separate reactor pumps.
I spoke of one pump running the life support system, we would
always have additional in-tank circulation
If your return fails it does not matter if you have separate pumps running other life support equipment as it won't be getting to your display tank. We always recommend redundant returns, but most clients do not opt for that. All of our installations include a backup return with fittings pre-installed for an easy swap.
2) If you do continuous water changes all the time, you don't need to store 50% of your volumes water...you only need about 10 percent.
Unless something catastrophic happens due to the failure of a consistent water change systems and you're in need of water quickly.
3) Storing less doesn't mean no buckets, proper plumbing means no buckets.
I don't follow, but that's okay.
4) Don't put a top on your overflow, just put a large canopy over the whole thing. (Although you may have to fish out livestock from the overflow on occasion....once per year or so for me).
We would never install an aquarium without an overflow top, but glad to hear it's working for you.
5) I actually haven't skimmed in quite a while and my tank keeps looking better and better. My skimmer is basically an ozone reactor.
Glad that's working for you!
6) Turning circulation pumps too high and leaving them there Is a great way to a) Kill your Lps starting with hammers...b) then shortening the life span of your pumps etc. Yea I run mine wide open...for 10 to 20 minutes, every few hours. 80% in the mornings and 10% to 20% evenings abd nights...like I said with a 10 to 20 minute 100% runs every few hours in between. Sorry I tried it the other way...many/most Lps simply won't tolerate.
Flow is completely dependent on the specific system. When people see our office reef we oftentimes are told the flow looks too high, but it is not.
7) I am interested in UV but my water is already crystal clear running ozone with am ORP over 420. It does seem to me like added complication and maintenance which was the very thing you warned against in the intro. (And then later you had to talk about all the required maintenance of it) I am interested though.
We would recommend U/V
or ozone. Very rarely do we run it together, and if we do, they are not on at the same time. We do not get into ozone until approaching 5,000-gallon system volumes, however. Overall U/V's are much easier for most aquarists to maintain with very little catastrophic failure potential compared to ozone.
8) I won't cook my tank with one 800w heater because I run dual temp probs, each with their own kill switch range coded into the controller and different ranges so if one temp prob reads wrong, the second will let me know. 2nd heater is a 300w for emergency back up only.
That is still a redundant system. We would recommend splitting that 800w into dual 400w (or similar) but you're on the right track.
9) If you used more rocks, you wouldn't have had to agonize over what few corals to go with.
Too much rock kills flow patterns and rates and accumulates more detritus. I have never agonized over the amount of coral to add, so not sure what you mean.
10) I once tried to use my hands as my controller from an airplane or hotel 500 miles from my tank.....spoiler alert...it does not work. If a firmware update is too big a challenge, I might advise against reefing....
We have seen several dozen catastrophic failures due to a system being completely controlled by an all-in-one controller. All our systems have redundant LSS and alerts in place. We are proud to say none of our client's systems has ever encountered a catastrophic failure.
11) Never rely on just one controller brain...you talked redundancy....keep a back up base unit fully coded in the supply closet that can be hot swapped on the fly.
Yes, we have brand new controllers with SD cards for each client's programs on hand.
12) Your dosing pumps should not have to be "shut off". Their default is off, if the controller is dead they aren't running. If your controller is off line, the coding is already in place to monitor and shut off. A smaller-ish Resovoir handles the rest as you are limited to the finite fluid in the container anyway. If you are dosing tiny amounts all day and testing water regularly, they are not at the mercy of a PH probe....the probe is merely an emergency shut off but in no way for control anyway.
If they fail on, they must be shut-off. We have seen several brands of dosing pumps decide to empty a reservoir out of the blue. Tying in a pH probe prevents this.
13) Cameras okay...but the controllers also have built in power outage alert now days. (I use both).
Yep.
14) Power strips can't be programmed to automatically shut off in specific circumstance.
True. This is why we install other forms of redundancy.
15) Again, a dosing pump can't "fell on" when hooked to a relay outlet on a controller. No power is gonna mean off...
See answer to #12, they can fail ON... note this is the
pump failing, not the controller.
16) I tried your large water change advice 2 years ago. It seemed to encourage nuisance algae...thats with a 6 stage water filter...go Figure. Anecdotal but true. I tried 3 salt brands and it didn't matter.
Something was sneaking through your RO/DI system and/or in your salt mix, although there are other possibilities. We've implemented this method on hundreds of aquarists tanks throughout the world with phenomenal results.
17) Automatic neck cleaners do work well and mine has yet to break. If you program it to the right frequency it will work....even though I don't skim any more.
Glad to hear that you have a good one! There's one brand we install, but overall it overcomplicates the system.
18) But does a dirty heater matter, if it's titanium and controlled by a temp probe that's clean and located elsewhere?
Yes, it does. First off a heater that dirty means many other tasks are being overlooked, but the heater is not allowed to function properly if covered in calcified detritus.
19) When I've ran my system too clean...as in 0 algae for weeks, I've crashed my corals. Don't know how you do it.
Sorry to hear that.
20) I am not sure it's fair to blame a blown tank seam on the installation set up.....seems like that's the fault of original tank manufacturer and shipping company.
A professional installation company should test a new tank and use trustworthy manufacturing companies. We stand by the manufacturers we use as they perform thorough R&D and build us phenomenal equipment. The installation company was at fault for many things in this circumstance, not only the tank failure.
Love everything you said and did.
Thanks!
