Back in after a long layoff.

sh4rkbyt3 · Sep 14, 2017

Been a saltwater enthusiast for 30 yrs and was a reefer for 10 of them. Took a hectic 10 yr hiatus and now I'm back into the hobby and enjoying the upgrades in lights as well as the new and more vivid softy colors and coral food that anyone can actually use and have success with.
I had a 90 gallon softy/reef with a few fish but after some tribulations of life I'm now down to a nice 36 gallon bowfront with some zoas, mushrooms, goniopora, gorgonian and several clovers. Fish are limited to one of each: Firefish Goby, Bi-Color Blenny, Saddleback Clown, 6 Line Wrasse.

Of course the parameters have stayed the same but some of the newer sump designs and the influx of quality LED lights is pretty exciting. The addition of socks to the sump is a new one as well lol. We ran open systems with 2-3 sponges, bio-balls Live Rock and a light. Filtration was limited in part to whatever broke down biologically in the sump. Detritus and particulates were captured by the sponges.

Glad to see the advancements and still so many enthusiasts still involved. Also VERY happy to see videos like the ones BRS does that show and prove what ideas and products work and which ones not so much. Many times in forums you get your classic "know it alls" who believe "their way" is the only way to do things and will drive home their point endlessly. I enjoy learning and despite having some experience there's always something new and fun to learn

. I look forward to being an R2R member and meeting everyone.

Lights and actual coral food (reef roids and reef chili) seem to be the 2 newest and advanced upgrades in the hobby.

kschweer · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome back!!

nautical_nathaniel · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome back to the hobby and Welcome to R2R! Be sure to make a thread about new stuff if you have any questions!

sh4rkbyt3 · Sep 14, 2017

Thank you kschweer and pensacola-aquairist

happy to be back!

KJ · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome back

Coastie Reefer · Sep 14, 2017

Welcome to R2R

Greybeard · Sep 14, 2017

I too took a decade off. Got back in a little more than 2 years back.

I have found, honestly, that not as much has changed as you might think at first. I immediately jumped on LED lighting... I'm back to T5. Why? Initial cost, mainly. If I were going to go with Radions over my new tank (60" x 30"), I'd have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500 on lighting. For what? Is it really _better_ than my 8 bulb T5 setup? All the new supplements... great to have them available, but I'm rather cautious... I use very few supplements. New methods? Ok, GFO and Carbon dosing are awesome, when used appropriately, and ICP testing is truly a miracle... but most everything else is extending ideas that have been around for a long, long time. The base of nearly all of the 'new methods' is still the Berlin method. Live rock and a skimmer. I like Triton, am using it now, but a big macro algae refugeum is hardly a new idea. Don't get me wrong, there are some very, very _good_ enhancements around these days, but nothing I'd call miraculous!

Incremental improvements in skimmer design, wavemaker pumps, controllers (IMHO, still way behind where they should be)... a much wider selection of 'stuff' available... I credit most of that with the online shopping revolution than to improvements in the hobby.

Still, today, just as in yesteryear, it all comes down to a reefer willing to spend the time, do the research, and do the work that makes a successful reef.

Welcome back

sh4rkbyt3 · Sep 19, 2017

I understand Greybeard but for me the LED part of it had just started up when I got out and the quality and light output back then was less than stellar lol.
My tank is much smaller than your's too. I downgraded from my initial 90gal and 2-55 gals and now have a 36 gal bowfront so 2 AI Hydra Primes was plenty enough for me and the light output seems to agree with my corals.
Monumental changes? No, didn't mean to give that impression but the incremental changes are ones I was very happy to see as the options 10 yrs ago or so were somewhat limited and most had to resort to DIY projects which sometime worked and sometimes didn't.

Totally agree with the concept of investing your time into your tank also, whether it be working on it and or staying up on the knowledge aspect as well, and more importantly the maintenance part. Those three things have been the mainstay in the hobby for as long as I can remember but I think also some of the myths have been dispelled over time as well but maybe have been replaced with others?

With some of the small changes I would also include the advent of better food for corals. Prior to me getting out it was a mish mash of different live and frozen mixes as well as phyto and rotifers and a PIA feeding schedule which if not done in a timely fashion spelled doom. Now I see a lot more people with LPS and SPS corals in smaller systems that look as good as many of the bigger ones and they're healthy systems. The selection of softies has gotten better too. Zoas I'd never ever seen before and mushrooms that were alive of course but never or rarely seen in many stores are somewhat commonplace now.

I'm actually growing coral that 10 yrs ago I'd have never even tried, partly because of money and also a hectic work schedule but also the availability and the small upgrades in equipment. To me it all adds up. Much has stayed the same but there have been improvements albeit small ones to some but enough that even with a modest income you can actually have some pretty substantial animals now that may have been pretty tough a while ago.

The best part is always learning though

and that part of it will likely never end.