Flatlandreefer
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ATO
best thing to hit the hobby?
- Thread starter Dburr1014
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easternreefer
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I have a 2 1/2 gallon slate bottom tank...it was my wifes grandfathers. nfs Still don't know what to do with it. might throw a betta in it.
Paul B
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Rock Pool Reef Keepers
I bet you don't know why they made slate bottom tanks. No, it wasn't because slate is cheaper than glass. It is because many years ago when they came out with slate bottom tanks, in the late 1800s. Many people didn't have central heat in their homes. People didn't keep fish but they kept plants, especially ferns or bog plants, mainly in England. They would put oil lamps under the tanks to keep them from freezing. Thats why it was slate.
Of course someone left the oil lamp on too long and that is how they invented "Fish and Chips" .
Algae reactors and algae scrubbers, although not as new as many think; they are now getting more widely used and known of. These have been the absolute best addition I've added to my tanks, maybe ever; even better that when protein skimmers took off as a must have(yeah I'm that old).
As far as the internet goes; I consider it a double edge sword, you have to be quite savvy to weed out the bs. I have a reef but I'm mainly a fish guy. I had such wonderful experiences back in the day that if I listened to the folklore spread on the net; I would have never had.
As far as the internet goes; I consider it a double edge sword, you have to be quite savvy to weed out the bs. I have a reef but I'm mainly a fish guy. I had such wonderful experiences back in the day that if I listened to the folklore spread on the net; I would have never had.
Caseyoidae
Valuable Member
I'd say the internet. We can get just about anything shipped right to our doors, automate and control our tanks from thousands of miles away and share information from our phones. I'm typing this from a sears parking lot trading corals with a guy I never in a million years would have known about if it wasn't for the www
Dugless
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I can't believe how many people are listing LEDs?!? Yes, they are another choice for lighting, but not necessarily any better than the other available options. Unless you like to fiddle with every color channel and the other marketed bells and whistles like the useless thunderstorm feature, there are aren't any improvements. If anything, LEDs are still trying to improve to meet the reliable color spectrum and spread of T5s and MHs.
However, RODI, ATO, controller or the recent prop pump options definitely make reefing easier.
However, RODI, ATO, controller or the recent prop pump options definitely make reefing easier.
I would have to say cheap LED lighting removes one of the biggest barriers to keeping a reef tank. When I started 25 years ago there were no cheap options for keeping high light coral. Even 10 years ago the options were better but still not cheap as you had to change bulbs a lot and many people would stress or even kill their reefs trying to stretch the life of their bulbs out. Cheap LED lighting has removed one of the biggest barriers this hobby has so I'm not surprised it's on the list a lot.
dansreef
Well-Known Member
Interesting topic for sure. I have been in the hobby since the 80's... and is pretty cool to think about how far things have come.
Probably the best tools are the forums like R2R. They are such a great places to share knowledge and to learn. In my opinion.... Reef2Reef is the best out there. As for technology, I agree controllers like my Apex is awesome. It does make things a lot easier...then add to being able to monitor things remotely via fusion is pretty slick. Skimmers, lighting (LEDs) and dosing pumps really do a nice job of maintaining nice systems. One item I am pretty high on right now are Algae Scrubbers. I have a 180 with a 100 gal basement sump and my Algae Scrubber just devours nutrients. I feed my fish and coral an incredible amount yet my nutrients remain very low. Without it, I would be shaving the hair algae more than my own beard.
What is also pretty cool... is all of the critters and corals you can get now. Not only get, but can keep some of these to a point where people are breeding fish. I cut frags and share them with others. I don't often buy corals. When I can I give a lot away to others or sell for nominal fees or in trade for something. That is pretty cool.
Sorry... a bit long winded.
Probably the best tools are the forums like R2R. They are such a great places to share knowledge and to learn. In my opinion.... Reef2Reef is the best out there. As for technology, I agree controllers like my Apex is awesome. It does make things a lot easier...then add to being able to monitor things remotely via fusion is pretty slick. Skimmers, lighting (LEDs) and dosing pumps really do a nice job of maintaining nice systems. One item I am pretty high on right now are Algae Scrubbers. I have a 180 with a 100 gal basement sump and my Algae Scrubber just devours nutrients. I feed my fish and coral an incredible amount yet my nutrients remain very low. Without it, I would be shaving the hair algae more than my own beard.
What is also pretty cool... is all of the critters and corals you can get now. Not only get, but can keep some of these to a point where people are breeding fish. I cut frags and share them with others. I don't often buy corals. When I can I give a lot away to others or sell for nominal fees or in trade for something. That is pretty cool.
Sorry... a bit long winded.
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Cheap LED’s create nothing the hobby is still expensive as any hobby is. Buy cheap equipment just cause house fires and other failures that remove more hobbyist than they bring into the hobby.
danreefman
Valuable Member
Just got back to hobby, after a five year break. Seams there is a lot of people chasing money in this hobby. A lot of products being produced that are trying to change good practices. A lot of the products seam like way more work than figuring the sweet spot for feeding and when to do water changes.
Still getting youst to my controller. Not sure I trust a controller on my tank yet. I run just algea, sponges and water changes for filtration. Oh yeah, and a semi deep sand bed.
Need less to say I'm most thankful for all the new corals. I'm running t5 just like I was 5 years ago. There wasn't all the colors there is today. Either way Im going back to metal halide/t5 with LED supplement.
Still getting youst to my controller. Not sure I trust a controller on my tank yet. I run just algea, sponges and water changes for filtration. Oh yeah, and a semi deep sand bed.
Need less to say I'm most thankful for all the new corals. I'm running t5 just like I was 5 years ago. There wasn't all the colors there is today. Either way Im going back to metal halide/t5 with LED supplement.
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- Joined
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Wood air stone skimmer where better as you could control the flow of the water thru the skimmer separate from the production of foam. When everyone when to the Venturi added to the water pump they lost a major function the air stone skimmers had. Klase skimmers had separate foam aspirator but the hobby went cheap and manufactures just use the Venturi today.
