If You Had It to Do Again . . .

[Reefer1978]

I'd go full custom and take it very very slow (something that's impossible for me).

1. Custom tank designed specifically for my space
2. Custom filtration in the basement, away from the main system, bigger, badder, and more space to work with.
3. Take is slow.. let it develop for a long long time before adding coral

That's just my thoughts for now and what I am actually planning to do in the next house.

 

[atoll]

I had to think long and hard before penning my answer. before I gave it I have been in this hobby around 35 years on and off, mainly on. In that time I have had 10 or 11 tank setups. With each subsequent tank I would guess I put what I had learnt into it from my previous setups. My current tank is 100 gallons including sump and set up 9 months now. With the above in mind my answer to your question is NOTHING that's right I would change nothing I can think of, Sure if I had unlimited funds I would do a few things differently mainly better (read more expensive) lighting than my current AI Hyrda 26s but fore what I paid for them I can think of any

thing better, same goes for all my equipment and the same goes for my reefscape and corals.

 

[Maritimer]

Great questions! Since I'm in "build mode" myself, I've been thinking through a lot of these. I think several points that have helped have been:

Begin with the end in mind, and build the stand, sump, plumbing, etc. based on what I plan to have rather than what I currently have. I've run out of space before or had to place equipment in less than ideal layouts because I didn't plan it all out first.

I wanted a nice sump, so I planned for my equipment area to be "display quality" (whether or not that ACTUALLY works out for me is yet to be seen). I'm even color matching my plumbing. LOL

For lights, I'm going with a radion G3 on my 50g cube. For flow, I'm planning for a Vectra M1 return and a couple of MP10's in the DT.

In the sump, I won't be running a fuge or anything that puts off constant light bc I want to minimize algae growth there. I'll be running an enclosed ATS (that is opaque so no escaping light) and a skimmer for export. I also have the new sump by @geo, so I'll be using the reactor that comes built into the sump for carbon and/or gfo (I'm thinking carbon at this point).

I bought an aquascape kit from MarcoRocks.com so that I can build my scape exactly as I want it with arches and shelves. (I haven't done this yet, so we'll see if I actually achieve what I'm hoping for.) I also bought Eden Tropic mesoflakes & reefflakes for the substrate (I chose this specific substrate for color, weight/size, and usefulness for my livestock).

MdBannister, you've put some interesting ideas into my brain . . . Will have to look into the new enclosed ATS, and though I may not be able to pop for one right now, I'm now considering trying to place a ... what are they called? ... "manifold"? ... into my under-tank plumbing system. Will also have a look at those "flake" sands, as the only ones I've looked at so far are CaribSea brands.

Atoll, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and the proof of your system is in the beauty and evident health of your reef. Thanks for sharing!

~Bruce

 

[atoll]

MdBannister, you've put some interesting ideas into my brain . . . Will have to look into the new enclosed ATS, and though I may not be able to pop for one right now, I'm now considering trying to place a ... what are they called? ... "manifold"? ... into my under-tank plumbing system. Will also have a look at those "flake" sands, as the only ones I've looked at so far are CaribSea brands.

Atoll, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and the proof of your system is in the beauty and evident health of your reef. Thanks for sharing!

~Bruce

Well thank you kind sir that is most kind of you to say so and I appreciate it. BTW I utilise a DIY ATS which is the heart of my system. H

ere is a quick pic of it.

 

[Epicreefster]

The main things I would do different from the beginning:

Buy a quality skimmer rated 1.5-2x my tank volume. I would get a Deltech but royal exclusive or reef octopuss are good too

Follow the Triton method for the sump design as far as refugium, 10-20% display volume and .2w of T5 per gallon, and 10x display turnover through sump. Their supplements are a pretty good method too.

I would put 2 M1 vectra pumps on for return for redundancy and high turnover, and silent...

Go for 100x tank volume turnover with power heads

Siphon overflow for a silent aquarium

Kalk doser, I run 1ml/tank gallon/hr with my apex, which is also very nice

Less important:

I would do bare bottom
T5 lighting with some blue LEDs
Tunze pumps, I'm somewhat over vortechs but I do like the battery backup feature
Bigger sump with a frag area
Dedicated electrical area/panel twice as big as you think you need
Ozone set around 350-400 ORP

 

[PJS]

Great thread topic!

When I first decided to go from fish only in a non-drilled 125 to a reef with a drilled 125 I started my adventure with lots of reading here on R2R. There are many members here with beautiful setups, so many experiences good and bad which have helped me make a better informed decision with my own setup. R2R=Invaluable information!

What's absolutely indispensable - indeed, what would you have doubled up on?
So far I would say that the most indispensable item on my system is the waste collector for the skimmer, that item has saved me more than once! Secondly it would be the Apex, I personally love the control with some bells and whistles!

What would you have left out entirely, or what's just not that important?
When designing my setup I would have left out the 2 reactors for GFO and Biopellets and gone with the ATS from the beginning. I am presently setting up a Rev4 L4 ATS from Bud at Turbo Aquatics. I will be taking the reactors offline once the scrubber starts to out compete the reactors.

What would make your reefing life easier, if you could re-design it from scratch?
'What would make my reefing life easier?'... that's easy.... Lots of $$$ and lots of space!!


How would you sump it? Plumb it? Light it? Stock it? Feed it?
Well 'sumping/plumbing' it would refer to the previous answer... MORE SPACE!
'Lighting it'... In light of the fact (pun intended) that my current reef setup is my first and Led's are all I know I have no basis for comparison, I do however love my Hydra 26's,the flexibility is great!
'Stocking it'.... I would have gone much slower, I too am a 'instant gratification' type, restraint isn't one of my strong points, thank God tenacity is!
'Feeding it'... Oof, thats the big one! I now know controlling your feedings is crucial! I was over feeding for too long, much GHA later I now have a handle on it.

Overall.... so far so good!

 

[adhd_nerd]

If you have your sump under the stand. Spend time thinking about how everything fits and how you will be working under the stand. eg. How will you remove skimmer to clean? How will change/replace return if you need to? How will you change filter socks? etc.

Get the plumbing right up front. Think of all the things you may want to add at some point and have a plan on how you will add it. Stick to this list of equipment. Don't fall for the newest thing to come to market. It will get un-manageable. You don't have to add everything at once, but just have a plan on where equipment will fit and be powered.

Take time wiring it up. It will save you time and frustration in the long run. Have a "dry" side and a "wet" side under the stand. Electrical and electronics should be on "dry" side.

Doors on stands should be removable. Ideally, sump should be accessible from all 4 sides (at least 3). Otherwise, you end up having to occasionally contort yourself to work it (that sucks).

Stabilize water parameters before adding any livestock.

Figure out a system and stick to it.
- How will you deal with low/high nitrates?
- How will you deal with low/high dkh?
- How will you deal with low/high phosphate?
etc.
water change is not always the answer. Need to be able to deal with these issues w/o water changes.

 

[BigAsh]

I am in the process of a new build. My first reef tank was an Oceanic Tech 90 mixed reef that I ran for about 2 years so I'm still a bit of a newb. Based on lessons learned, changes I'm making include:

1. Doing a custom peninsula style this time because I now have the space and I like the visibility.
2. The 18 inch width of the 90 was insufficient. This time I'm going with a 60L x 30W x 24H. This fits my space and provides a sufficient footprint in the tank and cabinet. Using an external overflow box (new Synergy Shadow) with Bean Animal drains dropping straight down into the sump.
3. I'm putting an equipment alcove inside my cabinet behind one of the doors to keep the electronics isolated from the salt air inside the rest of the cabinet from the sump. DIY to save money and configure the way I want.
4. I'm installing a controller this time.
5. I'm using two 7" socks instead of three 4". Mesh instead of felt. For easier cleaning.
6. Using a custom DIY sump using a 40 breeder so I can configure it the way I want and save money.
7. Switching from second gen LEDs to either SB Reef LED or ATI hybrid LED/T5.
8. Avoiding snails since they foul the pumps.
9. Avoiding anemones because they multiply and move around.
10. Avoiding corals that require hand feeding.
11. Used 2 Part with dosing pumps before. Considering switch to a calcium reactor.
12. Attempting to minimize the number of devicesl that require a power receptical.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I woud do more research on the protien skimmers, bought one way oversized because it was on sale, had to replace with a smaller one. would start out with Zeovit system. spent hundreds of dollars on Phosphate and nitrate removers. Don't have those issues anymore since I converted to Zeovit. I would absolutely do a better job with the live stock quarantine.

 

[BigAsh]

I forgot to mention the protein skimmer. I'm switching to a recirculating skimmer that is not sensitive to sump water level. I was going to install it externally with a separate skimmate container (Avast Marine) and put a big Surf algae scrubber in the sump. I decided against the algae scrubber (for now) and will put the skimmer in the sump although I dislike having equipment like that immersed in salt water all the time. I may still do a HOG algae scrubber but I hate the noise of air pumps. Plus, I may not need one since I'll be dosing carbon.

 

[kendavjac]

#Maritimer to answer why no socks. I apologize up front, I didn't intend my response to be this long. Sorry if it sounds preachy.

For a little background. I have been keeping SW tanks since around 1991. I now also have the advantage of that I have been using the mostly the same rock for the last 10+ years. my biologic filter is very mature. I don't ever have to do water changes to reduce nitrates. The only reason I bother with them is to replenish trace minerals. For an experiment I once let a tank go almost a year without a water change and my nitrates stayed at undetectable levels. In fact I am now playing around with adding nitrates to see how my corals respond. I feed my fish almost everyday and don't have my skimmer set to be very efficient. I have a 125 gallon system with only 6 small/medium fish so I don't need to feed very much. In fact I have recently put my socks back in and only clean them with i think about it (about every 3 months). My system needs the nitrates.

It took almost a decade to really become a believer of what I'm about to say. Now on to my reasoning:
If I was going set up a new system with new rocks I think I would try to go with no socks/mechanical filtration or socks for only the first 2 months. This would force me to practice good husbandry on the tank (light feeding, blowing off the rocks, water changes, etc.....) until the tank matures. I think that most new tank owners depend on socks and other devices as means to try to avoid the work/discipline required in the beginning . IMO socks are a nitrate factory waiting to happen. I have found that many new tanks are good for around 3 months then it all catches up with them (out of control Green hair algae) and then the owner either sells their tank or they have they have to learn how to have good husbandry and learn to control nutrients. Over the years I have tried all of the latest gadgets (carbon dosing, seachem, phosban, etc....) but always end up ditching them because they are either 1) more work, 2) my corals don't do as well or 3) they are always much more $$$ then just spending a couple of minutes a day to keep a clean tank.

At first good husbandry of a tank takes much more time (about 5 minutes a day and about 1 hour on the weekend), but once your tank matures (at least a year) it takes less and less time. I currently spend maybe 5 minutes a week cleaning my tank. Plus I now use all the money I would spend on "gadgets" to buy more coral.

 

[Maritimer]

Kendavjak, thanks for the explanation, and that's a pretty cool philosophy!

Actually, there's a lot of fascinating info here - thanks, Everyone!!

~Bruce

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Get all the dosers before you start. Using Red sea salt (pro after stuff gets going, blue bucket until you get there) and Red Sea's reef care program I wish I would have used from the start. (would have saved me more than a few years of headaches trying to decide between people's opinions)
But the biggest regret was not at least using nopox from the start. It's made things unbelievably easier. Also it's not comparable to just acetic acid and ethanol. People are leaving out the interactions of methanol and isopropyl. (read up on that, you can continue reading the interactions for quite awhile)

I would also have gone with an acrylic tank from the start, and setup an auto-water change system as well. The AWC has made things stupid simple.

 

[MaiReef]

#1 Patience. Learn husbandry with very little in the tank as has been said. Most other things were fine, except I would have gone cheaper with the lights initially to be able to upgrade to good ones sooner.

*Separate note - (BE PATIENT)Of all the books and articles I read, I still did not know what to expect. However, the more I learned, the more I found out people just didn't do things the easy way. I truly think the hobby would benefit from a new beginner's guide. Also, problem solving techniques. It is odd, but every system I have seen has its strengths and weaknesses. It would be best to list those without a specific recommendation and what has to be done to succeed all different ways.

#2 Really not fair, because it was the first stand I built, but I would definitely change stand design to accommodate a 40 gallon breeder for a sump/refugium. The 30 just doesn't allow the space for working on things.

#3 - Learn about dipping coral sooner. A lot less problems would have occurred.

 

[morgank]

I moved recently and put my sump in the basement, best decision ever. I have a 120 gallon display, and a 60 gallon cube upstairs, and a 150 gallon rubbermaid sump and 50 gallon fuge in the basement. All plumbed together, with the giant rubbermaid sump I don't need baffles, and I don't use socks. I just suck the detritus off the bottom of the sump every month or so. I have an apex to control the pumps for feeding and two BRS dosers. Really happy so far, water changes are a breeze, and it's super quiet upstairs which is really nice.

 

[Bob Escher]

I'm a youngster at this so can't say much other than a bigger tank ( unfortunately not much bigger than the one I have) and definitely not a cube since I don't have a lot of room underneath my tank and not a AIO But I like what I have

 

[Gomery12]

Just switched out my Aqueon Proflex 4 for a Lifereef Berlin/Refugium/Skimmer System, on my 57g rimless.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

If you were setting up a new system, knowing what you've learned from your "now" system,

What's absolutely indispensable - indeed, what would you have doubled up on?
I'll double up on the skimmer. I don't think you can over skim and if one fails, I'll have a backup already up and running. I'll double up on the first stage of filtration by dedicating a small tank that provides for aearation and a large flat area that uses sock material to filter.

What would you have left out entirely, or what's just not that important?
I'm losing faith in rubble so if I use it, it will sit in trays that can be removed and cleaned.

What would make your reefing life easier, if you could re-design it from scratch?
Better control of opposite cycle lighting. My current system allows too much lighting overflow into areas of the sump that I'd prefer to leave dark.

How would you sump it? Plumb it? Light it? Stock it? Feed it?
I'll definitely have a lot more flow in the DT. I accomplish this with a bigger main pump but also by adding an external circulating pump. I'll have more comprehensive flow through out the tank with fewer "dead" spots.

Do I have a reason for asking? An ulterior motive?

Yep. I'm assembling the ingredients to upgrade my 65 gallon high-nitrate reef into a 220 gallon reef-ready glass box. I'd just as soon get it as close to "right" as I can the first time - or at least the second time!

For instance, I'm only going to port over half of my "Fiji Mud", and likely won't purchase any new mud. (And if I did, I'd place it in containers I could lift out of my sump, instead of smearing the bottom of the sump with it!)

I'm going to be using a more powerful skimmer, and may eventually install some "reactors" for carbon, GFO and biopellets. (Currently, I've got carbon/GFO in a bag, which is OK, but . . . )

Having experienced the joy of high nitrates, (and with the self-generated "pressure" to stock the tank somewhat reduced) I think I'll be adding fish and other livestock more slowly in the future.

Having experienced the delight that is Cryptocaryon irritans, I'll continue to run a QT - but now I can have a skimmer on it if I want, 'cause I'm getting a new skimmer for the big box.

If you had it to do again, how would you do it?

~Bruce

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

im already running my do over system for 1.5 yrs now and the changes to the prior system made all the difference. it was the simplest changeup ever...making a modular/removable scape.

that one factor alone...making rock stacks that are literally removable outside the tank, changed my reefing enjoyment 100%. it means you don't have to dose the water for all the common reef rock maladies. If the new additives on the market offering to cure any known invader (algae, inverts etc) works out then even modular scapes wont be needed. But its amazing being algae free and invader free forever using no retail items as well. when valonia came, I lifted out my rocks and hacked it off, then it didn't spread.

Very good idea. I'm incorporating that into my current build. Many thanks.

 

[2mk]

Here is my "Wishlist":


Larger Rimless tank. 75g to 150g and no larger. Or shallow and wide 36 x 36 x 21 (for Minimalist and 3D look to showcase tank from all 6 sides. Yes, all 6 sides including the top and bottom view. Maybe bare bottom for 6th side Upwards view and bottom upwards lighting.

Larger Sump. An Integrated one piece Sump, Fuge, Waterfall Algae Scrubber, ATO reservoir, AWC reservoir to de-clutter. Maybe as large as the DT under the DT stand. Separate and isolated waterproved partitioned off gears (Apex, Chiilers etc...) compartment under the DT (Need the Sump smaller than DT in this case). Hard Plumbing with lots of unions for easy dis-re assembly for plumbing clean up.

Stand: Minimalist Look, custom DIY Wheeled, heavy duty stainless steel frame, with all lightweight instantly removable Stand Panels (Plexiglass) and doors for easy access and cleanup. Wheeled for tank mobility when drained or not. Build-in and removable power outlets for Apex controller and other non apex plugged in required gears.

Gears:
0. Apex (Have)
1. Radions (Have)
2. Skimmer (Oversize and Over Capacity up and down tunable when capacity is necessary)
3. Algae scrubber (Have DIY but need larger)
4. Chillers (2 piece for failure redundancy)
5. AWC (Have, but larger outside Reservoir that connects to sump Compartment that auto refill the sump compartmetns)
6. ATO (Have, but larger outside Reservoir that connects to sump Compartment that auto refill the sump compartments)
Invisible Overflows (But yet not drilled in to avoid risk of leaks)
7. Adjustable Wave Return pumps (2 piece Ecotech Marine, for failure redundancy)
8a. Triplite Daisy Chained Multi Marine Battery UPS system able to power just enough mini powerheads programmed in a oscilating on off pattern for circulation for at least 2 days in case of power failures. (I live in furricane country)
8b. Whole house propane generator power backup.
9. Auto Backflow Siphon prevent from return pump outlets to avoid overflow sump causing overflow Skimmer (Less Apex shut off programming to worry about)
10. Minimal amounts of Jaebo wave pumps to avoid DT clutter and lower costs)
11. Enough dosing pumps to avoid other extra gears and reactors.
12. Apex trident or similar for monitoring.
13. Lots of in / out of tank ip cams for visual anomaly monitoring of tank and sump compartment.
14. Room for improvment