Lessons Learned: Doing it right the first time

[Bernardhny]

We all sit around and talk about all the fancy equipment and lessons learned regarding good reef keeping. I have been doing this for years with a gap in there and I have to say there is one lesson that I learned from each tank I have owned. Always do the right thing by your equipment the first time. If it means holding off on bringing a tank online to get the right lights, or the better skimmer then you should wait.

I know some people are going to say it is better to spend $300 now, get your system up and then upgrade stuff later but I have to say that for your sanity and wallet it doesn't always work that way.

Take for example my lights. When I started I had 4 bulb T5. They were great, but I wasn't getting the kind of growth I wanted in the tank. It was ok, and things were doing well, but just not ideal. I probably spent around $350 for those lights (might be less....I don't recall). When the lights started to get a bit wonky I had a chance to repair for less cost or upgrade to LED. I picked the LED and got two systems that lit the tank pretty well but didn't have the par at depth I needed. I didn't learn this until after the fact and my tank never improved. After a few months of this I said screw it and bought some pretty expensive top of the line lights (Ecotech Radion Pro's - latest gen). These lights have revolutionized my tank. The lights are amazing and the money I spent on the T5, LED combined equals more than what I spent on the Ecotech lights. If I had these lights from the beginning I can only imagine what my tank would look like now.

The same can be said for my skimmer, UV filter, GFO/Carbon reactor, powerheads etc. I always bought the stuff I could afford instantly, instead of thinking about what I really NEEDED to make the tank successful. I can't tell you how many items I have sitting in boxes never to be used again. I could setup a second tank right now and only need to buy the physical tank (hmmm...maybe its time for a QT tank).

You rarely have a cost effective redo opportunity. So when thinking about setting up your tank. Think big. if it requires you to wait another two weeks to scrounge up an extra $100 for the better quality unit, wait. Nothing kills tanks more than impatience.

Thoughts?

My tank:

60G Cube (24x24x24)
Ecotech Radion X30 Gen3 Pro lights
Ecotech MP10 (latest gen with wireless)
Reef Link
Remora S Pro Skimmer

If I had to do it again, I would be using a bigger sump, a bigger skimmer, a bigger UV filter, a great ATO, Apex Gold system......things I still have to upgrade or get two years after starting my tank. I take baby steps, but I would have less steps today if I did a smarter job yesterday.

 

[JOKER]

Very good advice. I started 2 years ago and have been through it too. You will spend the money up front or sometime if you stay in the hobby so may as well plan it out and do it right.

 

[Reef Rover]

I agree as well. My current tank we started on a budget and we paid for it all along the way. We are planning the next tank and it will be done slowly with all the stuff I want.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I think you gave some very good advice!! I am on my 3rd skimmer and second set of lights for my tank. I wish I would have waited and only spent the cash I did the first time.

 

[Dmmz]

I agree when I first started the lfs saw a newb with no idea what he was doing and sold me cheap equipment for a high price but it was my fault for not doing the research I was to excited about setting up the tank

 

[zoous]

Ok let's see a pic of your tank. So that we know it is money well spent.

 

[Bernardhny]

Oh the money is well spent! I will be happy to post pictures, but it is important to note that I learned these lessons the hard way. My tank has been up for over a year and I just purchased the Radion light,and the MP10. I am just ending the acclimation period of the new light and already I have seen my zoanthids spread from 4-5 heads to 10-40 depending on the zoanthid. My leather coral was always great,but it took up the majority of the right side of the tank. Now it is lower (by 8 inches in depth and I am getting the same extension. My pulsing Xena has gone from one head to 4 heads and split into four independent units. I have monti's that were stagnant that are now coloring up and you can actually see the growth. I have been able to add acros for the first time ever!

So my tank does not look mature. Why? Because my lighting and flow was horrible. It is only now that I am finally seeing the tank grow. I will take pictures this weekend and post them. You will see what I consider my reef in its infancy even though it is well established. These lessons I talk about were learned the hard way. If I would have purchased the correct lights, the correct pumps, learned how to dose from the beginning the correct way, my tank would be substantially more advanced. My goal is simple: If people are looking for advice. Take your time, research the equipment and buy the correct items. If you look at some of these display tanks that being nominated for the best tank with the fabulous colors and growth you will realize that the equipment that they have purchased is equal to the display. You don't see these big display tanks using basic LED light strips. You see them using top notch lights. You don't see them using the $90 HOB skimmer, you see them using multiple high end skimmers.

I am not saying you can't be succesful using low cost solutions, what I am saying is that you should do your research. Understand the difference between par at depth as compared to what a light can produce. My old lights at 24" dept had a par rating of 40. My new lights? 400? What is the result to coral if the par rating is too low? If your skimmers efficency is low and you change it to a more efficient skimmer what is the result? Cleaner water? Happier corals? YES! So research skimmers and knowing to spend a bit more for 10x the quality is a win instead of just buying a skimmer.

Sorry. I am sure that I am reading the wrong tone in the response. My tank right now is not where I want it to be, but already I am positive that the results I am seeing in the short term are going to be amazing a year from now. My tank is starting to explode in growth. Only because I invested in the right tools. I WISH I would have invested in those tools a year ago instead of wasting so much money taking baby steps in the wrong direction.

Sorry for the rant!

Bernard

 

[w.gurney77]

I have been planning and buying equipment for my current build for months.I'm getting impatient, but threads like this let me know that its important to be patient and do the research. By the time I get this build up and running I will have things set up just the way I want. This will save me time and money in the long run.

 

[reggaedrummin]

This hobby is a process best taken slowly, with careful attention to detail. Your points are well received

 

[Sacohen]

I kind of did it backwards.
I go the equipment I wanted first, stockpile it and then got the tank so I can set it all up at once.
Yes new equipment might come out and I may want that instead of this, but still what I originally got it what I wanted at the time and is still perfectly fine for the tank.

 

[jerseypete]

I started freshwater and made all the mistakes. They were cheaper mistakes. When i went reef it took me 16 months but i think i did it right

no i just need to invest in a better lens for my nikon

 

[reggaedrummin]

I started freshwater and made all the mistakes. They were cheaper mistakes. When i went reef it took me 16 months but i think i did it right

no i just need to invest in a better lens for my nikon

Beautiful!

 

[evo187]

buy once, cry once. save that money up and have patience and buy what you really want all together. shortcuts in reef tanks always lead to issues and even getting out of the hobby due to those issues.