My five mistakes
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vetteguy53081
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LOL- Just setup a 240 and got rid of canister. Always used one in past as an added media source - wow. Rocks- have so many, just layered them. Wish I planned scaping a little more organized in fashion.
maroun.c
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Fun part is that even experience reefers will find improvements to make or at least things to make differently if they got the chance to restart their setups.
edosan
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Nice post!
Can filters are not so bad, as long as the use is not for mechanical filtration, so no sponges or fibres of any kind, those are the nitrate builders. (not the canister itself). But you can use it with live rock only, GFO, AC, etc. They work ok. I am wrong?
Can filters are not so bad, as long as the use is not for mechanical filtration, so no sponges or fibres of any kind, those are the nitrate builders. (not the canister itself). But you can use it with live rock only, GFO, AC, etc. They work ok. I am wrong?
Tabasco1
Valuable Member
FWIW, I use a canister filter for a mix of GFO and GAC. I don't consider it a mistake.
How do you do this? I have an old canister filter that I would love to repurpose.
vetteguy53081
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Fill with media pouches not foam, etc
hig789
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I recently set up my first tank in about 7 or 8 years. It is a custom acrylic 15g all in one I bought used at a LFS. I am so happy that I have been through all the "buying equipment just to have something new". I had a huge pile of crap I didn't need/use with my previous tanks. And I am so glad I went with this 15g over the 14g BioCube they had too.
I decided I was going to do it right the first time with this one and bought the equipment that I would be happy with vs just putting something in there because it's new an shiny.
This tank came with a hood with no lights at all mounted in it. So it was a blank slate for a small NanoBox retro with BlueFish mini controller. Way more light then I'll ever need but it is there if I need it in the future if I ever decide to upgrade to a slightly bigger tank.
The back compartment was empty also with no baffle so I can customize it to my likings. I replaced the cheapo return pump with a Tunze 1073.008 and added a Tunze 6040 for additional water movement.
I plan on being very selective in what I add because space is limited. Again I used to just buy stuff I thought looked cool at the time. I ended up with a huge mess of star polyps in my last tank by doing this.
I totally agree with everyone else. Be patient, do your research thoroughly before you add corals, and buy the equipment you will be happy with for the long run even if it means waiting and saving up for it.
I decided I was going to do it right the first time with this one and bought the equipment that I would be happy with vs just putting something in there because it's new an shiny.
This tank came with a hood with no lights at all mounted in it. So it was a blank slate for a small NanoBox retro with BlueFish mini controller. Way more light then I'll ever need but it is there if I need it in the future if I ever decide to upgrade to a slightly bigger tank.
The back compartment was empty also with no baffle so I can customize it to my likings. I replaced the cheapo return pump with a Tunze 1073.008 and added a Tunze 6040 for additional water movement.
I plan on being very selective in what I add because space is limited. Again I used to just buy stuff I thought looked cool at the time. I ended up with a huge mess of star polyps in my last tank by doing this.
I totally agree with everyone else. Be patient, do your research thoroughly before you add corals, and buy the equipment you will be happy with for the long run even if it means waiting and saving up for it.
Harold Green
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Undergravel filters and a lot of anemonies, feather dusters, sea squirts, sponges, plants and very little coral.
Harold Green
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I'm surprised no one mentioned storage. A big tank often requires a lot of
supplies. When I built a 210 last year I purchased an unfinished oak pantry cabinet. Upper and lower cabinets with two drawers between. It gives me a place to mount all the lighting and pump controls at eye level. A place to store filters and media, spare pumps and other parts. The stand is completely filled with the sump and I don't want to have to crawl in to adjust the wave maker anyway. Pantry is stained to match the tank stand. A wooden gutter painted to match the wall runs parallel behind the lights providing a raceway to lighting cables to enter the pantry. Water storage is in the utility room behind the tank along with ato relay.
