Old School Tips

[OldSchool Reefer]

As I build my new system I'm often find myself looking for a new appproach to an old problem. I could just run on auto pilot and do things like I have for almost 30 years but why not try to keep up with the times? So I decided to share what I find here; look for tips, tricks, what works for me and why I choose Old School or New school!

 

[brandon429]

what cha going to do with that smelly, stinky sandbed in 2026 when thousands in corals and fish are swimming above it and all access is blocked but yet a pronounced need for access still remains, causing you lost sleep and distress

1996 said laying sand on the bottom and stacking rocks on top self-manages. 2021 disagrees. a conflict of decades ensues

 

[ectoaesthetics]

This is great. Been in the hobby for about the same amount of time. Will be checking in on this thread. Still do some things the old way some things the new. I recently reflected on the fact that as I cleaned up my system it went to: live rock, live sand, focus on adding natural sources of bacteria/seed rock to my dry rock, a fuge, phyto additions, and that’s it. System is to small for a real skimmer. It hit me that other than my flow rates, rock structure (although I’ve added an additional section of rock in the sump to make up for the lost space in dark rock crevasses due to NSA scape), and led lighting the system was the recommended method from Sprung and Delbeek’s (spelling) book from the 1990s...

A couple of changes but mostly keep going back to what works. My fuge light being turbo charged is about the only real major change that I think has furthered my success in the hobby. And helped me experience dynos for the first time too, lol.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

In 92 I was running a Berlin Tank in Germany with only Live Rock and a big skimmer! You cant keep a pistol shrimp goby pair with out sand, along with many other fish that require a sand bed for life support. I prefer sand beds.

Whether you run a shallow or deep sand bed depends on your wanted result, aesthetics or support for micro fauna or sand sifting fish. All Sand beds require periodic maintenance so do BB tanks! I have been running a remote Plenum with out maintenance for 20 years it never blew up. It has never produced any nitrate only consumed it!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

As I build my new system I'm often find myself looking for a new appproach to an old problem. I could just run on auto pilot and do things like I have for almost 30 years but why not try to keep up with the times? So I decided to share what I find here; look for tips, tricks, what works for me and why I choose Old School or New school!

With the current setup in shambles, I have several Brutes and totes holding live rock not to mention the old sump and a holding tank for my fish.

There is probably 500 lbs of rock shedding detritus that has accumulated over the last 15 years. I'm looking for a mini cook (that's a different subject for later) of this LR removing as much detritus as possible with large amounts of flow to keep it suspended to be filtered out. it's kinda hard setting up a Holding / Cleaning facility for this much rock but it's in 4 different containers now.

New School Solution: multiple Hang on canister filters and lots of cartridges. That would work but Ca Ching! $$$$$

Old School Solution: The greatest little filter contraption invented that you can put in just about any container to polish the water in no time. For about $30 get an Aquaclear Quick Filter and a Maxijet 1200 and you are ready for the next time you over feed or are setting up a QT.

I'll be using a Fleece roller so I no longer need 20 socks so i just cut them up instead of buying new filters for my old Quick filters and wash them as usual.

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Yes unfortunately I’m still cleaning Filter socks daily but it’s worth it when you see the amount of junk they pull out!