sb 32" timer reef light vs current orbit marine pro

[mcarroll]

Not silly at all.

It certainly no emergency, but I would still definitely reduce the amount in the tank as you stock up in corals. You will thank me someday if you decide to.

That can mean you put some rock in a box and just let it dry out. Nothing wrong with that. Draft the extra/dry rock back into service when you get the bigger tank.

Or...

That could mean you sell it and get your money back out of that part of your live rock purchase....to buy new lights!

But eventually, having more space in the display will be worth more to you than the rock.

 

[waynemonts]

Not silly at all.

It certainly no emergency, but I would still definitely reduce the amount in the tank as you stock up in corals. You will thank me someday if you decide to.

That can mean you put some rock in a box and just let it dry out. Nothing wrong with that. Draft the extra/dry rock back into service when you get the bigger tank.

Or...

That could mean you sell it and get your money back out of that part of your live rock purchase....to buy new lights!

But eventually, having more space in the display will be worth more to you than the rock.

That makes sense. I can see what you mean by how much room it takes up. I should just get a 75 gal and turn the 30 into a sump.

 

[Duke4Life]

That makes sense. I can see what you mean by how much room it takes up. I should just get a 75 gal and turn the 30 into a sump.

+1 That's a great idea!

 

[mcarroll]

That makes sense. I can see what you mean by how much room it takes up. I should just get a 75 gal and turn the 30 into a sump.

A bigger tank makes certain things cost more - water changes would take twice the salt and twice the RODI water, you have twice the surface area to light, etc.

But there are definitely some good arguments toward starting in the biggest tank you can afford.

Since new tanks are on the table for discussion now...

I'd consider a 60 gallon cube - 24x24x24" - vs a traditional 75 gallon.

The 75 is a sweet tank - not too tall like the 90 gallon - so don't get me wrong. But I can imagine a day about 1.2 years from now when you'll think that a 24" thick tank would be so much nicer so your corals could grow out just that much farther. If you still love the 75 better, I totally understand (it's way, way less expensive)...but at least think about it. There's even a 90 gallon cube that's 30x30x30".

 

[waynemonts]

Yeah right now I just don't have the money, but it's nice to dream.

 

[mcarroll]

"Rox in a box" it is!

All in good time....that is the real key to successful reefing.

(...he says 8-10 years later- still on the original 38 gallon tank. Someday I'll upgrade for real. LOL)

 

[waynemonts]

"Rox in a box" it is!

All in good time....that is the real key to successful reefing.

(...he says 8-10 years later- still on the original 38 gallon tank. Someday I'll upgrade for real. LOL)

Lol I hear ya. Send me a few pictures of your tank.

 

[mcarroll]

I spend more time raising human than coral these days, so the tank has been on coast for a couple-three years, so it's not it's most photogenic. (Which was never a priority in the first place.)

Here's some historical photos that are handy...until I can dig up or take a more current one.

The tank isn't so heavy with the plating monti's now...and I wish wish wish I had resisted the "beginner corals" when I founded the system - the mushrooms and zoanthids.

They (usually the mushrooms) get on every branching Acro or Monti I've put in the tank :mad::mad::mad: and it seems like the really genuinely enjoy my screwups as well as my efforts to get rid of them.

 

[smiley28]

Also waynemonts you have enough to sort of cherry pick an aqua scape you like not a bad problem to have

 

[mcarroll]

BTW, most of those photos were under halide light (gone) and I was dosing calcium, alkalinity and magnesium by hand (now a doser) and doing 20% water changes weekly (now close to zero) back in those days.

If not for the doser and switch to LED's (which was very rough), the tank would definitely be gone by now...all I have to do is keep the skimmer emptied and feed the three barnacle blennies one a week or so.

 

[waynemonts]

Also waynemonts you have enough to sort of cherry pick an aqua scape you like not a bad problem to have

Yeah that's true too.

 

[mcarroll]

there's another chart like this one

Found it!

 

[mcarroll]

Yeah that's true too.

And while you're cherry picking, stack and re-stack your rocks to see what different things you can actually do with the pieces you have!

It's great to be at the beginning when you don't have to wreck a whole coral community to do a re-stack.

• "Hurricane @waynemonts will be at peak force tonight after dinner!"

 

[zeeGGee]

4 months in with the orbit (non pro)
IMO good light for softies

Hi. How deep is your tank? Are you using just 1 orbit marine led? what's your serrings? How many % for white and blue and how many hours do you keep it on? Thanks!