Thinking about a change....

taintstick · Mar 15, 2017

So the time has come in my job where I'm starting to travel more and more. Not only that, I am also traveling more personally. Being gone for a weeks time I am always paranoid at what might and will happen to my tank while I'm away. I have a buddy who I got into Reefin and is going full throttle, as we all did haha. He watches over the tank for me when I'm gone, swinging by multiple times a day to check on things. I don't have the fanciest equipment or set up. I definitely am not trusting it too much, thinking in the future. I actually have a few aquariums but the main is my worry. The others all have HOB equipment so if the power goes out, nothing happens, when it kicks back on so do they and no problem.
I guess what I'm getting at is breaking my system down, selling everything off, and starting from scratch with an all in one set up and auto top offs, and controllers and dosers auto shut offs and all that. I have a lot of coral, some very nice big pieces that I would sell off and stash the money away for a new system. I would like to hear others input on this predicament. In no way do I want to get out of the hobby, but maybe pause for a brighter future haha maybe...
please let me know what you all think and thanks for taking the time to read my story.

watdachuck · Mar 15, 2017

I am in sales and faced the same dilemma a few years ago. Ultimately what I decided I needed was an AIO system with the ability to keep the same corals that I had in my more complicated system. I went to the same person that built my sump and asked him to build and AIO with his sumps as the basis for the filtration system and here is what followed. I'm not pushing you to buy one of these just my two cents from when I was in a similar predicament.

taintstick · Mar 15, 2017

That's a very nifty little set up!! Do they come in larger sizes? Haha I am in sales as well and expanding my territory hah.

watdachuck · Mar 15, 2017

Yup I totally get it, giant ATO's and automatic feeders are now my specialty

All of Jeff's stuff is custom made and not off the shelf. He doesn't really make tanks but you don't know until you ask...Jeff at LifeReef

taintstick · Mar 15, 2017

watdachuck said:
Yup I totally get it, giant ATO's and automatic feeders are now my specialty All of Jeff's stuff is custom made and not off the shelf. He doesn't really make tanks but you don't know until you ask...Jeff at LifeReef

Thanks!! I'll look him up and give him a call.
So how long can you run your system without bad levels and doing nothing but glass cleaning...?

watdachuck · Mar 15, 2017

In the stand there is a 20 gallon ATO tank with kalkwasser, and an electronic feeder with some HQ sinking pellet food. I am pretty confident being gone for two weeks without things getting to in need of attention. The worst thing that happens is the skimmer needing to be drained or the power going out. Ecotechs backup batteries have helped with that and now I have a Nest wifi camera on it so I can spy on the tank at anytime from anywhere.

taintstick · Mar 15, 2017

watdachuck said:
In the stand there is a 20 gallon ATO tank with kalkwasser, and an electronic feeder with some HQ sinking pellet food. I am pretty confident being gone for two weeks without things getting to in need of attention. The worst thing that happens is the skimmer needing to be drained or the power going out. Ecotechs backup batteries have helped with that and now I have a Nest wifi camera on it so I can spy on the tank at anytime from anywhere.

Great ideas! Thanks!!
I was looking into those seneye systems too. I guess I'll make a decision within the next couple months. My next trip is worrying me already, going to be gone from a Friday to the next Wednesday night in April.

Fin · Mar 15, 2017

watdachuck said:
I am in sales and faced the same dilemma a few years ago. Ultimately what I decided I needed was an AIO system with the ability to keep the same corals that I had in my more complicated system. I went to the same person that built my sump and asked him to build and AIO with his sumps as the basis for the filtration system and here is what followed. I'm not pushing you to buy one of these just my two cents from when I was in a similar predicament.

That's some pretty nifty work by Jeff. Is that a standard sized skimmer? I have one of his skimmers on my system.

I know I hate leaving my tank to take a trip. Seems like that is always the time something goes wrong. I have one of those Nest cameras also and it is nice to be able to actually see if everything appears to be going ok.

watdachuck · Mar 15, 2017

Fin said:
That's some pretty nifty work by Jeff. Is that a standard sized skimmer? I have one of his skimmers on my system.

I know I hate leaving my tank to take a trip. Seems like that is always the time something goes wrong. I have one of those Nest cameras also and it is nice to be able to actually see if everything appears to be going ok.

Yup the SVS-24 running off a Mag 9 pump...It is pretty much the only filtration I use aside from mechanical in the overflow and of course water changes. Going overkill on the skimmer has proved to make this mini reef possible without too much attention. Pretty sure the skimmer helps keep the PH up with all that oxygen but the Kalk is doing its part as well.