Tips & Tricks Of Old School Reefing

shred5 · Dec 27, 2017

squareriggersailor said:
I beg to differ, in fact I'd say that that skimmer deserves a spot in the Skimmer Hall of Fame. It was inexpensive, easy to dial in, easy to clean and repair, had a nice chamber for a heater and some chemical media, and you could just hang it right on your tank. CPR helped a lot of people have successful reef tanks back in the Nineties and really propelled the nano hobby with the Bak Pak.

Now the Skilter, that was a piece of junk.

I think it was a waste too... Aqua C Remora was way better.

jsker · Dec 27, 2017

Cayenne1 said:
"Do Not Assume Your Tank Sitter Knows What They're Doing

I just have to laugh at this one

Midrats · Dec 27, 2017

shred5 said:
I think it was a waste too... Aqua C Remora was way better.

The Bak Pak design has been widely copied. You can't really compare it to the Remora because the Bak Pak was well established before it even existed. I don't disagree that Aqua C's spray injection works (although it clogged often and required regular cleaning) better than a venturi but to call the Bak Pak a waste is to ignore what it did for the hobby.

shred5 · Dec 27, 2017

squareriggersailor said:
The Bak Pak design has been widely copied. You can't really compare it to the Remora because the Bak Pak was well established before it even existed. I don't disagree that Aqua C's spray injection works (although it clogged often and required regular cleaning) better than a venturi but to call the Bak Pak a waste is to ignore what it did for the hobby.

Still hate them, I thought they were bad for the hobby because they performed so bad and even air driven wood-stone skimmers like dls aquatics counter current skimmers which were around way before were better.
I guess we both just have different opinions on the BAk PaK.

Midrats · Dec 27, 2017

shred5 said:
Still hate them, I thought they were bad for the hobby because they performed so bad and even air driven wood-stone skimmers like dls aquatics counter current skimmers which were around way before were better.
I guess we both just have different opinions on the BAk PaK.

Waukesha disagreeing with Madison, I don't believe it

. Sure there are plenty of skimmers that were better, hell I'd wager that limewood skimmers would still outperform a lot of modern stuff out there, especially in the nano realm, but there were thousands and thousands of successful reef tanks that employed the Bak Pak because they worked.

A777flygirl · Dec 27, 2017

Reefphd said:
Invest in some good reef books. There are so many out there. Read them from cover to cover.

Ask questions, which brings me to my last bit of advice.

Join your local reef club, if there isn’t one, start one. I’ve made some excellent friends in this hobby. Many of which are still reefing 3 decades later.

I would love to hear recommendations for books!

DSC reef · Dec 27, 2017

jsker said:
Nothing like a classic. I built a 4' protein skimmer and still wished I had it. It worked great the only draw back wash changing the air stone all the time.

I remember my first skimmer with an airstone! I thought it was amazing until I got a coralife hang on the back, upgrade;Hilarious;Hilarious;Hilarious! Lol.

Bcdjoe · Dec 27, 2017

The book I was told to read before I set up my first tank 17 years ago was Robert Fenner’s The Conscious Marine Aquarist.

jsker · Dec 27, 2017

A777flygirl said:
I would love to hear recommendations for books!

Lets see if we can find you some

DSC reef · Dec 27, 2017

How about this one @jsker

shred5 · Dec 27, 2017

DSC reef said:
How about this one @jsker

That is a great book.. It is the latest and greatest. Not many books come out anymore.
Eric was a good guy and I miss him in the hobby.

Midrats · Dec 28, 2017

A777flygirl said:
I would love to hear recommendations for books!

The Reef Aquarium Vols I, II, & III Delbeek and Sprung. All three Modern Coral Reef Aquarium Fossa and Nilsen. Natural Reef Aquariums by Tullock.

Paul B · Dec 28, 2017

shred5 said:
That is a great book.. It is the latest and greatest. Not many books come out anymore.
.

Sure they do, Albert Thiel just wrote a book before he died last year which I have a signed copy, and I even wrote a book. (which I also signed

) But mine is probably not a great book. I like it but I may be a little biased.

My favorite book is "The Salt Water Aquarium in the Home" by Robert Straughn, but he wrote that in the fifties so it is a little outdated.

shred5 · Dec 28, 2017

Paul B said:
Sure they do, Albert Thiel just wrote a book before he died last year which I have a signed copy, and I even wrote a book. (which I also signed ) But mine is probably not a great book. I like it but I may be a little biased.

My favorite book is "The Salt Water Aquarium in the Home" by Robert Straughn, but he wrote that in the fifties so it is a little outdated.

I said not many, but you know what I mean...
There are actually a lot of e-books.. There just is not a lot of major releases for print you see in all the fish shops anymore, Eric's was probably the last.. Most do not even carry books anymore.. Sad because I still like to read an actual book..

I have not read yours, probably should. Would be old school for sure and interesting.

Paul B · Dec 28, 2017

Old school for sure as I wrote it on parchment paper with a burnt stick.

Midrats · Dec 29, 2017

Paul B said:
Old school for sure as I wrote it on parchment paper with a burnt stick.

You seem more of the papyrus scroll type to me, maybe even a stone tablet.

Killamanjaro · Dec 29, 2017

Would it be possible to get all the recommended reefing book titles in one thread to avoid hijacking this thread?

I’m very interested in this especially regarding fish and corals.

I’ll start a thread and link it in this post. Here it is https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/best-recommended-reefkeeping-books.346992/

Gino · Dec 29, 2017

I been reefing since early 80's on and off. And almost two years steady with a new build almost 4 months old.

I could say that learn all you can, but apply it depending on your Tank needs. Learn your tank chemistry and how to keep it steady based on your stuck and future goals.
Learn how to be patient, it takes time to achieve a good looking tank. By this means, let your system to be maturing during the process (add/wait, add again and wait). As other have mentioned, don't do drastically changes to your tank.
High end equipment doesn't mean success, top of the art controllers won't warrant a steady system. Learn how to do it by yourself and all this new gadget will help you later to make it simple. Not all the equipment out there are needed for your particular goals. Research and learn it's a a good way to start. Back then there wasn't, internet or many resources to help you guide into this journey. So trying and error was the day by day learning curve back them. Not necessary today!

Learn the basics of how to keep your water parameters as you are stocking, go slow and I could warranty, you will succeed. Keeping it simple have been my approach and never had turned me down.
Keep on Reefing!!!

jsker · Dec 29, 2017

Killamanjaro said:
Would it be possible to get all the recommended reefing book titles in one thread to avoid hijacking this thread?

I’m very interested in this especially regarding fish and corals.

I’ll start a thread and link it in this post. Here it is https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/best-recommended-reefkeeping-books.346992/

I likey.

jsker · Dec 29, 2017

Gino said:
I been reefing since early 80's on and off. And almost two years steady with a new build almost 4 months old.

I could say that learn all you can, but apply it depending on your Tank needs. Learn your tank chemistry and how to keep it steady based on your stuck and future goals.
Learn how to be patient, it takes time to achieve a good looking tank. By this means, let your system to be maturing during the process (add/wait, add again and wait). As other have mentioned, don't do drastically changes to your tank.
High end equipment doesn't mean success, top of the art controllers won't warrant a steady system. Learn how to do it by yourself and all this new gadget will help you later to make it simple. Not all the equipment out there are needed for your particular goals. Research and learn it's a a good way to start. Back then there wasn't, internet or many resources to help you guide into this journey. So trying and error was the day by day learning curve back them. Not necessary today!

Learn the basics of how to keep your water parameters as you are stocking, go slow and I could warranty, you will succeed. Keeping it simple have been my approach and never had turned me down.
Keep on Reefing!!!

Very solid advice