gcrawford
Valuable Member
Reflecting back to when I first started my 120 2x2x4...... I did lots of research and knew exactly what I was doing and what I wanted for our tank. I designed my own sump using a 40 breeder (one of the only constants in the system mainly because I would have to take the tank down to remove it from the stand), reef octopus skimmer - also still in place, and Tunze ATO.
The rest - equipment wise - has all been replaced. I should have listened to those that said "do it right the first time".
The dual halides and t-5s are now led.
The iwaki is gone for a jebao dc12000.
The chiller is gone.
The heater controller quit, which made way for an Apex full controller.
My cheap kalk dripper went in the trash and now I use a Geo Kalk Reactor.
I'm finished mixing 2 part and walking up and down the hall with cups of alk and cal derived from gallon containers with push-down mechanical pumps on them. I now use a Geo Calcium Reactor.
I installed an Apex auto feeder which works great - had to do this for vacation trip.
Installed a wireless cam so I can see what's going on with the tank when out of town.
Anyway, my point is that there are so many things I've learned over the past two years in the hobby and could have avoided the lost $$ if I took more advice from others. But, I've really enjoyed learning from my mistakes along the way. I probably wouldn't appreciate my LEDs so much had I not have had the halides, heat issues, chiller and mega utility bills. I am now in the club that says, "I would not have a reef tank without an Apex controller."
So for now, I will try my best not to change things and sit back and enjoy watching nature take its course within the glass walls...... And eBay a bunch of equipment that I have no use for that someone else can use as learning stepping stones.
Happy holiday weekend all here in the NARC. Attached is a pic of my last (fingers crossed) equipment additions on the 120.
-g
The rest - equipment wise - has all been replaced. I should have listened to those that said "do it right the first time".
The dual halides and t-5s are now led.
The iwaki is gone for a jebao dc12000.
The chiller is gone.
The heater controller quit, which made way for an Apex full controller.
My cheap kalk dripper went in the trash and now I use a Geo Kalk Reactor.
I'm finished mixing 2 part and walking up and down the hall with cups of alk and cal derived from gallon containers with push-down mechanical pumps on them. I now use a Geo Calcium Reactor.
I installed an Apex auto feeder which works great - had to do this for vacation trip.
Installed a wireless cam so I can see what's going on with the tank when out of town.
Anyway, my point is that there are so many things I've learned over the past two years in the hobby and could have avoided the lost $$ if I took more advice from others. But, I've really enjoyed learning from my mistakes along the way. I probably wouldn't appreciate my LEDs so much had I not have had the halides, heat issues, chiller and mega utility bills. I am now in the club that says, "I would not have a reef tank without an Apex controller."
So for now, I will try my best not to change things and sit back and enjoy watching nature take its course within the glass walls...... And eBay a bunch of equipment that I have no use for that someone else can use as learning stepping stones.
Happy holiday weekend all here in the NARC. Attached is a pic of my last (fingers crossed) equipment additions on the 120.
-g
