Who's still Reefing Ol' School?

ScubaShane · May 10, 2018

Any one still doing things the old way and don't care about the new ways? Like using tap water conditioner instead of RODI system? Using a salinity gage instead of a refractometer? Measuring cup/spoon for additives like trace elements versus dosing pumps? How about that old glass floating thermometer vs. digital or a controller? Who still mixes salt in the bathtub with a 5gal bucket? Do I have to ask about lighting? I already know most prefer T5s over LEDs. Some still prefer halides even. I started with PCs and got excellent results. How about you, did you make the plunge for the high end LEDs? Pumps, OMG pumps, ol' school power heads or top of the line pumps or wave makers? Is it like the 50s diner of reefing at your place!

brandon429 · May 10, 2018

I refuse to own ammonia test kits or refracts. ill always reef with a swingarm from about 2005. calibrated every so often it seems to be good nuff all the ink is rubbed off and the .o23 is a scrape mark. I do occasionally wash my entire sandbed sparkling clean in hot tap, as a refresher. what gets washed out is 4 worms and a lot of waste, its refreshing to put back in only grains of low oxygen command and no waste entrapment. my glass cleaning work stops for about 4 mos thereafter. the diaper slowly fills again/circle of export

WVNed · May 10, 2018

I refuse to answer on the grounds I may incriminate myself.
But yes I still use my original Coralife hydrometer that made every gallon of saltwater I ever mixed.

The new pumps have it all over Maxijets. I like my pumps. My Vortechs have run for years.

Dodge Ram · May 10, 2018

I have used tap water and phosphates set the algae blooming. Then some kind of brown coral thingies grew like crazy. My clownfish even snuggled in it. And I run halide 150 de. I started over.

ScubaShane · May 10, 2018

Ive been using API Marine Stress Coat since 2001 with tap water and never had an algea issue. I use it for ATO and I mix it with Insant Ocean salt for water changes.

ScubaShane · May 11, 2018

WVNed said:
I refuse to answer on the grounds I may incriminate myself.
But yes I still use my original Coralife hydrometer that made every gallon of saltwater I ever mixed.

The new pumps have it all over Maxijets. I like my pumps. My Vortechs have run for years.

I use a Gyre now and definitely worth the up grade from power heads.

Paul B · May 11, 2018

I still use an undergravel filter. Ocean water when I am not too lazy. Swing arm hydrometer, no test kits, no medications. DIY water cooled LED lighting system. I still use my diatom filters from the 60s to stir my dolomite gravel.
To calibrate the swing arm hydrometer, I fly to the tropics, jump in the water with it and draw a line on the thing where it floats.

Halal Hotdog · May 11, 2018

Paul B said:
I still use an undergravel filter. Ocean water when I am not too lazy. Swing arm hydrometer, no test kits, no medications. DIY water cooled LED lighting system. I still use my diatom filters from the 60s to stir my dolomite gravel.
To calibrate the swing arm hydrometer, I fly to the tropics, jump in the water with it and draw a line on the thing where it floats.

Haha love this post. Many different ways to the summit of a mountain.

I have a dosing pump I don't use. Dose by hand. TBH 20+ years ago I use to keep fish with limited corals and back than it was hard. Random algae blooms, random die off of fish... Now a days with the innovations things are much easier to control. Tanks no longer have to live with ich. We have discovered if you control phosphates you can control most algaes. We can keep corals now that were not possible before.

SashimiTurtle · May 11, 2018

How many of you are keeping an sps dominant tank with acros and an algae free display with tap water? Just wondering? I know they grow under the old Metal Halide lights, I just can't afford the extra electricity itll take to keep the house and the tank cool. It's already in the mid 90s here until November and my HVAC is running wide open.

Greybeard · May 11, 2018

Old school? I guess not... I've used all of the above, even under gravel filter plates... air stone driven skimmers, all that old stuff.

Today's tech is much better. Dosing pumps don't change what you're doing, just lessen the time it takes to do it. I'm dosing ESV B-Ionic, same thing I was dosing 15 years ago... through a wireless connected dosing pump. Back in the day, we were buying used blood infusion pumps once their medical lifespan had run out. Does the same job. T5's, for sure... can't see changing that any time soon. Still running a macro algae sump, sand bottom, live rock system that would be completely recognizable to anyone time jumping from about 1984, back when the 'Berlin method' was the latest rage.

jda · May 11, 2018

I do use RODI and a refractometer, but I still use light timers instead of a controller, buckets for top-off (no ATO), calcium reactor from 1992, large skimmer, 3" sand bed, real pacific live rock, metal halides, Ranco & Jagr heaters and Instant Ocean salt.

One of my tanks is an old Oceanic from 1992 with the large glass center brace.

In all honesty, I would have upgraded to any newer stuff if I thought that it was better. I could get behind a more-foolproof ATO, but I have no need for a controller, LEDs or any other new gadgetry.

How did anybody leave off a Limewood driven skimmer... which worked pretty well for what they were.

AlexStinson · May 11, 2018

I use a lot of the newer technology, but really like to incorporate the "old school" trend of doing a lot of DIY for whatever I need. I've only been in the hobby a little over a decade, but there sure seems to be alot less people making stuff to suit their needs. It's amazing what you can do with a few tubes of weld-on and the leftover acrylic scraps from Lowe's.

TexasTodd · May 11, 2018

Too funny, I've often thought of saving up for my Limewood driven skimmer back in about 1992! The new tech has definitely improved there!
I'm trying to make a go of the LED's this time around, really due to heat in S. TX, but not all that happy with them so far. IMO MH are SO much easier.
JDA what CA RX?
My last system, which was fantastic, I ran MH, some T5 and VHO, giant skimmer, and super concentrated Kalkwasser on a constant drip 24/7 just slightly below evaporation rate. Worked perfectly.

jda · May 11, 2018

Calcium Reactor. The idea of melting coral skeletons with CO2 goes back to the 1960s, IIRC, so an old school concept for sure. I am still using my same Korallin with Ehiem pump from 1992 - it does not say West Germany on it, or anything, but it is close.

TexasTodd · May 11, 2018

Those Ehiem pumps run forever. I've always wished they made one larger than the 1262 in that same design.

brandon429 · May 11, 2018

stress coat: in the 80s-90's every lfs put a drop in the fish bag.

I personally have spent approx. one thousand dollars on it, based on this calculation: every guppy tank I ever owned from the 80s on up at six bucks a bottle, overused of course for the health of their slime coat for the love of pete, the re added if I saw them rub on something heh, to me spending about twenty bucks on it recently while speed cycling a freshwater tank with tap water. I always slam API for the ammonia test accuracy but secretly ive paid them one thousand dollars just about for the other stuff.

Dash · May 12, 2018

I’m one of those using tap water but I’m in Vancouver, Canada, where our TDS measures about 10. I just add Prime. No nuisance algae. I have a mixed reef as I like to collect whatever I think is cool, but I do have SPS. Nothing too crazy high end as I’m on a budget, but there’s a few nice ones. Actually I’ve had a few zoas melt away but haven’t ever lost an SPS or LPS.

I’ve just been in the hobby a little over 2 years. Didn’t know live rock from a baseball. I guess I’m “old school” in that I keep things pretty simple but I think not having tons of money to throw into a hobby played a big part. I used a hydrometer for the first year before buying a refractometer, but only because I dropped it & it didn’t look like super glue would fix it

I just upgraded to a larger tank in Jan and had a sump for the first time. I don’t have ATO and just started manually dosing 2 months ago. I don’t mind as it’s something to do while pottering around the tank. I use Instant Ocean salt.

I guess being a newbie, I did so much reading about this hobby, and I think that sometimes we over-complicate/over-think things and are also too impatient. I’m amazed at how much expensive equipment is thrown at a tank build (read a lot of those threads, a great source of info) only to have a crash soon thereafter and re-build. Fancy equipment is not the recipe for success, imho. More important to research, learn from those who’ve been there/done that, and be patient.

Oh, and I was lucky to buy my live rock from someone leaving the hobby (he seemed sad but his wife was happy

), who told me it was about 12 years old. Amazing rock. I firmly believe they are the secret sauce in my tank.

mike werner · May 12, 2018

I still use many of the same things mentioned above.to embarrassed to tell ya most of them.if this is any indication I just got rid of my flip phone two weeks ago and got a genius phone.i think that's what ya have to be to operate it.

fish farmer · May 12, 2018

I have a 120 gallon FOWLR that I've maintained for 17 years at a local campround. It still has a couple of Aquaclear 802 power heads for circulation. I did "upgrade" recently to maxijets in the circulation configuration. My old maxijets didn't have that configuration years ago. So now have a bunch of old school salt mixing pumps.

The same tank still employs a little giant return pump, an Emperor Aquatics skimmer, Amiracle sump, did I mention I believe it is a Del Ray tank. It came up from Florida used in 2001 and been set up ever since. It even has Southdown Tropical Playsand in it.

On my reef tank I completely skipped over the T5 phase...when did that happen? I went from PC's directly to an LED fixture, due to cost, heat and the availability of bulbs.

I do use a refractometer, but can also check with a hydrometer.

I still use Danner Mag Drive pumps for return, skimmer and ATO. I've tried a couple of other pumps, sedra and quite one, both crapped out quickly.

ScubaShane · May 12, 2018

fish farmer said:
I have a 120 gallon FOWLR that I've maintained for 17 years at a local campround. It still has a couple of Aquaclear 802 power heads for circulation. I did "upgrade" recently to maxijets in the circulation configuration. My old maxijets didn't have that configuration years ago. So now have a bunch of old school salt mixing pumps.

The same tank still employs a little giant return pump, an Emperor Aquatics skimmer, Amiracle sump, did I mention I believe it is a Del Ray tank. It came up from Florida used in 2001 and been set up ever since. It even has Southdown Tropical Playsand in it.

On my reef tank I completely skipped over the T5 phase...when did that happen? I went from PC's directly to an LED fixture, due to cost, heat and the availability of bulbs.

I do use a refractometer, but can also check with a hydrometer.

I still use Danner Mag Drive pumps for return, skimmer and ATO. I've tried a couple of other pumps, sedra and quite one, both crapped out quickly.

Yup, Mag Drives were the go to and top of the line back in the day!