Who's still Reefing Ol' School?

[ScubaShane]

Of course, How cool is that!

I just realized who this is. Your a legend Paul. Its an honor to have you in my thread!

 

[cracker]

I had a under gravel filter with penguin power heads on the stand pipes to pull more Water ! That was the stuff ! Then I went bare bottom with dead coral pieces fish only. A huge wetdry with am pimpy skimmer. there were 40 watt shop lights with 50/50 bulbs over the tank ! The thing was beautiful & trouble free. But then I saw corals Ya corals . It was my down fall ! Had nothing but troubles ever since . Thanks a lot !

 

[ronl]

Here’s my old stuff. All about 20 years old.
- 3 unopened bags of Southdown Play Sand
- 2 Lights of America Work Lights (for fuge)
- Natural Wave Pump Timer (used to use with Maxi Jet pumps)

I don’t use any of the above anymore, but can’t force myself to throw them out. But I do still use the following:
- AquaClear 301 and 402 Pumps (use for mixing saltwater and for water changes. Paul’s right, they’re indestructible)
- SeaTest Hydrometer (not perfectly accurate, but it remains consistent after all these years)

 

[ostrow]

LIGHTS OF AMERICA LIGHTS! Holy back-in-the-day, cowboy!

 

[tiggs]

That's definitely the early 2000s Home Depot reefer starter pack with the Southdown and LOA fuge lights! If you found a Home Depot with both, you hit the jackpot.

 

[Paul B]

Shikashane. I am a Legend in my own mind. And a thorn in the side of many other people.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Although I did pull my under gravel filter back in the 80’s to go with the Berlin method I have mostly stuck to the other methods I started with many years ago I’m just now starting to adopt some of the more modern gadgets such as WiFi controllable LED’s, a basic controller for temps and a ATO system which I must say I love..

 

[ScubaShane]

This was my AGA 75g in 2001 It was a very successful reef for 10years before I moved. Used 1lb/gal of Fiji Premium live rock from Walt Smith. Three inches of Oceanic live sand. API Stress Coat with tap water and Instant Ocean salt. API Stress Zyme to cycle and maintain the tank. Two Zoo Med Power Sweep power heads. HOB Eshopps 300 Overflow box with Eshopps WD-75 wet/dry filter and a Mag Drive 7 return pump. Coralife PC retrofit kit with 4-65w 50/50 bulbs. I had a DIY 5g ATO system. Manually dosed Trace Elements and Two Little Fishies C-balance A + B. Fed flake and frozen brine shrimp to fish and corals. I had a large CUC rated for 75g by rule of thumb. And of cource my go to book was The New Marine Aquarium by @Mike Paletta !!

 

[dieselkeeper]

There are some things old school people can still use today. Like i had trouble getting nitrates up. I dug out my bioballs and put them in my filter socks. Instant trickle filter.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Here’s my old stuff. All about 20 years old.
- 3 unopened bags of Southdown Play Sand
- 2 Lights of America Work Lights (for fuge)
- Natural Wave Pump Timer (used to use with Maxi Jet pumps)

I don’t use any of the above anymore, but can’t force myself to throw them out. But I do still use the following:
- AquaClear 301 and 402 Pumps (use for mixing saltwater and for water changes. Paul’s right, they’re indestructible)
- SeaTest Hydrometer (not perfectly accurate, but it remains consistent after all these years)

Oh wow I searched everywhere for Southdown sand back in the day!! LOL!

 

[easternreefer]

Here’s my old stuff. All about 20 years old.
- 3 unopened bags of Southdown Play Sand
- 2 Lights of America Work Lights (for fuge)
- Natural Wave Pump Timer (used to use with Maxi Jet pumps)

I don’t use any of the above anymore, but can’t force myself to throw them out. But I do still use the following:
- AquaClear 301 and 402 Pumps (use for mixing saltwater and for water changes. Paul’s right, they’re indestructible)
- SeaTest Hydrometer (not perfectly accurate, but it remains consistent after all these years)

how much for the sand? went all over New England looking for that stuff

 

[Greybeard]

Good lord... Southdown sand.

I used to get that stuff by the pallet from Home Depot in Kansas City. The good old 'DSB' days

 

[Greybeard]

My old Southdown DSB 240, circa 1996...

 

[ronl]

There was nothing more satisfying than going to Home Depot to spend $5 per 50 lb bag of the same sand being sold in pet stores for about $20 per 30 lb bag.

I had a 4” deep sand bed in a 55G and bought several extra bags for future plans to upgrade to 180G. Then I moved and had to bring the bags to the new house. Never upgraded and they’ve been sitting under my workbench untouched for nearly 15 years until I pulled them out last night to take the pic.

 

[Paul B]

There was no such thing as Home Depot when I started. Or credit cards, Cell phones, computers, just dirt.

 

[ronl]

There was no such thing as Home Depot when I started. Or credit cards, Cell phones, computers, just dirt.

...and cavemen.

 

[ronl]

Oh wow I searched everywhere for Southdown sand back in the day!! LOL!

All time classic Southdown thread on RC from 2001 — All you EVER wanted to know about Southdown

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26193

Includes info on how to find a store that stocked it...how to get a pallet transferred from another store, etc.

Rev, please delete if you don’t allow links to RC.

 

[Paul B]

Where did you get my picture?

 

[ronl]

Where did you get my picture?

I just Googled ‘Paul B’ and that was the first thing that came up. [emoji23]

 

[tiggs]

There was nothing more satisfying than going to Home Depot to spend $5 per 50 lb bag of the same sand being sold in pet stores for about $20 per 30 lb bag.

I had a 4” deep sand bed in a 55G and bought several extra bags for future plans to upgrade to 180G. Then I moved and had to bring the bags to the new house. Never upgraded and they’ve been sitting under my workbench untouched for nearly 15 years until I pulled them out last night to take the pic.

Especially when you were putting together a 6+ inch DSB at the time. It wasn't like now where you'd buy a bag or two and be done with it. People were literally buying pallets and saving tons of money on sand.