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12/02/2018, 05:11 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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I have returned! (Maybe)
I was super active here a decade ago. Built a huge reef tank, ran it for years. Became a slave to it, then tore it all down. I was unhappy with the amount of manual daily maintenance required.
After being reef free for 10 years, (and just having a small fresh water planted tank), I walked into a pet store the other day and noticed lighting seems to have come a long way. I had to run large Metal Hallide lights to get sand floor shimmer, and it heated up the house, and required a chiller, etc, etc. But I saw now days they have these awesome LED lights that are super slim and produce shimmer on the sand? Is it time for me to come back? Is it time to get back into this hobby? Has technology solved all the problems of yesteryear? Anyway, if I don't come all the way back, at least I've come back here to do a little research. Kids will be off to college soon and I'll need a hobby. /wave |
12/02/2018, 06:02 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
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Well...leds are certainly here to stay and capable..
Welcome back maybe..
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12/02/2018, 06:22 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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Thanks!
just got done watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukePe3OzaQU It looks like LEDs can be pretty expensive if done right. |
12/02/2018, 09:08 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Florida
Posts: 50
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Long story short. This hobby still requires a lot of attention. LED lights are cool but T5's produce excellent results.
LEDs have some benefits. But none of them make the hobby easier. Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk |
12/02/2018, 09:10 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Florida
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Water chemistry, stability, and flow are still the most important factors. Lighting is optional as long as you have the correct Spectrum and par. It does not matter how you achieve it.
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12/02/2018, 09:15 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Florida
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I would like to quote Than, from tidal gardens. "If I had to pick a single source of light, without using a combination of tech. it would be T5's"..
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12/03/2018, 02:01 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: England
Posts: 58
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Hello
if you're looking at a reducing the maintance,, re-search the Triton Method. Youtube is also a good place to re-search it. in a nut shell, you get 4 different dosing liquids, send your sample to Germany, they analyze the water and recommend how much to dose untill your levels are near as what sea water is. then you dose around 12ml a day. the enitial start up is a bit costly, but like you i want a minimal amount maintance which this claims to do by not needing to do water changes. i am in the process of getting mine set up. have a search for BRS on youtube, they do loads of quality videos
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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface 5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium |
12/03/2018, 02:51 PM | #8 |
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Location: Upstate NY
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Triton method requires a rather large refugium, no mechanical filtration, a whole bunch of tests that cost about 50$ a piece to do, a whole slew of chemicals that they want you to add, and the test results takes weeks to get.
Personally not sold on the triton method, but there are certainly plenty of people running variations of it, and they seem to be going good. Nothing will replace the berlin method for plain and simple. The trick with water changes is to set your tank up so all you have to do is throw a few valves and your done. The idea as we get older is to work smarter, not harder.
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80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work" |
12/04/2018, 12:05 PM | #9 |
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And once things are out of whack--recovery can be long, if not impossible (RE Triton). Read through D2Mini's most recent build as an example.
I would say the biggest change has been the automation technology, not LEDs per say. When I left the first time none of it existed, and I didn't have the funds to pay for it. Between dosing pumps and controllers you can set up a nice system that only requires a few tests a week and periodic filling of top off and salt water change reservoirs and adjusting dosing rates. But the basics are the same. I second Berlin method as still the best.
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Back after a 13yr hiatus--much to my wife's dismay. Though she sure loves looking at the tank and feeding the fish! Current Tank Info: Reefer 450 seed tank for the retirement 315gal Reef Savvy build. |
12/06/2018, 11:13 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Whitehall ohio
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Basically leds are great but it doesn't change the fact that things can and will go wrong and technology can be of great value but the natural way of things dont change,fortunately for me I like the maintenance part of having a reef tank I find great satisfaction when my tank looks great and everything in the tank seems happy!
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12/07/2018, 06:11 AM | #11 | |
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Location: miami,florida
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Quote:
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Natural Reefer Current Tank Info: 600 gallon Carribean Reef System, ETSS Protein Skimmer, 1.5HP Tradewinds Chiller, Reef Breeders Photon V2+ LED Lighting For The Refugium, Mitra LX7206 LED Lights For Display Tank |
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12/07/2018, 11:10 AM | #12 | |
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Location: England
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Quote:
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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface 5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium |
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12/07/2018, 01:00 PM | #13 | |
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: miami,florida
Posts: 640
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Quote:
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Natural Reefer Current Tank Info: 600 gallon Carribean Reef System, ETSS Protein Skimmer, 1.5HP Tradewinds Chiller, Reef Breeders Photon V2+ LED Lighting For The Refugium, Mitra LX7206 LED Lights For Display Tank |
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