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I know I'm not the only one who has learned a thing our four since starting up their aquarium. I know I'm not the only one who still has a lot more to learn!
I figured I would at least share a few things that I know I'll do differently next time, hopefully others have some lessons learned to share too!
I know there's more I've learned and forgotten, but it will come. Hopefully y'all have some to share too! If not, this has been a beer inspired rant/info session by your friend Crude/Ben. Everything you've read is my opinion, only, and I'm compleeeeetely welcoming of "this is why you're an idiot" coaching.
And, for you're enjoyment, the most (only) good fish pics I've ever taken! Someone's learning how to use a cameeraaaa haha.
Oh, and I'm now enacting a rule of this thread (psh, assuming anyone ever posts in it, I might be getting ahead of myself!) You cant post pictures unless you also post your experiences
How bout you guys!?
I figured I would at least share a few things that I know I'll do differently next time, hopefully others have some lessons learned to share too!
- Understand Access - That was a pun. Go me. Anyway, I've been very limited with my filtration options due to the fact that my stand has doors that open from the sides, not the front. This means no sump. It means no filter larger than a XP3 or Fluval 405. It means getting to my filtration is a ***** and a half. And, it means that mounting my electrical strips in any manner that could be deemed "organized".
What would I do differently? Easy, front access is key IMO. I had my heart set on a big powerful canister, not knowing that what my heart was set on wasn't even close to being powerful enough. I know I'll go with a sump next time, which means ease of access will be even more important, not to mention the ability to flat out fit it in (thats what she said). CAC here I come.
- Aquascape - My rocks get in the way of everything. I guess I should have known they would, I have a ton of them. Well, 250lbs of them. In my opinion, my scape looks great, but maintaining it is a *****. I placed large rocks too close to the side glass to be able to clean it with the magnetic algae thingy. I made lovely caves for my fish to hide in. I made lovely caves for my fish to hoard their fishy poop in.
What would I do differently? Remember that I'm going to have to clean this thing. Easy access to the glass all the way around the tank. Be careful about stacking rocks, because even though your fish might not knock something around, you're dumb self probably will when you're trying to do something equally stupid like find the cucumber slice you let float around too long.
I'd also plan out my flow better. Where will I have my current directed, how will it stir up debris, and where will my filter intakes be? Which, leads me to...
I'd also plan out my flow better. Where will I have my current directed, how will it stir up debris, and where will my filter intakes be? Which, leads me to...
- Pre-drilled tanks, intakes, discharge, overflows, bulkheads, stress and flood insurance - Ok, so this one is a mix of aesthetics, operability, and the ability to sleep at night. When I was shopping for a tank, I was all about having a pre-drilled (from the bottom) tank. Looking back, having a holes in the bottom of the tank has completely dictated where the intake/discharge of one of my filters will be. Plus, a little peace of mind (piece of mind? I actually have never written that phrase before... funny when you type things you hear/say all the time for the first time. Of course, the opposite is true - I feel like an idiot going to fish stores and trying to pronounce species names I'm quite capable of spelling!). I have two holes in the bottom of a big glass bucket full of water. A big glass 90 gallon bucket full of 90 gallons of wet, fish-filled water. Did I say there were holes in the bottom?
What would I do differently? Before I go rant on why drilled tanks are bad, let me step back. I don't think they're bad. I think my approach to them is bad. It was very much a "oh boy, oh boy, a new tank, let me hook it all up and fill it with water and will be awesome and I will love it" situation. I think I did a pretty good job hooking up all my tubing and tightening all the bulkheads, but I dont KNOW that I did a good job, and if I did know that I did a good job, I wouldn't be satisfied unless I knew I did a great, impossibly perfect, no chance in hell anything bad will EVER happened job.
Still, next time, even if I had put in the effort to make sure everything was absolutely perfect, I would not go with a drilled tank - that is, I would not go with a drilled tank with holes on the bottom. I'd take an approach that a lot of you have, and that I've seen on a lot of the reef forums. A mounted overflow that doesn't extend all the way to the bottom, allowing for a siphon that wouldn't siphon your tank empty should it fail. All my intakes and ouputs would be drilled from the back glass, allowing almost all equipment to be hidden except for the discharges.
Still, next time, even if I had put in the effort to make sure everything was absolutely perfect, I would not go with a drilled tank - that is, I would not go with a drilled tank with holes on the bottom. I'd take an approach that a lot of you have, and that I've seen on a lot of the reef forums. A mounted overflow that doesn't extend all the way to the bottom, allowing for a siphon that wouldn't siphon your tank empty should it fail. All my intakes and ouputs would be drilled from the back glass, allowing almost all equipment to be hidden except for the discharges.
I know there's more I've learned and forgotten, but it will come. Hopefully y'all have some to share too! If not, this has been a beer inspired rant/info session by your friend Crude/Ben. Everything you've read is my opinion, only, and I'm compleeeeetely welcoming of "this is why you're an idiot" coaching.
And, for you're enjoyment, the most (only) good fish pics I've ever taken! Someone's learning how to use a cameeraaaa haha.
Oh, and I'm now enacting a rule of this thread (psh, assuming anyone ever posts in it, I might be getting ahead of myself!) You cant post pictures unless you also post your experiences
How bout you guys!?
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