If I were to start over...

[FlyPenFly]

Just some thoughts on what I would do:

• Don't waste money on frags, save for colonies
• I've spent a large amount of money going through different lights. Now that I know I just prefer the 20k radium MH look, I would have just gone with MH + T5 from the start and keep my AC on during the day in the summer.
• An ATO is a must have and the first thing I should have purchased.
• I should have gotten a bigger RODI from Spectra
• I should have used ESV salt solution from the start
• MP10 and MP40 from the start
• Cobalt Neotherm from the start
• Aquaclears with a inTank basket are incredibly effective BUT it seems the basket can cause a bit more noise at least on the AC70.
• Don't overdose GFO, it caused an alkalinity crash which killed a few SPS for me and made a huge precipitation mess. Now I just use phosguard and I can use any amount I like. The aluminum problem is a myth. I have tons of open brain coral and other LPS and they're all very happy despite the large amount I use.
• Algae scrubbers > Chaeto. Even though the chaeto grows and what not, it's hard to tell if it's even making a dent over a good skimmer or not.
• BRS dosers are crap - eventually. Use something really cheap like Aqualifters on timers or save up for a proper Vertex dosing setup
• Don't buy used skimmers. They're probably the most temperamental items in reefing and whether it's skim generation, size, or just noise level, it's best to buy new in case it doesn't work out for you.
• Really plan ahead with the overflows. Big overflows in my Deep Blue Edge tank are kind of crap. The Elos overflows are very nice and so are the new Reef Octo Luxury tanks. An overflow is an area that can just gather a lot of dirt so having it be small as possible isn't just for aesthetics but for cleaning. Lifereef overflows are fantastic, easily cleaned and I just don't see it could cause a flood unless your pump sucks. You can make it almost fool proof by elevating your return pump.
• If your light is strong enough, egg crate for a top is probably the best compromise. You're going to lose about 10-20% in ultimate power but screen tops look ghetto horrible. Glass tops look the nicest but once salt creep and just crap gets on it, good bye PARs. Custom cut acrylic is best especially if you do a custom cut for your light but there's bowing on most sized tanks which is another pain to deal with.
• Of the carbon I tried, Seachem matrix is the only one that let me test near 0 on my Hanna checker for phosphates.
• Keep small bags of bio media in your sump, just in case. They're very handy for emergencies or starting a new tank.
• Scrubbing live rock was the worst most time consuming and labor intensive thing I did in this hobby. I wish I used aqua-tecture rocks from the start like I do now.
• Kalkwasser is fantastic but you really need a reactor. I prefer just two part dosing and keep Mg in my ato reserve.
• Get as many Hanna checkers as you can. Telling colors apart in test kits is effing BS.
• Invest in a great level. Make sure your tank is perfectly level before getting it wet. Check half way filled to make sure the weight didn't unlevel something.

The biggest thing I wish I did was just went with two Elos Midis and only did very high end SPS with rare smaller fish. I've been through at least a dozen tanks at this point. Maintaining a 75 gallon and 60 gallon tank in a manhattan apartment was perhaps a bit too ambitious.

[Raptor72]

I would have never gone with a foam background...

[NeilFox]

Sorry Fly Pen Fly; but I would never have thought about spending all that money on stuff that you did in the first place!!! LMAO

[Gil03]

i would've focused more on the "You get what you pay for" mentality.

[brad_G]

Why wouldn't you buy frags. Half the fun is watching them grow.

[mgrmax]

For me, I would have gone bigger from the beginning. I'm on my third tank and its finally the size I wanted in the first place.

[TankStudy]

Originally Posted by brad_G

Why wouldn't you buy frags. Half the fun is watching them grow.

I would certainly agree. Growth is also a good indicator of how good you are doing as a hobbyist.

If I were to redo

-I would go straight to a 180g.

[lcs]

Originally Posted by brad_G

Why wouldn't you buy frags. Half the fun is watching them grow.

And I'd rather kill a $10-$30 frag than a $100+ colony!

[FlyPenFly]

Frags die easy, colonies are much hardier, IME. They also just grow faster. I'm pretty impatient. Not that I also don't have frags but when I think about how 4 frags would have been one amazing large impressive colony in terms of $, it's a bit :/

[r33fnoob]

i agree with you 100%. frags trying to survive spin your head.

[lcs]

Frags die easy, colonies are much hardier, IME.

I didn't know that. Very interesting. Makes sense though!

[MellowReefer]

Thanks for mentioning the Phosguard, glad to hear about your experience with it. My corals looked really bad after I started GFO, maybe I used too much too fast but I used the recommended amount. Now I'm trying Phosguard and they seem fine so far. Seachem says the problem is only if you don't rinse it really well before putting it in.

[Touring]

What was wrong with this thread?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...=starting+over

[FlyPenFly]

Originally Posted by Touring

What was wrong with this thread?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...=starting+over

If a thread isn't on the first 2 pages, most people miss it.