Simple reefing or complicated reefing...where does your system fit?

[Mr Cob]

When I was new to the hobby I jumped in feet first and quickly found myself involved with a new adventure that I could not afford.

Or could I?

While many systems I stared at online were far beyond the reach of my wallet I quickly became creative and found ways to keep up. For example; at first I couldn't even afford the extra money for a sump..so I bought used Penguin bio-filters, two of them and converted one to a HOB refugium and the other to a cryptic fuge. Skimmer? I wish! try small dailly water changes. lol

Anyways... I think what captures me in this hobby is the endless ways of doing things and seeing what everyone else comes up with.

Post some pics of your simple setup or your scientific masterpiece.

[Europhyllia]

Oh good one! Looking forward to seeing pics and hearing about the details :)
I think my theme is automated Reefkeeping. If I can't put a Reefkeeper on it I don't want it. lol

[Mr Cob]

haha...I wish I had that problem...lol

Here's the sump on my 85g:

I think this tank is pretty simple...the most complicated "cool" thing is the PH monitor and perhaps the WaveMaster Pro with two evo k's and two k3's. Other than that it is lit by LED and MH, has a heater, skimmer, lots of Macro, DSB and lots of water changes. Has a ton of our business frags in it so it's always getting a water change. This setup is pretty much how I ran the 144 half circle I got rid of when we moved.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2184/5756172409_48a8a5272b.jpg

Here's my 55g lit by T5 and LED...super simple setup...heater, K3's, sump refugium DSB...not even a skimmer.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/5756175731_4052ed6ac9.jpg

I'm not a big fan of getting all crazy...I like it simple and if it can be overdosed I don't want it because I'm horrible at measuring. BUT I'm amazed by the things I don't understand so I like those that do get all crazy!

[cbianco]

K.I.S.S. and a hands off approach.

"If you build it leave them alone, they will come grow!

JMO

Christopher :)

[tebstan]

I really wanted to pick the last option in the poll! :lauging:


I'd say I'm somewhere between sump and reactors. I had years of watching and learning about saltwater before ever getting my own tank. So I jumped into the hobby with a drilled 90, sump, skimmer, and more T5s than probably necessary.

Since I started, I've added a 10g fuge and a reactor. I've gotten a little more organized with my electrical stuff, added a wave box and an automatic feeder.

I see myself getting more fancy in the future, but I intentionally take it slow to keep myself interested. I don't think I'll get totally automated; most of the enjoyment for me comes from splashing around in there.

[hobogato]

i have done the full range:

from most complicated on the old 240 - sump, fuge, skimmer, calcium reactor, kalk reactor, MH and t5 lights, large chiller and controller
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/240/DSC02000.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/240/DSC02005.jpg

to most simple on the old 150 - closed loop circulation with DSB, liverock and macroalgae in tank (no sump or other filtration)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/cuttle%20lagoon/DSC06397.jpg

regardless, the simple maintenance seemed to make the most difference. even my complicated sps dominant 240 stayed much happier (orp around 350) when i diligently performed small (5 gallon) water changes twice a week.

on the current 250, i am keeping it simple again, so that is how i voted - not picture worthy yet, just finishing hair algae stage of cycle.

[Mr Cob]

love it Ace...you have both the "get crazy" style and the "simple approach" and achieved amazing results on both approaches! great examples.

LOL at the last option Adriene! HAHA!

[Scream311]

7 years ago i had my nose in the books, my tail in the LFS, and fingers on line researching and researching how to successfully keep a saltwater tank (cause i had no clue in the world) until i started my first tank 4 years ago which was a 55 with HOB filter Skimmer and Crappy Lights lol not so great ! then turned to a 20 REEF with HOB and Metal Halide with LOTS of Water Changes and a 125 FOWLR Sump, Skimmer and Bio Balls which was a Success :-)

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/2-13-11159.jpg
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/23496_1321257523424_1590410771_30784755_5654917_n. jpg

and Here i am Today 210 FOLWR established 10-2010

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/IMAG0551.jpg
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/IMAG0552.jpg

125 REEF

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/IMAG0556.jpg
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii77/scream311/IMAG0557.jpg

Gaining Tips and Tricks here and there through Fellow Maast Members has Influenced my Setups

[Big_Pun]

so I started out with a "tree farm"(tm mr cob) a 12g jbj nano with the coolest Kenyi trees. then I happened on a deal 2x29g bio cubes and 8g. all simple setups. now I have this mess of a tank. ok in my sump you find my 2 reactors one for bio-pellets and one for gfo. then there is my skimmer and filter sock. my rkl controls lights, heater and back up fan(goes on at 79 degrees). my other timer controls my canopy fans and moonlights.
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-744b-ca5e.jpg
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-7341-c1b7.jpg
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-7353-bef7.jpg
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-7381-ca07.jpg
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-7396-1037.jpg
http://tapatalk.com/mu/6330e6e5-73a6-8f3e.jpg

to me it's simple reefing my equipment does all the work. i do dose a lot of stuff daily but it's a labor of love and it keeps me grounded, I like being hands on.

[ramsey]

I choose crazy. It's not too crazy now but I think it will be, just given my nature. I love gadgets and gear for better or worse, so I'm constantly adding new stuff. A big part of the fun for me is messing with gadgets and setting things up. It's almost like a Rube Goldberg machine. :hypnotyized:

11606

Here's the view underneath my tank. One biopellet reactor, one for carbon, a skimmer and a skimmate collector.

11607

Here's the bottom of the closest behind my tank. A 10G tank with a float switch for top offs and a pump for my ATO. There's also a kalk reactor in line with the ATO.

11608

Here's the top part of the closet. I built a very sturdy shelf where I'm going to be plumbing in a frag tank. Jack has already built the tank out of acrylic, I just need to go pick it up from him and do the needful. You can also see my RO/DI unit which gets it source water from the sink in the restroom next to the closet. I have a solenoid on a timer that allows the RO/DI unit to fill the top off tank once a day.

Not pictured is the controller for my LED's, my ATO and my Vortech controllers. In the near future I pan on getting a Neptune controller with all the bells and whistles.

As you can see, it's already a little crazy but it'll get even crazier. I have a dosing pump that'll be hooked up dosing magnesium and possibly some other things. I'm also thinking about plumbing in a good size fuge somehow. I'd love to set up an auto water change system but this would be very far out and I'm not sure it'll ever happen due to space constraints.

[ramsey]

I almost forgot! I also have Jack chewing on a design for a custom sump I want. Here's one similar to what I want:
11609

I want it to go into a small first chamber that forces water over the filter socks and have about 6 filter socks. You should be able to get an idea from the picture. I want the second chamber as well which I may use for filter floss or LRR. I'm trying to come up with something to catch most detritus since my setup now does little in thsi regard. :at_wits_end:

[Europhyllia]

Wow that will be an impressive sump!

[Mr Cob]

Ramsey...you definitely "get crazy"

I like the ideas for the sump. I love filter socks for getting detritus out but I hate that it can catch sump divers.

[Mr Cob]

so many more different tank setups...how about some more pics?

[ZeroHour]

Ive run the gambit and been in and out of the hobby over the past 10 years.

My first tank VERY first saltwater was a 29 gallon with Flourescents and a HUGE HOB. That tank to this day was the BEST tank I ever had. I used freakin tap water no chemicals and an old school hygrometer. that tank was 100% successful and even had a few leather corals till a room mate dumped some crap in it.

Over the next 3 years I ran a 75 Fowlr that was an algae factory...tap water much?? After a long and frustrating run of ich algae and whatever else I threw in the towel for about 4 years.

When my son was born I remembered hearing that a tank in a childs room soothes them sound wise and I had an old 12 eclipse kicking around...Well...a six pack some drill bits and a trip to home depot later we had a nicely drilled 12 with a 6 sump home made skimmer etc. That tank was flawless as well but I ran RO and a ton of additives.

Got here and set up my 62 and she was doing "okay" but then leaked all through my ceiling....Moronic plumbing error on my part....

So since im in and out of town I now have a red sea max 250...and with some bulb changes, a cooler and simple maintainance its doing well but is a pinch dirty since I have been on the road a few months on and off.

This one is dirt simple but seems to be doing okay...Time well tell. I am dosing things by hand which is nothing new for me, but in the past month I have even done a bit with kalk by hand...seems to be working and no ill effects..time will tell once again...

[Mr Cob]

bump for more pictures of your reefing style

[avilamillar]

Well I started as simple as possible. Around 30G No skimmer, no reactors, no sump.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn167/avilamillar/DSC00990.jpg

This was my filtration

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn167/avilamillar/filtro.jpg

My current tank is a 100G mixed reef. with skimmer, biopellet reactor, dosing pumps, ATO, but still with no sump :) I like automation so I have a reefkeeper to control everything. I have left my tank for two months without any problem(other than corals growing too much that they touched each other). I just had a person clean the skimmer cup twice a week.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn167/avilamillar/L1010928.jpg

[Regric25]

I have a super simple setup. 20 gallon tall tank, 2 old used HOB filters... 1 has Chemi-pure elite and the other just has filter floss. A Koralia 1, LED lights and did not have a heater until I got the LED lights. I do a water change about once every month and just top off the water one time a week... Pics were taken this morning while lights were mostly blue so some of the images are very blue.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n269/REGRIC252006/DSC_0062.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n269/REGRIC252006/DSC_0068_edited-1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n269/REGRIC252006/DSC_0073copy.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n269/REGRIC252006/DSC_0080.jpg

[Mr Cob]

Rick your tank looks so cool...that's simple but sweet. Avil the colors in your tank look amazing, looks like a nice setup!

[Mr Cob]

lol, someone voted for the Steve Carell quote! haha. Who done it?

[hobogato]

10 month old reef on the simple side

almost totally biologically filtered - DSB and in tank macro-algae

only mechanical filtration is an inline carbon reactor - change carbon every two weeks

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09363.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC09365.jpg

no sump or skimmer, just a closed loop and a tunze wave box for circulation

[Mr Cob]

how often do you water change on that tank Ace?

[hobogato]

5 gallon twice a week.

[350gt]

that is crazy.........

[txg8gxp]

I'm trying to go simple/old school with my new tank. Sump, fuge and lights. I don't plan to run a skimmer, ATO, reactors, the only gadget I added was a RKL for the timers and temp control. My last tank was nice but it was more on the "high tech" side, it had sump, skimmer, biopellet reactor, RKL, mp40/mp10, AI leds, kalk reactor and ATO.

[KING]

well right now its as simple as it gets..the only thing that may be over is the light..1 ai sol ..no skimmer ..or other toys..if u can see the sump pic i plan to put a 2in bed of that miracle mud in the 1st chamber ..an thats all.. an see if the talk on line is true..ill keep y'all posted..
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