Blog Comments

My decision to set up a dosing pump vs. calcium reactor came down to setup cost. Even buying used parts the calcium reactor was going to cost roughly 50% more. Not to mention all the extra plug slots the system would take up.

I guess the general consensus is that calcium reactors are cheaper on large tanks in the long run given their relatively cheap media. For my little 58g DIY two part was going to cost next to nothing anyway. Maybe try adding up all the pros and cons on a paper, everyone has different goals in mind. Who knows, maybe a great deal on one or the other will come up locally.

Hi Graham. For the return pump, what you want is low wattage, low heat, and long term reliance. For internal, I'd probably use the Maxijet Utility Pump. It uses less than 80w (that's their biggest pump) and has a three year warranty. It can even be used externally.

There are a few external pumps people like. The Sequence Dart is probably one of the more popular choices. Yes, the sump should be drilled with a bulkhead. You can make a J-hook type over-the-wall-of-the-sump plumbing gizmo, but it does have to be primed from time to time. A bulkhead is best.

I did two-part dosing of my 29g and my 55g for years and years. DAILY. It got old, but it had to be done. With a bigger tank, a calcium reactor made more sense to me. Lots of people are using 2-part with some dosing gizmos, but even so they do have the duty to mix up more solution and replenish the containers on a weekly or monthly basis. With a calcium reactor, you refill the reactor once every 5 - 6 months, and the CO2 tank every 3 months. Yes, there are more moving parts but it isn't a big deal if you have the right gear. A good regulator w/ solenoid and a pH controller and the job is hobbyist-friendly, if you ask me.

Just wanted to update that I did signup for Reef Tutor and am really enjoying the videos on livestock, husbandry, plumbing, tank tours, etc. There are a couple of things that I question such as their use of fish to start or cycle the tank as well as how quickly they set up some of their reef systems but overall it's been well worth $2/month!! I recommend it for beginners like myself especially.

Thanks for your input John and Steve.

Can you actually download and save the videos to play on other media players? Or do you have to use iTunes to view them? I'm probably in the minority here but I'm not a big fan of iTunes or Apple in general, but that's a different debate for a different time/forum!

I wait eagerly every sunday for the next episode of Reef tutor to come out. Well worth the money!!!!

i'm from the UK and we have very little (that i know of) reef communities. I subscribed to the paid channel and it updates through my podcast. Theres a new one weekly and for the equivelent of £8 for 6 months its actually cheaper than buying a generic fishkeeping magazine monthly or even a marine keeping magazine and the subject matter is always interesting whether they are covering different fish and they're suitablilty or at the moment how they are installing a custom 300 gallon display tank (might not seem to much to you guys but i dream of having my own fish room).

In my opinion its well worth paying for and is often cheaper than a magazine subscription and its not out to compete with social sites like this.

Hope this helps

John

Sounds interesting. Thanks for the info.

http://www.fishnetwork.tv/fishnetwor...efDetails.html

Basically, the site has 3 different "video channels" - two free channels and one you have to pay for:

(1) FREE - A product showcase channel where they review products, though it seems a lot (not all) of the products are supplied by their sponsors so not sure how objective they are, but they seem fair enough.
(2) FREE - Advanced Aquarist video series, published in the online reef magazine of the same name, where they visit and talk to experts in the hobby and visit large public aquariums, etc.
(3) PAID SITE - ReefTutor - this is the paid channel, with 100+ videos on how to care for and maintain fish and corals, as well as additional/follow-up videos related to the product showcase channel.

I looked at a few of the free videos on the product showcase channel - review of ESV B-Ionic salt and some amazing Indian Ocean live rock. There has been a lot of talk recently online about the ESV salt so it was interesting to see what exactly comes in the 2 boxes. They are doing some testing/comparisons of several salt brands (basic tests that all hobbyists would have access to) and I believe the results and further videos can be found on the paid channel (ReefTutor).

I will probably sign up and will be able to give more details later but definitely something others might want to check out for themselves. You can never have too much information (unless it's wrong information!).

I'm not familiar with it. You should let us know how you like it as others might be interested as well. What do you get for the money spent?

I wanted to go in a new direction with this site and its podcast. Evan is doing well, married and happy in Dallas.

Thanks Marc! Looking forward to it..................

By the way, hope this is not a sensitive issue, but whatever happened to your partner in crime Evan?

It'll roll out on the 10th! Thanks for caring enough to ask.

The biggest suggestions I'd offer:

• Go slow.
• Be alert and watch the system closely, testing frequently to maintain stable water parameters.
• Try to buy quality equipment so you don't have to do it twice and spend even more money.
• Ask questions, then don't react as soon as you hear what you want to hear. Think about the advice, give people time to chime in, and decide for yourself if the advice is reasonable. Most importantly, look at their own tanks to determine if their advice is backed by their actions.

170g to 180g is a bigger tank, but it isn't outrageously so. I like to recommend 120g tanks for newbies because it has a nice footprint: 48" x 24" x 24". It doesn't need more than two MH lights, nor a huge skimmer. So money doesn't get devoured.

Thanks for the welcome! The tank I'm thinking of getting is ~170G (not. including sump). I'm wondering if maybe this is a little too big for a newbie but for the following reasons I don't want to have a small tank:
(1) Hobbyists ALWAYS upgrade anyway!
(2) I want to have a couple of tangs so really would like to have a 6-footer.
(3) Larger tanks seem to be a little more forgiving when it comes to water parameters (i.e. not as sensitive or prone to quick changes).

Any advice/suggestions against going big from the start (other than cost to buy and maintain)?

Welcome! Looking forward to seeing your tank when you get it up. I'm always jealous of the livestock choices people in different countries get.

Welcome to Reef Addicts !