Thinking about starting back up
 

Hi All, it's been about 4 years since I shutdown my tank and have been kicking around the idea of starting back up. I have not stayed in the reefer loop, although I have popped in here now and again to check out photos. A start up likely would not happen until later this year, into 2022 simply because we are in the process of building a new house, currently purging and packing etc.

with that said, its a great time to plan, brainstorm and decide if I (we) really really want to go through this again, add another hobby, drain the bank account lol. My last tank was a 180 gl, I am definitely not going as big, I really enjoyed my 55 even though it was an odd shape tank to work with, it was an easy size to manage and everything absolutely flourished.
So, what's new in equipment, tanks, technology etc? do's, don'ts etc.?

Cheers

Tank wise u are right there with concept to build what ever u can dream

It would be nice to see you back in the game you had a nice tank.

If your wondering at tank size I'd recommend 80-100 gallons as it would be big enough for most mid sized fish and you can stock it fairly well and size envy would be less of an issue.

Equipment for the most part has gotten cheaper and there is still a huge demand on used equipment as well.

LEDs are the new lighting options to go with although the LED/T5 hybrids are popular as well. Downside is its still expensive as hell to buy.

There is a wider range of skimmers available now and can be quite cheap to buy quality skimmers.

There are several controllers on the market with Apex Wireless now the sought after controller system you can now pick up used wired Apex systems for around the $3 to $400 range on average.

Biggest change you will see is in livestock pricing most have gone up by 50% and others have tripled in price for both inverts and fish with Tank Raised being more expensive than wild caught now.

As to Corals its buyer beware lots of private sellers will charge you an arm and a leg even for common coral and often one or two heads on a tiny plug. Your best bet is store bought or from trusted private sellers as even though coral has gone up in pricing you can still get nice coral at decent rates.

Canada Corals and Bayside corals seem to be the big coral sellers now.

Hope to see you back in the game again.

Great insight, thank you! I’m thinking a 75 gl tank would be a great size. My 55 did great the led/ t5 set up so would likely go the same route. I know I still have some equipment, will have to check it out. I had an Apex but didn’t really use it the way it was meant to be used. Crazy on pricing tho, COVID related or just the market? I will start watching for equipment and checking things out. Would be nice to get back in to it, I do miss it!

COVID has definitely played a big part in livestock/coral pricing but other factors are limited availability, new laws concerning harvesting and shipping, bans and limits in country of origin just to name but a few.

Building a new house is a great time to plan a new tank! I might be a bit nutty but I actually daydream about how fun it would be to build from scratch, like having a fish room etc. Do all the right things after learning from past mistakes.
The downside is there is definitely a livestock shortage/price hike right now due to Covid, although things might be getting back on track by the time you’re ready to stock again.

It would be much easier this time round for sure. We would have a basement tank, layout works great for it, less risk of water damage...been there done that. No risk of tank going through floor.....just saying lol. A concern is posts we are seeing about water in the community, so we need to consider this. Good thing I know how long tank set ups can take. :biggrin:

Can't wait to see you back! Been a long time.

When in doubt just go for it! Welcome almost back =)

Do it! Do it!

Welcome back!

If you are building your house, theres no question that you need to set one up. Its the absolute perfect opportunity to set one up and make it a natural part of the room.

If your set on 48"... hands down a 75 is the perfect medium/large sized tank! The dimensions are awesome!

Look forward to seeing this materialize!