Complex Setups: What gives?

[Moogled]

Hey guys, I've noticed that reef setups with plumbing/sumps and electronic hoodickeys seem to yield better results than tanks with HOB skimmers and other misc. items inside the tank.

What are your guys' reasons for a more complex setup and what differences have you experienced using such methods?

[Todd]

Perhaps one reason for the better results that you are seeing is that the 'complex setups' usually belong to experienced reef keepers while the 'simple tanks with a HOB skimmer' are more often found on the smaller tanks of people newer to the hobby.

[Jason McK]

I agree with Todd. It's the people that are obsessed that endulge in the more elaborate set ups and may spend more time and Money than others. These are the same people that might be willing to spend more money on unique corals as well.

J

[Delphinus]

I think you can have a nice setup that is simple. Or for that matter, you can have a complex setup that's having trouble.

Having said that though, you mentioned sumps, and I think this is a good example for getting into the "why's". To me having a sump makes things SIMPLER not more complex. Yes there is some plumbing involved but it's a one time setup. After that, you have a place to hide your heater, skimmer, etc. and you increase your water volume. It only helps, and it helps to make your maintenance a simpler task. And therein lies the crux: the extra infrastructure support making the mundane tasks simpler.

And thus you get into the really crazy things. It seems like a lot of equipment but each thing is intended to make some ongoing facet, something simpler.

Ultimately it's up the reefkeeper to understand the processes involved. Having a piece of equipment that one doesn't fully understand, is missing the boat, in my opinion. One have to understand why (and how) they're doing something, otherwise they'd probably risk doing it wrong.

[Moogled]

I agree with what you all said. Understanding how a certain item contributes to a tank is central to success.

What is another example of a piece of equipment that makes the overall reefkeeping experience easier?

The complexity that I'm thinking of is aimed towards the equipment setup itself. As Tony mentioned, you can have a large system with a complex setup that has problems while a smaller tank can be very successful.

In light of that, would superior experience itself play a larger role in maintaining a tank than all the reef tank add-ons which ultimately make the maintenance tasks easier?

[fishface]

well, i'm in the midst of setting up a nice 120g with sump, canopy, controller etc. i'm currently running a "ghetto" 25g that's really starting to resemble an "eye sore". i've got a 250w MH light hanging from the ceiling, an HOB skimmer and refugium with a clip on fan. talk about salt creep man!

that said, now that i know i enjoy this enough to take it to the next level, i'd like to have a system that's a little more all encompassing, stable and automated. this, i believe to be easier to maintain and makes it better looking, more stable and overall more enjoyable in the long run.

[rickjames]

Originally Posted by Moogled

What is another example of a piece of equipment that makes the overall reefkeeping experience easier?

Light timers, top off resevoir/float valve, and Calcium Reactor. I would go crazy without them.

I think there is a couple of reasons why complex tanks overall seem to do better. The biggest is experience. Usually everyone starts off with a little tank with a HOB skimmer and some maxijets. You don't usually see a newbie with Reactors/timers/wavemakers etc right away. An experienced reefer could run an excellent tank without that stuff. But it would be WAY more work.

Another reason is that while a setup might look complex, the goal is usually automation of the mundane tasks. Turning on/off lights, toping off the tank, replenishing Ca/Alk, making water current. When all of that is taken care of, you really start to enjoy your tank. You get to use your "reefing time" to do things you might not have had time for otherwise. Like tweaking Ca/ALk/Mg levels. Checking each coral colony for polyp expansion, health, and growth, feeding your fish and watching the frenzy, nuking those aptasias. Epoxying that frag you got last month to the rock instead of it rolling around on the bottom of the tank.

My tank is in a public office so I usually get a lot of questions about how hard it is to maintain and why it looks so clean. I always tell them "you get out what you put in". A complex setup will help, but the more time you put in to a tank the better and healthier it will look.

[Snappy]

Originally Posted by Moogled

Hey guys, I've noticed that reef setups with plumbing/sumps and electronic hoodickeys seem to yield better results than tanks with HOB skimmers and other misc. items inside the tank.

What are your guys' reasons for a more complex setup and what differences have you experienced using such methods?

I think much depends on what kind of reef you want to keep. I find with my own setup the more equipment I add the better it seems to get, but I have a very crowded sps dominated reef. Now that said, I think one of my better additions lately was adding a refugium and it's very uncomplicated. However, in my limited experience softies & lps are a lot less demanding so require less equipment. So as mentioned it depends a lot on what kind of reef you want to maintain. Below is a photo of the top half of my tank and there is no way I can keep it healthy without a sump and skimmer.

[marie]

Originally Posted by Snappy

I think much depends on what kind of reef you want to keep. I find with my own setup the more equipment I add the better it seems to get, but I have a very crowded sps dominated reef. Now that said, I think one of my better additions lately was adding a refugium and it's very uncomplicated. However, in my limited experience softies & lps are a lot less demanding so require less equipment. So as mentioned it depends a lot on what kind of reef you want to maintain. Below is a photo of the top half of my tank and there is no way I can keep it healthy without a sump and skimmer.

Ok I'll bite . Sps aren't that demanding of fancy equipment. Here is an old pic of my 75g, sumpless, 2 175w metal halides, 3 maxijets and a Prism Pro Hob protien skimmer. This picture was taken just before I took it down.

[Chaotic Cricket]

I found the more equipment I have added over the years the more knowledgeable I've become about things and simply want to automate the process. I do not think the process should be automated that much for someone starting out, you need to learn somehow. That being said some people get off so to speak on having all that equipment, it strokes their egos a bit. Ever seen the people who take up golf or running or squash or biking and have the "pro gear" before they've even tried the sport? Those type of people are in everything its funny when you realize who they are Lastly don't forget that it does cost quite a bit of money to automate your system, and you must decide if the hobby/pets are worth that kind of money spent on them. Same as if someones cat gets sick some people would rush them to the 24hr emergency animal hospital, some will just buy another cat.