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.

[marie]

My simplest, easiest to maintain and arguably my most successful tank was my 40g, 3 maxijets, a bakpak skimmer, vho lights and a heater
right side


left side


unfortunately I had to tinker and upgraded

[Beverly]

Wow! Nice tank, Marie How long had it been running at the time of the photos?

Moogled said:

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?

We've been reefing for the last 8-9 years and currently have a 120g - no sumps, no skimmers, or refugiums in any of the many tanks we've had over the years. Currently our most sophisticated pieces of equipment are a pH probe and digital pH readout thingy, a refractometer and, haha, a turkey baster, not to mention alk/Ca/Mg test kits and chemicals. While I'd like to go
larger our condo just doesn't have the space for it, but I'd do the larger tank the same way we've done all the others. Costs are less for equipment, but there's a bit more elbow grease involved, which I don't mind.

Experience in this hobby makes a huge difference, IMO. I know in our first reef, we never tested for alk, Ca or Mg. I'm surprised the tank did so well with such terrible chemistry neglect. Now that I've been keeping a log of the uptake of alk, Ca and Mg for the past year or so, I can adjust the chemistry in the 120g without having to test so often.

[marie]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Wow! Nice tank, Marie How long had it been running at the time of the photos?...

That was my first actual reef tank and a lot of mistakes were made on it. At the time of the photos I think the tank had been set up for 4 yrs and had gone through every nuisance algae that has ever plagued reefers . Starting with cyano and hair, then the dreaded dinos (during the dinoflagellate attack I learned what phosphates were), followed by more hair, then dictyota and a mild reccuring cyano problem.

[mark]

Some of us just are just caught up in the mechanics of it as well. Seems sometimes I spend about as much time in the basement playing around my sump as I do in my tank upstairs.