Complex Setups: What gives?

[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.

[adidas]

all the gadgets can make it easier to maintain things...

[andsoitgoes]

Damn, this is turning out to be a fantastic thread. The information provided on here and the debates that are being put on the table are fair, informative and all further the OP's initial question. I've found this to be a thread I continue to come back to, in order to review what other people have equipment wise, what they have to say, the years of experience, etc.

For example, Beverly's setup that is low tech and includes no bells, no whistles, yet her tank is stunning and she's been through the gamut of all different types of tanks.

Other peoples are fancy, they have calcium this and denitrating thats and whozits and whatsits and thingamabobs.

I'm just learning on how fluidized beds work, and what the benefit of a quality skimmer/extra sump space is, etc., etc. - I'm really amazed by the passion and level of knowledge here. Wish it was seen on more aquarium sites, and I think this is why I've been so drawn to the saltwater hobby, because in order to succeed (I mean REALLY succeed) you need to know what the hell you're doing, and that comes across through most people that post here.

Kudos, and I'll keep right along reading.