If you could start over with your tank, would you?
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RedReefer
2500 Club Member
Happy with my reef. If i started over i would start with a larger tank.
Joe.D
Active Member
I’m not sure I’d want to really start over, but I’d do a few things differently:
I’d never have added GSP. Unless I pull a bunch of rock, move a bunch of coral and redo my aquascape - I feel I’m kinda stuck with it. Not redoing my aquascape, so I try to manage GSP spread.
I would not have added a Whitetail Bristletooth Tang. Love how mine looks, but he’s a complete jerk and has harassed my Solar Wrasse enough so that he’s changed from a cool, curious and active fish to one that’s skittish and hides a lot. To remove the Tang, I’d likely need to pull rock and redo aquascape - as mentioned above, not up for that.
Lastly, I wouldn’t have added my 2 Banggai Cardinals. I got them as they reminded me of freshwater angel fish from when I was a kid. Now, I feel they are kinda boring, not very active and not as colorful as so many other saltwater fish. Would rather have another Wrasse or 2.
That said, I’m not unhappy with my tank. If I were, I’d make the changes above. I just merely listed what I’d do differently.
I’d never have added GSP. Unless I pull a bunch of rock, move a bunch of coral and redo my aquascape - I feel I’m kinda stuck with it. Not redoing my aquascape, so I try to manage GSP spread.
I would not have added a Whitetail Bristletooth Tang. Love how mine looks, but he’s a complete jerk and has harassed my Solar Wrasse enough so that he’s changed from a cool, curious and active fish to one that’s skittish and hides a lot. To remove the Tang, I’d likely need to pull rock and redo aquascape - as mentioned above, not up for that.
Lastly, I wouldn’t have added my 2 Banggai Cardinals. I got them as they reminded me of freshwater angel fish from when I was a kid. Now, I feel they are kinda boring, not very active and not as colorful as so many other saltwater fish. Would rather have another Wrasse or 2.
That said, I’m not unhappy with my tank. If I were, I’d make the changes above. I just merely listed what I’d do differently.
Gumbies R Us
Certified Noob
I would say yes, but the only thing I would do different is start with live rock over dry rock.
stevieduk
Active Member
I would start with a bigger tankLife can be full of decisions we wish we could change or outcomes we wish we could control. And our reefs are no different. Maybe we jumped into something a little too quickly, not realizing the negative implications down the road. Maybe we are a little too lax or get lazy about maintaining our tanks. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes.
Assuming money was not a hindrance, personal time was unlimited, and you could utilize all the knowledge you've accumulated...If you could start over, would you? Why or why not?
AlanS
New Member
Definitley. I would use far less rock and aquascape to allow more water flow.Life can be full of decisions we wish we could change or outcomes we wish we could control. And our reefs are no different. Maybe we jumped into something a little too quickly, not realizing the negative implications down the road. Maybe we are a little too lax or get lazy about maintaining our tanks. No one is perfect, and we all make mistakes.
Assuming money was not a hindrance, personal time was unlimited, and you could utilize all the knowledge you've accumulated...If you could start over, would you? Why or why not?
Rach77
Community Member
Although I do love the setup I have now......if money were of no concern, I would definitely repurpose the living room with 8ftx8ftx8ft, or find a way to convert the inground pool (as I'm in Florida) to a reef....why? So I can snorkel in my tanks 
afr is awesome. why?
stewy14
2500 Club Member
Not for a small 10gal
Btw, how’s surfing going?
flat as a lake
geologeek
Community Member
Heck, if money was no object, I would build my ultimate aquarium......
I've always wanted to do a river to reef aquarium, freshwater to brackish to saltwater (obviously not directly linked but made to look so) and I would incorporate an in-built larval snagger feeding into several kriesel tanks and would have the room underneath for QT, culturing, grow out as well as the usual sumps and ATO etc.
I'm envious of you peeps that have basements to plumb your tanks to......my word what joy that would bring my tinkering mind.
I've always wanted to do a river to reef aquarium, freshwater to brackish to saltwater (obviously not directly linked but made to look so) and I would incorporate an in-built larval snagger feeding into several kriesel tanks and would have the room underneath for QT, culturing, grow out as well as the usual sumps and ATO etc.
I'm envious of you peeps that have basements to plumb your tanks to......my word what joy that would bring my tinkering mind.
TheWB
2500 Club Member
My tank is a custom acrylic all in one system and despite a long period of planning prior to having it built there are a few things I would have done differently knowing what I know now. The problem with going custom is that nobody has tested out your specific ideas before so if you end up not liking anything, too bad, you’re stuck with it.
If I could have a do over here’s what I’d do.
1). Use 1/2” acrylic instead of 3/4”. Was offered the 3/4” at no additional charge so it seemed like a good idea but in hindsight the thickness limited my choices for some of the equipment.
2). I’d make it 60” long instead of 48”. A little extra room to spread out would have been good.
3). I would have had the lid made in sections instead of one large piece of acrylic. It’s useless as is. It’s not even on the tank. Thinking about having a local plastic fabricator cut it in half and buff it out for me.
4). I’d make sure one of the collars that came with my Klir-7 filter roller fit properly into the sock hole. Now I’m forced into getting a 3d printed one and this could have been avoided. I also would have set the height of the sock plate 1 to 2 inches lower.
5). I would have made my cord pass thrus on the top bracing just a little wider and longer. I can’t use a couple of wavemakers (Nero 3’s) because the controller won’t quite fit thru the opening and the cord doesn’t disconnect.
6). I seeded my dry scape with bacteria for several months but I should have done it with at least some live ocean rock and sand from the beginning. I added a small amount later on but I should have added it sooner and it should have been more. I feel like some of my current algae issues would have been prevented, or at least lessened, by doing that.
I don’t regret going custom at all, I got exactly what I designed and asked for, but this exercise has shown me that I didn’t plan some things as well as I thought I had. If money was no object, which is the premise of this thread, those are the things I would do differently.
If I could have a do over here’s what I’d do.
1). Use 1/2” acrylic instead of 3/4”. Was offered the 3/4” at no additional charge so it seemed like a good idea but in hindsight the thickness limited my choices for some of the equipment.
2). I’d make it 60” long instead of 48”. A little extra room to spread out would have been good.
3). I would have had the lid made in sections instead of one large piece of acrylic. It’s useless as is. It’s not even on the tank. Thinking about having a local plastic fabricator cut it in half and buff it out for me.
4). I’d make sure one of the collars that came with my Klir-7 filter roller fit properly into the sock hole. Now I’m forced into getting a 3d printed one and this could have been avoided. I also would have set the height of the sock plate 1 to 2 inches lower.
5). I would have made my cord pass thrus on the top bracing just a little wider and longer. I can’t use a couple of wavemakers (Nero 3’s) because the controller won’t quite fit thru the opening and the cord doesn’t disconnect.
6). I seeded my dry scape with bacteria for several months but I should have done it with at least some live ocean rock and sand from the beginning. I added a small amount later on but I should have added it sooner and it should have been more. I feel like some of my current algae issues would have been prevented, or at least lessened, by doing that.
I don’t regret going custom at all, I got exactly what I designed and asked for, but this exercise has shown me that I didn’t plan some things as well as I thought I had. If money was no object, which is the premise of this thread, those are the things I would do differently.
I voted yes simply because right after I bought my 75 gallon tank I found a local tank company that offered a 120 for a very reasonable price. Convincing my wife I should scrap the 75 and buy a new 120 was a no go so I built my stand to accommodate the 120. In a year or two hopefully I'll be able to upgrade with out to much objection lol.
edsbeaker
Grandma Has A Reef Obsession
Well with the above statement, of course I would start over!!!
I would get a 6’ tank instead of my 3’ tank so that I could keep tangs, and my personal fav heniochus diphreutes (reef safe)
I can say if money and time were no object, I would start from scratch with a better end point in mind.
Every part of the design was for what was best at that time. But now things have expanded, filters have upgraded and it's just a different system.
To be real though, I've been able to make updates to match what is best for the updates that have happened. But there is always another "next step".
Every part of the design was for what was best at that time. But now things have expanded, filters have upgraded and it's just a different system.
To be real though, I've been able to make updates to match what is best for the updates that have happened. But there is always another "next step".
goosemans
Active Member
I’ll eventually get the opportunity to start over when I have to move (military). I’d love to change some things about my current tank such as coral choices and rock scape. But with everything doing pretty good it’s just not worth doing so at the moment.
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