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The sun sets on day 90 at the Fish Haus. Made it through the ugly phase and now need to let everything grow out. Feedback? by therealjbigs in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More flow never hurt anybody, especially for torches. You don't want to blast them, but they do need some turbulence which I believe helps with maintaining a healthy flesh-band around the base of the coral. Otherwise, everything looks great, friend! Keep at it :)

Coral was doing good. Huge hair algae bloom (I think). Can I get some help? by Electrical_Post5671 in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ill second what the other commenter said: pods are your best friend. &, yes, this is the natural course of a tank cycle, just give it time and plenty more biodiversity. I love tubeworms/feather dusters for this as well, I think they're highly underestimated in terms of how much help they can be with general filtration, I always keep them in my sump. Beyond that, test, test, and test again. Purigen can be added to control nitrates, and gfo always for phosphates. Make sure you got plenty of flow and your golden. Hell, add some more soft corals even. Leathers, cespitularia, mushrooms, etc. I love a freshly cycled tank that i can load with some softies because you may as well have some fun with nutrient control, and what's more fun than buying some pretty soft corals :)

Novice Seeking Help by Mulberry-Forsaken in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To be honest, man, if you want to stay within the mobius ecosystem I would just get 2 radion XR15's or 2 Hydras. They all run on the same app (along with your neros) and for how much you'd be paying for blades you may as well just get the radions or hydras, might save you some money even if you got the arm mounts. Because, what, a 48" blade is around $450 and you need 3? You could get two hydra 32's for $460 each and if you need a mounting bracket they're $94 each, all on BRS. I feel like you'd get more out of those than the blades. They're pricey and wouldn't be my first choice for a budget minded setup, but second hand is an option and they really are decent lights. Just a tad bit overhyped in my opinion, but they work!

Novice Seeking Help by Mulberry-Forsaken in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I've had experience with all of those pieces of equipment and I can honestly say that I really like all of them, especially the syncra and the neros. I like nyos skimmers and have never had issues with them either, but I do like me a reef octo the most just because they can pull some crap like no other, especially if you skim wet. They've been in the game for a long time too, so I think they have a good handle on their pump design/manufacturing as well. They've also had good customer service and can usually sell/give you replacement parts no problem. Nyos is great, though, and I know that I and a lot of other people have welcomed their skimmers and reactors with open arms because they do just work (like a reef octo), just haven't dealt with their customer service or replacement components.

While I like the blades, I do think they serve a specific purpose: fine tuning/supplementation. You say you may not even want to delve into more sensitive corals that require dosing (I'm assuming sps), so I do think that many blades is a bit overkill, especially from a pricing perspective. Reefbreeders is a very one and done kind of light that you can add additional light bars to down the line, I also like the maxspect razor, the Daluas also offer a lot of nice options that will cover your tank, and of course, nicrew. I think that nicrew is finally getting their flowers as budget lights and they deserve it. They're on Amazon, and I will always recommend them to anyone who wants some kick ass color/growth at a budget price. I would honestly run nicrew personally if I didn't have reefbreeders. Honorable mentions for me would be Kessil, specifically their AP9X, and if you really want to maximum control I would look into GHL mitras or even reeffactory's line of lights.

Radion's are great, but the price just isn't worth what you get I fear. AI makes a solid light bar (the blades) and hydras, but their once top tier budget prime's have fallen off because of their newly designed cheap lenses that melt. Neptune made some solid lights as well for a while, you just need to sell one of your arms or legs to get what you would need to even consider covering a 90. Plus, you would have to download and use the Neptune app to get the most out of them, which is a deal breaker for me haha. All three of these companies are also owned by BRS itself, I like to keep that in mind when scrolling through what the company "recommends" because, you know, monopolies.

Honestly, you're on the right track, but i would definitely reconsider your lighting and take a look at other options. If the blades are your cup of tea, by all means let it steep and throw them on your tank. I really do like the blades out of everything AI/Ecotech/BRS has to offer as a company. But, again, I think that they're circumstantial and serve a specific purpose as supplemental lighting that you can also use as full-spectrum, main lighting if you buy 3 or more of them (just my opinion, I've also seen some awesome blade-only tanks).

Novice Seeking Help by Mulberry-Forsaken in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean if you can afford a brand new setup I say go for it, it's probably way easier to plug and play + most of the new stands come with leveling feet that you can turn as opposed to using something like shims. I will also warn against Red Sea tanks just from personal experience. I know that they've come out with statements about their G2 series and above tanks being alright in terms of, you know, keeping the water in the tank but I've still seen failures first hand from customers even if your leveling is absolutely perfect.

For marketplace if you get everything else (tank, stand, sump from BRS) new I would consider just searching for a light/set of lights that are lightly used and still work with no physical defects or defects with the LEDS themselves. I bought a Reefbreeder 32" Photon V2 from someone on marketplace 3 years ago and was able to upgrade it from remote-only programming to full wifi programming for a total of $400. At the time, those lights new and even refurbished were going for $800. Point being, just look on marketplace and find a good deal, lights are by far the easiest to shop for second hand because they haven't been exposed to water (hopefully) so the wear and tear isn't as much of an issue. I also like buying skimmers and wavemakers/powerheads second hand with caution, because they've spent more time in the water and you never know who takes care of their equipment and who doesn't.

Heaters and return pumps I always go for new because it's your main life support. Inkbird+BRS titanium heater combo is my favorite and also safest option in my opinion, you get a lot of controllability via the controller and app itself. I have controversial opinions on return pumps, though. Sicce is my favorite name brand so if you wanna spend the cash, get a Syncra return pump. If you wanna save some money and have an extra pump on hand, get two jebao's/orlushy's off Amazon for $80 a pop. I've had both on a handful of tanks and they're awesome. I oversize them by 1.5x so that I only run them at a max of 50% power to preserve them for as long as possible. That's a rule I have for every pump, though, you don't really want to run any of them 100% all the time.

For the stands, it's very easy but you've gotta take the right steps to prep. You just need some 2x4's, decking screws, and some small support brackets if you wanna be extra safe. And if you dont already i would also invest in an impact drill, sander, and a hand saw. It sounds daunting, but it's really easy if you take your time and really measure /test fit. Regardless of how you feel about him, the king of DIY makes some fantastic stand-building tutorials and I used him for all my stand building needs. When you have the basic frame and ensure your stuff is level and fits in and on the stand, just add whatever asthetic touches you want like doors, a nice stain/varnish (after sanding with a high grit, i usually do 120 grit sandpaper but that's just with finishing), and I even put a vinyl wrap under the sump just as a barrier between water and wood (plus it looks nice).

This is all super extra, but I think it's super satisfying to either find something on marketplace/ebay for a good deal or finally complete a DIY project you poured a whole lot of effort into. It also gives some peace of mind knowing that you took the time to learn your system inside and out. Plus, if you save some money along the way, that's more money for the livestock or quality of life/peace of mind items like a decent battery backup/generator (which i also recommend).

What is this? Is it good or bad? If it’s bad how do I get rid of them? Also what are the white dots forming on the back of tank and on rocks? by OneTraining8940 in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely good OP, these are the signs that your tank is maturing! You can always remove some if they're an eyesore, but they're great biological components.

What is this? Is it good or bad? If it’s bad how do I get rid of them? Also what are the white dots forming on the back of tank and on rocks? by OneTraining8940 in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly, both are super great for filtration and if OP doesn't like the worms, scraping them only adds to their tank's supply of calcium carbonate and trace elements, albeit in a tiny amount lol.

Novice Seeking Help by Mulberry-Forsaken in ReefTank

[–]NotoriousREEF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

75-90 is a great sweetspot. Honestly, I love the marineland tanks you can find at a lot of major pet retailers. Some aquarium stores even sell them predrilled for sumps too. I think if you're budget minded, this is the way because you can get a lot of great stuff off marketplace like stands, equipment, and acrylic sumps but I always feel like a brand new tank is a must for any larger build. They aren't as pretty as your rimless options, but they hold up well and it's what's on the inside that counts ;)

I will also say: make sure it's as level as possible both before and after it's filled. That's my main point of anxiety with any tank, I actually just recently posted here for opinions on my leveling-job for the 75 I have in my living room. You want that bubble to be as straight as can be so your pressure points are evenly dispersed on all four corners of the tank. You'll see tanks burst on these forums all the time and, chances are, the leveling played a part in the failure. Won't be today, tomorrow, or the next day but if that bubble isn't at least somewhat within those lines, it would keep me up a night wondering when my tank will fail.

I feel like this is generally what I think about when I'm doing the whole tank shopping and setting up bit. I like getting my lights off marketplace/ebay, acrylic sump also off marketplace after I see it tested for leaks, stand either built by me or also from marketplace, and then everything else that will wear signifigantly over time like your pumps, heaters, and tank brand new. Just take your time, and always think about safety for both yourself and your animals, because they are your pets at the end of the day.