What I have learned by keeping a nano (warning, long post)

[Carl_in_Florida]

I reserved post 2006 for my first post of 2006 and with it, I have decided to list some of the things in my short two years of keeping a nano that I have learned about reefkeeping. the list is not definitive. Feel free to comment on (or ignore):

1. Contrary to what I have heard a thousand times, nano reefs are the perfect beginner tank. You get to see in rapid succession what your changes to your tank cause. Things happen more quickly in a nano and that is good for learning.

2. If you are dieing to build a reef tank, buy a beta and see if that scratches the itch.

3. Inspect, clean, quarantine. I am so glad that my first tank was not a 120 or something like that. I got the smallest frag that had a cinnamon polyp on it. It also had this little tuff of this red brillo pad stuff. I did not think it was a big deal. I am now fighting to keep this off of every piece of rock in my tank. Anybody familiar with hydroids? I now know the importance of not letting even one in my tank. I have about 20 lbs of rock. I could throw it away and start over. If this were 200 lbs that would be an entirely different story.

4. There are no set rules on stocking. What works for me may not work for you. Please do not tell me what has been successful for me for 2 years will not work.

5. There are no set rules on lighting. Guess what? You don’t need the light from a fission reaction to keep stuff alive. Regardless what the people with unlimited budgets tell you.

6. Dosing without water testing is a very bad policy. You can rename this “How to pay money to kill the corals you spent money to buy and keep.�

7. Sumps are the reef equivalent to tv monitors in the back of back seat headrests. They look great but serve little practical purpose. Before you flame me here, let it be known that I have a Mag7 in my sump. I have been there. I have a bunch of noise and heat just to pump water up and down 5’ and wet some chaeto. I am now convinced that regular water changes could be equally effective.

8. Nuisance algae really is caused by poor husbandry. I wanted my sumptafuge partially because I thought it would compensate for my lack of discipline in water changes. In the past I have changed my water every couple of weeks (or so). I was puzzled why bubble algae was spreading the way it was. I began doing WEEKLY water changes and it started to die. Who would have thunk it?

9. Buy a decent stand and canopy. Unless you are a skilled carpenter, your diy stand is gonna look like a high school shop project and you are going to make excuses for it every time you show somebody your tank. I built my stand and hood . . . and nobody would doubt it.

10. Just because somebody has a high post count, it does not mean they know a lot about reefkeeping. Look at me. 2000 posts of mostly crap.

11. Expensive is not always better. Enough said.

12. You get what you pay for. For the money you are going to spend on that cheap piece of equipment and its replacement you could have bought something nice to begin with.

13. If your life is suffering because of the time you are spending here then it may be a divergence. No matter how well you control this little world you created it does not translate to your real life. Get a therapist and deal with your issues. (For those of you that this applies to, you know what I am talking about)

14. Do not jump in this hobby with both feet. Start basic and then spend a long time figuring out what your long term commitment is to this hobby. Then set up the tank of your dreams. I would rather upgrade my NO light FOWLR tank than my HO and wet/dry aggressive tank.

15. Everybody lies about how much this hobby costs. This is an endless expense with little tangible return, especially in the beginning stages. Lots and lots of the stuff you buy is going to die. That is the dirty little secret of this hobby. We go to great lengths to set the right environment but stuff still dies soon after we buy it. (both corals and fish) You are going to spend lots of money on things that will do nothing but die. This cannot be avoided. It is part of the hobby. Please do not act like it is not.

16. Almost every argument about ethical fish keeping is crap. I eat tuna for lunch with a clear conscience. And every reefer has killed enough fish to stock at least four tanks the size of their current one. Nobody advocates that if you have a tank crash you should not restock. They know that the odds are that if you have three megawatts of lighting over your tank that one day there is going to be a malfunction and everything will die. You really don’t care, and I don’t either. Leave me and my overstocked nano alone.

17. Repeat after me: “My tank is not more important than paying my mortgage or spending time with my kids.� Repeat three times daily.

18. The most important thing I have learned. In the end, no matter how much time, money, effort, thought, blood, and life you put into it . . . It is still just a fish tank.


So that’s my little list of what my nano has taught me about reefkeeping. Sorry it was so long. Happy New Year!

[phenom5]

great post Carl.:thumbsup:

1. Contrary to what I have heard a thousand times, nano reefs are the perfect beginner tank. You get to see in rapid succession what your changes to your tank cause. Things happen more quickly in a nano and that is good for learning.

true to a point, but i still wouldn't recommend a noob go out and setup a 2.5g reef as a first tank. stuff can happen too fast. however, a 10-20g tank is just fine.

7. Sumps are the reef equivalent to tv monitors in the back of back seat headrests. They look great but serve little practical purpose. Before you flame me here, let it be known that I have a Mag7 in my sump. I have been there. I have a bunch of noise and heat just to pump water up and down 5’ and wet some chaeto. I am now convinced that regular water changes could be equally effective.

this one i've got to disagree with you on. sure, they hide equipment, and add volume...but a sump can help to make water changes and maintance a lot easier IME.

9. Buy a decent stand and canopy. Unless you are a skilled carpenter, your diy stand is gonna look like a high school shop project and you are going to make excuses for it every time you show somebody your tank. I built my stand and hood . . . and nobody would doubt it.

:lol: when ever somebody comes over to pick up some frags or something from me, i just want to cover up my stand/ hood so they can't see my below average carpentry skills.:D

10. Just because somebody has a high post count, it does not mean they know a lot about reefkeeping. Look at me. 2000 posts of mostly crap.

true...high post counts mean that somebody has nothing better to do then post on a online forum...it does not mean they are an expert...look at me for example.:D

11. Expensive is not always better. Enough said.

12. You get what you pay for. For the money you are going to spend on that cheap piece of equipment and its replacement you could have bought something nice to begin with.


so which is it? expensive is not always better or you get what you pay for? :D seriously, i look at reef equipment like wine...just because something is expensive, that does automatically mean its good. also, DIY is your friend.

14. Do not jump in this hobby with both feet. Start basic and then spend a long time figuring out what your long term commitment is to this hobby. Then set up the tank of your dreams. I would rather upgrade my NO light FOWLR tank than my HO and wet/dry aggressive tank.

yeah, i have to laugh sometimes when i read about someone who's starting their first tank and its a 250g or something...if your going to drop 15 G's on something you know nothing about...you've got too much money, send some to me.:D

15. Everybody lies about how much this hobby costs. This is an endless expense with little tangible return, especially in the beginning stages. Lots and lots of the stuff you buy is going to die. That is the dirty little secret of this hobby. We go to great lengths to set the right environment but stuff still dies soon after we buy it. (both corals and fish) You are going to spend lots of money on things that will do nothing but die. This cannot be avoided. It is part of the hobby. Please do not act like it is not.

yup...especially to my wife.:D

16. Almost every argument about ethical fish keeping is crap. I eat tuna for lunch with a clear conscience. And every reefer has killed enough fish to stock at least four tanks the size of their current one. Nobody advocates that if you have a tank crash you should not restock. They know that the odds are that if you have three megawatts of lighting over your tank that one day there is going to be a malfunction and everything will die. You really don’t care, and I don’t either. Leave me and my overstocked nano alone.

people that agrue the ethics of reef keeping make me laugh. we have tanks because we like to look at the cool fish/ inverts/ corals we keep. anybody that says different is kidding themselves...

18. The most important thing I have learned. In the end, no matter how much time, money, effort, thought, blood, and life you put into it . . . It is still just a fish tank.

sometimes people forget that...its just a fish tank...

[Carl_in_Florida]

I agree with you on the nano thing. 10 - 20 gallons is a great starter.

Diy is your friend. Your crappy lights that make your tank look yellow is not.

carl

[phenom5]

Diy is your friend. Your crappy lights that make your tank look yellow is not.

well, there's a fine line between good DIY and a ghetto setup.

[grim]

I agree with the sump comments.

Why bother with the complexities of a big tank style setup when you can eliminate all of those complexities with more frequent water changes?

I get a kick out of those tiny sumps I see around here. Teeny tiny 5g tanks whose sole purpose is to house a mag5 return pump and a heater. All that headache to make the water loop-de-loop (or as so elequently put, to wet some cheato).

However, I don't agree with nanos as first tanks. Not even the 10-20g recommendation. To many people go small because they think it's more affordable. Sorry Charlie, if you can't afford to do it right, don't do it. Killing livestock in the name of 'experience' just isn't right.

jim

[Carl_in_Florida]

But think of how much more livestock could be killed in a 55.

Though I guess the full size tank cost barrier keeps some less commited out of the hobby all together which is good for everyone (unless you want to buy a tank out of the newspaper from the frustrated noobe)

[surfnvb7]

carl, you forgot to add one!!

19.) nanocubes/aquapods are a ______ (insert expletive here) :lol:

[phenom5]

I get a kick out of those tiny sumps I see around here. Teeny tiny 5g tanks whose sole purpose is to house a mag5 return pump and a heater. All that headache to make the water loop-de-loop (or as so elequently put, to wet some cheato).

wait a second, that's not a sump, that's a glorified closed loop. i'm talking about a real sump, with some real volume to it. those are very useful...a sump for the sake of an overflow & return pump doesn't count.

However, I don't agree with nanos as first tanks. Not even the 10-20g recommendation. To many people go small because they think it's more affordable. Sorry Charlie, if you can't afford to do it right, don't do it. Killing livestock in the name of 'experience' just isn't right.


well, i certainly don't advocate killing livestock for the sake of experience, but i think a 10g "starter" tank is viable. maybe 5 or 10 years ago that wasn't the case, but there's been a lot of advancements made in this hobby that make it possible. just like any tank, research into proper setup & maintance, as well as the needs of livestock must be done, but with the proper research a 10g tank can be just as successful as a 55g tank...just like a 55g tank without some research into setup & maintance can be as problematic as a 10g without the proper setup & maintance. also, i think its hard for someone that knows little about this hobby, and has little experience with this hobby to justify spending $5K+...i know i wouldn't want to drop that kind of cash on a hobby that i didn't even know if i was going to like it or not.

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6411912#post6411912 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phenom5
wait a second, that's not a sump, that's a glorified closed loop. i'm talking about a real sump, with some real volume to it. those are very useful...a sump for the sake of an overflow & return pump doesn't count.

that is exactly what I am talking about. My "sump" is a 5.5. I think this is a standard nano sump, and it is a waste.

Get a 29 and now there is some benefit.

Carl

[Kogo]

carl,

this thread contains conclusions drawn from personal experiance, independant thaught, and a failure to conform to the over expressed opinions of people who type in ALL CAPITOL LETTERS.

^^^^^^^^^^consider yourself flamed ^^^^^^^^^^^

p.s.
im contacting the moderators to have your post-count revoked!!!!!

and my nano is not just a tank..... its 10 gallons of conservation!!!!

[Carl_in_Florida]

Kogo - are you allowed to use dry wit on this board?

CArl

[Kogo]

wit? whats wit?

seriously, your abservations are excellent, they are a definate must read for all nano keepers.

[phenom5]

are you allowed to use dry wit on this board?


Bomber told me that dry wit isn't effective, you have to use wet wit.:D:smokin:

[Agu]

If I didn't have a ten gallon sump where would I house my mantis ?

http://montipora.com/agu/imagepages/P1010022.htm


:lol:

[Carl_in_Florida]

With all due respect my RC moderator friend, you have a 2 tank system.

Carl

[Agu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6413011#post6413011 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
With all due respect my RC moderator friend, you have a 2 tank system.

Carl


No, It's a 1 1/2 tank system with half a sump ;)

[Kogo]

so do i now. my refugium is slowly becoming my xenia tank.

agu i have a 10g set up almost identical to yours, just with different lights.

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6413032#post6413032 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Agu
No, It's a 1 1/2 tank system with half a sump ;)


Nevermind then.

:rollface:

[Sugar Magnolia]

Ladies and gentelmen....Homey has spoken!

Great post Carl, with many wise observations. #10, 12, 13 and 17 :thumbsup:

I think that many people who jump into this nano thing tend to overcomplicate it. I didn't until this year when I got into my head that my 30 which had been running with no problems for over a year, needed a sump/fuge. Wish I hadn't, nothing but problems since!

If it ain't broke folks, don't try to fix it.

:lol: #10. I'm still chuckling about that one. So damn true!!

[Kogo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6413328#post6413328 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sugar Magnolia


:lol: #10. I'm still chuckling about that one. So damn true!!

so you think that about carl's post too?

just kidding carl.

it is funny though, how many times you see someone with 1000+ post and 6 months experiance criticising any method older than thier RC membership.

its like no one ever kept coral alive untill they started a 75g with 5 grand in equiptment and 5 1" SPS frags.

thats why i think anyone who offers advice should be required to post a pick of a tank they maintain using said advice.

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6413388#post6413388 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kogo
so you think that about carl's post too?

just kidding carl.

I thought she was speaking exclusively about my posts.
:lol:


Seriously, I get so tired of being told what won't work. This whole thing is not that complicated. When UTR first told me to dump the sump and use my Mag7 on a CL I thought he was nuts. Now I wish i would have tried it.

Carl

[Sugar Magnolia]

Carl, we've been around long enough to know who to listen to. UTR is one of them. ;)

#19. Take all comments posted in a thread with a grain of salt.

Some offer advice/suggestions because they read something about it somewhere else. :rolleyes:

[Stasher]

Fantastic post, thank-you for expressing the simplicity in what we can do. Use less but be more diligent. Before I read this post I had just decided that a sump was a waste of time on the nano I am currently building.

[Agu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6413041#post6413041 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kogo
so do i now. my refugium is slowly becoming my xenia tank.

agu i have a 10g set up almost identical to yours, just with different lights.

Pics ??

Be careful, my sump is now fully stocked with flower anemones, zoanthids, xenia, and anthelia. :D

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6414382#post6414382 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Stasher
Use less but be more diligent.

Thanks Stasher. Summed up my whole diatribe in one sentence. Now I look like a rambling idiot. Great!

did you have to do it while my friends were looking?

Carl

[Sugar Magnolia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6414776#post6414776 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida

did you have to do it while my friends were looking?

Carl
You have friends? :lol:

said with love and respect of course.

[ratimpulse]

So true, im glad im a minor and dont have to worry about some of those things. But soo true.

[Kogo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6414743#post6414743 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Agu
Pics ??


well because you asked

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/kogo/100_0922.jpg

[Kogo]

uh oh... a clam in a nano!!!!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Carl_in_Florida]

Kogo - I can't believe your wife allows that in the house

[surfnvb7]

kogo...is that a hydrometer i see?? tisk tisk... ;)

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6416359#post6416359 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by surfnvb7
kogo...is that a hydrometer i see?? tisk tisk... ;)

And is that the guy from moby dick next to it?
hmmmmmm...

[Kogo]

its a hydrometer, but dont wory i hardly ever use it.

the ceramic figure is some unknown fisherman that no-one knows the origen of. it just finds its way into different corners of the house.

oh and the lights had just come on so the hammer isnt opened yet... in case anyone was concerned about polip extension.

[jdsabin1]

Thanks for one of the more entertaining posts I have read in a good long while. Halfway through and I had a big, sh*t-eating grin on my face :).

I especially loved these two:


15. Everybody lies about how much this hobby costs. This is an endless expense with little tangible return, especially in the beginning stages. Lots and lots of the stuff you buy is going to die. That is the dirty little secret of this hobby. We go to great lengths to set the right environment but stuff still dies soon after we buy it. (both corals and fish) You are going to spend lots of money on things that will do nothing but die. This cannot be avoided. It is part of the hobby. Please do not act like it is not.

16. Almost every argument about ethical fish keeping is crap. I eat tuna for lunch with a clear conscience. And every reefer has killed enough fish to stock at least four tanks the size of their current one. Nobody advocates that if you have a tank crash you should not restock. They know that the odds are that if you have three megawatts of lighting over your tank that one day there is going to be a malfunction and everything will die. You really don’t care, and I don’t either. Leave me and my overstocked nano alone.


Bravo!

[steelhealr]

Nice job Carl. Chillers, ice probes, Rube Goldberg plumbing lines, cosmic ray metal halides.......and everything survives under stock JBJ nano cube stock lighting...almost. Finding the three hidden bananas in a Walter Wick book with your kids is MUCH more rewarding. Happy New Year. SH

[pimpskinny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6411438#post6411438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
18. The most important thing I have learned. In the end, no matter how much time, money, effort, thought, blood, and life you put into it . . . It is still just a fish tank.

yeah he may be right about that! i started one next to my bed so i can sleep easier :bum:

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6416814#post6416814 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdsabin1
Thanks for one of the more entertaining posts I have read in a good long while. Halfway through and I had a big, sh*t-eating grin on my face :).

Bravo!

I like your sig. Kind of sums it up.

carl

[Carl_in_Florida]

pimpskinny
[welcome]

Honored to host your first post

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6418188#post6418188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by steelhealr
Nice job Carl. Chillers, ice probes, Rube Goldberg plumbing lines, cosmic ray metal halides.......and everything survives under stock JBJ nano cube stock lighting...almost. Finding the three hidden bananas in a Walter Wick book with your kids is MUCH more rewarding. Happy New Year. SH

People say they get pets because they are not ready for kids. I have kept my kids alive far longer than any fish.

Carl

Think I am going to make that my sig.

[steelhealr]

Agree. WTG. SH

[Cutiewitbooty]

Great post too funny, but all true. Nice work :D I love your new sig sooo true lol.

[banditfl]

Your exactly right. I have followed you from the humble beginnings of Carls Nano-Reef project (six gallon eclipse) and the ugly cycle of the Gulf-View rock. I know you are talking from experience. I tried the sump thing on my tidepool reef. Too Noisy (dump the sump). Also the tidepool reef didn't work. Flow issues and Hair algea.

It nice to see you are back posting regularly. They was a time this summer and fall I missed your posts.

[Carl_in_Florida]

thanks bandit

Its great to try new stuff but you have to admit when it does not work. That was a cool little tank.

My life would have been a whole lot easier if I would have just kept the 6.

[Carl_in_Florida]

flashback pic


http://pico-reef.com/albums/nanoreef-cyno/PC290292.sized.jpg

[aquamanco]

:eek2: Now that was scary:eek:

True reading for all those who think they want a Reef(saltwater) set up,:strooper:

:uzi: :uzi:

But yes it's all too funny:thumbsup: Let's see nano 12g crashed 1, 29g x3, 58g x1 thanks Kaitrina. The nano been thru
5 hurricanes,:bum:

[surfnvb7]

yikes carl!! what happened there?? that almost looks like a nano-red tide ouch! i bet that did some ego bruising :(

[Agu]

Uhhh, Nice tank Carl , have no idea why you dumped the 6 gallon ;)

[sandlot13]

Freakin great post! gotta say youve summed it up pretty well........ Ive only been in this hobby for a little under a year, and ill have to agree with you all the way around. (except replace "kids" with "roommates"....... 20 is too young to have kids yet, haha) ;)

[Carl_in_Florida]

That pic is the fun a beginner goes through.

them: when you cycle, don't do any water changes.
me: OK (orders uncured gulf rock and watches it rot in my tank for 2 months.)

Here it was before I ditched that advice
http://pico-reef.com/albums/nanoreef-week-3/PC150208.jpg


here is my 6 before i went to a 10

http://pico-reef.com/albums/Jan23%2Ctimeforafish/P1230374.sized.jpg

still some hair algae but I got that beaten before the switch also.

[Carl_in_Florida]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6425332#post6425332 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquamanco
:eek2: Now that was scary:eek:

True reading for all those who think they want a Reef(saltwater) set up,:strooper:

:uzi: :uzi:

But yes it's all too funny:thumbsup: Let's see nano 12g crashed 1, 29g x3, 58g x1 thanks Kaitrina. The nano been thru
5 hurricanes,:bum:

I been through all the same hurricanes. The black clown in the above pics died in the first hurricane last year. His replacement died in the next.
I was better prepared for wilma this year.

Carl

[Kogo]

in a word .... generator!

[Waterbabi9]

Even a SW newbie like me can tell that's ALL good, simple advice! Probably comes from the fact that I found a portion of it out when I was building African Lake cichlid tanks for the 1st time years ago (not quite SW $$$ but going from $3.00 "Pricey" Tetras to $20 special order fish... it was a jump at the time).

Well done. :-)

[aquamanco]

Well in my case couldn't keep the gen running for the fumes. I had a long enough cord 50' but wind keep blowing it in the house. If you keep away from the house then here come thieves. So it was run in daylight only cut off at night.
What a city I LOVE MIAMI.Working on a setup with gen in a shed away from the house.

[Stasher]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6419003#post6419003 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
People say they get pets because they are not ready for kids. I have kept my kids alive far longer than any fish.

Carl

Think I am going to make that my sig.
I've been away for awhile Carl.....I love this post.

Started a new 20g with some ideas and sampling from this thread, I was debating on a sump after I drilled the tank but decided to hook up the lines to a Rena XP3 . Filled the tank with water from my 120gallon last night.
instead.http://users.accesscomm.ca/stasher/20reef5.jpg

[Newreeflady]

15. Everybody lies about how much this hobby costs. This is an endless expense with little tangible return, especially in the beginning stages. Lots and lots of the stuff you buy is going to die. That is the dirty little secret of this hobby. We go to great lengths to set the right environment but stuff still dies soon after we buy it. (both corals and fish) You are going to spend lots of money on things that will do nothing but die. This cannot be avoided. It is part of the hobby. Please do not act like it is not.

I agreed with a lot of your post, but this is simply not true. You CAN do things right, you CAN set up a tank properly and buy only hardy creatures or creatures that have already been acclimated to aquarium life. There is no reason you should resolve yourself to the fact that you will kill a lot of animals/corals/etc. If you are losing more than snails and crabs you are doing something very wrong and you need to reevaluate. Better yet, plan your tank better from the get go.

Before you go on a rant, please know that I have kept tanks, small and large, and yes animals do die. But it is usually your fault. I had an anemone die on me. What could I have done? I could have bought a split from someone on reef central instead of a wild bta at the store. Most of what I lost, though, were crabs and snails and this due to a mantis in my rock which I did finally capture and give away.

Please do not think that I am flaming you because I am not, I just think that you need to rethink your strategy if what you are doing is causing animals harm. If it is not known to be hardy, don't buy it (unless you are an expert.)

Angela.

[Kogo]

angela,

if you follow the spirit of this little thread youd understand that you fit exactly what he was talking about. he doesnt mean that we shuld carelessly buy and let things die, but that somtimes as part of the learning curve and even occasionaly inspite of our best intentions .... stuff dies .... like RBTA's, crabs, and snails.

we talk about the best methods and try incorperating them ourselves, but what is claimed to be the best is in constant change and debate. add in the fact that every tank, water source, and combination of aquarium livestock creates a uniqe enviornment, the likelyhood that beginers and even advanced aquarists will loose stock is inevitable.

oh and dont forget power losses, accidental cantaminations, leaks, breaks, hitch hiker predators, disease, parasites, electric shock, miscalibrated refractometers and auto topoff systems, revenge from spurned lovers, and stray vehicles crashing though living room walls. these are all things that have caused livestock to die.

i havn't even mentioned all the things that have happened to poor carl yet.

bottom line is that he wasnt advocating careless husbandry, he was just reflecting in an honest and humorus thread.

just enjoy it and chuckle with the rest of us.

[FishWife1]

Great post Carl. Yes, mishaps do occur and sometimes they come fast and furious. I had a beautiful, amazing healthy, pig of a Moorish Idol (that's right a Moorish Idol) who died from choking on his food. I fed him, walked out of the room for 15 minutes and when I came back he was belly up with a chunk of prawn stuck in his mouth. I took a tremendous amount of flak from rescuing him from the LFS and then, amazing as it may seem, he and his "brother" thrived in my tank. They ate, they chased around, their streamers grew long and beautiful and they turned into glutinous fatso pigs. But they both died tragic, accidental deaths. MI2 died during a power outage when we were away from home for the evening.

Fortunately there aren't too many people who simply replace the one they lost and say, "Oh well." But I do understand what Angela is saying because there definitely are some.

I had to laugh at all you said because I was so intensely involved in reefing for a long time. Now that I've been out of it for several years and am starting small I hope to keep my perspective.

Keep it simple - tank, keep it real - life.

Laurie

Oh yeah, Carl, as one also seeking the Great I AM, I love your "interests".

[Carl_in_Florida]

See Kogo, I have never choked a fish to death (though I have wanted to).

Angela - exactly what kogo said. Even the most conscientious reef keeper sacrifices some livestock to the great mantis. Did anyone catch that thread a few months ago about the guy who had 3 temp alarms on his tank and none of them worked? Couple hundred gallons of gumbo resulted. He got a temp setup going to try to save what was left and he had a fire in his fish room.
Stuff happens.
After I started this thread my tank malfuntioned and I had a crash (not the kind Kogo was talking about, a tank crash) and I lost all my sps. I am upset but it is part of this hobby.
Stasher - I know Suge would agree, sumpless with water changes is gonna be just fine.

With my new lighting (thanks Kogo!!!!!!) I am thinking of seting up my 29 sumpless with my Mag7 on a CL. You don't get much more bulletproof than that.

Carl

[Sugar Magnolia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6510882#post6510882 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida

Stasher - I know Suge would agree, sumpless with water changes is gonna be just fine.

With my new lighting (thanks Kogo!!!!!!) I am thinking of seting up my 29 sumpless with my Mag7 on a CL. You don't get much more bulletproof than that.

Carl
Absolutely! I'm all for sumpless after that mess of mine. Slap a skimmer on the tank Stasher and you're good to go.

[banditfl]

With my new lighting (thanks Kogo!!!!!!) I am thinking of seting up my 29 sumpless with my Mag7 on a CL. You don't get much more bulletproof than that.

Carl

Go for it Carl. Will you need to find homes for the Freshwater Fish that are(were) in your 29g. I recently relocated my freshwater Community Fish from my 30 gal to a friends 29g he was going to put Silver Dollars in. And haven't looked back yet. I haven't had time to get any photos up yet. (Wife always has the camera).

[Carl_in_Florida]

I had to set the cichlids free about 6 months ago.

Carl

[Sugar Magnolia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6511315#post6511315 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Carl_in_Florida
I had to set the cichlids free about 6 months ago.

Carl
:eek2:

[Carl_in_Florida]

pm for more info

[FishWife1]

Phhhhhhtttt! :p Choked my fish to death - hee, hee! What an image.

Laurie