If I could change my system...

[El Dude]

If you could change your system, how would you change it? Make it easier to maintain? More efficient? More accessible?

I'm hoping to learn lessons from others that I can incorporate into my current build...

 

[Tethered_Limbs]

a combination of all those things. make your sump as easy to get to as possible. if its a pain to get to you wont clean it. its one of the most common mistakes i see people make, including myself.

 

[Hyperlitexr50]

not mechanical but never let a mushroom even get close to my tank unless i was eating them and looking at it for 6hrs

 

[Herbie]

Go bigger.

 

[Tangency]

a combination of all those things. make your sump as easy to get to as possible. if its a pain to get to you wont clean it. its one of the most common mistakes i see people make, including myself.

+1

also take some time to organize your wires and cords before you add water.

 

[lunacris]

Do it right first time only mistake i made on my last build was my return pump wasnt too much for my system however it was too much turnover for my skimmer per the manf it didnt have a chance all in all start with list on paper lots of research and get answers directly if possible. then piece it all together and double check the one piece i missed was to make sure it woupd all work perfect together

 

[poidog]

BIGGER!!!!!!


(that's what she said)

 

[El Dude]

BIGGER!!!!!!


(that's what she said)

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!


Thanks for all the advise people! Keep it coming!

 

[Cecily]

I'd like a stand with wider cabinet doors. I'd like to change my sump but I can't because I can't get it out with my DT still running.

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[trackfast]

I'd get a RR/drilled tank.

 

[KeishaKornbread]

I'd like a stand with wider cabinet doors. I'd like to change my sump but I can't because I can't get it out with my DT still running.

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+1

I wish I would have had a custom cabinet fabricated. I would have the entire front and side open with doors. Other than that, I love my setup.

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[FishBeard]

Taller canopy with front doors instead of piano hinge top. Would be able to hang my enormous Tek 8 bulb up higher, and be able to reach into the tank without literally disassembling everything above that glass box...

 

[Jep21]

i wish i would have started with a bigger tank.. or saw this forum sooner and bought a reef ready tank from a fellow reefer..

 

[maidia]

I am going with big deep dimension tank if I am going to upgrade. My 2 cents.

 

[Jason R]

The mistakes I learned from my first tank that influenced my second tank design:

1. Putting the sump in the basement - It caused my basement to be so humid that anything made out of metal in the same room rusted out. It also could cause mold. With my new tank I put everything under the stand.

2. Acrylic tank - If you are going big they are a lot lighter. The problem I had was cleaning the tank without scratching it was such a PITA that i didn't clean the it as often as I should and it looked like crap. My new tank is glass and a LOT easier for me to clean.

3. Equipment calibration - I didn't realize that refractometers could get knocked out of whack. One time I thought that my salinity was correct so when I added a shipment of fish from bluezooaquatics.com and I thought their salinity was too high so I dropped the salinity and killed of most of the new fish and corals.. Now I ALWAYS use calibration fluid to check my refractometer every few months.