I have been following a thread on my local club's forum that prompted me to pose this question to the OP. I regularly read arguments/debates about how long a certain piece to the reef puzzle will sustain itself without needing replaced or rebuilt. People make decisions during their build or purchases based on this. The thread I'm referring to on my club's forum was about substrate. It turned into the whole DSB, SSB or Barebottom debate. Soooo...a DSB may need an overhaul several years down the road to remain beneficial, but what are the odds a tank/system makes it to this point? Can it reach this point before it's time for an upgrade, shutdown, move, downgrade, major overhaul or just plain exit from the hobby?
What is the average life span of a reef tank/system these days? This can be based on your actual experience if you've had multiple tanks over the years...or can just be a gut feeling from watching forums. My guess would be the average/mean to be pretty low...like 1.5-2 years. Am I crazy...do most tanks survive longer? Or maybe I am guessing too long? I know we all have the best of intentions, but we've all watched the cycles. There are plenty of tanks around that have survived many years...but these days, I believe this to be the exception to the rule.
Keep in mind, this is just a poll..I'm not saying we should shift our thinking to planning a tank that lasts 2 years...or should we? :tongue:
What is the average life span of a reef tank/system these days? This can be based on your actual experience if you've had multiple tanks over the years...or can just be a gut feeling from watching forums. My guess would be the average/mean to be pretty low...like 1.5-2 years. Am I crazy...do most tanks survive longer? Or maybe I am guessing too long? I know we all have the best of intentions, but we've all watched the cycles. There are plenty of tanks around that have survived many years...but these days, I believe this to be the exception to the rule.
Keep in mind, this is just a poll..I'm not saying we should shift our thinking to planning a tank that lasts 2 years...or should we? :tongue: