If you could redo something, what would it be?

[prsnlty]

Sand will be pretty simple I think. Can I just siphon it all out? Will it be detrimental if it's not all completely clear in time? I would use live sand so I'm not sure if my bacteria would compete or if I would have a problem with adding the fish right after the sand. I remember I had to add some sort of clearing up solution and not sure if it will harm the fish.

You should wait until it clears about 24 hrs. If you add your water carefully it shouldn't be too bad. Be sure to test your water also. I would add some Dr Tim's, biospira or mb7 also or even a bottle of API Stress Zyme will help. I like Dr Tim's and API the most.

 

[prsnlty]

Is it something from like Home Depot? I typed in gym mat and a bunch of different types showed up.

Yes, but I got mine from Walmart :) It was $15 at the time. It is meant to go underneath gym equipment

 

[prsnlty]

All of this talk on what I'd redo really makes me want to do it. I found a guy local selling the perfect oversized stand. I told my wife and I quickly got a look that clearly said "you better f****** not!" lol

Make some sort of deal with her! Lol

 

[Be102]

You should wait until it clears about 24 hrs. If you add your water carefully it shouldn't be too bad. Be sure to test your water also. I would add some Dr Tim's, biospira or mb7 also or even a bottle of API Stress Zyme will help. I like Dr Tim's and API the most.

So I would go about leaving the fish and stuff out of the tank? Maybe I'll just vacuum it really well.

I assume you're right about the flooring not having any problems with weight. I assume like you said it's for under gym equipment, should be heavy duty.

 

[TonapahNorth]

Is it something from like Home Depot? I typed in gym mat and a bunch of different types showed up.

In the Midwest, I've heard them called stall mats and I've seen them at Tractor Supply. We used them once to line a billiard room in a community center. They're great.

 

[prsnlty]

So I would go about leaving the fish and stuff out of the tank? Maybe I'll just vacuum it really well.

I assume you're right about the flooring not having any problems with weight. I assume like you said it's for under gym equipment, should be heavy duty.

Yes that's correct.

I had my livestock including coral in trash cans for a week. On more than one occasion lol. (Nightmare 150g) I added a hob filter, heater and powerhead to the ones that needed it like livestock and coral, straddled the lighting above. Live rock with just heater and powerhead.

 

[Be102]

Yes that's correct.

I had my livestock including coral in trash cans for a week. On more than one occasion lol. (Nightmare 150g) I added a hob filter, heater and powerhead to the ones that needed it like livestock and coral, straddled the lighting above. Live rock with just heater and powerhead.

Might actually be a good idea allowing me to figure out a better aquascape as well. Do you think I'll lose a lot of good critters or will they mostly hangout in the rocks?

 

[prsnlty]

Might actually be a good idea allowing me to figure out a better aquascape as well. Do you think I'll lose a lot of good critters or will they mostly hangout in the rocks?

As long as you keep flow going around them they'll stay live. After about an hour out of water the critters, and bio begin to die off.

 

[Be102]

As long as you keep flow going around them they'll stay live. After about an hour out of water the critters, and bio begin to die off.

Any experience with any rock glued? Was going to use jb waterweld.

 

[prsnlty]

Any experience with any rock glued? Was going to use jb waterweld.

That's the one that did the best job for me :)

 

[Be102]

That's the one that did the best job for me :)

Great can't wait. I am thinking of basically taking a few pieces of rock out at a time, finding a nice position then using the water weld and then putting it back into the bucket till I'm done with everything. I originally was also thinking of getting an order of brs dry pukani and curing it or doing some sort of acid bath.

 

[prsnlty]

Great can't wait. I am thinking of basically taking a few pieces of rock out at a time, finding a nice position then using the water weld and then putting it back into the bucket till I'm done with everything. I originally was also thinking of getting an order of brs dry pukani and curing it or doing some sort of acid bath.

Acid bath will eat it up. You will need to "cook" it for a while. Cooking rock is rock placed in a container, powerhead, heater and sw. Once every week shake/swish the rock and put it in a fresh can of sw. There's a bit of die off with this rock.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

If I could go back and start over, I would plumb my tank and add an overflow, sump/refugium. This would also require me to rebuild my tank stand to hold the sump.

Currently I have all HOB equipment, and while it works GREAT, it does not look great...

But that's why you get a second tank! Make it bigger and better than the first!

 

[Ineedhelp]

didnt rush, saved the money to get what I needed instead of "no I need fish and coral in here right now"

 

[Be102]

didnt rush, saved the money to get what I needed instead of "no I need fish and coral in here right now"

Don't we all... I wish I knew how much smarter it would have been to start with dry rock as opposed to buying 60 lbs of live rock at like $9.99 a lb...

 

[Larry L]

I bought an aquarium with a center skimmer box, i would never do that again.

I had one built with a corner overflow box, didn't realize how much real estate that would take up. Wish I had gotten the tank drilled and used one of those low-profile overflows like the Synergy Reef one.

 

[FishLover01]

Two thing's come to mind right away. First, I would have had all four of my tanks further out from the wall to allow for cleaning behind the tanks. Also, I have one tank with a 3 stripe damsel. He should've never been purchased. He killed other fish at first and now he just waits to bite me-lol. He's about 2 inches and he's not afraid of me at all-lol.

 

[jlanger]

I wish I would've installed a BeanAnimal overflow system instead of my current overflow system.
It's not terribly loud, but when I visit other tanks that are dead silent, I hang my head with regret.

 

[Biokabe]

If I could redo something... it would be going with my Biocube as opposed to just putting together my own system. I've replaced literally every piece of equipment that it came with, so all that money I thought I was saving by going with an AIO? Not so saved after all. And nowadays, the back chamber is just a nitrate factory - eight years of noobie reefkeeper mistakes trapped in the bottom of those chambers, inaccessible to gravel vacuums.

After that? I'd decrease the amount of live rock I purchased, and just generally exercise more patience to do things correctly the first time.

 

[FishLover01]

My thinking for tearing down includes removing rock; scooping fish out, removing water, moving stand with tank on it, putting new stand in same place as old stand, put tank on stand, lay out rocks and use JB water weld to build some sort of aquascape... then attempt to put into the tank and then put water and fish. Sounds way easier than it's going to be .. but this hobby is fun.. right?

No, there's a lot in this hobby that isn't fun at all. Some of it gets old pretty quickly but most of us knows what needs to be done for the fish and corals to be healthy as possible. Surely, no one has to be too happy cleaning the protein skimmer collection cup on a daily basis. Also, water changes are a necessity, but that doesn't make them fun-lol.