What’s wrong with being a NEW & OLD School reefer?

[Mical]

100% believe that a mix of both is the best of both worlds. The knowledge/wisdom and insight gained from “old school reefers” can be applied with the new schools of thought and result in success. And new technology and methods can make processes much easier when applied correctly. We all have much to learn from each other!

I'm w/Samina on this one. Old "schoolers" blazed the trails for many of the newer technologies. They did the majority of the legwork that newer reefers and tools just expand on. New school thinking has been heavily influenced by old school trial & error. It's not a fair comparison nor should it be considered a comparison. If anything it's the "progression" of the hobby.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

What is old school? Reverse flow under gravel is old school but Paul B still does it and I use to. Thought about going back as there are some advantages. Led lights are just a new form of lighting. Metal Halide still works but led run cooler. Dc pumps are an improvement over old style AC pumps. Skimmers still work on the same principle. Many people have had refugium for decades. Even controllers are not new. Ozone and uv is not new. Going with lifeless rock is new. What is new school really using improved equipment including test kits? Rimless tanks? I am really having some problems figuring what is truly new school. Testing everyday or what. Who can really explain new school.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Even saying "old school" is way too new school for me. But I do have LEDs and a computer on my tank.

 

[Hot2na]

I go back to 1975 ...so "old school" for me was- Necktonics undergravel filters and dolomite or crushed corals..some flame scallops,feather dusters,etc ..a few yrs later -power plus 600 outside filters...then early 80's -reef tanks that were built on dead coral skeletons and lit by 4 40 watt bulbs ,2 of which were philips actinic 03..nitrate was controlled by intank macroalgae growth...next the first 5500k metal halide pendants and either bio balls in a trickle filter or DLS material with a spray bar.... my favorite "old school" thing that came along that I still employ today : NNR or plenum system by Jean Jaubert...Dont care what anyone says - that is the simplest way to keep a reef...as for all this other "new school" ,new- fangled stuff- I'm not a fan...I do use radions ,though.

 

[Cyndi & Jim]

Most of what I do is old school. Still top off my tanks manually to avoid any technology problems causing tanks to overflow with RoDi, I don’t dose and still do water changes regularly, no controllers like Apex, still use t5ho, no algae scrubbers. Decorative macro algae to help with natural filtration.
Things I have moved onto that have made my life easier would include the new Hanna salinity tester versus a refractometer and slowly switching over to other testing equipment, return pumps and skimmer have feed modes to temporarily shut down while cleaning/feeding, switched from koralia pumps to MPs with Quiet Drives, and titanium heaters with temperature controllers.
My kids enjoy helping me test and doing water changes still, so to me these still works. Combining new with old and making the best of both worlds!

 

[jda]

Here is my definition:

• Old School: knows biology, chemistry and the basis of operating an ecosystem in their home. Operates on nature and patience.
• New School: keeps a tank using stuff suggested or purchased by people trying to help - knows equipment inside and out and lacks a bit on the fundamentals of chem or bio. Looking for instant results and gratification. Magic cures, snake oil and supplements are important.

In time New => Old for people who stick around... they just learn more and their tank also gets easier as time passes. It has been like this since I got into the hobby in 1992 (and freshwater before this) - don't think that people did not want instant gratification back then either.

I do not consider equipment or tech to be either old or new school by it's self. It is the application that determines it. In truth, it is the equipment application combined with the wholistic reefing approach.

 

[ironman187]

It strikes me as sour grapes. Both old and new school can (and regularly do) produce amazing tanks. You do you. Your tank isn't set up for my enjoyment, and I don't do any maintenance on it.

 

[SeaDweller]

To me, old school is simple. Everything is simplified. I've had saltwater fish since like 1993+ when I was 11-12. All I used back then was: tank, light, HOB filter (Sometimes), air pumps, and a countercurrent, wooden airstone driven skimmer. Advanced up to a plenum system, bakpak skimmers, etc. Then fancy AIO Clear for life tanks...I've always had the least amount of gadgets as I could, and I still implement that today. I have an Apex that bricked that I fixed and didn't bother implementing again. My system is just: tank, lights (LEDs), Tunzes (reliable), sump, skimmer, CaRx, and sulfur denitrator (super old school, but put in service this year). No more fancy anything, and everything is thriving. My pump is still an Iwaki. I stick with stuff that I know works.

It's cool to look at some of the "cool" set ups with multiple Apexes and stuff, but I still manually test each morning for Alk and other things. The less points of failure there are, the better for me.

 

[JLynn]

I firmly believe that neither is better; both are paths to success and it’s just a matter of choosing which path best suits you, your tastes, and your desires.

 

[old salt reefer]

I go back to 1968 for old school and I still don't own a test kit of any kind except for checking how much salt is in the water.
New school, LEDs are just as good(or at least close)and a lot cheaper on the electric bill. I no longer use tap water.

 

[blurry]

Interesting discussion. Things change, most of the 20+ year reefers I have talked to know a lot about the needs of corals and fish from light to flow, food and more, then again pure time in the hobby could be why. Great looking “old school” tanks had failures before them.

At the risk of offending I do feel there is a cultural shift that has reduced the amount of patience folks have in general. Reliability is expected (cars that last over a 100k miles isn’t all that old).

Personally I couldn’t have a tank without the technology of today, maybe that is because work and kids have different demands than in generations before.

 

[scottedontknow]

excellent sentiments in both posts. Glad to hear you’re doing well man

i appreciate that! and all is well!!!! need to get the reef group back together accept i dont have a FB : (

 

[Bpb]

i appreciate that! and all is well!!!! need to get the reef group back together accept i dont have a FB : (

No kidding. Just make a bogus profile so we can add you on messenger

 

[Rick j]

Being an old school reefer with the advantages of today’s equipment and information is incredible being able to access information at the click of a button the learning curve today is greatly increased my first reef tank was in the mid 80s information was scarce equipment was sub par at best and we knew very little about pests or disease

 

[tripdad]

This hobby is no different than any trade, profession, skill set out in the rest of the world. Those with a sound understanding of the fundamentals of their trade will usually excel. Given that, I would not hesitate to use a new technology if it's better at it's job. I.e. electronic controls over relays and contacts, Epoxy or catalyzed paint over nitro-cellulose lacquer, composites over steel or aluminum, etc.. That being said we really are just keeping water! Get that right and the rest will usually work itself out. Give corals a quality light, no matter the source, and quality water and they will grow. Old school, new school, meh. Why label it?

 

[Arricefe]

We no longer bash animals in the head and drag them to our cave, progress is good. Why not use better techniques (new school) to provide good water, good lighting and good flow (Old school). FORWARD!

 

[Thales]

I think divisive, team sports memes are not helpful because they make a fight where there is no fight. Reefing is a continuum, and people take what they can as things progress.

Here is my definition:

• Old School: knows biology, chemistry and the basis of operating an ecosystem in their home. Operates on nature and patience.
• New School: keeps a tank using stuff suggested or purchased by people trying to help - knows equipment inside and out and lacks a bit on the fundamentals of chem or bio. Looking for instant results and gratification. Magic cures, snake oil and supplements are important.

In time New => Old for people who stick around... they just learn more and their tank also gets easier as time passes. It has been like this since I got into the hobby in 1992 (and freshwater before this) - don't think that people did not want instant gratification back then either.

I do not consider equipment or tech to be either old or new school by it's self. It is the application that determines it. In truth, it is the equipment application combined with the wholistic reefing approach.

This makes sense to me, - the discussion was pretty much the same in the 80's and 90's and ought's. Some people take the time to develop a saltwater thumb, some don't. Same as it ever was, and I think there is no shortcut.

Things that have made a practical positive difference IMO - better options now for in tank flow, automation, and testing.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

My only comment would be that many of the new school folks just glom on to whatever is popular and then spout that it is the latest and greatest, that and the notion that the more expensive something is, the better it is. I suppose that old school reefers are just more concerned in function whereas the new school guys see form as almost more important. Color coded pipes, shiny neptune dosing containers, every single apex module ever made, and of course, $4,000 worth of LED lights.

If that is your thing then hey, cool and the gang but I do think that the "look at my gear" crowd drives coral prices sky high because they obviously have the money to spend on it.

I will stick with milk jug dosing containers, rubber maid sumps, halide and T5 lights, and a solid understanding of reef chemistry any day of the week.

 

[Mark Lawson]

1984 for saltwater systems....1962 for freshwater. Will leave it right here with you have to find what works best for you and system fresh or salt. Listen, learn,ask questions there are no dumb questions only ones that are the ones not asked. Put all information together and some trail and error............. then when find method that is working .......... don't fix it!

I have Apex and a few WiFi items BUT mainly as a monitoring system when I traversal then control. You need to understand and know a solid understanding of reef chemistry. So Apex is showing a jump in a item, one needs to know why not just drop something to put band-aid it.

 

[GoGo98102]

Not gonna side with any school but even the poll is biased. Why the old school has a picture of a tank full of sps and new school has an almost empty tank? Shouldn’t the caption say “old tank vs new tank”? And this is from someone who had a first saltwater tank in ‘83.