Should I try to keep a 6 year old reef alive, or start a new

[Anonymous]

one?

If you look at the Moorish Idol in a 5 gal nano thread, you will find that after 6 years, my worry has materialized. I have a mostly soft coral reef with 4 fish that have been with me since the beginning. In the last 18 months it has really gone down the crapper. What used to be my nicest aquarium is now an eye sore. To add insult to injury, it is now an aptasia breeding ground.

I don't have huge amounts of space or spare change, so I am torn between trying to revive this thing and starting a new one. This aquarium is 55 gal. I would prefer 75. This one has no overflow, I would prefer one that did. This one has 400 W of PC, I would prefer DHQ halides. Etc. Basically it was my first tank, and I wouldn't mind starting over to do right what I did wrong. But I am short on space, time and cash, and I hate to waste 6 years invested in this aquarium. Maybe 7. I sort of lost count. When was 1998 again?

 

[Len]

Aside from the emerging aiptasia problem, what else is wrong with the tank. Most problems can be rectified, but some really are more trouble then the effort required to fix them. This is probably the key criteria I'd assess. Of course, budget constraints really puts a hamper on things as well (might I suggest instant noodles for meals? It's worked for my budget on several occasions ).

If you're simply looking for someone to nudge you in the direction of getting the setup you've always wanted, well ....
START NEW !

 

[Anonymous]

He's got children, which makes the budget calculations more difficult.

WG, I'd suggest investing in foraging lessons for the kids, and then progressively lowering the proportion of their calorific needs you provide until they are self-sufficient. This should save you money, keep your vermin problem under control, and negate any worries about college bills in the future.

 

[Anonymous]

I am in a similar situation, in 210 days I will have a new home and start a new tank. New home will give me all the space I need and I was smart enough not to have children, which takes care of the cash problem.

 

[Anonymous]

You could always break it down, trade everything to your local LFS and start anew in the same tank. That would be fun.

When I broke down my 75G to convert it to a refugium, I was surprised at how much money I could get for some of the rock. They were covered in mushrooms, polyps, zoanthids. The LFS loved them.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you got me to go to the sump wg... you trickster...

Fish's avatar is really really quite nice

I say you should start over, its so much fun!

 

[Anonymous]

Well you can start "over" but save the corals and such, scrape off, boil the aiptasia etc.

 

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you got me to go to the sump wg... you trickster...

Fish's avatar is really really quite nice

I say you should start over, its so much fun!

It wasn't in the sump until the policeman moved it. It was fine since 2001, but gets pulled over in 2005 for being insufficiently general interest.

In any case, to answer Len's question, yes, there are other problems, and some corals have dies. I'm not certain what those problems are but would bet they have to do with toxin buildups from water changes and evaporation since 1998, old rock, etc.

But the fish are fine, and enough other stuff is fine, that I have no intention of getting rid of the animals. The clowns are a mated spawning pair of maroons that have been with me longer than two of my kids.

 

[Anonymous]

It's good to see some of the sumpsters up here in the main tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I fought an aptaisia war for two years in my tank. It was completely frustrating to the point that I contemplated trashing the entire thing and getting gold fish. When I moved a couple of years back, I used the opportunity to simply (but a bit expensively) to trash the live rock and restock with new. I lost the battle, but not the war - the tank is now aptaisia free and I'm enjoying it a whole lot more. I would look for a used 75g tank - there are plenty of them around. Running a 75 can't be that much more expensive than a 55. I have a mated pair of maroons - I wouldn't be able to give them up either.

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you are bored of the tank...so I would start fresh. The kids can be part of it this time.
I have some HQE DE 250 pendant set ups if you are interested.

 

[Anonymous]

Rich, what brand, and, any ballasts for them?

 

[Anonymous]

I have 3 PFO old style pendants and bulbs and ballasts. One of the pendants sockets is a little wonky, but the unit works just fine. Just came off my system with I installed the 400's and lunenarcs!

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you are bored of the tank...so I would start fresh. The kids can be part of it this time.
I have some HQE DE 250 pendant set ups if you are interested.

I would be, but don't hang onto them for me, as I tend to be slothful. This idea has been festering in my head for a couple of years now.

 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you are bored of the tank...so I would start fresh. The kids can be part of it this time.
I have some HQE DE 250 pendant set ups if you are interested.

I would be, but don't hang onto them for me, as I tend to be slothful. This idea has been festering in my head for a couple of years now.

Slothful

I love that word......

 

[Anonymous]

They say the happiest two days of a mans life is the day he buys his boat, and the day he sells it. I wonder if the same applies to some aquarists?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

HL Mencken said the happiest days are when a man meets his first love and when a man leaves his last.

 

[Anonymous]

B. K. Knucklehead said, "The happiest day of my life is the day when you cross my palm with some silver baby! WOOT"

 

[intensity888]

I don't think I will be able to accurately determine the happiest day of my life until i'm at my last breath, perhaps then i will have a brief moment of clarity before the lights go out. Yes, I am full of crap, knucklehead inspires me. All Hail the King!!

 

[vair]

Aiptasia eating Berghia Nudibranch

you could try these?


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... ost6146861


Dave