a few questions

[eums]

i went over to a famly friends house the other day and he had a reef tank set up. i was truly amazed, its a 60 gal that has been going for 15 years. the anomonie was about 24 inches across, the biggest i have ever seen, his green brain was about 18 inches and pink lether was easly 15 inches across. is this tipical size ? and another thing, his set up was beyond basic, no sand bed, just some rock in the tank with the most amazing coloration in the coraline algie. he did not use a skimmer, nor did he top off with ro/ di water. just tap waterde clornated, and did a once a month 10 gal water change. he had a basic sump with bio balls[again 15 years old] and a 15 year old true clown [a bit over 4 inches long, its mate had died]and a 15 year old spotted cardinal, is this guy just amazingly lucky or should i learn as much as i can from him ?

 

[Len]

Corals and anemones that size are definitely commendable and not the norm, although not unheard of either. I'd be hestitant, however, to follow in his footsteps. Skimmers definitely make things a lot easier/stable and it is one piece of equipment I recommend. Topping with tap water is dangerous and your success will vary depending on the quality of your municipal water. In some places, using tap water is fine, but in others, it's asking for long-term problems. A RO/DI is another piece of equipment I heartily recommend.

I'm sure you can learn quite a bit from him if he's had a tank for 15+ years. Some of his practices may work but aren't fundamentally sound, and if this is your first reef tank, I suggest you stick with tried and proven methods first.