Which upgrade to start with?

[Glenn]

I currently have a 65g tank setup as my frag tank; it has a three level eggcrate shelf (bottom is 6" off floor, then 12", then 18", each about 5" wide) that has Zoo's, Gonio's, and a few other pieces that I've collected. DaveS' former plexi sump is being used as the firsl level overflow with dark sand housing the mangrove farm* and Chaeto refugium, and that feeds down to the second level sump (20g High) with the skimmer and return pump along with some pieces of extra live rock from our nano-reefs that are setup in various upstairs rooms. The frag tank has a 6x39w T5 light set (3 Actinics, 3 10KK (?? I think they are 10000K)) and I drip Kalkwasser from a one gallon jug.

 

My intent is to upgrade my frags (hard corals, Acro's, anything that strikes me)

SO - do I upgrade the lights or the calcium supplements first

- I have a 2x250W HQI light system that I've been looking at (I am NOT worried about heat; it's a cold basement)

- I have an opportunitity for a reactor system from a WAMAS'er

 

But my current cash-flow will only allow one of the upgrades during the first half of the year...

 

* Those of you who attend the WAMAS Fall mtg and heard Mr. Fellman's talk - I was the one that was using dark sand w/ the mangroves.

http://www.glenndsmith.name/frag_06.html

[rocko918]

get the lights, right now you do not need a calcium reactor. once you get more corals in there then you should consider it, but you can keep many corals with out a reactor.

[Origami]

Lights first. You can continue to dose kalkwasser or even dose two-part until your calcium demands call for something different. I would also look for an aquarium controller as possibly your next upgrade. That will help with maintaining crucial stability.

[Boret]

Lights first. You can continue to dose kalkwasser or even dose two-part until your calcium demands call for something different. I would also look for an aquarium controller as possibly your next upgrade. That will help with maintaining crucial stability.

 

+1

Lights and controller!

 

As far as lights I would consider a retrofit, you can save money unless you can get a great deal on a light fixture.

[amay121]

Lights.

[DaveS]

As so many have said, lights should be the first upgrade. You can overcome the lack of a calcium reactor through manual means but there is very little you can do to overcome poor lighting. Besides, until you get the lights to support more sps, you won't need the calcium reactor. Lastly, good used options for lighting come up more frequently here than for calcium. Take the time after the lighting upgrade to wait and shop for a good deal.

[davelin315]

Before you upgrade any piece of equipment, figure out where you want to be in the hobby in the next year or two. If your intention is to upgrade your tank, will a light that you upgrade on today work on that new system? For example, on a 65 gallon tank, you could probably get away with one good bulb, but probably need at least two. If you are going to upgrade to a larger tank in the future, will the light system you upgrade to fit that tank? If you end up with an all-in-one light system/hood/pendant, will you end up regretting this in the future as you may not be able to use it over a new system?

 

My advice is to, again, figure out what size tank you'll end up in once you are ready for that "last" tank, figure out how long it will be before you are there, and then upgrade according to that. Let the "future" tank dictate what gets upgraded, how, and when.

 

I also think that at this juncture, you may want to wait and see where the market ends up in the next year or so before upgrading a light. LED technology is becoming cheaper and better, and we'll also have a better picture as to the longevity claims that are out there about these LED lights. If those start to dominate the market, I would think that manufacturers of MH would have to drop their prices or improve on the model in order to be remain competitive. Light technology can change in a heartbeat - just look at how well liked PC lighting was until T5s hit the market, or look at how opinions vacillate between MH and T5 lights.

 

If I had to pick one thing that wasn't going to change much in the next 2 years, it's probably a calcium reactor... lights are great to pick up, but if the market passes them by, then you may be "upgrading" again before you know it. Also, what's your main tank like? If you have a 65 gallon frag tank, you're probably going to end up with a tank full of corals... I'd probably go with the reactor myself, depending on what it is.

[Glenn]

Before you upgrade any piece of equipment, figure out where you want to be in the hobby in the next year or two.

 

Actually, I did some of this prior to setting up the frag tank - the reason I used the 65g (3' tank) is that post-retirement (733 days :-) ) I plan to set up a 6' tank (6x2x2, if I can find it) so this light unit will fit over half of the new tank. And if LEDs do become better established or better priced, or MHs do drop in price, I can get a second 3' unit for the other half of the tank.

[amay121]

If you're thinking about going 6' later on, maybe go with a retro kit. It'll give you a lot more to play with later down the road.