Thoughts on upgrades

[YHSublime]

To any person looking to upgrade, this one is for you.
 

I was hooked the moment I started cycling a 14 gallon BioCube. I didn't even have a stand for it when I started. Cycling on the floor, I would spend hours watching hermits and snails. Then came all the soft easy to take care of corals. And then the clown fish. And then, the thought "wow, I'm really doing this, I want more!" Then came the, "man, it's a pain in the neck to keep buying water!" I would buy 10 gallons, (2 five gallon buckets from home depot) and keep them on standby, using deer park for topping off.
 

I was able to use the time with my 14 to learn some basics. I threw out my swing arm and got a refractomer (there are die hards out there that still use their hydromoeters, but they are experts, with established tanks.) I was able to read about all my lighting choices, and what grows what. I was able to read about RO/DI's, and plan space out. Most importantly (in my head) I was able to slide into a bigger tank without my fiance saying "absolutely not."

When I switched over to my 57 there was a huge learning curve (I had never dealt with a sump, return pump, skimmer, plumbing, metal halides, etc) it was a perfect size tank. Did I prematurely take the jump into it, absolutely. I ended up coming out on top, but not for lack of trying to read everything I could, and finding out what worked for me. Oh, and I killed some nice frags along the way. Also inbetween 50 gallons into 150, I thought the cost was going to be minimal. The aquarium itself (I've found) is the cheapest expense out of everything, don't be fooled by thinking "Oh, I already have rock, and sand" or, my skimmer will be big enough and I won't need a bigger sump."
 

I've rambled a bit here, and the point I'm getting at, was I learned SO much from my first tank, but not enough before my second one (or third, or fourth.) I strongly urge all those looking to upgrade to make sure you learn everything you can about your current setup before jumping into the next big thing that comes along. Research everything that you can, so there are no surprises (and there still will be.) Please don't take this as "don't start big." Because I think you should. I am talking about not learning how to keep your 20, and wanting to get a 150. When you can not have to worry about your current setup, and it's on autopilot, then start thinking about moving up. I'm not scolding, criticizing, or putting anybody on trial: I'm empathizing. Because I was that guy, and I want you to learn from my mistakes! This is just my opinion, so take it however you will, but I hope this advice will help some of you.

[sachabballi reef]

*Wipes away tears of pride*

Proud of how far you've come.....great post!!!!!

 

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[howaboutme]

*Wipes away tears of pride*

Proud of how far you've come.....great post!!!!!

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

 

A lot of people posting from podiums these days..now we just need videos...

 

Good advice, Isaac!

[swimmatte]

*Wipes away tears of pride*

Proud of how far you've come.....great post!!!!!

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

 

You're such a woman.......... 

 

 

Nice post Isaac.

[sachabballi reef]

You're such a woman..........

 

 

Nice post Isaac.

Yep....last time i checked

Emphasis on "such" of course lol

 

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[Sugar Magnolia]

Good advice there. Rushing into things before you know what to expect often leads to trouble.

[YHSublime]

Thanks all. I'm not posting this on a soapbox. I am still new, and when I stop learning that will maybe be the day this is no longer a hobby.

 

I understand the want of sizing up. I understand the feeling of "this had to be done yesterday" even though it doesn't. Maybe it's just me, but I've seen some posts recently that lead me to believe that I'm not the only person who has ever felt this way. I know when I set my mind to something, it's going to happen, and I like to do what I can to make it happen quickly. I'm the poster boy for putting the cart before the horse, and if I had read my post above a year ago, I still would have done everything the exact same way, because I'm also thick headed and stubborn.

[monkiboy]

another quality post, bud. you talk about my patience but i have to say, you got a lot more than i when it comes to how nicely you posted up this guidance. hopefully many will benefit by taking to heart.

 

 

Emphasis on "such" of course lol

you crack me up sometimes!

 

emphasis on "sometimes"...

[lnevo]

Well said. I got lucky on a few of the decisions I made early on. I have a 65g because I really didn't know what a 57 rimless was at the time. I have a canopy but I regretted for a while not being able to go topless AND having a stupid cross brace across the middle. After seeing the overflow on the 57 rimless (and was not about to start drilling tanks this early on..) I am glad I made the choice I did.

 

I was also new on the lighting department. I bought an 18" generic blue/white chinese fixture that was "branded" by my LFS. It has worked out for me, my SPS is growing and colors are great, but the fact that I shoudl have gone with 2 12" fixtures and that stupid cross-brace is something where I'll have to spend money again at some point. Same for my skimmer. I've added a swabbie to help my skimmer be more efficient but if I wasn't a newbie I'd have definitely done more research for this piece of equipment.

 

Anyway, going through my bad decisions wasn't the point... if I had read a post like yours at the time it may have gotten me to slow down and look at what I was getting into more closely. The fact is I didn't find the right forums till after the order was placed

[Orion]

Excellent post, Isaac.

 

And yes, I am looking to upgrade, but planning it all out very carefully....

Patience is the best virtue you can have in this hobby.

[lutz123]

Excellent post! I think part of the problem is that a newbie can justify almost anything they want to do. The hobby is incredibly confusing at first. There is no absolute way to do things and forums are overloaded with opinions about what's best. Heck, the for sale threads are chock full of mistakes or second thoughts made by very experienced hobbyists. What does "do it right" mean? Dry vs live rock? LED vs T5? Sump vs HOB?

 

I totally agree with taking your time. If you are going to jump into something, get a small used, complete system at $250 or less - and learn it. It's easy to resell, hopefully small enough to not be overwhelming, and will teach huge lessons. Plus, it's not the end of the world if you crash it.

[Origami]

Thanks, Issac.

 

The learning part of this hobby can be exciting for some, droll for others. Mistakes can be expensive if you don't research and think things out. Maybe that's not so bad if you have the resources to waste that way, but most don't. It's a good reminder, though, for anybody.

 

And, while acquisition costs (the cost of buying stuff) can be expensive, operations and maintenance costs (electricity - both for the tank and for keeping your house cooler, water, salt and other consumables, etc.) can be the silent killer. (There's little sense, for example, to save $50 on a pump that will cost you $150 more a year to operate than a slightly more expensive but much more efficient return pump that eats electricity 24 hours a day.) For goodness sakes (and your wallet's sake), when considering going bigger, please diagram it out and consider these things beforehand to make sure that this hobby doesn't overwhelm you and send you home broke.

[Marc Weaver]

electricity - ... for keeping your house cooler

I think that is every bit as expensive as the lighting in the summer for me.  I'm basically fighting another large heat source.  

[smallreef]

Very true! It's all the little monthly things that add up, my water bill has already jump up to 2x it's normal amount, Im sure electricity will be a little more. If you are already struggling or aren't able to pay your bills, an upgrade or new equipment may not be the right answer even if that is what you really want. Everyone has to make the same decisions between products and pricing, it's the end result you really have to think about and how long you are willing to wait to get what you want, it's better to do these things slowly, researching and asking questions vice jumping in and spending more money on better products when you learn the ones you bought on impulse aren't that good.....

[Origami]

I think that is every bit as expensive as the lighting in the summer for me.  I'm basically fighting another large heat source.  

Yes. If you figure that a lot of the power in is ultimately converted to heat and consider that this heat is released into your home, then it's extra heat that you need to account for / battle when cooling your house in the summer.

[Cliff Puckstable]

I'm going to U-P-G-R-A-Y-D-D. There's 2 D's for a double dose of pimpin'.

 

You wouldn't believe how much I spend on plumbing alone. That stuff adds up quick. You gotta pay to play.

[Shoelace]

I can't believe I missed this post. It's given me more resolve NOT to revive my 180 as a reef. I've been out long enough that I feel like an "old timer" going back to school. But this time the learning will have a different feel since I have a different perspective. I will try to learn as much as I can with my 40B build first. Thanks for your wisdom.