Long time reefer coming back.

pheallox

pheallox

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#1
Hello I go by Pheallox, but real name is Joe.
I have had boxes of saltwater in my home since I was born, I have kept many different tanks but mixed reefs have always given me the most joy.

I have been out of the hobby since 2014 after having a kid and moving, I have now set up a custom 70 gallon made by AA it is 36x20x20 and I am using all my old antiquated hardware until I can learn all the new toys out there and make upgrades.
Wrightwood is home it's cold so no need for chillers, but power issues demand a back up generator so I don't kill everything.
I miss the hobby and community it cultivates, hoping to see some old familiar names.
 
Last edited:
Daniel

Daniel

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#6
Similar story as myself too! Life/work and being "busy" bumped me out of the hobby, now that I've got kids I'm back in the hobby again and loving the evolution.

Welcome back!
 
J

Jimbo327

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#7
Same here. 2 kids knocked me out of hobby for years. I finally moved and settled down in new home a couple years ago and kids getting older/show interests in fishes, so I decided to get back in. Got the tank wet about 6 months ago.

Huge learning curve to get up to speed with the new ways to reef. Zero nitrates and phosphates is bad. LEDs is the norm. ICP and Reef Moonshiners is a thing. Prepare for the sticker shock and having too many choices.
 
pheallox

pheallox

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Jimbo327 said:
Same here. 2 kids knocked me out of hobby for years. I finally moved and settled down in new home a couple years ago and kids getting older/show interests in fishes, so I decided to get back in. Got the tank wet about 6 months ago.

Huge learning curve to get up to speed with the new ways to reef. Zero nitrates and phosphates is bad. LEDs is the norm. ICP and Reef Moonshiners is a thing. Prepare for the sticker shock and having too many choices.
Click to expand...
The sticker shock is crazy, corals that cost $20]+ are not $30-$50 and the old $15 bargains are not hundreds, and when did people learn how to keep gonis alive?
 
drexel

drexel

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#9
Welcome back! Gonis have been good for a while. The key was finding the right species that did well in the hobby and were able to be cultured. Some say it's due to manganese and iron supplements, but the jury is still out on that one. The fundamentals haven't changed at all since you left, but there are more details that help us out. The gear has been the biggest change and some of it not for the better. Don't get me started on names and selling zoas as single polyps, that shit is just ridiculous to me. Good news, Fiji is open again, so there are some things coming back. Dry rock is a thing, although, I don't think it helps the inexperienced reefer at all, as there are far too many issues with starting a tank with it. It doesn't have to be an expensive hobby, you just have to be smart and plan everything out as much as you can. I still prefer old school lighting, but with some modern hybrid supplements. I find that most LEDs are overpriced and overhyped, but there are some good options out there that won't break the bank.
Anyway, welcome back!
 
pheallox

pheallox

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drexel said:
Welcome back! Gonis have been good for a while. The key was finding the right species that did well in the hobby and were able to be cultured. Some say it's due to manganese and iron supplements, but the jury is still out on that one. The fundamentals haven't changed at all since you left, but there are more details that help us out. The gear has been the biggest change and some of it not for the better. Don't get me started on names and selling zoas as single polyps, that shit is just ridiculous to me. Good news, Fiji is open again, so there are some things coming back. Dry rock is a thing, although, I don't think it helps the inexperienced reefer at all, as there are far too many issues with starting a tank with it. It doesn't have to be an expensive hobby, you just have to be smart and plan everything out as much as you can. I still prefer old school lighting, but with some modern hybrid supplements. I find that most LEDs are overpriced and overhyped, but there are some good options out there that won't break the bank.
Anyway, welcome back!
Click to expand...
I have been planning for about a year, but I am sticking to what I know before spending the LED money. But a lot of new tech just seems odd to me.
 
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Sold4JC

Sold4JC

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#15
Welcome back to the hobby. The hobby has come a long way since 2014. The biggest thing I learned coming back to the hobby was 0 Nitrate and 0 Phosphate is not good anymore.
 
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