Ever feel like you rushed it?

I have been having doubt about the way I set everything up being a teenager and all probably rushed everything and didn't research all my options well about a couple things I did research a lot of things but after I set it up. Basically I plan on moving the tank in the upcoming months to a different location to make a closet under my stairs my "equipment room". I would want to maybe put a different overflow on it, i've been looking at beans coast to coast because I would like to be going to as quiet as possible tank set up one of the reasons for having everything in the closet. I would also like to get a clean fresh start, just got my rodi unit, ive been getting my water from my lfs and its questionable and my recently obtained live rock has brought my many problems with hitch hikers. So does anyone have any thoughts of a total restart?

 

i've set up a few tanks and always wish i did something a little different.

 

Absolutely! When I started my reef - I was so excited to have my live rock I did a really ****ty job cleaning it.

Sponges and all went into the tank, my nitrates where wild for the first while!

 

What is your current stock? Tank size? That will determine how easy or difficult your restart will be. It's doable people do it all the time on here. Some are planned some are because of surprises/disaster that happen.

 

Got my 90 right now with a oscellaris clown domino damsel bicolor foxface and a 2 inch blue regal tang ( before anyone says anything I plan on brining him back for a bristletooth tomino tang soon because it was a ill made decision because he was 1.5 inches when I bought him and I thought I could make it work but I just don't want to risk it) and as far as I know I still have diamond watchman goby but haven't seen him In forever lol, and a cleaner shrimp. I was planning on setting up a 40 or something a bit smaller and cycle it then transfer the fish and do all the renovations I wanted to do then cycle the 90 again with dry rock that has been cooked and no hitchhikers and maybe seed with 1lb of rock maybe just use bacteria in a bottle that way I can actually scape my rock because as of right now it's just piled thoughts?

 

I don't think I've ever talked to a reef keeper who didn't wish they had done something differently. That's what keeps driving us to make the next one better than the last.

 

This is so true. No matter how much I have planned, some lessons are only learned with time.

 

I keep finding things that I wish I did differently with my tank.

It's completely normal

 

Good news for me depending on my situation ever since the tank has actually been going good and looks nice my father has been growing attached to it now my overall plan for me is to get the tank on cruise control by 3 years ( seems completely realistic) because then I'll be going away to law school and won't be able to take it but by then my brother will be older and be able to take care of water changes because basically I want to make it kind of like a hobby for my father to because he doesnt work due to an injury ( long story) and I think he would like something to enjoy but he's worried about having to do stuff when I move so he doesn't want to alter anything in the house, been trying to convince him that once it gets established and on cruise control it's not bad except if you have any emergency but he will be knowledgeable and have my brother with him. So I would like to rebuild the tank after christmas maybe give me time to get situated and save enough money for my next semester but basically this is what I want to do.
-Get my current fish fostered at my lfs hopefully he'll do it for a month or 2 might have to pay him, if not just buy a 40 or so and cycle it then start this process
-Do renovations to my rec. room and have the tank become flush with the wall if not a part of the wall( I really like the look of that) ((will show pictures of where))
-I want to cook all my rock do the whole nine yards bleach, cook, let in the sun I want it to be completely dead
-buy all new sand ( the sand I have right now is two different sizes one is very fine and blows easy so I used it for the bottom and a thicker one on top so I feel like it would be too much hassle to sort through it)
- drill my tank again for a BeAn coast to coast overflow ( I really like the idea of it and the silent performance silence is golden, who wants to hear water falling and gurgling? It won't be fully coast to coast I will have my returns on either side as far as I know but I just might modify it a bit unsure yet)
-Paint the back of my tank (I have it with a blue stick on background now but there is a couple problems like white water is under the trim and at the top from when it was the glass was drilled and it really bothers me.
-buy approximately 50-60lbs of more dry rock should give me around 120lbs or 130.
-buy led lighting maybe reefbreeders or the new build my led ( I really like the look of that fixture) or might just diy always up for that
-Do my aquascape and use eboxy to make it stable (right now it is just sitting on eachother and really don't like it)
- I will then cycle my tank with everything dead rock and sand and use a bacteria starter like dr.tims one and only. I realize that this will take a longer time but I like the idea of almost zero hitchhikers.
I think thats all for now let me know if I missed anything

 

i always feel like this, in my area i am known for my notorious short cut taking. usually due to lack of funds so i have to be creative haha.