reefer_cosmo

Caught those Pek Tor using line and hooks. I actually started the hobby of fishing first, and once I got hooked onto that hobby, and starts to get fascinated by the marine fishes ... that's when I decided to keep a reef tank. Initially, I experimented with a FOWLR for a while in a fresh-water converted tank, then I proceeded to purchase a proper marine tank setup and started reefing. Long story short, not enough money to sustain the reefing hobby to the kind of standard that I wanted it to be, so might as well go back to FOWLR to save the $$$.

??? ... if you catch reef fishes and away on a boat or something, just use battery operated air-pumps ... carry enough batteries to last the duration back. Meanwhile, change fresh seawater 2 times a day (to get rid of ammonia). Kinda straight forward enough. If it is for air-shipment of fishes, just Oxygen pumped into plastic bags ... that's how wholesaler ships their fishes to you, those that you buy at LFS.

Dunno why bill so high ... maybe some components / equipment not energy efficient. I found out that by turning off my MH light and chiller, electricity consumption drops dramatically. No choice, with such high electrcity bills, I have decided to downgrade from a reef tank to a FOWLR. You know how it is in this hobby, initially came in big, with huge beautiful dream ... setting up a reef tank, have clams, MH/Chiller to support them, later go SPS etc. etc. But the reality really stinks when you realize the running costs associated with such a setup. Beauty comes at a cost. I guess the old chinese saying is true: Paste cash onto the wall, and the wall will look beautiful too. HA HA HA. Below, before and after pictures. Before: Reef tank (small one), and now, a FOWLR with 15 fishes and 1 crab. Predatory theme. Mostly wild caught from Bedok jetty, heh heh.

Yeah guys, I agreed that magnetic ballast very high energy load. I thought the Watts consume is just the 150W rating, apparantly not. Also, the Resun CL280 kick in and out very often, that also increases the electrical consumption (especially during the kicking in part). The Resun chiller cheap cheap, just S$300 (if I remembered correctly) but just running it for a few months, the electricity bill far exceeds the cost of the chiller! Penny wise, pound foolish ... ha ha ha. My PUB bill increased from $200 (was around $160 to $200) prior to starting my marine tank, to a peak of $450 ... which I could not take it anymore, and just switches off the darn Chiller and MH light. Converted the reef tank to FOWLR in an instant! ha ha ha Hope that next month's bill can drop below $300 mark.

Hi Boon & Wil, Thanks for your inputs. Indeed, it was the chiller & MH. By monitoring the electricity bill, I finally had a heart attack (almost fainted) when my PUB bill peaked at $450 !!! for last month. I immediately went out to the marine tank, disconnect the chiller and MH light. Then this month's bill dropped to $305 Can die like that man ... electricity bill for chiller & MH light already costs more than those 2 equipment in just few months' time.

Sorry about your misery ... but I dunno to cry for you or laugh with you! Yeah, always buy new stuff in this hobby. The condition of equipment detoriates really fast under saltwater condition (and also the encrusting algae issue that you facing now). If buying old stuff, then have to be mentally prepared for some cleaning up or equipment malfunction shortly. Sometimes not seller's fault also, becoz they selling "as-is" condition.

Wow, u work in the same industry as I do huh? Sounds like a power plant / industrial water treatment system. Usually, deaerator need a operating pressure of 5 bar to work. How are you going to implement that kind of pressure on a smaller scale home system at an affordable cost?

not micro algae ... not cheato that is commonly used by the bros here, just your run of the mill wild green ribbon seaweed collected from the sea (beach). i already introduced a small qty into the display area, so we will know few weeks later how's the outcome. based on the internet reading that i gathered, green ribbon does have a slight chance of going asexual. but it also has the advantage of vegetation growth, and sexual reproduction (read: grows like a weed!!) i am somewhat unconventional when it comes to setting up of my marine tank.

vodka is for drinking, and azno3 can get expensive after a while. i am starting an experiment in growing seaweed in the display area in a bid to reduce no3, logically sound?

how about just putting some seaweed (green ribbon) to grow in the main display tank? i am trying that now, anyone tried before? how well does it work in reducing no3 ?

This is from someone who has just gone full fledge into a "proper" marine tank (for just a few months), the previous 2 years I was experimenting with a Fresh Water tank converted to Salt Water: Killed many fishes, mostly self-caught from Bedok Jetty ... thus, financial impact was minimal in the past. Now, by doing things the "proper" way ... i.e. buying proper marine tank and equipment, rowaphos for phosphate control, high quality activated carbon, AZ-NO3 for NO3 export, Aquapharm Part A & B, Trace-Elements, Fish/Coral food, Water Filteration unit, Quality Salt Mix etc. etc. The number 1 problem I see is the financial impact of this hobby. If you really want to do it well, there's no avoiding the costs involved in buying the essential quality equipment and supplements. Which can be a problematic issue when you are married and have family expenses to take care of: When push comes to shove, which will you prioritize? Sadly, some people I talked to when I was at some LFS shopping ... their hobby have caused the breakdown of their marriage, and they are fully aware of that fact, but it still happened. This, I will rate as the #1 danger/mistake of this hobby. When you are so addicted to it, and so deeply invovled in wanting to build the best reef tank, other aspects of your life just collaspes around this hobby. The person involved loses perspective on what is important. Heck, even the value of money is distorted: Rowaphos 500g S$70, that's 2 cans of high quality powered milk for a new born baby. A high quality skimmer S$500, that's many food court meals ... and if you don't eat fancy stuff, almost 1 month of food bill for 1 family. Like all luxury items, only the extremely rich can afford to spend without thinking or blinking of their eyes. I would classify this hobby as a rich man's hobby (a luxury item). Much like driving of a car in Singapore. If one's financial means is only marginal, and got into this hobby without 1st realising its full financial impact, it's just one deep black hole. Rich guy don't care, but if you are a normal wage earner, it can be a source of great concern/problem somewhere down the road.

Use a fan to keep temp down, top-up water often. Need to check your NO3 level often, as small water volume accumulates faster. Meaning that you will need to do frequent water changes. Less livestock in a small 12L tank, your bio filteration might not be able to sustain high bio load. Unless you take extra effort to redesign the flow of your water circulation system to force them through large column of bio-balls, coral chips or other bact growth media.

More sotong adventure: Pic #1: Sotong kena threaten by big fish, sotong shoots tons of black ink. Pic #2: Lots of black ink stuck on corals surrounding sotong. Pic #3: Skimmer hard at work, skims out Sotong's black ink from the water. (excellent, really loved the performance of this skimmer ... considering that it is only air driven!)

More pictures: #1: Group photo, very rare ... finally everyone come out for a group photo session. #2: Close-up of Grouper Fish. #3: Snow Flake Eel ... shy guy, only poke out a bit of his head to KayPoh on others' business. Anyone knows which LFS selling small sharks? I believe some sharks are not on CITIES list right? I saw one medium sized one at a Pasir Ris LFS, but that shark got one eye missing ... also too big to fit into my Nano tank. That will be a 1st in Singapore, keeping a shark in a Nano tank. Ha ha ha.

Just for you: Pic #1: Sotong with half-eaten prawn Pic #2: Sotong at Rest I didn't know that there are many predatory tank lovers out here in Singapore. It's really a USA kind of thing (they even have a whole section talking about predatory tank/fishes at Reef Central).