oldtimer coming back

[thebirdman]

hello all, Finally going to get back into it after 30 years
found a good deal for a cple of tanks and lighting....
1 48x18x18
1 48x18x12
1 175 watt 12k mh light
Stand

The rest that was included looks as old as what i had when i was into it
have done some quick research on what is "in" these days, and would love any input or advise you may have.

Going to set up the larger tank to begin, will be a tropical setup with plants,
etc,etc
will be using the mh light along with 2 36" oc3 bulbs
Looking for advice on what works these day's for filtration, ect,etc.....
Or any other link's.
Many thanks in advance

Randy......aka The birdman "ME"
Mindy.......aka A sweet Citron
Frankie.....aka venturous Cockatiel
Phenelopy. aka Silly Goffin's
Frier . aka A mean Umbrella

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya Birdman and welcome to Aquariumadvice (and welcome back to the obsession...erm...hobby!).

I think you'll find much has changed over the years, although some things remain the same. Filtration is probably the biggest change - the HOB (hang on back) filter with wet/dry capability is what many of us have (check our Marineland's Emperor to see what I mean). Many others are running a canister filter, especially on larger tanks. There are a few stuck in the muds *grins at GMan* who still use a underground filter, but they are few and far between.

Do check the articles section for some other suggestions, epecially the planted tank article for ideas

 

[xander]

Its true. There are a lot of options in filtration. I finally gave up on an undergravel filter a couple months ago. I would have done it sooner but I was worried about tearing down the tank. Moving helped that along. The HOB that Allivymar speak of are awesome. I only have one since I like to place my tanks close to the walls. (I have 5 large tanks in quite a small space) I like the canister filters for their versatility and quiet running. There are also wet/dry filters that a lot of ppl swear by. Mostly SW ppl. I am thinking of setting one up on my next tank. Most of them are DIY so if you are into that then a wet/dry is your best bet for cost/load capacity.

 

[Enki]

Welcome back! I was in a similar place, my last tank was in the 80's, and there have been a lot of changes since then.

I love the 'new' HOBs and the fishless cycling! Good luck, you have a nice amount of tank space to work with!

 

[angelstiger]

Welcome back to the the hobby. I agree there have been some great mechanical improvement over the past 30 years, but I think the biggest improvement is, For the most part we have dispelled the "Old Water Theory". It used to be standard practice to almost never do water changes. The thought being that we would disturb some chemical balance by removing and replacing the old water with fresh water. Thank god we realize now that we need to do them water changes to keep our friends healthy.

 

[TankGirl]

When I started in this hobby in the early 80's the Whisper filter was just the newest thing on the block, but nobody would have a tank without an undergravel filter. There was really not much understood about the nitrogen cycle, but I think that is where the "no water changes" idea came from, because when I did water changes, I changed ALL of the water! Then I was back to the beginning in terms of my cycle. I overheard someone in a LFS saying that they have "never" cycled a fish tank, and have kept them for 20 years. I say they were cycled, you just didn't know it!

For large tanks a canister filter is the way to go, but there are certainly many great HOB filters to choose from. The bio-wheel is relatively new as well. You can fishless cycle your tank to get it ready, which can take up to 6 weeks, but will give you a great primer on the way the nitrogen cycle works. If you need a link, let me know. When I started there was really no Internet so now it is so much easier to get information, and that makes a huge difference.

With your lighting you may need to inject CO2, but that is a whole 'nother thread!

 

[xander]

I remember when the whispers were suppose to be top of the line. I threw a couple away and have one running still. I was scepticle about those emperors at first because they just seemed like a whisper. Now i know better.

 

[PlatyLady]

What?!? HOB filters were new and everybody had UGFs? "Old water theory" and never doing water changes? Whispers were top of the line?

LOL Were those the "good ol' days"? In the 80's (I was just a little squirt), the tank my folks had set up pretty much resembles what I have now. Maybe they were just ahead of their time...

 

[tkos]

Just remember that generally the filters are overrated on the boxes. You should be looking for a turnover rate of water at about 5-6 gallons per hour. Over filtration (within reason) is never a bad thing, IMO.

 

[Fruitbat]

Yeeesh do I feel OLD now!!!! I remember the days when UGFs were the 'new' thing and most people made do with a small corner filter (filled with glass wool - which left you with a handful of fiberglass slivers- and activated charcoal) powered by a small air pump. I had great success with UGFs in everything up to a 55 gal tank but I was overjoyed when the 'new' sponge filters came out for my smaller 'breeding' tanks.

Welcome back to the hobby, thebirdman. You're precisely where I was not too many months ago...getting back into it after a LONG hiatus. Glad to see I'm not the ONLY old 'fart' haunting this forum!!!