2014 Tank/Hobby Goals

Well, we are already half way through January.  I'm overdue for my annual reef goals post.  I didn't do any New Year's resolutions really but I do like to make goals for the hobby each year as there always seems to be room to grow and I can always maintain my tanks better.  Let's chat about goals for the coming year and also, did we do what we had planned or hoped to last year.

Here's what I wanted to do last year:


2013 Goals

Go slow with my new setups...75g is new and 12g has undergone a remodel into a NPS tank. Be very picky about what I add. Diligent maintenance and record keeping. Keep up my build thread so I can look back and see progress.

Continue to learn...read, listen and attend as many events as I can.

Work on the club and this site.


I guess I somewhat did those things.  Jim taking down his tank kind of rushed my putting stuff into my 75g a bit but I did everything else I planned and most of these goals are still good ones for 2014. 


2014

75g - Keep working at getting this tank to settle in.  I've been very diligent about water testing and changes.  Nothing ever jumps out as way off from the tests but my critters don't seem as happy as I'd like them to be.  I even asked Lou Ekus from Tropic Marin for assistance since we had got to talking about it during the Water Chemistry Webinar and since then, it has made small improvements but it's still not "there".  Maybe it's just because it's only 14 mos old.  I don't know. 

Next steps - 75g:
1)  Set up dosing pumps
2)  Hook up the new RODI..actually, I'm probably not hooking it up but just need to get it ready and will hook it up to the sink and make water as needed
3)  Continue with diligent maintenance and record keeping.

Dual nano:
This setup has been finally started after over a year in dream stage.  Lyle built the stand for me as you can see from the build thread.  He did a super nice job!  It's way better than it would have been if we had done it ourselves. 

Next steps - nanos
1)  Staining & plumbing. 
2)  After cycling it as it will have new sand, move the NPS, mangroves and macros I have so far over to it. That's most likely all these tanks will have for awhile. 


OTHER HOBBY STUFF TO WORK ON:

Speaker/Swap Event coming up on April 12th.  We've already got a good start on this but there's much work to still be done. 

I'd like to get some other classes, workshops, projects going for the club so keep the ideas coming.  We have some in the works still....community ed class, logo clings for vehicles, etc. 

We have worked on the forum a bit but mostly it's been the mechanics.  It would be nice to have a little more action here as well.

2014---

1. Become a fanatic about water maintanence
a. Set up two holding containers one RODI and one RODI premixed Salt.
b. Test water once a week, salinity every day

2. Breakdown 45 gallon
a. Plumb it for a sump
b. Set up a bare bottom 50 for live rock and fish from 45 and 20
c. Restablish 45 for fish and coral 20 gallon as sump (?)
d. Set up 75 downstairs with sump
1. Use reasealed old 55 for sump

3. Get tanks looking like the Nano pictures on this site.

4. Start saving for MACNA 2015.

Anyone else?

set up tank
set up tank
get rid of cyano in 210

Now that my reef is finally doing better I want to add some corals again, not too many though. Decide on a fish list and buy a couple this summer. Get over the cyano issue. Keep everything alive.

Keep everything alive is a ggood one for me too. My 75 is just not thriving and I have been diligent about my maintenance and stuff. My RODI still needs to be figured out and I hope that makes the difference.

Good goals! Keep 'em comin'.

Get my 120 up and running for me, I got my Lights,top on my stand is done,I got my tank Painted in the back , my star board should be here Monday for the bottom of my tank,I'm hoping next week To start redoing my Floors in the Fish room,sumps all tooken apart and ready to remodel.I have my Frame done for my Light pendant.And this weekend I'm going to Fargo and Pick up a Apex,Refractometer and heat I bought from Lyle this weekend.  Slowly getting closer.