...and knowing is half the battle

MadHatter'sReef · Oct 10, 2017

Lets say you can go back and time... If you could tell yourself one thing before getting started in the hobby what would it be???

reefpaddy · Oct 10, 2017

In general you get what you pay for. Invest upfront, going cheap will cost you in the long run.

Ravens243 · Oct 10, 2017

Leave room for a mag float between the rock and glass.

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 10, 2017

I would actually tell myself to chill out a bit and slow down, in the beginning I was very gung-ho about getting things going in my reef tank and I moved waaaaaayyyy too fast. My first tank crashed after a week after I tried to add a fish before the cycle established. Many of my other mistakes were centered around freaking out and trying to fix things or change things too quickly.

Jason mack · Oct 10, 2017

Go buy an aquarium , fill it up with 5euro bills .... set fire too it ... refill .. repeat .. repeat .. repeat ..repeat ..

Antics · Oct 10, 2017

Quarantine everything. The cost of livestock quickly outpaces equipment in the vast majority of set ups.

Crabs McJones · Oct 10, 2017

Drill the tank! Don't do HOB overflow. I have another tank ready waiting to go that is drilled. Not that the hang on back overflow has ever done me any wrong, its actually never lost siphon on me or anything, it can just be so darn noisy. Plus that tube hanging over the rim..

S-t-r-e-t-c-h · Oct 10, 2017

crabs_mcjones said:
Drill the tank! Don't do HOB overflow. I have another tank ready waiting to go that is drilled. Not that the hang on back overflow has ever done me any wrong, its actually never lost siphon on me or anything, it can just be so darn noisy. Plus that tube hanging over the rim..

I ruined the wood floor on one of my apartments because of a HOB overflow. It never completely cut out, but there were a few occasions where I walked in the door to the tank spilling over the edge. That cost a few hundred dollars that would have been better spent on just going with a drilled tank in the first place.

Flippers4pups · Oct 10, 2017

That’s a tuff one to answer. Back when I started there wasn’t any internet! Lol

Now me going back in time knowing what I know now........ well then....

Crabs McJones · Oct 10, 2017

S-t-r-e-t-c-h said:
I ruined the wood floor on one of my apartments because of a HOB overflow. It never completely cut out, but there were a few occasions where I walked in the door to the tank spilling over the edge. That cost a few hundred dollars that would have been better spent on just going with a drilled tank in the first place.

My biggest fear is coming home to my dining room being flooded. Fingers crossed and knock on wood in the two years I've had it, its never let me down, but I know my days are numbered. It's going to happen eventually

redfishbluefish · Oct 10, 2017

Agree with HOB overflow. After two floods, new tank got drilled.

Pick you corals carefully. I originally picked because someone said they were giving them away, or for very cheap. So ten years later I can't get ride of clove polyps, xenia, monti cap, and other corals that grow like weeds.