The truth is that people need to temper their expectations, at least until they have some experience under their belt. Creating a successful reef aquarium is simple, but creating a world class setup requires quite a bit more skill, time, dedication and effort. There is much trial and error in this hobby, alot of it occurs needlessly. There is a basic foundation to this hobby, a tried and true method but many get caught up on social media with products being promoted or some other fad being floated around in the forums. Stick to the foundation of this hobby, the Berlin/natural method and success will follow.
The other aspect is the amount of maintenance involved. While I don’t spend an egregious amount of time on my system, it does involve 8-10 hours of week. And this is for someone with 25 years of experience. Years back I would have spent twice as long maintaining and researching, but with time, I have been able to shrink it down to a manageable level.
The hobby requires research, patience and lots of time. Patience is key. The system needs time to mature and be allowed to settle in. Reefers who fail do not allow nature to take its course. They chase numbers and panic at the first sign of trouble.
Most of all, you need a plan. Create a plan for maintenance, feeding, dosing and STICK TO IT. If you’re constantly tinkering and changing dosages daily then how do you know what went wrong when a problem arises? Without knowing what caused the issue you're stuck in a terrible cycle of changes that may or may not solve your issue. Many times, it makes the problem worse than what you started out with.
I don’t believe that I do anything special. I have a process and always stick to it. Water changes and maintenance is done like clockwork. Unless I’m on vacation or hospitalized, the work will get done as scheduled.
It may be harsh to say, but some reefers failures in this hobby are directly tied to their own performance. If your life is a mess I would expect your tank to mirror that. Its not a rule or certainty, but you will find that many of the top level reefers are conscientious, organized, and have had some other measures of success in their normal lives. Take these same people and they will find success in just about any other hobby you put them into, provided that the interest is there. Unfortunately, for a subset of people, no matter how much guidance is given they will ultimately fail. But, hey they may be great at something else. I can grow corals like nobodies business, but put me on a basketball court and I’d get stomped.
At the end of the day, there is a roadmap for success available to all, and is obtainable by many. But, not many are willing to put in the time required to find that specific level of success. The same can be said about our lives. What you put in is usually what you get out of it. To that end, I try and help out as many people as I can to find success. Not all will succeed, but for those who dedicate to the goal I am always happy to lend an ear.
-Sonny
