Does Having SPS Make You An Advanced Reefer?

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Does Having SPS Make You An Advanced Reefer?

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Marquiseo

Marquiseo

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Does having SPS in your reef tank, make you an advanced reefer?

Check yes or no and tell why in a comment below.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
It totally depends on what kind of SPS, how much, and how much growth you get. Anyone can throw a sps frag in a tank.
 
I think it's safe to save that if you have been able to keep large acropora colonies for 5 years or more you are an advanced reefer. That's not to say that if you haven't done that, then you're not one. Keeping some zoanthids and even some LPS and especially NPS corals is extremely difficult to do long term. Every persons definition of advanced is different.
 
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Deltec
I dont think it makes you advanced but I do think it makes your more accountable in some ways. SPS are usually a bit of an investment than some of the other corals and with this comes a responsibility to maintain your reef with probably more attention and diligence. I know I was upset when my first SPS frag died and I went to great lengths to figure out how to not let that happen and I guess you could say it turned me into an advanced reefer.
 
I voted yes but I don't think keeping sps make you more advanced than someone who doesn't. It just takes more work to keep sps so to me that makes is more advanced. Someone keeping NPS or breeding fish may be considered more advanced than keeping sps.
 
I'm gonna vote no, I feel keeping SPS is as simple as testing frequently, I spend a lot of time monitoring my alk levels and adjusting my dosing pump. Other than that, it's a filter sock change every 3 days, water change once a week and change out gfo every 3 weeks. See so simple everyone can do it! I've been creating an sps dominant tank since day 1 2.5 years ago and this is my first ever saltwater tank.
 
WWC
To me just keeping coral does not make you advanced anymore even Sps.. There are so many advances in Technology now it is not too hard to keep most corals..

To me advanced is knowing the biology behind what’s in our tanks and know how to react when something goes wrong and being able to keep a thriving reef tank many years..

You see lots of beautiful tanks nowadays that are around 3 to 5 years old but not many longer than that. Then these people disappear and are never heard from again….

Its all about biology...
 
Well here's the thing, if you asked if keeping SPS is more advanced than LPS or zoas I would have voted yes. However you asked if it bakes you an "Advanced Reefer" so I voted no...

An Advanced Reefer has successfully kept multiple different types of corals including Zoas, LPS, SPS, NPS and possibly even the decorative sponges. An advanced reefer understands the more advanced topic of the reefing hobby like the relationship between the chemical parameters we all shoot for. Everyone has a target and can add solution to get there, an advanced reefer will know why something isn't increasing as fast as it should. An advanced reefer has personal experience on how to treat different tank pests, fish diseases and coral ailments. This advanced reefer has these solutions at the tip of their tongue ready to provide this information where the situation calls for it. An advanced reefer has dabbled in multiple different tank methods or tank equipment and knows the benefits of each device in each ecosystem. Finally an advanced reefer is one who "normal" reefers can look up to and trust their judgement when they give advice because they know the past accomplishments of said advanced reefer.

For example, I am what I would call a "Normal" reefer. I can successfully keep SPS, LPS, NPS, Zoas, and softies without many issues. I have dabbled in different lighting technologies and tried some of the newer methods of reef keeping. However my advice is based on personal experience and should be taken with a grain of salt. Verify what I say and feel free to refute the opinion with your opinion or even better, facts!

A second example would be Randy. I consider him to be an advanced reefer with solid expert strength in chemistry on top. He always has good advice and to be honest, if he said to do something chemistry related I would follow without question. That's because I trust his judgement and his knowledge on the hobby.

I would have to say 85% of the reefers on this site and 95% of the reefers not on this site I would put in the normal or newbie categories. What you keep or years in the hobby do not make you advanced. Knowledge and wisdom related to the hobby gets you that title.
 
Tidal Gardens
SPS is such a wide category. Look at Goniopora. Though classified as LPS, it has care requirements even advanced aquarists struggle with. So to answer the question: No, SPS is too wide a category. If you had said Acropora millipora or Acropora in general then perhaps.
 
My orange monti digitata grows like a weed and my acans die every time -- 'course I am just a hack....
 
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Top Shelf Aquatics
cdness said:
Well here's the thing, if you asked if keeping SPS is more advanced than LPS or zoas I would have voted yes. However you asked if it bakes you an "Advanced Reefer" so I voted no...

An Advanced Reefer has successfully kept multiple different types of corals including Zoas, LPS, SPS, NPS and possibly even the decorative sponges. An advanced reefer understands the more advanced topic of the reefing hobby like the relationship between the chemical parameters we all shoot for. Everyone has a target and can add solution to get there, an advanced reefer will know why something isn't increasing as fast as it should. An advanced reefer has personal experience on how to treat different tank pests, fish diseases and coral ailments. This advanced reefer has these solutions at the tip of their tongue ready to provide this information where the situation calls for it. An advanced reefer has dabbled in multiple different tank methods or tank equipment and knows the benefits of each device in each ecosystem. Finally an advanced reefer is one who "normal" reefers can look up to and trust their judgement when they give advice because they know the past accomplishments of said advanced reefer.

For example, I am what I would call a "Normal" reefer. I can successfully keep SPS, LPS, NPS, Zoas, and softies without many issues. I have dabbled in different lighting technologies and tried some of the newer methods of reef keeping. However my advice is based on personal experience and should be taken with a grain of salt. Verify what I say and feel free to refute the opinion with your opinion or even better, facts!

A second example would be Randy. I consider him to be an advanced reefer with solid expert strength in chemistry on top. He always has good advice and to be honest, if he said to do something chemistry related I would follow without question. That's because I trust his judgement and his knowledge on the hobby.

I would have to say 85% of the reefers on this site and 95% of the reefers not on this site I would put in the normal or newbie categories. What you keep or years in the hobby do not make you advanced. Knowledge and wisdom related to the hobby gets you that title.
Click to expand...

That's a good way to see it.

Pete polyp said:
What's an advanced reefer???
Click to expand...
"Advanced" - Being at a higher level than others
"Reefer" - One who reefs; one who keeps a reef tank
 
shred5 said:
To me just keeping coral does not make you advanced anymore even Sps.. There are so many advances in Technology now it is not too hard to keep most corals..

To me advanced is knowing the biology behind what’s in our tanks and know how to react when something goes wrong and being able to keep a thriving reef tank many years..

You see lots of beautiful tanks nowadays that are around 3 to 5 years old but not many longer than that. Then these people disappear and are never heard from again….

Its all about biology...
Click to expand...
I think it deals more with chemistry than biology. You can know the biology but it would be fatal to not know the environment which deals with knowing chemistry.
 
Nutramar Foods
WWC
shred5 said:
To me just keeping coral does not make you advanced anymore even Sps.. There are so many advances in Technology now it is not too hard to keep most corals..

To me advanced is knowing the biology behind what’s in our tanks and know how to react when something goes wrong and being able to keep a thriving reef tank many years..

You see lots of beautiful tanks nowadays that are around 3 to 5 years old but not many longer than that. Then these people disappear and are never heard from again….

Its all about biology...
Click to expand...

+1 You win internets. :cheer2::hug:
 
TCK Corals

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
See comments…

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