Forgive my Rant - Facebook Saltwater Groups...

[Squamosa]

Hey everyone

I am new to the saltwater hobby (only going for 14 months) and I've made a lot of mistakes along the way by listening to people who have a vested interest in the hobby through sales e.t.c., through the internet and my own stubbornness. :frusty:

Being a scientist my best advice to those starting out or even those wishing to take their tanks in another direction is to read, read and then read some more. Get your hands on the published works of all the 'known' people in the industry, the Julian Sprung's and Tony Vargas's and the people who have been on forums for years and post on a regular basis and those who have websites dedicated to reef keeping. Read up and get knowledgeable about all the technology and equipment out there. Speak to people who keep successful aquaria, go to visit them and remember what works for them may not work for you.

Brush up on your basic chemistry, marine biology, animal husbandry, heck, even plumbing and remember that the internet includes information on everything, the good and the bad, YOU have to filter it.

That's just my humble opinion.

I have just placed an order for for a new tank system and hope to use all my "experience" in creating the best environment for my animals that I possibly can and at the same time get a more rewarding experience out of my hobby.:bigsmile:

Happy reefing.

 

[bocomo]

So I noticed a few of my Facebook friends and members of our local club were joining a Facebook group on Saltwater aquariums... I thought what harm can it do, I'll join and check it out for a bit. That was a HUGE mistake as I have never seen incorrect information spewed out so fast in my entire life. Thank You Reef2Reef for having correct information and sharing it with the other users on this forum. Without it, many could be lost...

Here are some of the claims I saw:

Cyano - I mentioned check your flow and feeding schedule. Everyone else says treat with a red slime chemical... I say a chemical is a band aid and doesn't fix the true issue. They say Contact them for the chemical to treat the tank...

Aquascaping - User showed a new aquascape using the two island approach. I said nice open space and room for growth and fish swimming room as well. Others support the more rock is better, let's make a wall approach

Copper - User asked if after 6 months they were safe to add inverts after a copper based "white spot disease" treatment. Others say use polyfilter and cuprisorb and you are just fine. I say they won't remove ALL copper and unless you are going to run them as a permanent media in the tank, copper will still leach out of the live rock. Others say "No here is what the manufacturer says about cuprisorb" I say there is no reef safe ich treatment in the hobby that actually works. All treatments should be done outside the display in a hospital tank to avoid contamination. Others say Marine Ich?

Also they seem to support the Marineland Reef Capable LEDs as a viable reef LED lighting source...

I am almost to my last straw... I want to help, but when there are so many people on there with so WRONG information it is hard to get anyone to listen. I have started to tell them to verify their information on a good reef site like Reef2Reef (it is an international group so my local club wouldn't be a good referral) before believing anyone personal or company rep.

Anyone else run into this issue on Facebook? I am just ready to call it quits on that group...

Are you saying you know it all? Sounds like you judge a group as a whole by some of the members and that you are more interested in making fun of people than helping them. I found R2R through google as well and when I started this hobby I knew nothing until I got the advice from others. Some of it was good advice and some of it was bad but I learned more every day. When I a child I didn't know how to tie my shoes until someone showed me; guess that makes me an idiot in your book.

You are expecting way too much from Facebook...

Mac

Couldn't agree more. I am a member of many groups and when you join a group you get a mix of very knowledgable all the way to completely clueless (but interested; and that's what matters)

What I don't understand is why these people don't just google their stupid questions. Instead they get advice from 3 month veterans and or an LFS who just wants to sell some super reef safe ich kick.

I wish everyone googled their question; asked other local, more experienced reefers; or read a book from their library first before just posting in a group too. One disadvantage of the FB group is that you cannot have an area of cached advice on the FAQ's, beginner questions, etc... to avoid the repeat questions (often being by novices) another disadvantage is the FB culture itself; some people are used to posting on their walls and having their friends answer immediately so they do the same in the group anticipating instant gratification instead of doing some research first.

You can't be all things to all people all the time. In other words, you can't reach out to the entire SW community to keep the record straight. Those that mature in the hobby will gradually come to realize that SOCIAL media for solid science in this endeavor is ENTERTAINMENT, not knowledge.
That you feel angst is commendable but certainly not practical. Help those that help themselves by coming to REEF2REEF and go from there. Otherwise, I fear you'll develop ulcers, LOL
I'm just sayin'

I couldn't agree with you more!

 

[jelly]

I have been on the site and check it out daily to see what crap is said.. I tend it get annoyed with it but I also tell them to look up the information on R2R as its more accurate.. I also see that there are a few guys who are complete *******s and have nothing good to say at all.. there are a few people on there who know what they are talking about but most don't..

 

[Squamosa]

I have been on the site and check it out daily to see what crap is said.. I tend it get annoyed with it but I also tell them to look up the information on R2R as its more accurate.. I also see that there are a few guys who are complete *******s and have nothing good to say at all.. there are a few people on there who know what they are talking about but most don't..

Too true.

People get really defensive quickly, maybe It's due to the anonymity the internet gives you.

Everyone started as a beginner and if people have nothing constructive and civil to say to one another then they should just not say it!

 

[cdness]

OK, I didn't try to start a big fight here... I must have jumped into a few posts at the wrong time and tried to help the wrong people... I have seen the same on forums as well as Facebook where people are looking for someone to agree with their idea. It happens all over, but it seems to happen more on FB than on the forums.

And no, I don't know it all, but there are certain things that are misconceptions in the hobby that had persisted through the years due to being repeated to the new people to the hobby over and over again. Then they repeat it to others and the cycle continues. There comes a time to break the cycle and start breaking the mis-information people have been spoon fed. Too many listen to the bad advice and end up leaving the hobby due to repercussions of said bad advice. I personally hate seeing that and will try my best to correct it. It that is wrong well I guess the FB groups are not for me.

 

[bocomo]

OK, I didn't try to start a big fight here... I must have jumped into a few posts at the wrong time and tried to help the wrong people... I have seen the same on forums as well as Facebook where people are looking for someone to agree with their idea. It happens all over, but it seems to happen more on FB than on the forums.

And no, I don't know it all, but there are certain things that are misconceptions in the hobby that had persisted through the years due to being repeated to the new people to the hobby over and over again. Then they repeat it to others and the cycle continues. There comes a time to break the cycle and start breaking the mis-information people have been spoon fed. Too many listen to the bad advice and end up leaving the hobby due to repercussions of said bad advice. I personally hate seeing that and will try my best to correct it. It that is wrong well I guess the FB groups are not for me.

I don't disagree that there is some horrible advice being dished out there. I have even seen malicious 'advice' given (and those people are kicked out) I just think it is unreasonable to expect people new to the hobby to not ask the same questions over and over again (I cringe every time I see 'what is this red stuff on my sand' and want to reply 'please google: 'what is this red stuff on my sand' before posting) and people that know just enough to be dangerous to post not the best advice. I just think you should cut the group some slack and not judge it as a whole.

I personally hope you choose to stay in the group because I have seen you depart some very helpful advice multiple times. The group (and the hobby) need people out there dispelling those misconceptions and calling out the bad advice. - JMO

 

[bct15]

Yeah well I'm the jerk with no bedside manner, and say things how they are...the truth. I don't try and troll but I tell things how they are and don't sugar coat it and will call out somebody on some bs in a heart beat. It may make me seem like a mean person but actually I care very much and am always willing to lend advice to anybody willing to listen...people can't fix the problem if they don't know something is wrong. I don't spend any time on RC but from how people describe it maybe I fit in good over there, I don't know.

I did bump into a young up and comer on there who was wanting to improve his tank by dosing stuff I don't think he needs that was actually willing to listen, and I was able to explain what dosing is about and that if he wants to change the overall look of his tank he needs to change his pc lighting to either t5 or led...hopefully t5. so not everybody is bad and I do see some of the regulars trying to "better" their knowledge base. And I didn't see a couple people on their that seemed to be trying to Start up some uproar....I'll keep checking it out though.

 

[SamLeigh]

If they are crazy enough to listen to one opinion and wont even use Google to do their own research they will just have to learn the hard way, no point putting yourself in a bad mood over it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tap is fine. Just use good quality water treatment/dechlorinators and Carbon. Should make things safe.

Hi everyone, i am a true newb. I have my sister-in-law helping me and she has had her tank for a long while now. However, i see a lot of you talking about not using tap water. So, here it is, what if i already did? i am only a few days in. i have live sand and rocks. I got a 46 gallon bow front from someone in the area that had given me most of everything i needed to start the tank. I have my salt lvls good now and am waiting on the testing kits to get here to test everything in the water. If i did use tap water have i ruined everything already?
Also, i wanted to say lol you are expecting to much from fb posts. I am glad vicky lee got me to this website to get more help. At least now i know not to trust everything i read on the fb sites.

 

[cdness]

Tap is fine. Just use good quality water treatment/dechlorinators and Carbon. Should make things safe.

No, No, No... Tap is not just fine. You do not know all of the crap that is in tap water. If it is safe you are one of the few, but I wouldn't trust it with the amount of money invested in the tank. Please do not use tap water for your reef tank. Remember that water is the most used part of the tank. If you start with bad water, you are setting yourself up for failure.

 

[temper76]

Im in a facebook ground were is all about clownfish n breeding pretty good information most of breeder hobbies are over there since everyone threads got deleted with valuable information the( breeding section )in here got real boring .I dont sell , im not a vender just someone tjat love the whole clownfish behaviors n breeding part .

 

[temper76]

Im in a facebook group were is all about clownfish n breeding pretty good information most of breeder hobbies are over there since everyone threads got deleted with valuable information the( breeding section )in here got real boring .I dont sell , im not a vender just someone tjat love the whole clownfish behaviors n breeding part .

 

[CastAway]

No, No, No...

+1 (omg!)