Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank.

[brandon429]

I believe the motto is part of the cause of mass tank algae invasions we see over the last two decades, that nothing good happens fast. We save tanks from algae invasion mighty quick, the slower they respond the worse the invasion gets.

False beliefs about imparting instability to a system are the #1 reason aquarists will not take the lead in simply opting out of a tankwide invasion. They've never been given formal permission to do so, yet those who write formal permissions (authors of yore) don't run algae cure threads to see if their approaches work for the masses who may take all things slow in reefing. live cure threads are way accountable.


for sure stocking of fish should adhere to the motto.

and stocking of other animals, research x3 etc.

fine motto for chasing nutrients to certain goal levels (if someone wants to do that)

Its a fine motto for everything other than how to deal with 1 rock of algae invasion, in a tank where inaction will produce 100 rocks of invasion pretty quick.

Its neat how we have to know which rules to break in reefing if we want to evolve. Imagine if tank size rules were followed, pico reefs would all be 20 gallons and still cost a grand to stock out.

it seems to me the rule needs updating to a 2.0 status, that which you should do quickly in a reeftank.

 

[seamonster]

Mother Nature didn’t make the ocean’s reefs in six months so I don’t think we should either. I know that coral growth is slow to nonexistent in a brand new system. It really takes a year or more for the tank to mature and stabilize for coral growth to be noticeable. I know that when I rush in my reef something always messes up. One of the greatest lessons I experienced in this hobby is practicing patience. That virtue goes a long way in life as well.

 

[xellos88]

Going slow makes you fail slower.

 

[count krunk]

I am a big fan of using deli shrimp to cycle tanks. Taking at least a month to let that happen. I do not like the bacteria bottle stuff. No knocks against it, just not my style.

I do think some tanks happen pretty fast on here. No judging from this pc though. As long as your fish aren’t dying and your corals are growing, do you! I will have a build thread in Feb or March and then you can see how I do things .

 

[Bob Escher]

I have wondered much about this very topic myself...

First off I am gonna say I love this forum and have received a ton of help here... But this isn't the only place I go to get advise... There are several "holier than thou" individuals on here that expect new reefers to heed their 1 fish 1 snail 1 year guidelines...

Don't get me wrong at all I want to do thing right and have healthy fish and corals. And I understand taking your time is paramount.. on the other hand I have dropped several grand on a center piece for my new home livingroom, that is not going to sit virtually empty for a year.. especially while just as many or more people are advising me to slowly add the reasons we spend all this money and do all this work..

Add all that to the unlimited number of quickly stocked successful reef tanks you can easily find examples of, right here on this forum included.. wouldn't it be more beneficial for some members to help new reefers have success with their "to fast" tanks than just berate them for not doing it "the right" way??

I agree but I also think that things should be slow for a little while

 

[brandon429]

xello I haven't lol from an internet post for real since gangnam style

 

[Fugs]

Pace is all relative to your goals, livestock and knowledge/expertise imo.
Discipline, stability and consistency are much more important than trying to stick to a timeline (within reason of course, don't dump a bunch of SPS colonies into your tank on day 2).

 

[NY_Caveman]

This is an excellent thread. In my example, my return to this hobby has been sloooooow! My build thread is probably the most boring one on this site (see my signature). I had multiple marine tanks for years and worked in a pet/fish store for a few years in college, so I have some experience.

The planning for my current build began in August, about five months ago. I have already planned out my aquascape and livestock, although nothing is written in stone. I have a plan for the order in which livestock, over time, will be added. I did not feel I could select the appropriate aquarium until this research was well underway. Two months ago I purchased the aquarium and have started to cure some dry rock. I have almost all of my equipment including skimmer, LEDs, etc. I know how many controllers I will have, how many outlets will be involved and the wattage/Amps my system will use/require. I have many spreadsheets and diagrams made for reference. In the spring, I will set up the aquarium and stand and order some live rock to add to the dry rock. By going slow, I am certainly not guaranteed of success and I am sure I will have issues along the way.

Now, I am not saying everyone, or anyone, should do what I am doing. This is the way my brain likes to do things, so it works great for me. I simply offer it as an example of how I am going slow.

 

[chromis]

For me, going slow meant making sure you can keep one or two inexpensive (or free) acropora frags alive and well for 6 months before even thinking about adding more. A coral could survive even a few months before dying if something’s off with your system, and it can take a few months for corals to use up trace elements you aren’t providing before they run out and die. Also, it meant making sure I completely understood how to control algae in my current tank before getting a bigger tank. Take the time to try, try again to get your water chemistry right before going to a bigger tank, where your problem will only get bigger.

 

[Servillius]

I set up my first reef tank in 1986. Within two weeks I had set up my third, a 135 fish only. My experience with reefs is more recent. I’ve kept corals successfully most of that time but sps only since about 10 years ago.

For most of that time I’ve been an advocate of going very slow. Just a very little bit more bioload at a time and things will usually work out.

Five or so years ago I tried my first Zeo 14 day setup. It was a shocking and unqualified success. I’ve done three more since. When I set up a tank according to their instructions it works every time. When I dabble, I have less success. Go slow is a danged good mantra for this hobby and we rightly emphasize it.

It is not a system however. Clear, easy to follow instructions (I know, not exactly a Zeo hallmark, but now that I have the experience it fits for me) are just easier to follow than a set of general principals.

I still repeat the go slow advice over and over again, but I do think it’s time to understand it’s a guiding principle, not an ironclad Law.

 

[Royce White]

You have to stop and remember how long it took Mother Nature to start the big aquarium.

 

[rayn]

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it here again.

We start our tanks, I don’t believe anyone starts with the idea of killing as many fish/coral/invests as possible. We research. We learn. We follow advice.

Then we come onto the forums and read EACH OTHERS TANK BUILDS. In 20 minutes we read a thread and see a tank go from empty, to built, to plumbed, to fish, to corals, to high end equipment, to a GORGEOUS reef tank.

I WANT THAT!!!! N O W!

What we don’t do is watch the dates of the post, I’m guilty and have started doing just that. Some of these threads don’t get updated for months. Some almost a year. The farther you dig into older posts or search for “tank builds” the worse this gets.

So while I agree whole heartedly going slow is a virtue in this hobby, I have fallen victim to the I want it now play as well. We each have to police ourselves and move at our tanks pace. Just cause one tank is ready for 5 fish, doesn’t mean the next tank is, even two that were started on the same day. There are to many variables in this hobby for one rule to pertain to every tank.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Excellent point @rayn. I have noticed this too and often check the dates. It can sometimes be sad when you see rock only, then 30 frags and 4 fish a month later.

I am going to start quantifying my build thread posts by leading with the number of months in. It will reinforce the time I took for each step.

 

[DanConnor]

I usually take about a year to plan a system, a year to build it, and a year to stock it. It's all part of the enjoyment, so why rush it?

I'm obviously not in business.

 

[Kamden Uelton]

TBH when I first started the hobby 2 years ago when I was 12 and had a 5 gallon tank my first coral was an SPS bought it from petco cause they said it was easy. After doing more and more reading i learned that wasn't true and started buying better equipment and calcium and alkalinity to keep the coral alive, I still have the coral to this day and it has growth significantly from the small size I bought it from, all that matters to me is if you can make a mistake and learn from it and don't do what I did and listen to petco you will do fine in this hobby taking it slow is a good idea if you want everything to be perfect (or close to perfect)

heres the coral now, it's the SPS in the back

 

[Krzydmnd]

I'll submit that it comes down to knowledge, which much of it in this hobby is gained through experience. Of course tank maturity is also a major factor, but the variables of what maturity means for any tank in any size under the right or wrong implementation are too high to put a time stamp on.

Much of it is how much you have learned from experience on trying and succeeding or failing would allow most of you to start up a new tank and advance it along pretty quickly second time around.

They slow process to me means do a few things at a time to see how they react, and most importantly to learn what to do when things go wrong.

You can load up a tank pretty quickly and keep it healthy if you know the books. But then what? I guess you open a coral business? [emoji16]

 

[Cae]

I could be wrong, but I presume everyone has heard the old reefer's motto:

"Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank."​

I don't know who said it first, but they were dead on.

So how is it that, regardless of experience or circumstance, we all still seem to have tanks full of fish (and usually corals too) within six months or a year when we start out?

And why is it that when the "go slow" thing is brought up that we all seem to think we're going as slow as possible "because I see everyone else doing it this way".

Lastly, why is it that we don't connect our poor results (sick fish, etc) up with our disregard of this rule?

I don't get it. Do you?

I know there are folks who do go slow...you are exceptions that prove the rule. It would be great if some of you would share your experiences.

 

[Cae]

Oh if only we were all on go slow mode. I have a young friend just getting started and he can't keep his hands out of the tank (Jake. if you're following this). We have all tried to tell him but it's a case of I will jump on a forum and see what this person says and without stopping to think he blindly does things without reserching, like he Vodka dosing without a skimmer. Hes killed his tank about 3 or 4 times now and patience is something that he hasn't got. I hate to see everything die.

 

[jairus45]

I'll submit that it comes down to knowledge, which much of it in this hobby is gained through experience. Of course tank maturity is also a major factor, but the variables of what maturity means for any tank in any size under the right or wrong implementation are too high to put a time stamp on.

Much of it is how much you have learned from experience on trying and succeeding or failing would allow most of you to start up a new tank and advance it along pretty quickly second time around.

They slow process to me means do a few things at a time to see how they react, and most importantly to learn what to do when things go wrong.

You can load up a tank pretty quickly and keep it healthy if you know the books. But then what? I guess you open a coral business? [emoji16]

spot on, there is no timeline as to how fast or slow one should or shouldnt go. It all comes down to the individual aquarest and their level of experience in the hobby. I lost my tank and all its stock 5 months ago and restarted a new tank shortly after. My tank is now 4 months old.

 

[Gmj4409]

This is a great & timeless subject! I just read through it and couldn’t stop shaking my head yes. It’s a hard lesson to embrace & learn. I would suggest the ‘’go slow’’ is more then just an overarching philosophy. I find it pops up on many of our tank related duties we perform. We’re all busy & I find myself sometimes rushing simple things like water changes, salinity checks, ..... I’ve got multiple QTs going right now & find myself muttering slow down multiple times a day! It’s even good advice for life! Lol & just my opinion.