shellynjason
Well-Known Member
Well it may be two weeks late but I finally get to sigh with relief - I MADE IT ONE YEAR!!! And without killing one single coral. Wish I could say that about some of the fish I have bought.
From what I have 'read', heard ,ect. from the forum posts this is feat to celebrate. So many things that can go wrong in an instant. Now I have definitely had my share of ups and downs for sure. I bleached my sps three times - accidentally of course. Luckily once I seen polyp extension (after 3-4 days) I knew they weren't really dead so I kept them in the tank and within months the coloring slowly returned. I have flooded my house a few times to the point where the laminate wood floor in our bedroom is ruined (but I won't replace it until I flood it a few more times to learn my lesson).
I guess the big secrets to my success really come to a few things:
1. reading R2R for hours and hours every single day the first few months - learning every thing about SPS, LPS, NPS, Softies, saltwater chemistry, the equipment needs, p04 removal (argh!),ect. I still read a lot but now have found experience and 'time' will teach me just as much now that I know the foundations.
2. relentless 10% weekly water changes - I only slacked off a few times. and sometimes I change twice in one week - Red Sea coral plus
3. doing seriously OCD about the tank - I don' think I have gone a day (expect my one week vacation to FL in July) without looking at every single coral with a magnifying glass. Checking all the chemicals at least 3-6 times a week. Big time OCD.
I have NO SUMP but I do have all the equip that should be in a sump - carbon/gfo reactor, biopellets, hang on protein skimmer. It's just all hanging on the side like a mad scientist experiment.
so big thanks to everyone on R2R and the MTRC forum for posting such great helpful information and advice - were even a "46 year old grandma" can keep a reef tank and not kill a coral in a year!!!!
Now time for my photo bomb ....
From what I have 'read', heard ,ect. from the forum posts this is feat to celebrate. So many things that can go wrong in an instant. Now I have definitely had my share of ups and downs for sure. I bleached my sps three times - accidentally of course. Luckily once I seen polyp extension (after 3-4 days) I knew they weren't really dead so I kept them in the tank and within months the coloring slowly returned. I have flooded my house a few times to the point where the laminate wood floor in our bedroom is ruined (but I won't replace it until I flood it a few more times to learn my lesson).
I guess the big secrets to my success really come to a few things:
1. reading R2R for hours and hours every single day the first few months - learning every thing about SPS, LPS, NPS, Softies, saltwater chemistry, the equipment needs, p04 removal (argh!),ect. I still read a lot but now have found experience and 'time' will teach me just as much now that I know the foundations.
2. relentless 10% weekly water changes - I only slacked off a few times. and sometimes I change twice in one week - Red Sea coral plus
3. doing seriously OCD about the tank - I don' think I have gone a day (expect my one week vacation to FL in July) without looking at every single coral with a magnifying glass. Checking all the chemicals at least 3-6 times a week. Big time OCD.
I have NO SUMP but I do have all the equip that should be in a sump - carbon/gfo reactor, biopellets, hang on protein skimmer. It's just all hanging on the side like a mad scientist experiment.
so big thanks to everyone on R2R and the MTRC forum for posting such great helpful information and advice - were even a "46 year old grandma" can keep a reef tank and not kill a coral in a year!!!!
Now time for my photo bomb ....
