Share your NOOB experience and WIN a TUNZE Reefpack 250!
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sprinklerdudes
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used a foutian pump from lowes for a return pump, worked great, forgot to but a clamp on the hose, a few weeks later in the middle of the night all of the salt water was all over the floor , it was almost the end of the salt water experiance
wyoreefer307
Community Member
Got atiplasia in my first tank. Thought it was cool till all my corals started to wither away slowly. So even if the pest is cool not a good idea to keep it.
GSMguy
High Desert Reefer
I have spent alot of time browsing LFS around the country. Most advice I've overheard has been utter nonsense, when you find a good store you will know it and should reward the shop with your buisness.
Also this hobby is all about tempering expectations, what do you want? how long are you willing to wait to see it come to fruition? Dont buy cheap equipment because it is cheap, buy cheap equipment that will work for you because it can not because you hope it can and the price is right.
The biggest mistake i ever made buying equipment was buying an Aquac Remora. the money would have been better spent on a RODI.
Also this hobby is all about tempering expectations, what do you want? how long are you willing to wait to see it come to fruition? Dont buy cheap equipment because it is cheap, buy cheap equipment that will work for you because it can not because you hope it can and the price is right.
The biggest mistake i ever made buying equipment was buying an Aquac Remora. the money would have been better spent on a RODI.
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Whistler
New Member
Turned off sump system and pulled u-tube out of overflow box the day I went on vacation:
1. Did not realize one of my clownfish flipped a Nemo and was in the sump when i left...no heat...no light...still water...dead fish
2. Did not realize the u-tube linked up a couple places with saltwater creep...water creeped over u-tube, up on top of tank, damped the canopy, and dripped saltwater down the side wires onto the electrical chord, outlet, and carpet. It felt very damp when I returned home, but didn't notice until i removed my socks and felt the damp floor. Thankful there was no electrical fire!
Lost a kole tang when I used a high powered powerhead to circulate water. The only thing it really pushed was the kole tang against a rock. I saw him early in the morning, but he was pretty much wasted away that evening when I noticed this thing crushed up against a rock. I felt soooo bad.
1. Did not realize one of my clownfish flipped a Nemo and was in the sump when i left...no heat...no light...still water...dead fish
2. Did not realize the u-tube linked up a couple places with saltwater creep...water creeped over u-tube, up on top of tank, damped the canopy, and dripped saltwater down the side wires onto the electrical chord, outlet, and carpet. It felt very damp when I returned home, but didn't notice until i removed my socks and felt the damp floor. Thankful there was no electrical fire!
Lost a kole tang when I used a high powered powerhead to circulate water. The only thing it really pushed was the kole tang against a rock. I saw him early in the morning, but he was pretty much wasted away that evening when I noticed this thing crushed up against a rock. I felt soooo bad.
bgibbon
New Member
Never buy on impulse!!!!!!!!!
Went into a NSLFS (Not so Local Fish Store) to take a look. Was very interested in a trigger and my wife spotted an anemone that she loved. Talked with the clerk (don't know if it was owner) about the suitability of the anemone for our tank (about 6 mo old, novice owners) and he assured us that it would be fine. Well, we quickly learned that Heteractis magnifica is a poor choice for most aquarists! We bought the blue throat trigger, a chalice coral and the anemone. Within a couple of hours the Ocellaris clown we had was hosting in the anemone, plus a very small hitchhiker clown. We noticed that the anemone rapidly migrated to the very top of the tank and started to look into requirements for the nem. Turns out the need high light and high flow, and we told the clerk we had T5 lighting alone! Then as the nem was searching for good light after 3 days it migrated into a powerhead. We discovered this in the morning and lost the brand new BT trigger, a sail fin tang and a kole yellow eyed tang. Then we protected the powerheads and even so the poor creature has been slowly withering away despite an upgrade of lights to plenty powerful Radion units and all attempts to feed regularly. Definitely the worst decision I have made for my tank and the beautiful organism I hoped to care for.
Went into a NSLFS (Not so Local Fish Store) to take a look. Was very interested in a trigger and my wife spotted an anemone that she loved. Talked with the clerk (don't know if it was owner) about the suitability of the anemone for our tank (about 6 mo old, novice owners) and he assured us that it would be fine. Well, we quickly learned that Heteractis magnifica is a poor choice for most aquarists! We bought the blue throat trigger, a chalice coral and the anemone. Within a couple of hours the Ocellaris clown we had was hosting in the anemone, plus a very small hitchhiker clown. We noticed that the anemone rapidly migrated to the very top of the tank and started to look into requirements for the nem. Turns out the need high light and high flow, and we told the clerk we had T5 lighting alone! Then as the nem was searching for good light after 3 days it migrated into a powerhead. We discovered this in the morning and lost the brand new BT trigger, a sail fin tang and a kole yellow eyed tang. Then we protected the powerheads and even so the poor creature has been slowly withering away despite an upgrade of lights to plenty powerful Radion units and all attempts to feed regularly. Definitely the worst decision I have made for my tank and the beautiful organism I hoped to care for.
bgibbon
New Member
I have not visited so many stores but I agree that if you find one that gives truthful and honest advice stick with them! I respect someone that says a particular coral or fish is not appropriate for my aquarium.
alexingalls09
Active Member
My first ever fish was a damsel....didnt have a clue that they were so aggresive....i wish i could get rid of him he makes acclimating new tank mates extremely difficult
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Knowing is half the battle........my first reef I thought was well planned out (so i thought)although there wasn't a ton of info out there . My local store was great for freshwater but not so keen on reefs he wanted me to put an under gravel filter in haha no way . I scoured the Internet it was 1997 reef c------l was just getting started I lived there . After about six months I decided visijet skimmer,three maxi jets , coralife salt because its just salt right, a 55 gallon tank , 4 bulb PC retro set from Hamilton , and for the grand finally the package from Tampa bay saltwater .......so here it comes get my garden hose out full the tank up YES I SAID GARDEN HOSE. mix up my salt in tank of course ahhhhhhh the beauty of phosphates .....you all under Stand my battle with my 2 pounds per gallon wall in my tank......amazingly enough everything didn't die.
joeyhatch11
Well-Known Member
I started a 2.5 gallon coral tank in my living room. Made a real nice canopy for it as well as a base to match the cherry end table that it was going to be placed on. The tank was running for a good month when I noticed there was mold growing under the top canopy. Not knowing any better I sprayed some Lysol in a cup and used a Q-tip to apply some on the mold. Next more the tank was as white as a gallon of milk!!! DON'T USE LYSOL TO KILL MOLD!!!
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Noob experience
My first big error was forgetting to glue a fitting on the return pump in the sump. I came home to 20 gallons of water on the floor.
My first big error was forgetting to glue a fitting on the return pump in the sump. I came home to 20 gallons of water on the floor.
duke4130
Valuable Member
I couldn't figure out why all my corals were dying about 2 months into the hobby. It almost looked like the corals were burning... Kind of strange, any way i go the LFS and no one knew the answer until someone asked me how I am checking salinity. I had just recently purchased a Vertex refractometer because I wanted to be high tech in the reefing world. They asked me if I had ever calibrated it and of course I said "What do you mean calibrate it?" So any way when I got home I calibrated the refractometer and found out that my salt was at 1.037 and that is why everything was dying.... Expensive mistake
Stingray
Nano Nutt
When I started I honestly didnt realize for about a month my top off water had a spilt 44 ounce bottle of part b of a 2 part in it until I took out the container to see the empty bottle in back.
fragmatic
retired reefer
My first start was a bust because I bought MH lights right off the Home Depot shelf. Well I fried a few coral with 6 lamps blazing wattage and heating my whole room. I had no idea they were completely out of the chart for color. I did raise a nice crop of algae. The only good thing I accomplished was to learn and get my tank cycled. After that I went to proper MH bulbs and removed half the fixtures. That took me down the road several successful years. Now I use LEDs.
tigrtraps
Community Member
Picked up a thornback cowfish from the LFS. I had researched, I had shopped, this was the guy. Five awesome days he swam in my tank, ate well, and looked to be a great inhabitant.
Day 6...I come home and he isn't to be seen. Find him stuck against the underside of a rock as a power head's flow has him squashed against it. He could of been there for up to 12 hours.
The lil fella had exhausted himself to try to get free, so much so he died a little later that night
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DON'T POINT POWERHEADS INTO ROCKS!!
Day 6...I come home and he isn't to be seen. Find him stuck against the underside of a rock as a power head's flow has him squashed against it. He could of been there for up to 12 hours.
The lil fella had exhausted himself to try to get free, so much so he died a little later that night
. DON'T POINT POWERHEADS INTO ROCKS!!
Blasto
Active Member
About 1-2 years into my first tank I decided to purchase a Long Nose Hawkfish. Nice fish. Still like it to this day. Ok, bad choice due to the fact I had already had a FlameHawk in the tank. Without even researching anything and buying on impulse, I took the cute lil bigger home and got him acclimated. Went to bed only to find him the next morning on the floor beside the tank. I didn't keep lids on the front and I'm guessin he decided to call it quits and commit suicide after a bad meet n greet with the Flame. Felt like a true idiot after reading what I needed to know in a book I had on my shelf.
Assassin Smoke
Community Member
I added a bubble tip anemone 3 months after setting up the aquarium. Poor thing didn't stand a chance.:sorry:
nicky
New Member
Heard having coralline algae in the tank is a good thing. Since it requires sufficient amount of calcium, I bought some calcium additives and dosed one spoon every other day.
One week after, the tank got a lot of cyano algae which I thought to be coralline algae. Looking good, so I kept dosing calcium once in a while, until some day after all the corals died,
I purchased Salifert Calcium test kit and realized calcium level was too high to be tested.
One week after, the tank got a lot of cyano algae which I thought to be coralline algae. Looking good, so I kept dosing calcium once in a while, until some day after all the corals died,
I purchased Salifert Calcium test kit and realized calcium level was too high to be tested.
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