Should I stress or keep reefing?

[AustinStebing]

Hi my name is Austin. I am 14 years old and this is my first time in the hobby. I currently have a 75 gallon setup. The only livestock in there is a pair of Ocellaris Clownfish.
I got them a week ago. The reason I am posting this is because I am very stressed out about my reef tank. I am on vacation, but instead of having fun, I am almost constantly worrying about the tank. Luckily my father is home to take care of it. I worry about things in the future. One of the things I am really worried about is a goby. I Had my mind set on a Diamond Goby until I did more research and said that they need an established sand bed. So then I decided maybe a Pink Spotted Watchman Goby but then read that all they do is hide. Then I said maybe a Randall's Goby then I feel if I did that, there would be to much orange in the tank. I can wait for my tank to become established before I get a Diamond Goby. I watched a BRS video about feeding fish and nutrition and it said not to feed sand-sifting gobies brine or mysis and only rod's reef or other micro fauna out of packages. I do not want a Yellow Watchman Goby. This is not the first time I have been really stressed out over silly little things. I have stressed out over fish compatability.. Not so much over corals though. I watch some of the BRS videos and they seem very knowledgeable but at the same time some of them just stress me out. Like the fish nutrition video, they said to feed like ten different types of food. My father said he does not want to feed that many types of food. I plan on feeding pellets, mysis, vitamin enriched brine, and maybe even rods reef frenzy or algae flakes. I need help and don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like quitting even though this hobby is supposed to be enjoyable.

 

[anthonygf]

Hi Austin. Don't stress out over it, take your time. I don't think you really need to feed all those different foods. I also have a 75 gallon with a Yellow Tang, Flame Hawk, File fish, two 3 stripe Damsels and two regular clown fish. For 5 years now I have been feeding strickly flake foods and all are fat and happy. Get the best quality and all the assorted types and mix it up in one container, I feed my fish once a day with enough they will consume in 5 minutes. I quit using frozen 5 years ago and my fish are fine.

 

[anthonygf]

How old is your tank? What type of sand do you have? Let your tank age awhile before you get sand sifters. Stock it with pods when you are ready. Please take pictures of your tank. we love pictures.

The first pic was my 2 year old 46 gallon bowfront before I upgraded to 75. The #2 is a year ago in the 75. I can't find my recent photos. Good luck with yours and with our help you will have more enjoyment in this hobby. Remember, take your time and ask questions before you do anything. Many people on this sight with more knowledge than me will be glad to help.

 

[Bucs20fan]

If you want a diamond goby please go for it, they will eat ANYTHING. They are one of the most eager feeders ive ever seen and eagerly accept all foods. Both of mine eat pellets, mysis, brine, sponge, all while sifting sand constantly. Just have a tight cover with not gaps and you will be just fine. Super easy fish to care for and will keep your sand bed pearly white.

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R Austin! Stress is fairly normal when started out. It does get easier. With a new tank and only a couple of clownfish, don't worry while on vacation, they will be fine. Also don't overthink things. Avoid any sand sifting fish until your tank is fairly mature, usually at least six months, as they get most of their food from the substrate. Different fish have different eating habits and they rarely vary. For instance a firefish eats from the water column. If the food hits the substrate, they won't touch it. If you like the Randall's Goby I would get it. They are really nice and peaceful fish. It won't be too much orange to have a Randall's and two ocellaris in a 75 gallon. Clownfish can be aggressive so it is a good idea to research compatibility but at the end of the day, every fish is an individual. Sometimes you get a fish and it doesn't work out. It's nuts or it makes its tankmates nuts. It happens. Just take it to an LFS and try to sell/trade/donate it and move on. Your clownfish will do fine on just about any quality food. Too many foods can be worse than too few foods. Most sea life eats pretty much the same thing every day.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Hi my name is Austin. I am 14 years old and this is my first time in the hobby. I currently have a 75 gallon setup. The only livestock in there is a pair of Ocellaris Clownfish.
I got them a week ago. The reason I am posting this is because I am very stressed out about my reef tank. I am on vacation, but instead of having fun, I am almost constantly worrying about the tank. Luckily my father is home to take care of it. I worry about things in the future. One of the things I am really worried about is a goby. I Had my mind set on a Diamond Goby until I did more research and said that they need an established sand bed. So then I decided maybe a Pink Spotted Watchman Goby but then read that all they do is hide. Then I said maybe a Randall's Goby then I feel if I did that, there would be to much orange in the tank. I can wait for my tank to become established before I get a Diamond Goby. I watched a BRS video about feeding fish and nutrition and it said not to feed sand-sifting gobies brine or mysis and only rod's reef or other micro fauna out of packages. I do not want a Yellow Watchman Goby. This is not the first time I have been really stressed out over silly little things. I have stressed out over fish compatability.. Not so much over corals though. I watch some of the BRS videos and they seem very knowledgeable but at the same time some of them just stress me out. Like the fish nutrition video, they said to feed like ten different types of food. My father said he does not want to feed that many types of food. I plan on feeding pellets, mysis, vitamin enriched brine, and maybe even rods reef frenzy or algae flakes. I need help and don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like quitting even though this hobby is supposed to be enjoyable.

Look around the forum for reef tanks that look well established. Ask them what they feed (I know of a 20 year long reefer and all he feeds is pellet and flakes) If you see a fish you like, ask about their compatibility. It’s very easy to get overwhelmed in this hobby. Partly because the reward is indescribable. It’s fun but it’s a pursuit to happiness not instant gratification. Hang in there! Slow it down and take small steps, don’t be afraid to just try and learn, if you start to fall, we’ll be here to answer your questions and get you back on your feet.

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board! don’t fret too much, although it is very normal to feel this way, things tend to change as time goes on and new plans or ideas come in. take things day by day but stick to a plan! if you want that diamond goby, take the necessary steps to ensure the environment for it will make it thrive!

to provide a varied diet to your fish, first you need to make sure they eat the food you’re providing them. would be a bit of a waste to buy a certain food they may not take. i have a 40B with 6 fish. i only feed frozen (LRS
REEF frenzy) 3x/week, and TDO pellets (small) with an algae wafer or two about 4x/week. on weekends i dose some live phyto. usually LRS, rods food, or frozen foods of that nature come packed with different foods and vitamins mixed in so it won’t be too bad on the pockets! give it a go

 

[AustinStebing]

Thank you guys so much! You really made my day.
The stock I plan on getting is
1 Firefish
1 Goby (probably a Randall's)
1 Royal Gramma
1 Midas Blenny
1 Flame Hawkfish
1 Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
1 Yellow Coris Wrasse
Most of the corals will be Zoas, Mushrooms, and LPS
The only SPS corals I might get would be like Stylo or Encrusting Montipora

 

[Pkunk35]

Hey Austin!
To me your worry just signals you as a true reefer: mind is just always on the tank, can’t help it.
It is true tho, you won’t like this hobby if you can’t force your mind to do the things you have to do in life, like school, family vacations, etc. always keep your priorities straight so you can give your reef the time it needs and not at the expense of life. This will make it powerful in your life as opposed to burdensome.

Be present and enjoy your time on your vacation, your dad will take care of those clownfish. When you get back, get that Randall’s (after some research haha!). I know your enthusiasm will make your reef awesome.

GL!

 

[WVNed]

I don't understand the idea that new people have that you can just put some things in a tank and have them do what you want.

When I started I put a few things in a small tank and kept them alive. 2-3 soft corals, some hermits and a tiny fish. Algae grew and I was happy to watch the snails eat it.
It was many years later when I could manage a tank well enough that it started to look like I wanted.

This hobby is hard and takes time to learn but if your expectations aren't reasonable you are just going to be miserable all the time.

 

[The_Skrimp]

haha I hear you. It really never gets easier. My tank could be doing great, everything happy, and I might just be out of the house for a few hours - I still can't help but worry about my reef. I totally understand why people drop a lot of money on things like an neptune apex now. It's about the peace of mind.

Either way, this is a good sign. It means you're thinking hard about these things and that's a recipe for success In this hobby. Take it slow and try to simplify things as much as you can. Don't try to compare yourself to the perfect looking reefs you see online. Those are usually people with decades of experience and they do a lot to make their tanks look perfect before taking a photo. As long as you keep your inhabitants healthy and happy, you'll be doing better than most. This is a great forum if you ever run into issues and need other people's opinions. Welcome to Reef2reef!

 

[G Santana]

Austin, you're too young to be stressing!!! Chill, take it from an old guy lol
You seem very focused on doing things right, I commend you for that.

You don't need 10 different food sources to keep your fish healthy, your plan of attack is sound.

Enjoy your tank and go slow, you have the right stuff to be a great reefer.

Good luck!

 

[ying yang]

Hi Austin hope all is well.
Worrying about your tank whilst on holiday is normal,just got to tell yourself your powerless over it as you are not there and have confidence in your dad to take care off things,and if worrying so much that it stopping you having fun on holiday then this isn't good imo,maybe face time/video call your dad and let him show you the tank and that all is ok with it and hopefully this re-assures you all is well.
Don't be face timing dad everyday though as that could cause other problems ^_^ ( just once should be ok)

But it's normal to worry about things we care for unless it becomes an obsession and affects our daily lives,so find a way to re-assure yourself your tank is in good hands and all will be OK and try keep yourself busy and having fun whilst on holiday so don't think about your tank as much,as even if there was a problem you wouldn't be flying back to your home to solve it would you ? ( take it you gone far for holiday on a plane)
Same as everything in life,got to find that balance and if something works then keep doing it and if something doesn't work amd detrimental to you or others then atop doing it/adjust it so does work.

Longer you have your tank ,then hopefully you should come to conclusion what works and what doesn't.

Fwiw I go on 3-4 holidays a year ( last one I got back 27th june) and used to worry about my tank in hands of mother in law who wouldn't even put her hand in tank to pull dead fish out or whatever is needed so had to arrange with a neighbour to do anything like this if need arose,still worry about if ato water will last whilst I'm away and after 5-7 days ask mother in law to send me a picture of level to re-assure me ha ha.

So answer is you got to find a way you can put your tank on back burner and enjoy your holiday best you can,as when we busy we can't think about 2 things at once at same time.

Good luck

 

[Tamberav]

Hi my name is Austin. I am 14 years old and this is my first time in the hobby. I currently have a 75 gallon setup. The only livestock in there is a pair of Ocellaris Clownfish.
I got them a week ago. The reason I am posting this is because I am very stressed out about my reef tank. I am on vacation, but instead of having fun, I am almost constantly worrying about the tank. Luckily my father is home to take care of it. I worry about things in the future. One of the things I am really worried about is a goby. I Had my mind set on a Diamond Goby until I did more research and said that they need an established sand bed. So then I decided maybe a Pink Spotted Watchman Goby but then read that all they do is hide. Then I said maybe a Randall's Goby then I feel if I did that, there would be to much orange in the tank. I can wait for my tank to become established before I get a Diamond Goby. I watched a BRS video about feeding fish and nutrition and it said not to feed sand-sifting gobies brine or mysis and only rod's reef or other micro fauna out of packages. I do not want a Yellow Watchman Goby. This is not the first time I have been really stressed out over silly little things. I have stressed out over fish compatability.. Not so much over corals though. I watch some of the BRS videos and they seem very knowledgeable but at the same time some of them just stress me out. Like the fish nutrition video, they said to feed like ten different types of food. My father said he does not want to feed that many types of food. I plan on feeding pellets, mysis, vitamin enriched brine, and maybe even rods reef frenzy or algae flakes. I need help and don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like quitting even though this hobby is supposed to be enjoyable.

You can buy food that already has like 10 different types mixed in it. My favorite is LRS fish or reef frenzy. It’s gold standard stuff.

I find Diamond gobies a bit difficult to keep even with a old sand bed and eating. They are also prolific jumpers. I wouldn’t recommend them for beginner tanks that do not have tons of worms and pods.

There are many shrimp gobies besides randals and yellow watchmen. Some others with that body type are a wheelers or a orange spotted shrimp goby. The orange spotted actually looks a lot like a Diamond.

orange spotted shrimp goby

Wheelers shrimp goby

Amazon has cameras as cheap as 20 dollars where you can watch your tank from your phone.

The main thing to be worried about is fish disease. I would read up on it so you know at least what to look for.

 

[Cool tangs]

Don't stress about all different foods dude! A high quality pallet will suffice. I only feed frozen as a treat now since moving to pallets for there main diet. Although in saying that I haven't even fed them frozen food for a while now nor have I given my tangs nori for a while. There all mega fat and growing like crazy now. Those pallets must must be full of steroids lol.

As for BRS tv it's okay for entertainment purposes and some advise but honestly I gave up on there video for advise a long time ago. They chop and change all the time and just confuse the he'll out of you. There is far better reefers on YouTube with far more clearer advise. Reef bum, Jake Adams from reef builders, Mr Saltwater, parkers reef to say a few. Most of those guys make it very clear, find a method and stick with it and keep it simple. Don't chop and change and try to run all types of methods. They all achieve the same outcome at the end of the day and that life support for our pets. What method is best could be up for debate, but pick one that best talks to you and stay with it!

Best of luck and happy reefing! Don't over think it. I've made so many mistakes chopping and changing. I just needed to make up my mind and so far doing better

Edit: as for the gobies I'm not 100% sure on care. Based on my experience with other species each fish will have there own personality and foods they prefer. Fish will become territorial so best to add similar species around the same time. Not sure how territorial goby's are though

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Hi my name is Austin. I am 14 years old and this is my first time in the hobby. I currently have a 75 gallon setup. The only livestock in there is a pair of Ocellaris Clownfish.
I got them a week ago. The reason I am posting this is because I am very stressed out about my reef tank. I am on vacation, but instead of having fun, I am almost constantly worrying about the tank. Luckily my father is home to take care of it. I worry about things in the future. One of the things I am really worried about is a goby. I Had my mind set on a Diamond Goby until I did more research and said that they need an established sand bed. So then I decided maybe a Pink Spotted Watchman Goby but then read that all they do is hide. Then I said maybe a Randall's Goby then I feel if I did that, there would be to much orange in the tank. I can wait for my tank to become established before I get a Diamond Goby. I watched a BRS video about feeding fish and nutrition and it said not to feed sand-sifting gobies brine or mysis and only rod's reef or other micro fauna out of packages. I do not want a Yellow Watchman Goby. This is not the first time I have been really stressed out over silly little things. I have stressed out over fish compatability.. Not so much over corals though. I watch some of the BRS videos and they seem very knowledgeable but at the same time some of them just stress me out. Like the fish nutrition video, they said to feed like ten different types of food. My father said he does not want to feed that many types of food. I plan on feeding pellets, mysis, vitamin enriched brine, and maybe even rods reef frenzy or algae flakes. I need help and don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like quitting even though this hobby is supposed to be enjoyable.

Hi Austin and welcome to the hobby. Great to see you are enthusiastic about this endeavor but remember it’s a slow process that’s educational and rewarding. Try not to stress over it and have fun with it. The fish will b fine enjoy the vacation. They will b there all healthy when u get home. Reef keeping although challenging is a stress reliever for me. Work with what you know and can maintain. Sounds like u have a handle on it and are off to a great start. We are always here to help, so just relax, have fun and enjoy being 14