Sink or swim

[BankeiZen]

So I work at a fish store and I mostly deal with freshwater fish and plants, but our saltwater guy just put his 2 weeks notice in, and the owner wants me to take over the saltwater side for a while.
The problem is, I've never kept a saltwater tank, let alone 3 big frag tanks and 2 mixed reef tanks. I know what I 'have' to do to keep the coral alive, but any help and tips would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

My biggest tip would be to watch the corals, they will usually tell you if something is wrong.

Keep an eye on parameters and try to limit how many hands are going into the frag tank.

Keep racks, plugs, and tank walls clean of algae, I can't tell you how many times I've avoided buying a coral I wanted because there is rampant algae in the tank. The coral could be completely fine, but the idea that it is coming from a unbalanced system keeps me away.

Always ask a question if you have one, lots of folks on here are super willing to help you out

Good luck! Do a great job and the LFS owner may let you manage the entire store

 

[BankeiZen]

My biggest tip would be to watch the corals, they will usually tell you if something is wrong.

Keep an eye on parameters and try to limit how many hands are going into the frag tank.

Keep racks, plugs, and tank walls clean of algae, I can't tell you how many times I've avoided buying a coral I wanted because there is rampant algae in the tank. The coral could be completely fine, but the idea that it is coming from a unbalanced system keeps me away.

Always ask a question if you have one, lots of folks on here are super willing to help you out

Good luck! Do a great job and the LFS owner may let you manage the entire store

Oh trust me, there'll be plenty of questions . I've got a pair of arm length gloves I was going to use for my personal tank once I set it up, would it be beneficial to use those instead of my bare hands always being in the tank?

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I would say the gloves aren't necessary.

The employees at my LFS always use rubbing alcohol on their hands moving from system to system in order to lower the chances of cross-contamination in case something comes in on a frag.

I second @nautical_nathaniel in watching the corals. If something is bothering them they will show it.