The WORST advice EVER!!!!

[BestMomEver]

I didn’t receive this advice personally, but I heard a guy at the LFS try to sell an 8” peacock mantis to a beginner with a community tank. I couldn’t let it go. I stepped in.

I also had an LFS guy try to sell me a FluvalSea light strip for a SPS tank. He said, “we use it over all our coral tanks.” Umm, all your corals are dead. No thanks.

Oh.... and i was told that I should keep two canister filters instead of a sump. Whatever.

 

[BGrand]

"Salt water aquariums aren't that expensive to have."

 

[TheHarold]

"Salt water aquariums aren't that expensive to have."

They're as expensive as you make it IMO.... you can always do a $40 40 gallon with $50 HOB filter and a $80 light fixture.

 

[brandon429]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...ano-when-low-nutrients-is-the-problem.602041/

MN = work thread. The job needed is to undo a years long uglies phase that does not end. Cycling articles that tell everyone to invade their tank on purpose leave these examples out.

The history of that tank, before the post in that thread, is 1000% applicable here.

quoted:
If I had a tank like this - I would take the rock out and brush it. Rinse with SW and replace - then cover as much of the surface with other living things. (i.e. and this is not for everyone) - I tend to flip rocks over if I can - or use larger colonies coral bought at the same time. So - if the rock is 'covered' with coral - bad stuff usually will not grow. To me people that have these problems - dont have enough living things in their tank to compete with the algae - which can grow faster. I'm not a big believer in the absolute that your tank has to be 'ugly' for months - which is heresy here..


That is verbatim what I advocate, we do agree on some things. Those are the steps I use in work threads too, glad we're on the same page now.

 

[damselindistress]

"If you can do freshwater you can do reefing" - LFS owner
"Let's start you out with something easy - this pair of clowns and anemone" - same LFS owner at the first sprinkling of diatoms, day 21 of my tank cycling
"These hermits are reef safe" and "No, peppermint shrimp never eat corals" - yep, same LFS owner.

My first year of reefing I clearly was what's known in car sales as a "lay down"... I had an invisible sign on my back that said "Okay I'll take it" ;Watching

 

[TheHarold]

I like how Brandon is personally trying to take over the bad advice thread with HIS meandering advice .

 

[MnFish1]

I like how Brandon is personally trying to take over the bad advice thread with HIS meandering advice .

Im not sure what I did.

 

[MnFish1]

As far as other bad advice I got besides buying a used tank and stand which disintegrated 6 months later - I was told that a mantis shrimp (years ago) which came on some live rock was nothing to worry about - as it will be a great scavenger and won't get 'that big'.

1. It was a great scavenger
2. Problem was - it got really big
3. Problem was also - it 'scavenged' all the living as well as the dead
4. Problem is that it also tried to 'scavenge' my finger one day - this lead to his return to the LFS which said 'whats that?'

 

[Sarah24!]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/h...ano-when-low-nutrients-is-the-problem.602041/

MN = work thread. The job needed is to undo a years long uglies phase that does not end. Cycling articles that tell everyone to invade their tank on purpose leave these examples out.

The history of that tank, before the post in that thread, is 1000% applicable here.

quoted:
If I had a tank like this - I would take the rock out and brush it. Rinse with SW and replace - then cover as much of the surface with other living things. (i.e. and this is not for everyone) - I tend to flip rocks over if I can - or use larger colonies coral bought at the same time. So - if the rock is 'covered' with coral - bad stuff usually will not grow. To me people that have these problems - dont have enough living things in their tank to compete with the algae - which can grow faster. I'm not a big believer in the absolute that your tank has to be 'ugly' for months - which is heresy here..


That is verbatim what I advocate, we do agree on some things. Those are the steps I use in work threads too, glad we're on the same page now.

Hello,

I mean this with the most professional sincere attitude etc. I don’t question your ways etc but to be honest as I have read only your posts in this thread (so few) I still have no clue what your talking about and or getting at. With that said my undergrads are in micro biology and biology and I work in my residency now (which all in all means nothing for my point except) when you say work thread, are you doing a lab controlled setting? This isn’t a home aquarium but in a laboratory per say? Because it almost sounds like your asking for scientific written papers that are released in scientific journals and reviewed my those of proven peers. My tank went through all the uglies and I had some minor battles but nothing extreme. Probably the worst was when my nephews urinated In my sump tank and later topped off with salt water. But again not saying your wrong but are you asking people on a local forum to writes d submit evidence reviewed by scientist proven in their field? Because that’s usually what takes five or six years to do. So was just curious to what your asking. Also keep in mind life doesn’t always respond the way you want it to.

 

[Millimylilly]

wait, what?

You know... aqualung!

 

[brandon429]

Sarah
You sound sincere we should take this to chat so we don't derail/w send. we have similar backrounds

At no time did I mention anything peer reviewed, you have links you can read above that are simple work. Turning tanks around, staying till job is done etc. I am showing you how rare and tough those threads are to work, by linking them. You can see how the keeper needs help, and how offers range all over the place in typical threads. But in the work thread I linked, we use 1 method to stop uglies phasing.

The bad advice in the hobby for new aquarists is to have them self infect with algae, cyano, diatoms and dinos, for years in some cases, then give them no clear direction on how to fix it is the point of everything Ive typed here.

Harold from above made it a point to try and troll in the sand rinse thread/ can see he's still unreformed (I don't learn new methods or science from his posts, they're always jibes) but we still collect lots of work there any interested parties can review-

Not everything has to be peer reviewed in reefing... peers aren't running the work threads fixing tanks its regular people doing the work. Again, if you have any work you've collected online in links, post it, Im interested.

inviting people to post their challenges right in your work thread as you instruct how to earn a fix, and sustain, is mighty humbling. Such that we've got 1 example so far despite multiple requests to see more.


w send more in message

 

[Millimylilly]

@sde1500
Ive asked for work threads here and in prior threads, that's where I based my recommend on never allowing an uglies phase/purposeful invasion phase. I rarely get even a single example when asking, its offputting like you mentioned.

You guys certainly don't mind challenging the recommend in quotes, nobody called you out so I know if I just ask for a single work example the back n forth slows greatly and the greater recommend will still and always be to purposefully wreck your tank.

That keeps us busy in our work threads, continue on if you think its right.

*remember its not as serious as you guys like to make it... we're simply saying that if you have a nano or a shallow tank, clean the filth out at the start, don't let it compound to a cyano or dinos invasion that takes 5 months to clear...cleaning isn't harmful.

The rates of loss from all sizes of tanks nowadays is totally unacceptable and one way to reduce that is to consider not repeating the errors of the past though it works for 30%.

Im aware that the majority of reefers will still self invade. The % we show how to not do that sure like the method.

This no make a da sensa

 

[saintsreturn]

Usually just wrong information on fish versus bad. "These type of fish have .... traits" and then i find its the opposite. But that goes more to personality that specifics in my opinion. I had a beautiful melanurus wrasse that quickly became the tank bully and ate $75 worth of snails in about an hour.

In the beginning, i got the usual treatment.. Basic lights and no skimmer is the perfect setup. Learned with time the truth and value of going the route i did. Love my tank and sad to see it go

 

[BeejReef]

Any advise that starts with "Just".....

 

[Lingwendil]

Any advise that starts with "Just".....

Oh man do I hate that! It's always some nonsense or a sales attempt at a supplement or expensive nonessential piece of designer equipment too.

Here's a few I've heard too many times-

"You can't keep corals successfully without a protein skimmer"

"Water changes are a waste of time"

"Clownfish require an anemone"

"LEDs are a fad and not proven"

"Bristleworms? Those will destroy all your corals!"

"Cleaner shrimp will keep your fish ich free"

 

[Bleigh]

@Bleigh
@MnFish1

Moreover, on purely scientific advice being the end-all, be-all answers. I'm talking about posters answering your posted question with strict scientific regiments to "act-now" or you'll lose everything.

I feel pure scientific answers could potentially, but not always, be leaning towards bad advice in certain situations. Mainly bc the scientific advice giver doesn't know the whole situation. Heck, the person asking for advice doesn't know the whole situation. Thus a cookie cutter scientific answer could potentially be bad advice.....

What I'm saying is that strict science answers can only get you maybe ~80-90% of the way towards relative 100% success.

Dont get me wrong....Science is a HUUUUUGE factor in any husbandry skill set.

But, in my opinion, the other ~10-20% of how you react to a problem is an ART FORM .... that really cant be explained in words.

Perhaps patience rather kneejerk reacting is needed.

Maybe timing thru knowing what to look for....how and when to react.

Maybe even pure DUMB LUCK in a given situation..... all of which cant really be explained Scientifically bc there are 1,000 hidden factors in play to a single decision.

I'm saying buyer-beware when a poster gives what they think the 100% correct way to solve a problem thru a pure scientific answer.

Which begs to question: doesn't scientific advice from other readers usually leans towards REACT NOW, DO THIS NOW.....when what is needed is timing and patience????? Hmmmmmm.

I just get frustrated with advice on ANY reefing board when the poster is hung up on "I'm 100% correct in my thinking....and you're wrong".

That attitude to me is potentially BAD ADVICE

lol... I was agreeing with you.

 

[MnFish1]

lol... I was agreeing with you.

Same here-just adding a little of my perspective.

 

[Bleigh]

Ugh, a 'mansplainer'. I'm sure I'm guilty of it from time to time too, but I try not to as it just comes off as so condescending.

'HHAHAHA! I've seen that chart before. He would have found himself in the "definitely mansplaing" category. Though, if you asked him, he'd probably say he had more knowledge... even though I DO have a reef tank and he doesn't... who knows....

The one that still annoys me the most was I went to a store to get a new printer. There were two that I was trying to choose between, so I was looking up reviews. The guy kept walking by and asking if I needed help. I kept saying no. Finally I said, I'm just trying to figure out which one of these is the better choice. He then proceeded to read both boxes to me.... I was like, I am literate, but thank you for "jumping" in there.

 

[AcanthurusRex]

Chemiclean

 

[Bleigh]

Here bro, borrow my Majano Wand to kill your aiptasia!

A few minutes of pure joy watching them melt traded for months of warfare with Bergia, Peppermint shrimp and filefish. Friends don't let friends use the Majano!

I have to ask, what is a majano wand?