What has your experience taught you?

BRS
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www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Seawitch said:
For an upcoming article for R2R, I'd like to hear from SW aquarists who have been doing this for three years or more:

What do you know now, that you wish you had known when you first started?

What advice would you give fearful newbies?

Thanks!
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LOL....wow.....if I knew than what I know now....

1. Always resist the urge to add just "one" more fish.

2. Regular water changes and water quality checks have to be a regular part of your aquarium maintenance routine.

3. When people tell you about minimum tank size for a certain fish believe them, there are plenty of beautiful smaller fish out there!

4. Research, research, and research some more. Remember to always do your own research. NEVER rely on your LFS no matter how good they are to steer you in the right direction. It is rare for a LFS to tell a consumer NO!

Those are the main things I learned early on. [emoji16]
 
Chewy.com
If your tank is going south headed for a crash. It is OK to change the water right down to the sand if you have to. New water is infinity better than poisonous water.

If your tank is headed for a crash it is better to make water fast with de chlorinated tap water than wait hours for enough RO/DI. Make it the the right temp immediately by mixing in some hot water.

If your tap water is good enough to drink it wont kill anything if you wash tank things with it.

Look at your tank every day. Those people that post a coral skeleton and ask how to save it. It didn't get that completely dead in one day.
 
I have really enjoyed reading all of these posts....and I can relate to all of them! LOL! Oh one more thing I want to add for me anyway....I found it easier to maintain just LPS and a few softies, than to add SPS into the mix also. Plus I love fish too, especially Wrasses....so I could never keep nitrates below 10ppm to keep SPS happy. [emoji16]
 
Greybeard said:
There is no substitute for an attentive aquarist. The absolute best thing you can do for your aquarium is to PAY ATTENTION to it. That doesn't mean you should be constantly playing with things, chasing numbers, etc... just that the critters in your aquarium react very quickly to changes in their environment. Watch them... they'll clue you in to possible problems far earlier than any testing will.

Automation can be a wonderful thing... but it CANNOT take the place of a good aquarium keeper.
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I've stressed more things recently by chasing numbers and playing with things when my experience tells me to just watch and keep with the slow and steady approach.
 
A lot of good stuff here. Thank you reefers!
 
First have a QT set up. Rolling the dice and just adding fish cause they looked healthy can be a disaster. That last fish could wipe everyone out. Watch your tank and pay attention to your corals. They can tell you what good or not good. I check them before I leave and right when I get home. I wish I did this in the beginning as it would have saved me from a lot of grief
 
Buy fish from store that demonstrate that they are eating
Buy the best equipment you can afford and cant afford. Worth it in the long run and for re-sale . . . in other words- BUY IT ONCE
Be VERY patient. Ignore Impulse
Research before you buy especially lights
Do NOT place your tank at or near a window
Get/use the best possible salt you can get

USE R2R AS YOUR RESOURCE !!!!
 
Nutramar Foods
WVNed said:
If your tank is going south headed for a crash. It is OK to change the water right down to the sand if you have to. New water is infinity better than poisonous water.

If your tank is headed for a crash it is better to make water fast with de chlorinated tap water than wait hours for enough RO/DI. Make it the the right temp immediately by mixing in some hot water.

If your tap water is good enough to drink it wont kill anything if you wash tank things with it.

Look at your tank every day. Those people that post a coral skeleton and ask how to save it. It didn't get that completely dead in one day.
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Terrible advice....
 
The best advice I can give someone is to try really hard not to fall into the "LRS" or lazy reefer syndrome method of reef keeping. That fragile ecosystem whether big or small is solely dependent on the hobbyist. Too many new reefers tend to not realize the amount of commitment a reef tank requires to ensure it's well cared for with good husbandry practices and a commitment to long term success.
 
Chewy.com
Patience and a ton of more Patience. When I got my first tank I thought I could add bacteria and wait a day as the bottle said and spent $100 on fish and coral. 1 week goes by and everything is dead. I soon found out about the cycling process. I wish I would have found r2r before entering the hobby. Would of saved me tons of $$$.
 
Deltec
Take things slow and be patient, nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. Cycle slow, start lighting slow, add fish slow, add corals slow.
Buy quality test equipment from the start. Our reef tanks' foundation is quality water and cheap test kits and swing arm hydrometer may be cheaper but spending a little more on quality tests and a refractometer helps to ensure accurate measurements of your water.
Get an RODI amd make your own water. Again quality water is the foundation and having the ability to make water anytime you need it is priceless. In my early days of reef keeping I often found myself needing to run to a water machine or water&ice to buy water because I ran out and my return pump was sucking air. Im sure that water I was buying was far from 0 tds as well, and I did not know any better.
 
My advice would be to truly treat it as a hobby. Meaning your committed to put in the time, money and learning required. For the successful hobbyist the reward being the satisfaction with the increased knowledge and expertise regarding the topic. The amount of time and money put into the hobby is relative to individual expectations. For example, the time I spend on tending to the aquarium is minimal to me, to someone else it may seem excessive.

When just getting started, do your research. Establish your expectations and plans. Ask yourself, are you committed to the ongoing learnings and adjustments you will have to make to get the satisfaction from the effort.
 
Less technology more biology. Feed your fish, it makes them healthy.
 
BRS
I started reefing more than thirty years ago. I would tell a newbie to thoroughly research each animal before you purchase it. Don’t buy something on impulse or because you like the way it looks. Buy animals that are appropriate for your tank and your level of involvement. Once you have purchased an animal always quarantine. Doing this you will prevent a lot of animal suffering and deaths and anguish on your part. Both you and your aquatic pets will be happier
 
I won't go into the basics, that's all well known and repeated.
But the main thing I have learned that keeps me going is you cannot be fearful of pests. It's something that eventually happens and learning about them before you ever get them is a good idea. Reefers who are always paranoid about pests don't seem to truley enjoy the hobby ime. Be careful and research but most of all you have to enjoy every aspect of the hobby or it becomes more like work :)
 
BRS

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%

  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%

  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%

  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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