What's Your Best Advice for Beginners?

[JohnNYC8]

I'm just getting started in saltwater so I can give some perspective on not doing everything right the first time.

Have a quarantine/observation tank. An AIO nano for less than $200 will save you a lot of time, money, and aggravation. Watch new corals for 6+ weeks to make sure you aren't adding anything bad to your display.

Water chemistry is the name of the game. Do your water changes, test your water and look for trends. Don't dose anything unless you see that you're depleting it.

Visit your LFS, or a few LFSs if you live in a populated area, and see what beginner corals they specialize in. Stop in and see how healthy the corals look, how many they have of each variety, and look for ones that are reasonably priced (not too cheap, this could also indicate an issue). If they're nice corals at a reasonable price it's safe to assume they're good at growing/sourcing them. Let what's readily available to you guide your tank design/goals. I've seen beautiful tanks with 90% zoas, xenia, or mushrooms that probably have a fraction of the issues a full-on mixed reef could have.

For example, my LFS is ReefCo. in Green Brook, NJ and they have a ton of aquacultured goniopora and euphyllia. When I planned my tank I wasn't going to add any because of the coral warfare but they're so nice and affordable I ended up buying a floating shelf to put some gonis on. If I could do anything over it would've been planning for areas to put gonis and euphyllia from the start. I'll probably buy corals exclusively from my LFS going forward.

Ordering online is nice for a hard-to-find piece but don't expect to be able to find exactly what you're looking for and don't expect it to be reasonably priced. I spent way too much money finding the exact corals I wanted only to find they don't like the light in a certain spot or need more/less flow. Be flexible and patient. Perfection is the enemy of good.

If you are impatient and you must see results in 6-9 months then this is probably the wrong hobby to take up. Bad advice beyond this point: BUT if you must do it this way I'd focus on getting your tank stable with a couple fish and corals and then shop for colony-sized pieces. Money is the only thing that can fast-forward time but know you will lose corals along the way. $140 for a 4x3" zoa colony might be a better option if you're impatient than spending $140 on 6 small frags that grow at different rates. Remember that colonies will come on grow-out plates or rubble rock so plan your aquascape accordingly/with flexibiliy. I wouldn't do it this way but it is tempting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's just something I adopted from the days I kept a Koi pond. Levels between 300-350 is the sweet spot for keeping parasites down and not affecting the biome. You can tell there's a huge different in water quality between 300 and let's say 150. Neptune system has ORP probe standard on their pro series for this reason.

Chemical treatments that I refer to are those that stay in the water column and adversely affect the biome. It's true that ozone is a form of chemical but it does not stay in the water column when using it correctly with gac

Ok, I apologize if this comes across as too harsh, but some of us have been using and studying these methods for decades in reef tanks. Translating koi experience to reef aquaria may not be the best approach to drawing conclusions. Neither is taking advice from manufacturers that sell equipment for monitoring or altering parameters such as ORP.

I have no idea what chemical treatments you do mean that impact the biome, but I disagree with that conclusion overall. Organic carbon dosing and silicate dosing both strongly impact the biome and are, in many cases, desirable.

Ozone is great at reducing yellowing of the water, but it is not effective at keeping parasites down when used in ordinary reef tanks. ORP values themselves are also not very useful at gauging the suitability of the water with or without ozone.

I describe in great detail what ORP means and what ozone accomplishes in these articles:

ORP and the Reef Aquarium - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Thehogfather]

I’ve got about six years under my belt, but there’s a lot of advice in this thread that I should do a better job of following, haha.

Here’s what I would tell someone just getting into the hobby:

Keep it simple, and learn how to do the basics well. you don’t need all the bells and whistles to have an amazing tank.

focus on process over results. You will have ups and downs, sometimes your tank won’t look very good. But if you love the process, even the ugly phase of a tank is fun. Let go of expectations and stay curious!

Don’t neglect quarantine. At first it feels complicated and time consuming, but it will save you a lot of grief if you just learn to do it from the get go.

Setting yourself up for easy maintenance is usually worth it. You’re more likely to do your maintenance if you make it as quick and easy as possible.

Finally, create what you want to create. There are a lot of ways to approach this hobby. Don’t let someone tell you you have to start with certain corals because they’re the best ones for beginners. It’s more important to research how to do what you’re trying to do so you can make a solid plan and work towards success.

 

[mattdg]

Prepare for patience.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Impulse is your worse enemy!! Plan and be ready for a purchase - not grab it on a whim

Buying a fish? - watch it eat, observe its breathing and body condition and how it interacts with other fish in the tank

QUARANTINE or at least give the fish a protective bath. Assume it has something even if its a quarantined fish !

Be careful what you read. Many articles online are 10 years old or more and often written by people with current tank issues themselves

If fish is acting weird - Dont wait for dots or sores to appear - Investigate Now !

If youre worried about costs of items or electric bills . . . . . This hobby may Not be for you

Spend more time enjoying your tank and less time fretting on unnecessary maintenance.

Buy the Best equipment you cannot afford thereby buying it once

Offer a good and varied diet. Often flakes and pellets do not cut it- These arent goldfish.

If youre going to post pictures- White lighting is best for visibility

If you dont feel welcomed here- Youre very welcomed and appreciated as a member of R 2 R

 

[PeterEde]

Money Pit

 

[Mr. Wiggles]

Ecosystems thrive on biodiversity - but think “poop” before “acros.”

Don’t fumble in the dark. Test your parameters twice before attempting to change them. Then monitor closely.

 

[PeterEde]

Don't get caught up in the fads.

 

[turtlewax2020]

keep your hands out of the tank unless you absolutely 100% have to do something that Involves your hands in the tank....
Set your wavemakers and lights and leave them alone, do not tinker around with them. Have fun and enjoy the journey to get to where you wanna be. It's a hobby and a lifestyle, let the tank grow with your life.

 

[Tazman]

Ok, I apologize if this comes across as too harsh, but some of us have been using and studying these methods for decades in reef tanks. Translating koi experience to reef aquaria may not be the best approach to drawing conclusions. Neither is taking advice from manufacturers that sell equipment for monitoring or altering parameters such as ORP.

I have no idea what chemical treatments you do mean that impact the biome, but I disagree with that conclusion overall. Organic carbon dosing and silicate dosing both strongly impact the biome and are, in many cases, desirable.

Ozone is great at reducing yellowing of the water, but it is not effective at keeping parasites down when used in ordinary reef tanks. ORP values themselves are also not very useful at gauging the suitability of the water with or without ozone.

I describe in great detail what ORP means and what ozone accomplishes in these articles:

ORP and the Reef Aquarium - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Well that has worked for me back then and is working for me now. I run ich management in my system so water quality is very important. I merely took advantage of available technology and share my experiences with fellow reefers

All these knowledge did not come without a cost. I lost my entire fish collection except for some chromis in the beginning due to ich/velvet and poor water quality. ORP were 150-200 at best. No Ozone. One 57w UV. Once I added ozone, 2nd UV, and started monitoring ORP, no more fish deaths. ORP hovers around 300-350. I do 10% water change when it drops below 300.

New fish do get a mild case of ich but recovers after couple of weeks. I have 19 healthy fish on last count

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well that has worked for me back then and is working for me now.

I am not saying anything you are doing is incorrect. Ozone is a fine thing to use and I used it for many years. I'm saying that your explanation for your single experience is not supported by the known and published science of ozone in reef tanks, or the experience of others.

If I said I knew a guy who smoked cigarettes and did not get lung cancer is evidence that smoking prevents lung cancer, would you think that a good conclusion? It's certainly supported by that one experience, but that's the problem with drawing general conclusions from a single experience.

Further, you admit you ran a UV. UV is known to kill microorganisms if properly sized. Thus, you cannot really conclude anything about the specific effect of ozone, since it is not tested by itself.

 

[Celestion]

Don't let potassium fall below 400

 

[Tazman]

I am not saying anything you are doing is incorrect. Ozone is a fine thing to use and I used it for many years. I'm saying that your explanation for your single experience is not supported by the known and published science of ozone in reef tanks, or the experience of others.

If I said I knew a guy who smoked cigarettes and did not get lung cancer is evidence that smoking prevents lung cancer, would you think that a good conclusion? It's certainly supported by that one experience, but that's the problem with drawing general conclusions from a single experience.

Further, you admit you ran a UV. UV is known to kill microorganisms if properly sized. Thus, you cannot really conclude anything about the specific effect of ozone, since it is not tested by itse

I believe the OP asked for people advices for beginners and not for a debate. So I'm going to leave it there and let people figure it out. If you don't agree with how I use ORP as indicator for water quality, perhaps we could take it to another section of the forum.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe the OP asked for people advices for beginners and not for a debate. So I'm going to leave it there and let people figure it out. If you don't agree with how I use ORP as indicator for water quality, perhaps we could take it to another section of the forum.

I agree. ORP discussions are well suited for the chemistry forum if you wish to discuss further.

 

[OU812Reefing]

Thought I'd start a thread for your best advice for those getting started or thinking about a reef tank. My advice is patience. Reefing is a marathon, not a sprint. Visualize your goal, and enjoy the journey getting there!

My advice take your time have an LFS you can trust by that I mean they will give you sound advice and sell you what you need and not just sell you something ask there advice on getting started and remember to take your time DON’T RUSH buy the best equipment you can afford

 

[The Farmer]

The only advice that I have to share is that make sure you have time.
With time you can monitor, maintain, research and learn as you go along on your reefing journey.
Setting a time block per day or per week will help a lot.

 

[calhoun3186]

Set up a tank that you can enjoy!

What do I mean by that? Set up your new aquarium in a way that will be easier for you to maintain and enjoy. Manage your expectations beforehand. Don’t forget location.

This tank is set up for your enjoyment. Not as a way to make money, not as a status symbol, not to mimic someone else’s reef. It’s yours so enjoy it!

I think this is great advice.

 

[nicodim55]

Go sloooooow lol

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

Don't get caught up in the trends.
Most of us have a few "high end" pieces but I get as much pleasure watching a simple, £20 neon green Monti encrusting over the rock work as I do a £200 chalice chip.
I met a young guy the other day who was raving about the "high end" "cult" torches & hammers he had spent a fortune on yet had zero knowledge of essentially any other kind of coral nor the desire to learn.
The name game seemed to be his only interest

 

[snorklr]

put your first tank in a basement, utility room, etc...preferably the same place as your RO/DI and mixing area... where its easy to work on and you'll do minimal damage from stupid mistakes and water spills...the last thing your significant other wants to see is a brown cyano and green hair algae case of the uglies as the centerpiece of your living room surrounded by destroyed pergo or carpet...and make sure you've upgraded your electric to properly handle your tank