“You Can’t Do That!”

[Reefer Matt]

One of my favorite things is when someone tells me I can’t do something. It makes it a fun challenge to test the validity of their statement sometimes. I see this a lot in fb groups.

Have you ever been told you can’t do something in reefing, only to actually do it later?

 

[Lasse]

All the time

Sincerely Lasse

 

[fish farmer]

Yes.

 

[Troylee]

All the time! Can’t = motivation!

 

[Cthulukelele]

My biggest one is very controversial and I want to clarify that it doesn't work for everyone and isn't the only way to do things.

I was told you can't skip quarantine and have long term success with fish. In reality moving to a more "prevent disease through fish health and immunity" approach led to me losing a LOT less fish in the first 3 months and overall much healthier seeming fish. I've only lost 2 new addition fish since then (one was a rescue attempt the other notoriously hard to acclimate) in comparison to the 15-20% I was losing in the QT process and the immediately following time before that. Anecdotal, but it's worked for me.

 

[exnisstech]

Not so much in reefing because I don't really lay out all my plans or ask if I can do something. Daily life activities always. Like @Troylee Can’t = motivation!

 

[Troylee]

Not so much in reefing because I don't really lay out all my plans or ask if I can do something. Daily life activities always. Like @Troylee Can’t = motivation!

I forgot!

 

[Garf]

Have you ever been told you can’t do something in reefing, only to actually do it later?

No. I always do what the internet advises.

 

[Dmmz]

Doing it when people say you can't doesn't make it right and people who don't know any better will say you can't do something so it is really up to the person to do the research not just do something because others say it can't or shouldn't be done.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Wife: "You can't get another reef tank"

So far i've been losing this battle.

 

[brandon429]

"you cannot keep a mixed reef tank in a gallon of water" = busted

"you cannot wash people's sandbeds out with tap water without killing their tank" busted, it makes their tank work better than before the rinse out, sixty page example thread handy. nothing in tap water is hurting anyone's reef. the warnings come with zero work thread examples, the actual work threads show strong outcomes and no bad ones. when tested, the truth was opposite of what the masses initially thought.

"you cannot put peroxide into a reef tank, it's an antibiotic and a strong oxidizer, it'll kill the tank" (said every reef chemist in reefing, before ten thousand people did it anyway) busted, see all large peroxide work threads since 2011, see Troy's large 50 page peroxide work thread at the top of the nuisance algae forum. peroxide went from 'bad, will oxidize your tank and kill all pods' and being bad on paper during chemical equation balancing, to a permanently helpful tool for all of reefing. opposite of what the chemists said would happen, happened.

 

[Dburr1014]

One of my favorite things is when someone tells me I can’t do something. It makes it a fun challenge to test the validity of their statement sometimes. I see this a lot in fb groups.

Have you ever been told you can’t do something in reefing, only to actually do it later?

100%
I took apart an 8 axis inspection machine to replace the roller packs and a senior from my team told me I'll never get it running again.
It's been running flawless for 6 years now.
It's not reefing but ya.
Don't ever tell me no!

 

[Dmmz]

It is great when people do things and fish die just to try and prove someone wrong

 

[crazyfishmom]

My biggest one is very controversial and I want to clarify that it doesn't work for everyone and isn't the only way to do things.

I was told you can't skip quarantine and have long term success with fish. In reality moving to a more "prevent disease through fish health and immunity" approach led to me losing a LOT less fish in the first 3 months and overall much healthier seeming fish. I've only lost 2 new addition fish since then (one was a rescue attempt the other notoriously hard to acclimate) in comparison to the 15-20% I was losing in the QT process and the immediately following time before that. Anecdotal, but it's worked for me.

This!

 

[crazyfishmom]

"you cannot keep a mixed reef tank in a gallon of water" = busted

"you cannot wash people's sandbeds out with tap water without killing their tank" busted, it makes their tank work better than before the rinse out, sixty page example thread handy. nothing in tap water is hurting anyone's reef. the warnings come with zero work thread examples, the actual work threads show strong outcomes and no bad ones. when tested, the truth was opposite of what the masses initially thought.

"you cannot put peroxide into a reef tank, it's an antibiotic and a strong oxidizer, it'll kill the tank" (said every reef chemist in reefing, before ten thousand people did it anyway) busted, see all large peroxide work threads since 2011, see Troy's large 50 page peroxide work thread at the top of the nuisance algae forum. peroxide went from 'bad, will oxidize your tank and kill all pods' and being bad on paper during chemical equation balancing, to a permanently helpful tool for all of reefing. opposite of what the chemists said would happen, happened.

Not to mention that peroxide salts seem to keep certain parasites in check! All great points!

 

[crazyfishmom]

Don’t add Acropora to a tank that’s less than 1 year old.

 

[littlefoxx]

I think it just depends on what they are saying you cant do

 

[littlefoxx]

Don’t add Acropora to a tank that’s less than 1 year old.

Yes, tried this and it dis not go well. I currently dont have any corals anymore

 

[crazyfishmom]

Oh! Don’t add anemones to an immature tank.

 

[Troylee]

Don’t add Acropora to a tank that’s less than 1 year old.

Mines been thriving since the first week! That’s all crap! Even the corraline algae deal and nems, blah blah…