Are Reefing Videos Helpful?

[Reefer Matt]

For those of you who watch reefing video content, do you think that reefing videos on social media are helpful, not helpful, or redundant? Is there any new info that is increasing your success, or just more of the same?

 

[Nerdist Aquarist]

Definitely helpful. When I was new to the hobby I couldn't get enough how-to videos, they were far fewer back then. Shout out New York Steelo!

Nowadays, I've shifted my subscriptions to focus more on interesting aquariums, larger exhibits and vendors to keep-up with what's new in the hobby. But I'm still subscribed to your channel Matt

 

[Reefer Matt]

Definitely helpful. When I was new to the hobby I couldn't get enough how-to videos, they were far fewer back then. Shout out New York Steelo!

Nowadays, I've shifted my subscriptions to focus more on interesting aquariums, larger exhibits and vendors to keep-up with what's new in the hobby. But I'm still subscribed to your channel Matt

Thanks for your feedback! I don’t have a barometer on this because I never have time to watch anything anymore. So I don’t know if everyone is talking about water changes or the “hottest frag”, or if it even makes a difference anymore. Things have definitely changed for my content, but I was just curious if it’s still all worth it in general.

 

[zenom73]

I think they are helpful, but they can get a little tiring. Most are I got this super expensive pump let's unbox it. I prefer more day to day things. I want to see other reefer's struggle, just like the rest of us, not just the good days. Focus on topics, without beating them to death. "Let's look at this $300 co2 scrubber". Would love more of a focus on 3d printing, DIY type things for tanks. Not just on the large butt tanks either. Like, I would like a more frequent, smaller dose kind of videos. "Got this new coral, let's follow along with it". See when the coral struggles, when it does good, what kinds of things are being done. Real world reef keeping. Big tanks are cool, but i would say a majority of people don't have them.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I watched dozens of BRS videos eight years ago when I started with Saltwater tanks. Helped a lot since I didn't really know anyone in the hobby.

 

[BryanM]

Helpful for sure, but I only watch for things I search for. Usually I am troubleshooting something.

 

[Biokabe]

To be honest I'm not sure how good of a read you'll get on what people watching videos want here, because I think most of the active posters here are outliers. We're mostly enthusiasts who have been reefing for years or decades at this point, so most of the "how to" type of videos are old hat to us.

That said, when I do watch reefing videos these days, it usually falls into one of two categories:

First, deep dives into specific corals/fish. I love Tidal Garden's videos about corals, and I really wish that there were more videos in that vein for reef fish. Many fish videos are just things like, "Seven beginner-friendly reef fish," or "Eight predatory fish that will wow you!" and the information in them is just so surface-level and shallow that I don't feel like they're really useful at all.

Second, in-depth videos about a specific tank, especially if you can show a progression through time. It doesn't have to be about a monster reef, though of course living vicariously through a 15,000 gallon tank is amazing. But if you're going to show me a deep dive into tank, show me the setup. Show me what equipment choices were made. Show me how those equipment choices played out. Did anything not work out? Why didn't it work out? What changes were made to the tank after it got wet? What about husbandry choices? I don't want to just see a tank put together and then see what it looked like five minutes after the pump was first turned on. I want to see the journey of the tank.

So take that with a grain of salt, because I don't think I'm the typical person who watches reefing videos. But if I'm going to watch a reefing video, that's the kind of thing that gets me to watch.

 

[ReeferTCG]

Always watch your content!

My 2 favorite forms of video are tank tours to see great tanks and what methods/ gear they use.

Second form is long form podcasts about reefing topics.

 

[Blitheran]

BRS reefing videos when Ryan owned BRS - YES

BRS reefing videos now? - heck no

 

[MC Blowfish]

I mainly watch videos on corals. For the most part, they're helpful. I've seen a few that due to how they're produced haven't been helpful. The videos with the choppy audio or the shaky cameras.

 

[mpovell]

I find them to be helpful, but I think it's important to narrow down to a few "channels" to focus your "sources of truth." If you are watching how-to's from too many channels, the content becomes overwhelming and often information can be conflicting. I have found, as I have begun my saltwater journey, if I focus my energy on a few reputable channels, I am less overwhelmed.

 

[SixlineRyan]

I don't watch much TV, but I do "watch" youtube while I'm working. One thing I think most YouTubers misunderstand is what the point of the video is; entertainment or information. Most get lost somewhere in the middle, and the content gets watered down by too much filler / rambling. Then as the user looking for an answer it's either too hard to find a direct answer or too much conflicting information.

Two examples of great videos off the top of my head are...

This WWC video about flow:

and

This BRS video about Hair Algae:

Both provide great info. One is longer and in depth without getting lost int he weeds. The other is shorter and covers a specific issue directly and too the point. Both great at not not losing focus or wasting the viewers time.

Serious Reefs is also putting out great stuff, but that requires a payment (worth it, imo!).

On the other side of things you have stuff like MD Fish Tanks (a planted tank channel) who is a really fun watch, but is basically all entertainment at this point.

I feel for Youtubers too, because I think most of them get into it with good intentions, but obviously have no professional training so they're just doing their thing.

Overall I love watching videos about tanks and equipment etc, but if helpful is the goal then there is a really bad noise to signal ratio.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I feel for Youtubers too, because I think most of them get into it with good intentions, but obviously have no professional training so they're just doing their thing.

It’s definitely a learning curve and a thankless job most of the time. And that’s the thing too, anyone can start a channel for free with no new equipment to buy. Just pick up your phone and start recording.

 

[exnisstech]

It’s definitely a learning curve and a thankless job most of the time. And that’s the thing too, anyone can start a channel for free with no new equipment to buy. Just pick up your phone and start recording.

I think that right there is why I don't watch videos (feel free to add a southern drawl ;-) there is too much pollution to sort through so they all become meaningless to me.
Youtube itself is annoying as well always shoving women's breasts and buttocks at me when I just want to share a video or sort through mine. I'm not a prude but Ive raised three daughters and I find it disgusting.

 

[DmitryB]

Many of them are very helpful when I get new equipment and have no idea how to set it up. Anyone doing that kind of content is doing us all a great service. Just found a video about connecting a BRS air scrubber to an Octo skimmer, which I'm in the process of doing. It's exactly what I needed! It revealed in advance that the two use different size tubing, so I ordered an adapter before the scrubber even arrived. More like this!

Tidal Garden videos are great. Than's video on flow is very useful. All his coral stuff is great. I agree with someone above that videos about specific fish would also be great.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I think that right there is why I don't watch videos (feel free to add a southern drawl ;-) there is too much pollution to sort through so they all become meaningless to me.
Youtube itself is annoying as well always shoving women's breasts and buttocks at me when I just want to share a video or sort through mine. I'm not a prude but Ive raised three daughters and I find it disgusting.

To me yt is sorta like a forum except everyone gets their own “subforum”. So everyone is allowed to talk, and we have to sift through the videos just like advice on a forum. I know a lot of people here disagree with that, and it’s cool. And I hear ya on the skin shots though. If you view it for more than a half a second, you’ll get 50 more afterwards (not saying you did). They use human nature to market products while the content itself is often meaningless.

 

[exnisstech]

Delete meaningless ramble

 

[reefeer]

I think they’re helpful when I’m looking for one specific answer. Too many are too long though. I like short videos that just show the problem and the fix.

 

[reefeer]

I think they’re helpful when I’m looking for one specific answer.
Too many are too long though. I like short videos that just show the problem and the fix.