Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
I know man I want to take it but kind of have few aiptasia growing in my sump lol
Celebrating patience. Elevating the reef hobby.
- Thread starter Scott Fellman
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OP
OP
Nice to hear and see the tangible evidence of patience! Again, it's so much about being aware of "where you're at" and appreciating that particular "brick" in the road. Thanks for sharing these stories and pics!
-Scott
-Scott
Killer Karma
Active Member
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a well thought out and grounded article. So many of the tanks I see at friends houses have begun to transform to museum tanks. Little spots of collector corals on pristine rocks. I love my tank with weird sponges and tube worms growing everywhere. Its like going on a dive wgen you look around always something new to find
Paul B
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I love this article Scott. I think what we normally fail to realize is that besides the livestock we are purposely putting in our tank, there are thousands of creatures that we don't see, there fore we don't pay attention to.
Every time we add a piece of coral or rock, we are inadvertently adding bacteria, pods, algae, spores and possibly the young of some higher creature. Many of these creatures live and reproduce over time and become the water conditioners that make our tanks stable. The more rock and coral we add, the more and more diverse the flora and fauna become. Some species take over other species, some species may become parasitic to other species. Viruses affect bacteria and bacteria affects algae and pods. They all interact and at first can cause havoc in a new tank. Eventually they all settle down and whatever types of microscope life will predominate, they live on to become somewhat stable and become the water conditioners and detrivores we pay them to do. This can take years. A big problem is if we add such things as medications, artificial bacteria or other water conditioners such as maybe Red Slime Remover. Those things, although some times benign can upset this normal maturing process and set it back months or even years.
This is IMO a huge problem with new tanks. When we see a little algae, cyano or some other thing, we want to immediately add some chemical to "cure" it. Mother Nature is very good at this and usually needs nothing but time. Bacteria, viruses, algae and pods all know what they are supposed to do to make a body of water stable. That's why puddles, lakes, rivers and the ocean stays pristine as long as we don't add things to it or try to remove things. We can't see these tiny, wonderful bits of life, but they are what makes our tanks healthy, not that bottle of whatever with the pretty picture of an angelfish on it. Just my opinion of course and I "think" Scott will agree.
Every time we add a piece of coral or rock, we are inadvertently adding bacteria, pods, algae, spores and possibly the young of some higher creature. Many of these creatures live and reproduce over time and become the water conditioners that make our tanks stable. The more rock and coral we add, the more and more diverse the flora and fauna become. Some species take over other species, some species may become parasitic to other species. Viruses affect bacteria and bacteria affects algae and pods. They all interact and at first can cause havoc in a new tank. Eventually they all settle down and whatever types of microscope life will predominate, they live on to become somewhat stable and become the water conditioners and detrivores we pay them to do. This can take years. A big problem is if we add such things as medications, artificial bacteria or other water conditioners such as maybe Red Slime Remover. Those things, although some times benign can upset this normal maturing process and set it back months or even years.
This is IMO a huge problem with new tanks. When we see a little algae, cyano or some other thing, we want to immediately add some chemical to "cure" it. Mother Nature is very good at this and usually needs nothing but time. Bacteria, viruses, algae and pods all know what they are supposed to do to make a body of water stable. That's why puddles, lakes, rivers and the ocean stays pristine as long as we don't add things to it or try to remove things. We can't see these tiny, wonderful bits of life, but they are what makes our tanks healthy, not that bottle of whatever with the pretty picture of an angelfish on it. Just my opinion of course and I "think" Scott will agree.
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If one goes way back to the days of the first Berlin Systems, one finds the recommendation to wait ~6 months after the (often) uncured live rock/live rubble substrate before adding the first permanent resident fish and corals. The idea was to allow die off from organisms on the rock, the bacteria to develop, parameters to stabilize and all the micro fauna to establish robust populations before adding predators. It was a different time when patience was truly a virtue.
Although we now typically cure our live rock separately from the main system, there's still something to be said for an extended preparation/seeding period like this before slowly adding 'must have' organisms. I believe it would be beneficial in the long term, especially for those starting with dry rock.
Ralph.
Although we now typically cure our live rock separately from the main system, there's still something to be said for an extended preparation/seeding period like this before slowly adding 'must have' organisms. I believe it would be beneficial in the long term, especially for those starting with dry rock.
Ralph.
jkimballer29g
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Hey new to R2R. I really enjoyed this article. Defiantly will be putting more effort into mine from now on!
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
Most important thing in this hobby is learning about the species you are keeping. Also, keeping your parameters stable (temperature, salinity, alk and CA is most important). Very hard to keep things stable without a doser and ATO - I've tried for many years and failed. Take it slow and do it right but good thing is Soft corals do better in new tanks than SPS so you can probably add some soft corals after 2 months without issue.
jkimballer29g
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Just new to the website tanks been going strong for almost a year now! Thanks for the advice. Had a few bumps in the road but that's just makes me want to learn more. I could really use an ATO unit. And possibly get into the dosing aspect of things. It's defiantly part of my future plans . I do a weekly scheduled water change EVERY Sunday and some times Friday if I feel like I need to. Also manually dose one mill of two part nano A & B Kent marine every Tuesday, Thursday And Saturday if my cal and PH are low Give me a follow if you want @Ashish Patel !
There is a time for patience (and with reefing, that's probably _most_ of the time...) and a time to act. When phytoplankton became so thick in my 220 that I could barely make out a coral 6" from the glass, action had to be taken. The tank is clearing now, and I think I only lost a few corals.
My hope, when I got into reefkeeping, was that I'd be able to build one of those tanks where you'd see something new every time you peek through the glass - but that requires the random-creature-generator that is ocean fresh liverock - which has apparently more difficult to source than it once was. I figure I've got room for 50# or so of additional rock in my current build - and I'm holding out for the good stuff, dripping with crabs and sponges and worms and bivalves and 'pods and . . .
~Bruce, who just about devours what you write
My hope, when I got into reefkeeping, was that I'd be able to build one of those tanks where you'd see something new every time you peek through the glass - but that requires the random-creature-generator that is ocean fresh liverock - which has apparently more difficult to source than it once was. I figure I've got room for 50# or so of additional rock in my current build - and I'm holding out for the good stuff, dripping with crabs and sponges and worms and bivalves and 'pods and . . .
~Bruce, who just about devours what you write
OP
OP
Scott TOTALLY agrees!
I am a little curious why reaching for a bottle of whatever is the "go-to" solution for so many hobbyists. I think we need to be adding more "additives" like live sand, rubble, mud, DETRITUS, etc. I agree that monitoring water chemistry is very important, but monitoring- and fostering- the biodiversity of a closed marine system is even more important! -Scott
OP
OP
I have done this and written about it several times. It takes a very patient hobbyist to wait 4-6 months before adding higher organisms to his/her tank. It's beyond awesome if you're the kind of reefer who sits in front of the "empty" tank at night with a flashlight, getting excited about the amphipods, plankton, worms, etc.!
-Scott
OP
OP
Totally agree---and I think the careful observation goes hand in hand with the ability to act quickly and decisively. If you know what your reef's "baseline" "behavior is" (gained through patience!), you'll know when it's really time to act quickly and decisively!
-Scott
Paul B
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Jason mack
Monti madness
Brilliant write up Scott , and so Very true . !!! Patience is the key too success .. it's not about the end destination so much as , the journey it takes too get there ..It’s kind of funny to me how the same sorts of topics and issues keep popping up in the hobby world. Now two years removed from the business end of the reef world, I can see with a bit more clarity some of the happenings and trends in the hobby. And, talking to aquarists of all types daily, I am seeing what I find s somewhat obvious “cultural issue” we have in the hobby.
And I’ll come right out and state my “thesis” here:
I think that we- as a hobby, are not doing a good enough job celebrating the process of creating aquariums.
I think we celebrate the “finished product” and fail to celebrate the joy, the heartache, the time- and the patience- the journey-which go into an aquarium. And further, I don't think we as a hobby do enough to recognize the telltale signs of hobbyists going too fast..
Since you spend time on forums Like R2R, you’ll see evidence of this all over the place. And I’m not the only one who has been noticing this, as evidenced by the considerable number of pm’s and emails I receive, and, the discussions I’ve had with other hobbyists on the subject.
Okay, we do have “build threads”, which are pretty cool, I think! We at least facilitate the sharing of the process of building reef tanks. They’re pretty popular, as they are inuring, interesting, and for many- aspirational.
While the bulk of them do just that- celebrate the process- a disturbing number of them seem to exude an underlying feeling of “impatience”- a sense that there is a “destination” to get to- and that the person posting wants to get there really quickly! And I get this sense when I talk or correspond with some reefers, too. I see these types of “dysfunctional” (for want of a better word) build threads in reef keeping forums constantly, and they follow a very predictable path. They start out innocently and exciting enough- the tank concept is highlighted, the acquisition of (usually expensive) equipment is documented, and the build begins. The pace quickens. The urgency to “get the livestock in the tank ASAP” is palpable. Soon, pretty large chunks of change are dropped on some of the most trendy, expensive coral frags- or worse yet- colonies- available.
Everyone “oohs and ahhs” over the additions. Those who understand the processes involved- and really think about it- begin to realize that this is going too fast…that the process is being rushed…that shortcuts and “hacks” are cherished more than the natural processes required for success. Sure enough, within a month or so, frantic social media and forum posts are written by the builder, asking for help to figure out why his/her expensive corals are “struggling”, despite the amount spent on high-tech equipment and said corals from reputable vendors.
When suggestions are offered by members of the community, usually they’re about correcting some aspect of the nitrogen cycle or other critical biological function that was bypassed or downplayed by the aquarist. Usually, the “fixes” involve “doubling back” and spending more time to “re-boot” and do things more slowly. To let the system sort of evolve (oh- THAT word!) The “yeah, I know, but..” type of responses- the ones that deflect responsibility- start piling up from the hobbyist. Often, the tank owner will apply some misplaced blame to the equipment manufacturer, the livestock vendor, the LFS employee…almost anyone but himself/herself. And soon after, the next post is in the forum’s “For Sale” section, selling off components of a once-ambitious aquarium. Another hobbyist lost to lack of patience.
Patience.
The single most important thing you need for a successful reef tank (well, except maybe cash!)- and the thing we celebrate the least, IMHO. And we should celebrate it a lot more.
Because you really can’t skip the process…
Well, we can speed up some processes- adding bacterial additives to our new aquariums to “jump start” the nitrogen cycle. We can utilize nutritive soils and additives to help give plants the nutrition they need from day one. We can densely plant. All of these things and more are ways we have developed to speed up the natural processes which occur in our aquariums over time. They are band aids, props- quick starts…”hacks”, if you will. But they are not the key to establishing a successful long-term-viable aquarium. Ultimately, nature has to “approve” and work with any of the “boosts” we offer.
It’s a problem, IMHO. It doesn’t apply to everyone- it’s not always a devastating ending. However, it happens often enough to affect the hobby as a whole, especially when someone drops out because they went in with unrealistic expectations brought about by the observations they make every time they open up their iPad.
The problem is, we as a hobby love to highlight the finished product. We document and celebrate the beauty of the IAPLC (a global freshwater aquascaping contest) champion’s ‘scape. But we minimally document the process that it took to get there. The reality is that the journey to the so-called “finished product” is really every bit as interesting as the finished product itself! It’s where the magic lies. The process. The journey. The time. The evolution. The patience.
I’ve always found it somewhat odd to see those amazing high-concept planted tanks broken down in their prime by the owner, to start a new one. I guess it’s part of the culture of that niche…a sort of self-imposed “termination” when something new is desired. The “process” is about hitting certain benchmarks and moving on, I suppose. (and if you only have one tank and 500 ideas, and the goal is to enter it into a new contest, it makes sense) And we have to respect that. But we also have a duty to explain this to newcomers. We have to let people know that, even in one of those seemingly “temporary” displays, patience and the passage of time are required.
Sure, these aspects don’t make for the best “optics”, as they say in politics. You can’t show an empty, cloudy aquarium on Instagram or Facebook and get 400 “likes” on the pic. No one wants to see the results of 33 consecutive nitrate tests. It’s not sexy. Sadly, acceptance from others of how cool our tanks are is a big deal for many, so sharing an “under construction” tank is not as exciting for a lot of people, because we celebrate that “finished product” (whatever it is) more than the process of getting there. We simply need to celebrate patience, the journey, and the “evolution” of our aquariums more. After a lifetime in the hobby it’s pretty easy for a guy like me to see when things are going in a direction that may not give the happy outcome my fellow hobbyists want. I see this just as much in the freshwater world as I do in the reef world. And with concerns about the growth of the hobby always brought up in gatherings and discussions, I think we owe it to ourselves to look at this more seriously; to think about the impact of this stuff on “big picture” a bit more.
Think about this:
Part of the reason why we celebrate the “evolution” of reef tanks is because the very act of working with one of these tanks IS an evolution. A process. A celebration of sensory delights. A reef aquarium has a “cadence” of its own, which we can set up- but we must let nature dictate the timing and sequencing. It starts with an empty tank. Then, the mixing of saltwater, the addition of live rock and sand…The excitement of the initial placement of the rocks within the tank. The gradual “addition of the corals. The progressive development of biofilms and algae “patinas”. Ultimately, the growth of the corals and associated fauna. All part of a process which can’t be “hacked” or rushed. Mother Nature is in control.
We need to stress the process as much as the “finished product” (whatever that might be in this instance). I constantly talk about this, I know, but it’s really fundamental, IMHO. And it would be easy to describe my concern as very opinionated (well, it probably is…), but if you look at it objectively, it’s worth looking at.
We see people come into the hobby with some expectations of how they want their own reef to look, based on the tanks they see on forums and elsewhere. Human nature. Nothing wrong with having aspirational tanks to challenge us. Yet, we really need to stress the aesthetics of the tank during the “evolution” as part of the function, too. We should celebrate algae, coralline, and the growth and die off of some corals. It’s the very essence of Amano’s interpretation of Wabi-Sabi- the celebration of the transient nature of existence. And I get it. Not everyone appreciates the “zen-like” mindset I think is required to truly enjoy a reef like this. Not everyone finds the algae and small inverts growing on the undersides of live rock alluring. The fact that it closely replicates the natural reefs is of little consequence for the hobbyist who dislikes the heavy growth of various fauna and such, and wants a more “artistic” look to his/her tank, or a way to display his “LE” frags.. And not everyone is into water testing, gear, etc.
And that’s okay.
Most of us celebrate the process. The evolution. Savor the time it takes to see a tank mature in this fashion. We love new tanks, just starting the journey, because we know how they progress if they are left to do what nature wants them to do. We understand as a community that it takes time. It takes patience. And that the evolution is the part of the experience that we can savor most of all…because it’s continuous.
As a hobby in general, we need to document and celebrate the process. We need to have faith in nature, and relish the constant change, slow and indifferent to our needs though it may be. We need to emphasis to new and old aquarists alike that, in this 24/7/365 intent-enabled world we’re in- that patience, time, and evolution are all part of the enjoyment of the aquarium hobby. The smell of a brand new tank. The delight at the first new growth of a frag. The addition of the first fishes. All are experiences on a road -a journey- which will forever continue. As long as we allow the processes which enable it to do so.
Be kind to yourself. Be good to the hobby. Document. Share. Savor the process.
Stay patient. Stay generous. Stay honest. Stay curious.
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
FlamingGrapes
Community Member
Excellent article! Having one type of fish or another for 30 years, I whole heartily agree. Over the years my most treasured learning experiences and wins have come from stepping back, thinking about it, and observe what is happening with my tanks. This requires patience. Throwing cash or "better" equipment at the problems is not very fulfilling at the end of the day or successful many times. But discovering something you didn't realize before is! Happy Reefing.
OP
OP
And the journey- like EVERY aspect of it...is SO fun!
OP
OP
@Scott Fellman this was a great read. I had a tank when I lived at home that was set up with the cheapest equipment possible and was expecting to see a beautiful coral reef overnight. I was so under educated I would dump chemicals and supplements right into the water column and watch the one coral I had literally melt away. The common practice of the instant cycle and the first fish so soon I truly believe to play a role in people failure. This is such a rewarding hobby that people loose sight of the education and experience that are really needed to become successful.
Your article as inspired me to post an update in my build thread vowing to throughly document the journey to what I hope some day becomes a beautiful reef ecosystem. I'm getting back into the hobby after about 5 years off, I'm no expert but stuff like this really brings you back to reality I would be honored if you check out my build thread and any advice is always happily received!
Your article as inspired me to post an update in my build thread vowing to throughly document the journey to what I hope some day becomes a beautiful reef ecosystem. I'm getting back into the hobby after about 5 years off, I'm no expert but stuff like this really brings you back to reality I would be honored if you check out my build thread and any advice is always happily received!
OP
OP
Thanks for the kind words!
I love that you're "revisiting" your own build thread...I'd love to see long term updates...I mean, look at Paul's tank! Documenting a decades-long existence of a reef tank...amazing. Can you imagine what we would learn if everyone did that! Wow!
Scott
FugeReefer
Community Member
What a great article! I have had this same philosophy towards reefing since my wife got me tangled up in this wonderful world of saltwater aquariums a little over a year ago. In our time as reefers we have learned A LOT and made many mistakes, but we are all the better for it. I will soon be posting on R2R what our journey has been thus far and where we are headed next.
Along with that, I have decided to start a website and blog dedicated to this very philosophy of being patient along the reefing journey, because it is not about a destination, the wonder is in the process. I have been planning this web project for a few weeks now, and when I read your article, it was like an affirmation of my vision.
Thank you again, and I look forward to more of your sage wisdom!
-Chuck
Along with that, I have decided to start a website and blog dedicated to this very philosophy of being patient along the reefing journey, because it is not about a destination, the wonder is in the process. I have been planning this web project for a few weeks now, and when I read your article, it was like an affirmation of my vision.
Thank you again, and I look forward to more of your sage wisdom!
-Chuck
