Do you consider yourself to be "A Real Reefer" and what does that look like?

Do you consider yourself to be a "Real Reefer" at this point in your hobby journey?

  • YES a real reefer because I can grow coral

    Votes: 178 43.7%
  • YES a real reefer because I can keep coral alive

    Votes: 84 20.6%
  • YES a real reefer because I have a reef aquarium

    Votes: 96 23.6%
  • NO but I am on my way to being a real reefer

    Votes: 96 23.6%
  • NO and never will be

    Votes: 28 6.9%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 29 7.1%

  • Total voters
    407

randalli

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lol's. I'm leaving my tank with my hubby for 5 days. He has printed schedules for morning and nite duties. I hate leaving my tank as I know it well. Even by sound.
That exactly. I have a very dedicated friend who watches my tank when I am not home for longer than 3 days in a row. She knows most of the things needed and she is a chemist which means I don't have to explain like 70% of the trait to her and she can do a test if needed and dose without killing herself. I can trust her expertise. She is so accurate that she insists coming over before I leave even though nothing has changed to take notes of everything and even asks things I never would have explained to anybody else because I don't think they matter. Yes she is as real scientist. But even though she already knows 70% and watches my tank(s) for 10 years now, she only does that so often and not every day. And the 70% are the parts that do not need any checking most of the time when I have dialled it in. Most things I have automated anyway. It's like 5% that I expect to go wrong and these 5% need experience with the specific setup. I also know my tank by sound. And explain a specific sound to somebody. Even my spouse which also knows my tank by sound refers to some things as "that bubbly sound" ... but that bubbly sound can mean 5 things really. She knows those 5 things but she cannot distinguish the sound and has to check all 5 things.

imho a real reefer is one that is dedicated to the hobby, learns from failure and even maxes out her/his credit card and goes day and night just to do everything possible to care for everything creeping about in this system. Somebody who wants to know every aspect of this ecosystem. Somebody trying to be just a bit better in this hobby every day :)
 

randalli

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lol's. I'm leaving my tank with my hubby for 5 days. He has printed schedules for morning and nite duties. I hate leaving my tank as I know it well. Even by sound.
That exactly. I have a very dedicated friend who watches my tank when I am not home for longer than 3 days in a row. She knows most of the things needed and she is a chemist which means I don't have to explain like 70% of the trait to her and she can do a test if needed and dose without killing herself. I can trust her expertise. She is so accurate that she insists coming over before I leave even though nothing has changed to take notes of everything and even asks things I never would have explained to anybody else because I don't think they matter. Yes she is as real scientist. But even though she already knows 70% and watches my tank(s) for 10 years now, she only does that so often and not every day. And the 70% are the parts that do not need any checking most of the time when I have dialled it in. Most things I have automated anyway. It's like 5% that I expect to go wrong and these 5% need experience with the specific setup. I also know my tank by sound. And explain a specific sound to somebody. Even my spouse which also knows my tank by sound refers to some things as "that bubbly sound" ... but that bubbly sound can mean 5 things really. She knows those 5 things but she cannot distinguish the sound and has to check all 5 things.

imho a real reefer is one that is dedicated to the hobby, learns from failure and even maxes out her/his credit card and goes day and night just to do everything possible to care for everything creeping about in this system. Somebody who wants to know every aspect of this ecosystem. Somebody trying to be just a bit better in this hobby every day :)
 

atoll

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I have no idea what a real Reefer is. Never found a definition of a real Reefer. Maybe a wannabe Reefer would be a better description of what I am
 

terraincognita

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I think a real reefer is a mix of knowledge level and passion.

If all you've ever grown is leathers, but you have a tank and knowledge level of someone 10 years in the hobby and "could" do SPS but chose not to, you're still a real reefer.

If you enjoy the hobby to the point you could see yourself doing it for life, you're a real reefer.

But even if you grow SPS 6 months after being in the hobby. Until you've put a wedding ring on commited to the reef game, are you a real reefer? They call it "husbandry" for a reason right :D xD
 

Reefer Reboot

F.V.P.!
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Would I consider myself a "Real Reefer"? Nah!! Only mother nature could qualify for that title. I think us hobbyists are more like "reef imprisoners" with a tendency towards the experimental.
 

shakacuz

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i believe a "real" reefer is probably someone who has dealt with every kind of nuisance/problem there is in this hobby and overcame it. with the knowledge they earned/learned, they passed it down to share the wealth. growing coral and keeping it alive are quite frankly easy once you learn the fundamentals (stability). being able to find solutions, whether chemical or holistic is more of a challenge, i believe.
 

design.maddie

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When people ask me what my hobby is I always reply in "I love coral propagation, I breed corals." I have propagated soft corals, LPS and SPS. It just fascinates me how their cells work. I have been putting serious thought into opening a farm or even a public display shop.
 

Dburr1014

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I voted other.
I didn't know the answer of that multiple choice.
I have a tank, I have coral, I keep them alive and they grow. Does that make me a reefer?
I try to help others, I have been known to donate/give coral away weather to my club or hobbiest.
I read about the latest research, gear, ect. I have a magazine subscription.

Yes, I'm a reefer. But I think it's more than having a tank and keeping coral alive. It's to my bones I'm a reefer and it's been many years and I've helped many hobbiests.
 

psycomnky

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I got back into the hobby after 10-15 years. I think anyone that is passionate about the hobby is a "reefer" now a proficient reefer? Well that's another story...lol. I'm working my way there AMAZING on how much had changed. I just figured I had to learn from scratch and that's pretty much what it was. It's been one year since I stated my new tank. I think learning what equipment was crap (hope I can say that it not apologies) and what wasn't. My biggest lesson was buying quality products from the start. I'm just now starting to add corals and with the exception of clove polyps everyone is happy, especially GSP, growing like crazy.
 

sawdonkey

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Yes, I’m a real Reefer because more often than not, I have superglue stuck to my fingernails and I often say the phrase, “I need to go make water.”
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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I know a guy who has only a fishbowl and a few frags / calls it a reef


but he spends all day working remotely on other peoples large reefs, constantly fixing them where the owners enjoyment increases vs decreases


does remote piloting count as reefing, assuming fishbowling does not? Do you have to actually own a large reef to be a reefer
 

DJMCB35

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If you’re running a reef tank, however successfully, you’re a Reefer. I voted “other” because there are simply enough “judgy” issues nowadays. Too many to have someone else try to steal your joy because they don’t feel you’re doing it right. I’ve ridden Harley Davidsons for years and the same conversation goes on incessantly in bike forums… are you a “real biker” or not. It’s silly and inevitably leads to more negative than positive discussions.
 

Pankney72

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Here’s my metric not necessarily for “reefer” but for advanced aquarist.

you consistently provide a sufficient environment for all the life you keep to show all of its natural behaviors. Not just surviving but thriving.
 

Mschmidt

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I votes other because what even is a 'real reefer'? I have what constitutes two reef tanks; that is to say corals and fish together, but being a keeper is much more enigmatic.
 

Lyss

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This reminds me of when I first moved to NYC like 16 years ago and some ppl, when they found out I was a recent transplant, would be like, oh so you’re not a real NYer yet. I didn’t like that b/c maybe I was new but I lived there and paid rent and taxes there full time, so as far as the city and state were concerned I was real. Now when ppl learn I’ve been here more than a decade they say, oh so you’re a real NYer now. Lol

I think “real” is just another more annoying way of saying “newbie.”

Edit: I recently had to pull a small Eunice worm out of my tank, and as freaked out as I was by it, I did it. I feel like maybe that makes me a real reefer?
 
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Reefvision

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While I know that I am still learning and will be forever, I think I can consider myself a successful reefer. Last weekend I had to trim down some of my coral. Considering the prices of a one inch acro frag, I estimate that I threw out over a $1000 in digit, milli and montipora. It was very sad but I don’t have my grow out tank setup yet and my local LFSs aren’t interested in trades or even free inventory
I know that Monti-caps grow fast but man did it hurt to break up this colony.

FF704565-CE88-44C3-9B55-C42B1941BC42.jpeg
00139FA5-095E-46F8-9A38-11E26BCFBD39.jpeg
Been there as well- sad
 
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