Does time in reefing equal proficiency in reefing? Let's talk about it!

[AlexandraDreadlocksPanda]

I’ve been keeping reef for 20 years now. In that time I have accrued a lot of knowledge. However, the hobby is exponential in that what I expect of my reef / want to keep increases constantly. Also, I am high functioning female ADHD so I REALLY struggle with things like long term basic routine maintenance… As I’ve discovered more about by ADHD I’m finding ways to counteract this. Using an app to record test results has been a start, I could just do with one that also has a built in diary that would let me set reminders to change RO pre filters, DI resin, CO2 scrubber media, etc etc…

 

[mjszos]

I picked other because as with everything in life, in order to become more proficient at something you must be willing to fail and learn. I think in a BRS video they claimed the overwhelming majority of people don't make it more than a year in this hobby, and in my opinion much of that can be attributed to a lack of concise, meaningful knowledge.

While there is a tremendous amount of information on this forum for instance, for every piece of information you read you can find a conflicting piece of information. It can be overwhelming for many people to do the amount of research required to maintain proper husbandry of these animals.

I can speak for myself that I have learned a tremendous amount of the 4-5 years I've been in this hobby, but I also feel as though I've had to unlearn virtually everything I knew every time I go down a rabbit hole.

So do you learn more the longer you're in the hobby? Sure. Is that good knowledge that you're carrying? Not always.

 

[Subsea]

Time in reefing SHOULD equal proficiency unless the reefer has unlimited funds to constantly replace dead fish and corals. In reality (and in fact I've been thinking of doing it) - I believe I could set up a small tank with an anemone and 2 clowns - with dry rock and bottled bacteria - and be successful. I do not believe a high school junior could do the same. (no offense to high school juniors)

Kudos to this post.

After 55 years of Reefing: the more I learn; the more I realize how much I don’t know.