Aquaph8
Love The Fish
Please give us your best 3 pieces of advice you would give yourself if you go back in time to when you just started. I will transfer this info to the beginner forum once we get enough info.
Experienced reefers help
- Thread starter Aquaph8
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kschweer
Moderator
1) be patient things will not happen overnight unless it's something bad
2) research, research, research. Whether it be new additions, new equipment or anything else. If there's a problem with your tank 99% of time someone has been through it and can help you
3) buy quality equipment. Don't start cheap and have to re-buy things because the don't work well or were not made well and break.
I'm sure I have more but those are my top 3.
P.s. Great idea for a thread
2) research, research, research. Whether it be new additions, new equipment or anything else. If there's a problem with your tank 99% of time someone has been through it and can help you
3) buy quality equipment. Don't start cheap and have to re-buy things because the don't work well or were not made well and break.
I'm sure I have more but those are my top 3.
P.s. Great idea for a thread
glb
7500 Club Member
1. Spend a ton of time researching before you buy anything! You'll save yourself a lot of aggravation later by thinking through what you want first. You'll also save a lot of money.
2. Learn what you can skimp on and what needs to be higher end. Lights and a skimmer are items you should by for quality. That being said, you can get good ones for less if you look around.
3. Don't start with expensive livestock! We all have a steep learning curve and you'll be even more upset if a newcomers' mistake kills off an exotic fish or rare coral. On that same note, start with the easier fish and corals!
2. Learn what you can skimp on and what needs to be higher end. Lights and a skimmer are items you should by for quality. That being said, you can get good ones for less if you look around.
3. Don't start with expensive livestock! We all have a steep learning curve and you'll be even more upset if a newcomers' mistake kills off an exotic fish or rare coral. On that same note, start with the easier fish and corals!
acolotto
Active Member
1.) Research and plan out the tank before buying a single piece of rock or equipment, because this can all change based on what you want to keep in your saltwater aquarium.
2.) Slow down and then slow down again. Dont add fish/coral all at once, allow the time to complete a fishless cycle (you wont regret it, much better way to cycle), do not buy products that help reduce nutrients, etc. until you can reduce and fix these problems basically only using water changes (this will help learn how to properly maintain params without outside help)
3.) NO IMPULSE BUYS! These can crash tanks! That fish you had to have but dont have a qt setup can give your whole system ich, that coral could be something you will not like because it grows to quickly (xenia, kenya tree, blue snowflake coral, etc), inverts may not all be reef safe or allow for other inverts to be present (CC Star, Coral Banded)
and 4 cause its important
Become an active member of your local reef club! (if you dont have one, im sure your closest city/state that does have one will welcome you with open arms) My local group has always been there to help and answer with any questions, good price corals/fish/equipment, group buys, and great friends! And its nice because in case of an emergency you will have access to local people that can help in a pinch! Have fun and stay wet!
2.) Slow down and then slow down again. Dont add fish/coral all at once, allow the time to complete a fishless cycle (you wont regret it, much better way to cycle), do not buy products that help reduce nutrients, etc. until you can reduce and fix these problems basically only using water changes (this will help learn how to properly maintain params without outside help)
3.) NO IMPULSE BUYS! These can crash tanks! That fish you had to have but dont have a qt setup can give your whole system ich, that coral could be something you will not like because it grows to quickly (xenia, kenya tree, blue snowflake coral, etc), inverts may not all be reef safe or allow for other inverts to be present (CC Star, Coral Banded)
and 4 cause its important
Become an active member of your local reef club! (if you dont have one, im sure your closest city/state that does have one will welcome you with open arms) My local group has always been there to help and answer with any questions, good price corals/fish/equipment, group buys, and great friends! And its nice because in case of an emergency you will have access to local people that can help in a pinch! Have fun and stay wet!
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1. Look at corals/inverts and fish for stress before correcting chemistry. Before you intervene make sure you really have a problem.
2. Do not do water changes, change out equipment the day before you go on vacation, make sure AC is on if appropriate.
3. Make one correction at a time.
2. Do not do water changes, change out equipment the day before you go on vacation, make sure AC is on if appropriate.
3. Make one correction at a time.
Study everything you can get your hands on.
Be patient.
Buy the best equipment you can afford.
Be patient.
Buy the best equipment you can afford.
kacrocorals581
Gotta have that acro
remember that the only thing that happens fast in reef tanks are the mistakes 2 buy it once buy it right for anything tank or equipment 3 never trust a (V) ;,,; (V)
Oscaror
Back In It
3) Don't use a canister filter
2) Don't get cheap equipment, no matter what, it won't do you good
1) (for corals) If you don't love it, don't buy it! Your tank will fill up and when you see a coral you really like you can't get it
2) Don't get cheap equipment, no matter what, it won't do you good
1) (for corals) If you don't love it, don't buy it! Your tank will fill up and when you see a coral you really like you can't get it
mfinn
likes zoanthids
1. Quarantine everything.
2. Quarantine everything.
3. Quarantine everything.
2. Quarantine everything.
3. Quarantine everything.
mfinn
likes zoanthids
And that's not just for someone just starting out.
Even older experienced reefers need to remember that.
Even older experienced reefers need to remember that.
Ask the forums for advice before your LFS. Bottom line is, the LFS is there to make money and rightfully so.
DaveMorris
MACNA2016 Co-Chair
1. Buy the absolute best equipment that you can afford from the start.
2. Use a controller and consider it a vital part of your tank set up. It helps with consistency and stability.
3. Do not chase numbers when you are testing for different parameters. You will go insane.
2. Use a controller and consider it a vital part of your tank set up. It helps with consistency and stability.
3. Do not chase numbers when you are testing for different parameters. You will go insane.
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