Mentorship

[Reaper_Six_Four]

Hey everyone,
I’ve a novice at best when it comes to reefing. I’ve successfully established a tank with no mentorship and am in the middle of starting a new one. I feel I have much much more to learn in this hobby and would like to find an adequate mentor who I can learn from. I’m from Central Texas, it’s a bit hard to find reefing hobbyist in my area. How would you recommend I go about finding a mentor?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

My advice is to read as much as you can from the sticky threads in various forums. A lot of folks have taken the time to put together comprehensive guides about different aspects of the hobby; take advantage of this :)

And welcome!

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

My advice is to read as much as you can from the sticky threads in various forums. A lot of folks have taken the time to put together comprehensive guides about different aspects of the hobby; take advantage of this :)

And welcome!

Thank you.

 

[G Santana]

Search the forums, formulate your questions and ask. People here are more than willing and capable to give good solid advice based on years of experience.
You have passed the biggest hurdle by establishing a tank, once it matures then you just have to refine it.

Feel free to ask, never feel bad about asking, inevitably the question you ask, someone else is looking for that answer.

 

[Kodski]

While I agree with what's said above, I'm sure it isn't something you haven't already thought of. If you are adamant on finding someone local, have a search around on the forum as well as facebook for a local reefing club. They aren't as popular as they once were with the internet and all, but they do still exist. Many clubs welcome new hobbyists with open arms and I think it will seem to be more like a mentorship compared to the forums for you.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Another piece of advice I see given for this sort of thing is to find a tank you really admire here on R2R and emulate what that person does/did - you might be able to reach out to the tank owner for pointers (or a more official mentorship) or you can just read up on how they setup and manage their tank, deal with issues, etc. in their build thread.

Good luck!

 

[Susan Edwards]

this forum is one of the best resources out there. Most here are very generous with their time. Find member tanks your side/equipment etc. and read their build threads. Also, read the discussion forum. So much here

 

[shakacuz]

look to join your local reef club and search for an active reefer who is near you, to start.

aside from the plethora of information on this website and the internet, nothing beats being able to learn things from someone in person.

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

look to join your local reef club and search for an active reefer who is near you, to start.

aside from the plethora of information on this website and the internet, nothing beats being able to learn things from someone in person.

Agreed. There are hundreds of ways to do things with 1k various opinions on it. Problem for me is I'm not aware of any clubs near me (I should ask my LFS).

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

look to join your local reef club and search for an active reefer who is near you, to start.

aside from the plethora of information on this website and the internet, nothing beats being able to learn things from someone in person.

You missed this part...

...I’m from Central Texas, it’s a bit hard to find reefing hobbyist in my area.

 

[shakacuz]

You missed this part...

yet s/he can still commute, if s/he is willing.

lots of resources out there, just a matter of “how much do you want it”. but yes, thanks for catching that for me.

 

[shakacuz]

Problem for me is I'm not aware of any clubs near me (I should ask my LFS).

have you checked here?: https://www.reef2reef.com/account/join-user-groups

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

have you checked here?: https://www.reef2reef.com/account/join-user-groups

No, but I will right now. Thank you!

 

[PeterC99]

My secret - Find the top “local” coral seller (regular reefer) in your area and start building the relationship! Buy corals, ask questions, seek advice. Show your keen interest in being a successful reefer by listening and closely following the expert advice. Before you know it, you will have your mentor. Then keep him/her up-to-date on your progress.

 

[shakacuz]

No, but I will right now. Thank you!

i apologize. that’s what i originally meant about “looking for a local reef club”!

try here as well: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/local-reef-club-discussion.516/

good luck!

 

[Wrassenaround]

Search the forums, formulate your questions and ask. People here are more than willing and capable to give good solid advice based on years of experience.
You have passed the biggest hurdle by establishing a tank, once it matures then you just jave to refine it.

Feel free to ask, never feel bad about asking, inevitably the question you ask, someone else is looking for that answer.

This is so true, the hardest part of owning a reef tank is the first few months while everything is settling in. Don’t try chasing numbers, watch what your corals look like and go for what makes them happy. Once your tank becomes mature that’s when the real fun begins! I have found it super helpful to read as much as possible on Reef2Reef and I have also learned a lot from watching ReefBuilders and Alex of ReefDork on YouTube. Tons of valuable information from those two channels.
Remember nothing good happens overnight, it’s a marathon not a sprint!

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Agreed. There are hundreds of ways to do things with 1k various opinions on it. Problem for me is I'm not aware of any clubs near me (I should ask my LFS).

I would be happy to help find some local clubs near you. Where in Texas are you located? (feel free to Private message us as well) :-)
-Raven

 

[Reaper_Six_Four]

I would be happy to help find some local clubs near you. Where in Texas are you located? (feel free to Private message us as well) :)
-Raven

Pm sent. Thank you

 

[lefkonj]

Would be great to find a Reef Mentor. I am sure they could help me improve my success with corals instead of just tossing money out on things that die quickly.

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

Would be great to find a Reef Mentor. I am sure they could help me improve my success with corals instead of just tossing money out on things that die quickly.

Visit LFS(s) in your area. Go to as many as you can. Look around - see what you see. Frag tables nice? Clean? Youll find a couple that are better than others. You may also find ppl/customers in there talking. Talk to them. Owners of those well maintained shops - talk to them. Ask questions. Now you have a rapport with ppl. BOOM!