My Best Piece Of Advice For Newbies

raylinds

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I am just getting back into the hobby after a 20 year absence so have not been giving much advice, but after reading some of the posts I feel compelled to give some advice that has not changed in those 20 years: Please resist impulse purchases of livestock that you know nothing about. Sure, the LFS tells you that the Hippo Tang will be fine in your 50 gallon tank, but do your homework and research for yourself before making a purchase.

Some of the things that are important to know include (but are not limited to):
Is it compatible with livestock that you currently have or plan to get?
Is it something that is hard to keep alive and requires advanced care from a more experienced reefer?
Is it something that will thrive in your newly cycled tank, or does it require a more established tank?
Will it outgrow your tank eventually?
Can I provide the necessary lighting and flow requirements?
If the fish a jumper and is my tank prepared for that?
Is this something that could end up in a powerhead or overflow and have I taken the appropriate precautions to prevent that?

Perhaps others can add things that I haven't mentioned.

Bottom line is- keeping livestock is a serious responsibility and nobody wants to be responsible for the senseless death of a living creature.

Unfortunately, everyone eventually experiences the loss of livestock (even if just from old age), but a little research can help prevent a preventable loss.

The "Need help deciding on whether or not a fish is right for your tank? Post here and we'll help!" thread in this forum is a great resource- I have used it myself.

Happy Reefing!
 

Auquanut

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As a fairly new reefer, the only thing I would add is: Learn when enough is enough. As the system matures and everything seems fine, it's tempting to keep adding that one more fish. Fortunately for me, my wife is the voice of reason in our home and keeps me from overstocking.
 

Auquanut

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Doh! raylinds beat me to it.
 

norfolkgarden

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As a fairly new reefer, the only thing I would add is: Learn when enough is enough. As the system matures and everything seems fine, it's tempting to keep adding that one more fish. Fortunately for me, my wife is the voice of reason in our home and keeps me from overstocking.
^^^^^^^^^ this.

I have crashed my tank and lost beautiful fish with awesome personalities trying to add 1 more small fish. [emoji17]
 
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