Poll/General questions

[SeattleReefer]

Hi y’all, I am doing a journalism class at school and my topic is reef aquariums and exotic pets. I have already asked my LFS about their experience with selling, but I wanted to ask more general questions to get a wider range of answers. Thanks in advance!
1. What is your favorite clownfish type?
2. How long have you have you been in the hobby?
3. What should beginners know when getting into the hobby?
4. Favorite coral?
5. Favorite fish?
6. We all make mistakes! What are yours?
My biggest mistake was rushing through the cycling process, anyways thanks I guess!

 

[Fish Fan]

I'll try to help:

1. What is your favorite clownfish type?

Normal, regular, wild-type Clownfish.

2. How long have you have you been in the hobby?

Off and on, since the mid 1980's.

3. What should beginners know when getting into the hobby?

Take things slowly, and don't try to reinvent the wheel on your first tank.

4. Favorite coral?

Probably torches

5. Favorite fish?

Copper Band Butterfly fish

6. We all make mistakes! What are yours?
My biggest mistake was rushing through the cycling process, anyways thanks I guess!

Not having a heater controller on a 15 gallon that I cooked about a year or so ago.

Good luck with your project!

 

[SeattleReefer]

I'll try to help:

1. What is your favorite clownfish type?

Normal, regular, wild-type Clownfish.

2. How long have you have you been in the hobby?

Off and on, since the mid 1980's.

3. What should beginners know when getting into the hobby?

Take things slowly, and don't try to reinvent the wheel on your first tank.

4. Favorite coral?

Probably torches

5. Favorite fish?

Copper Band Butterfly fish

6. We all make mistakes! What are yours?
My biggest mistake was rushing through the cycling process, anyways thanks I guess!

Not having a heater controller on a 15 gallon that I cooked about a year or so ago.

Good luck with your project!

Thanks for the answers!

 

[twentyleagues]

1. None clowns are the devils work.
2. Late ,90s with a 12year hiatus from 10 -22
3.There are many ways to reef pick a style and stick to it. Find a mentor if possible.
4.Torch or elegance
5. Unsure but probably a Naso tang
6. Years ago I thought it would be grand to have 2 300g stock tanks 1 with a couple bamboo cats and the other with not so reef safe fish tied into my reef system. Not great. High "nutrients", If sharks are happy and healthy they grow quite rapidly, stars and stripes puffers are also the devils work.

 

[X-37B]

1. My naked clowns.
2. Since 1988
3. A good understanding of what is involved in keeping a reef tank.
4. Stags
5. Swallowtail Angel
6. Not putting a hose clamp on my current 150 return. I bumped it moving a skimmer and next morning woke to 20g's on the floor. Sometimes it's the minor overlooked things that get you.
Titainium clamps on all returns now.

 

[Biokabe]

Hi y’all, I am doing a journalism class at school and my topic is reef aquariums and exotic pets. I have already asked my LFS about their experience with selling, but I wanted to ask more general questions to get a wider range of answers. Thanks in advance!
1. What is your favorite clownfish type?
2. How long have you have you been in the hobby?
3. What should beginners know when getting into the hobby?
4. Favorite coral?
5. Favorite fish?
6. We all make mistakes! What are yours?
My biggest mistake was rushing through the cycling process, anyways thanks I guess!

1. Black-and-white, aquacultured ocellaris clowns. Black and white, because Finding Nemo has forever ruined regular clowns for me, and I think the black and white coloration is quite striking. Aquacultured, because I would love it for our entire hobby to eventually be captive-bred. And nothing fancier than that, because intentionally trying to breed creatures for specific aesthetic looks tends to cause them long-term genetic problems.

2. 16 years.

3. This is a frequently expensive, frequently frustrating hobby that is immensely rewarding when you get it right and absolutely heartbreaking when you don't. If you don't have an infinite bank account, stretch your dollars as far as you can by researching until your eyes bleed. And above all else, have patience. However much patience you think you have, develop more.

4. Probably acropora, but it's like asking who your favorite child is. Even if there is an answer, you feel terrible giving it.

5. Crosshatch Triggerfish. Like with corals, there are many others that could hold this spot, and if you asked me tomorrow I might give you a different answer.

6. You don't have enough time to read through all my mistakes. =) My most recent mistake was adding a bubble-tip anemone and not aggressively corralling and removing the splits as they occurred.