jenreefer
Well-Known Member
I know there are many many great threads and articles on QT. For a new reefer, all the chemistry and plumbing alone can be overwhelming. This is even more reason to take it slow and steady and learn as you go. Making chemistry mistakes with one or two fish is less stressful that the same mistake with a tank full of fish and corals. Adding corals should not be done until long after the first volunteer fish have survived all the noob mistakes. Setting up a second small (used from another reefer) tank is easy enough and there is plenty of time to cycle it along with the main tank. You can pick up used equipment for pennies on the dollar.
While keeping a saltwater tank is not as easy as going to the lfs and buying a tank, a bucket of salt and a few really cute fish, it does not have to be daunting either. The advent of the internet with such great sites as reef2reef, where those new to the hobby can go to educate themselves, it has become a whole lot easier. The unfortunate reality of the lfs is that they are there to make money and many employees of such stores are 16 year old high school students in their first job. You can see where this is going. Mix the big box pet center with the 16 year old employee with the brand new hobbyist and you get the makings of an expensive disaster. This leads many aspiring hobbyists to leave the hobby before they even get started. (thus the really cheap used tanks and equipment for sale)
This is where we will start with this discussion of successful reef keeping for the new hobbyist. Before I get started, let me tell you about me. I am a veterinarian from Houston Texas. I got into reef keeping about 20 years ago, when sites like R2R were not available to the hobbyist. I joined my local club and started attending meetings. I was started my first saltwater fish tank like so many others by going to the big box store, buying the tank, the salt in a bucket, and two new fish, all at the same time. I did not know anything about what I was doing and neither did the store employee who helped me with my purchase. My only saving grace is that I bought two yellow tailed damsels who had been living in the less than optimal conditions at the big box store for who knows how long. I got home, mixed the salt water, and in they went. Long story short, they outlived many many other more expensive fish that I tried to keep and failed with. This was through nothing that I did or did not do.
My goal in this thread is to discuss my experiences, mostly bad in the beginning in an effort to explain why those new to the hobby should take a deep breath and slow down. With the huge amounts of money that can be spent (sometimes without even realizing how much you have invested) and the time investments, it is well worth it to decide from the very beginning to (as the engineers say) measure twice and cut once.
Next installment will be a timeline (only my opinion) of when and how to start adding livestock to your new tank.
happy reefing
Jen
While keeping a saltwater tank is not as easy as going to the lfs and buying a tank, a bucket of salt and a few really cute fish, it does not have to be daunting either. The advent of the internet with such great sites as reef2reef, where those new to the hobby can go to educate themselves, it has become a whole lot easier. The unfortunate reality of the lfs is that they are there to make money and many employees of such stores are 16 year old high school students in their first job. You can see where this is going. Mix the big box pet center with the 16 year old employee with the brand new hobbyist and you get the makings of an expensive disaster. This leads many aspiring hobbyists to leave the hobby before they even get started. (thus the really cheap used tanks and equipment for sale)
This is where we will start with this discussion of successful reef keeping for the new hobbyist. Before I get started, let me tell you about me. I am a veterinarian from Houston Texas. I got into reef keeping about 20 years ago, when sites like R2R were not available to the hobbyist. I joined my local club and started attending meetings. I was started my first saltwater fish tank like so many others by going to the big box store, buying the tank, the salt in a bucket, and two new fish, all at the same time. I did not know anything about what I was doing and neither did the store employee who helped me with my purchase. My only saving grace is that I bought two yellow tailed damsels who had been living in the less than optimal conditions at the big box store for who knows how long. I got home, mixed the salt water, and in they went. Long story short, they outlived many many other more expensive fish that I tried to keep and failed with. This was through nothing that I did or did not do.
My goal in this thread is to discuss my experiences, mostly bad in the beginning in an effort to explain why those new to the hobby should take a deep breath and slow down. With the huge amounts of money that can be spent (sometimes without even realizing how much you have invested) and the time investments, it is well worth it to decide from the very beginning to (as the engineers say) measure twice and cut once.
Next installment will be a timeline (only my opinion) of when and how to start adding livestock to your new tank.
happy reefing
Jen
