Reefing Fears: What are you afraid of most when it comes to reefing?

[HankstankXXL750]

I have three bubble tips, one in each tank with a pair of clowns. My first cam attached to a rock that the lfs threw in since they couldn’t extricate the anemone. I have placed that rock in different places in the tank, even moving it when I upgraded from a 110g to a 210g. It has never left the rock.
In a 75g I have one that found its location and hasn’t moved for a year. I decided to keep the 110 a reef (was going to go with a FOWLR) and added a pair of white clowns. This anemone has moved some, yet it hasn’t caused any problems. The clowns haven’t paired up with it as of yet. Had it since April.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Sharks...



In all seriousness, the only thing that I worry about is which coral my fish and invertebrates have decided to frag while I was asleep.

I have a shark lol.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I am always worried about a tank leak or burst. I don't know if I'm looking at Reddit too much but based on the posts there, it seems to happen a lot and it's giving me anxiety. This is one of the top 2 reasons why I can't/won't go with a large tank. The thought of the water damage is too much for me to handle. LOL

I don’t see it as a real problem. I think it can happen. I have seen some comments about it, but also see some thinking it comes from not setting the tanks level and solid. When I did it the first time I purchased used tanks, had them drilled and never had problems.
Doesn’t mean it can’t happen, but I wouldn’t use it as a reason not to get a bigger tank. IMO.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Considering my tank just boiled because of a heater malfunction 6 days ago, I will probably always be paranoid. I had the tank for about 3 months (bought a 2 y/o setup) (first tank) and sunk 800 dollars into it for it to burn up literally overnight. Lost all fish and all but 2 zoas who are looking pretty rough still. Got to 96 degrees.

So sorry. I have installed heater controllers so that a stuck on heater will get shut down before that happens.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I defiantly don't care about what the experienced reefers care about. Mechanical issues are easy to fix. I'm more worried about the water (algae, dinos, bacteria etc.) Fish dying for no apparent reason, corals dying for no apparent reason, algae popping up for no apparent reason.

IMO a reef tank is just a ticking time bomb.


Were just waiting around for something to go wrong.

Ill admit if I knew it was this in-depth and your always walking a fine line I wouldn't have started this journey. Now I'm just trying my best. Cyano just popped up this week in my tank is just an example.

Yes, but the experiences reefer will tell you to be patient. The longer the tank is running the more stable it will be. Attack those issues, like cyano, patiently with diligence. Don’t t over react or you might just start the next problem. Lots and lots of great threads here on R2R to help you over come them. I love my tanks, but get the greatest joy when my wife or daughter exclaim in glee at something they see inside.

 

[doubleshot00]

Yes, but the experiences reefer will tell you to be patient. The longer the tank is running the more stable it will be. Attack those issues, like cyano, patiently with diligence. Don’t t over react or you might just start the next problem. Lots and lots of great threads here on R2R to help you over come them. I love my tanks, but get the greatest joy when my wife or daughter exclaim in glee at something they see inside.

I haven’t done a thing yet to combat it. Just ticks me off thats all. This hobby is for the experienced imo. Sure some people get lucky on there first tank and its just perfect but man i did everything by the book. Now have cyano. Im sure next week will be bryopsis then the week after ill have a dead fish. Literally its always something.

Ive told this story before but i got into this because my dad had a tank when i was a kid. Anenomes, clowns and a eel. He used saltwater from the local store and only did a WC every 3-6 months. Sand always looked flawless and rock work was always clean. Those fish lived for YEARS. I just don’t get why its so difficult now.

 

[ShoalSister]

My greatest worry seems to be one in common with many here and that is a tank cracking. It happened to me last year. Luckily we were home and quickly set up our spare tank, moved water and equipment over, then livestock, then drained the cracked tank as fast as possible. Was a long night, but no water hit the floor and all livestock lived.

Having experienced it, am now semi-obsessed with the thought, even though it only happened once in 25 years of keeping fish.

We have cameras on our tank to check on them when we are away, but a crack probably won't show up on the camera. So hoping our pet caretaker will check on their daily visit. That's not very comforting...

 

[ShoalSister]

Fire & leaks. Been through a tank/house fire some years ago.

Currently dealing with this... The past few weeks were a bit sleepless! Tank is drained now.

Sorry! How did the fire start

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Sorry! How did the fire start

Late 80's, in my teens, pre gfci outlet days. Return pump shorted and melted the wire and outlet, electrical fire. Luckily only damaged the garage and shared living room wall.

My personal experience was a gfci outlet that failed in 2008. It luckily was contained to the tank stand (for the most part). Not much fire but a LOT of smoke and dead fish! That was in my discus days.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

I haven’t done a thing yet to combat it. Just ticks me off thats all. This hobby is for the experienced imo. Sure some people get lucky on there first tank and its just perfect but man i did everything by the book. Now have cyano. Im sure next week will be bryopsis then the week after ill have a dead fish. Literally its always something.

Ive told this story before but i got into this because my dad had a tank when i was a kid. Anenomes, clowns and a eel. He used saltwater from the local store and only did a WC every 3-6 months. Sand always looked flawless and rock work was always clean. Those fish lived for YEARS. I just don’t get why its so difficult now.

I haven’t done a thing yet to combat it. Just ticks me off thats all. This hobby is for the experienced imo. Sure some people get lucky on there first tank and its just perfect but man i did everything by the book. Now have cyano. Im sure next week will be bryopsis then the week after ill have a dead fish. Literally its always something.

Ive told this story before but i got into this because my dad had a tank when i was a kid. Anenomes, clowns and a eel. He used saltwater from the local store and only did a WC every 3-6 months. Sand always looked flawless and rock work was always clean. Those fish lived for YEARS. I just don’t get why its so difficult now.

I don’t know how many people “get lucky” with their first tank. I went through all the struggles when I started back in the late 80’s. I’ve had better luck this go around. I say mostly because of the improvements in technology. Almost all tanks go through an ugly phase. And there is definitely maintenance. But it takes time. Once established they get easier and can be definitely rewarding. Best of luck.

 

[flyfisher2]

Hurricanes! Last one, hurricane Maria in 2017, left the entire island (Puerto Rico) without electricity for over a month.

In Puerto Rico you need a generator more than any other piece of gear.

 

[Mark Goode]

what have you been afraid of that has never happened?

Everything. I always have this low level of dread that I've bitten off more than I can chew, and that leads to feelings of guilt because of all the fish I'm going to kill. I haven't even bought any yet (just one leather coral, a few snails and six hermit crabs).

 

[Av8tor2]

Not the same, but the same. Having fitting, pipe or seam bursting which causes loss of beloved pets.

I worked in a building that, one day had a LOT of water dumped on the flat roof from a MASSIVE thunderstorm. 1/3 of the building pancaked out, broke a 6" water main in the building. (thank god this happened on a Sunday). This is the same weekend that I broke my ankle the day before the building fell down. I got frantic call just after the build collapsed, (while on pain meds). Got to the building and stood in my server room with 8 inches of water on the floor.

But the moral of the story is, millions of dollars was lost, but not a single person was hurt. So I hope never to lose a pet to a flooding mistake.

 

[Suesea]

A seam busting and it flooding my house.

Wow!!! That's a big one for me almost a phobia. My new set up has only been up since November of 2021 it's a 125g and the only reason I have it is because my 75g had little hair line cracks about three. It's all I could think of, hence the 125g. Now I m seeing the same sort of little hair line cracks in the 125g... I am a wreck with worry.

 

[Suesea]

Things dying. Even ten dollar fish.

What? Wait... you found a ten dollar fish?

 

[Greybeard]

Several folks posted about keeping fishes fed on vacation...

Automated feeders work pretty well. I've got a pair of Apex auto feeders, one with PE Pellets, one with Hikari Seaweed Extreme pellets. Both set to very small feedings, 4x per day.

Even when I'm home, the auto feeders do most of my feeding these days. I thaw a bit of frozen foods every other day or so, but my tank can happily exist on the pellets for quite some time. At my small feeding amounts, a full Apex feeder will go about 3 weeks between fills.

Oh, BRS/Apex... if you happen to read this: How 'bout some sort of alarm on empty? Even a calculated one... I'll tell you when I filled it, do a calibration to see how much I'm dosing, you let me know when it's time to refill. Please?

I've not used the other brands, but I'd guess about any would work.

 

[Suesea]

Reading this thread was a terrible idea. I want to go back to ignorance.

I totally agree. My anxiety level was about normal until I read all these.... now I'm screwed my day is ruined

 

[HankstankXXL750]

Several folks posted about keeping fishes fed on vacation...

Automated feeders work pretty well. I've got a pair of Apex auto feeders, one with PE Pellets, one with Hikari Seaweed Extreme pellets. Both set to very small feedings, 4x per day.

Even when I'm home, the auto feeders do most of my feeding these days. I thaw a bit of frozen foods every other day or so, but my tank can happily exist on the pellets for quite some time. At my small feeding amounts, a full Apex feeder will go about 3 weeks between fills.

Oh, BRS/Apex... if you happen to read this: How 'bout some sort of alarm on empty? Even a calculated one... I'll tell you when I filled it, do a calibration to see how much I'm dosing, you let me know when it's time to refill. Please?

I've not used the other brands, but I'd guess about any would work.

That works if you feed pellets. I have fish that still only take live, and my predators that eat large frozen. No pellets.
But feeding is my least concern when away. Biggest is a sudden change and tank sitter either unable or unwilling to do what needs done.

 

[kiran]

Mine is my Red Seas seams giving out and flooding my room with 150gals of water.

 

[HankstankXXL750]

After reading all of these I have to say that reefing isn’t for the faint of heart. I mostly just enjoy my tanks and don’t worry. That being said I recently moved my Red Sea XL525 and during the process got an infection in an open sore on my hand. Yes I forgot to put on my gloves. Have them, just got in a hurry. Been to the Dr. On antibiotics.