Things you wish you knew as a beginner

[Koby]

New too the salty side of things, I’ve been doing freshwater off and on since I was 8 years old. I got my tank all set up and I’m in the stage of adding coral, fish. All that good stuff, I got a 30 gallon tank right now but I am getting a 120 gallon tank soon and I’m wanting this 30 gallon tank too be a quarantine tank: grow out tank maybe. I was at the fish store today buying some coral and an experienced reefer told me too avoid this coral, It got me thinking. So for those of you who have been doing this for some time what’s some knowledge that’s not talked about a lot too new people starting out, fish too avoid, corals too avoid etc. it can be anything, just things you wish you knew as a beginner. Thank you for your advice and time

 

[littlefoxx]

Research your fish, tank size and requirements and plan a stocking list and stick to it! My best advice :)

 

[Red_Beard]

Yep. The more you know, the more you know. You know?
Research is key, but also is having a general idea of what you want. Some additions will preclude or exclude others. Like if you want a sps tank, dont load up on leathers and mushrooms beforehand. If you want to get certain fish, you may not be able to keep certain coral. Some fish are great, but not with certain other fish.
I guess what i am saying, is think of your system as a whole when considering additions, both current and desired. That should help you keep impulse buys at least in line with your goals and keep your habitat harmonious.

 

[Koby]

Great points from both of you. As much as I research and I still overthink I may be forgetting something but it doesn’t happen over night haha. The goal I have in my mind is coral first. But you can’t have coral and no fish in my opinion. So the plan is too do coral with reef safe fish. Constantly researching fish. It’s hard because my favorite fish besides the blue tang is the angel fish variants but they are a risk too corals, maybe a future project. We shall see. My main impulses have been wanting too buy every ****** coral I see but I don’t want reef wars going on

 

[Red_Beard]

Lol, agreed. I would love some angel fish but i would rather not worry about my coral. Dont get stuck in the research loop too long though, there comes a point when the next step is hands on! Good luck on you new adventure!

 

[Reefer Matt]

Imo, having freshwater tanks first is sort of a disadvantage (I had them too). The reason is that with freshwater you can use tap water with dechlorinator, and have a fully stocked tank in a week or less. Reef tanks require much, much more patience. Instant gratification must make way for stability, experience, and time. These tanks and their inhabitants can last for decades. My advice is to train for a marathon, not a sprint. Welcome to reefing @Koby! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[PharmrJohn]

Research your fish, tank size and requirements and plan a stocking list and stick to it! My best advice :)

And that says it all. And I'd add which order the fish go in. Research is your friend.

 

[littlefoxx]

And that says it all. And I'd add which order the fish go in. Research is your friend.

Yep my 125 gallon I for sure always researched the fish, but would find a fish at an LFS and be like yep I want that fish and have to completely re do my stocking based on one fish. I dont do that anymore! Lol

 

[PharmrJohn]

When I was a noob, I was all about the impulse buy. I was VERY lucky. It didn't bite me on the backside. Now I've got a list with notations that would make someone with a severe case of OCD proud!

 

[SuperReefNoob]

Not all testing kits are created equal, buy once cry once and get quality.

 

[DrkNMighty]

Research and patience. Nothing comes quick in this hobby.