To all the hobbyists getting started

jassermd

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I'm seeing a major increase of Emergency threads on R2R with a general question of "Why are things going wrong?"

Seems like a mass majority of threads is a direct result of the hobbyist not allowing enough time to pass for water chemistry and all ecosystem items like LR, substrate to mature.....to be cultivated.

Starting a reef is not a turnkey operation.

You wouldn't buy a $60,000 muscle car right off the lot and with 100miles on it, take it to a Track and race it hard. Pushing the 100mile engine to extremes. You brake an engine in slowly. Allowing integral parts and fluids to brake in together.

Tanks and corals is a process of cultivating an ecosystem with balanced water chemistry over time.

But many of us with mature tanks have made same the mistakes as well....buying our first batch of corals, killing them in an immature tank. Then finding more success when 12mos has past

BOTTOMLINE: you have picked a hobby that takes 9-12mos of well planned out maintenance to cultivate an ecosystem worthy of supporting corals.

Short cuts = FAIL

Allowing an ecosystem to mature over time = a great chance at success
Thank you for this post and for the thread! By far one of the most thought provoking threads.
It's a shame that most (not all) LFS are out for only one thing, and that's $$/profit. They will tell you what you want to hear, to sell you the next best thing, and happily help you stock your freshly cycled tank with all the nicest coral that will inevitably die within 2 weeks of you introducing them into an immature ecosystem. IMO, that's where the problem starts and it permeates from there.
the one that frequents is ::

help- Please Identify. I bought these 4 corals today at LFS and not sure what they are, Can someone please help id and tell me what care they need?

Its like wow, but I do answer respectfully despite wondering why are they buying something and not knowing what it is and if it is easy or challenging to the most experienced hobbyist.

Bottom line- Grunt all you want but do help them regardless and if it rattles your bones that much, simply dont reply rather than asking them why are they buying it or need a different hobby

And @vetteguy53081 says it best... That's what I enjoy about my profession and reefing... helping those that haven't seen or experienced what you have been through. Teach, don't judge. We all have made mistakes along the way and teaching others from our missteps is what it's all about.
 

Appoloreefer

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Zoa what,
I am ok with the time to let things mature.
I find very confusing the huge mix of answers when I search a question, or even visit my LFS. It has almost become a game. I have been to over 10 LFS within 3 hours of my house. Much of the wisdom passed from the local store on what I would hope be basics / fundamentals just swings all over the place.
My tank is six months since cycled. The tank has had rock/water for 9 months but my cycling got interrupted and what I now believe some bad information from two different LFS.
When in a high tech store near me, he advised me to reduce the size of my water changes and increase the frequency - his advice - weekly 10%. I have been doing monthly 25%. He advised on my magnesium and ALK numbers to do not use chemicals for the first year and get my tank working with filtration and water changes.
The other store that frankly has much better looking corals and fish but much more old school supplies - Kalkwasser vs reactor. Salifert testing vs Spintronic. This store advised me recently - don't do a water change until my Nitrates or Phosphates need dilution. I have been testing every three days and working to get my parameters in line. Currently temp 79.0, Salinity 1.026, Ph 7.8, Alk 9.8, Nitrate 12, calc 465, Magnesium 1440 and phosphates .13. My magnesium was 1200 two weeks ago, so I have been adding IONS magnesium supplement to work it up to 1400 goal.

Over the past 3 months I have killed a dozen frags - probably some poor choices for the stage of my tank, some with poor dipping technique and burned them, three that had a chance of surviving until my "might be reef safe Lemonpeel angel" ate the Duncan, Candy Cane and Zoas and some with parameter movement.

My view at this point - and is changing with the time in the aquarium is sorta like cooking - 10,000 ways to make dinner. Some terms are used casually such as "stable" "parameter swings" and "flow". What is the definition of a stable tank? What can I look at or measure that would tell me my tank has reached this goal? What is a parameter swing? If my ALK moves up from 9.4 to 9.9 in a week - is that too much? The packaging on Seachem and Brightwell products might be scientifically accurate but almost everything I read or hear talks about ALK in dK but Seachem much be in ppm thus involving 2.8 factor math. My "go to LFS" answered my flow question in terms I can understand...is the anemone out or closed up. If out -
Closed - too much flow (or digesting dinner)
Lazy fingers gently moving in different directions - flow close to perfect
Fingers all out to one size flapping like the leash behind the running dog - too much flow

Ok...back to my afternoon project of supergluing my fingers to the frames of my glasses

Thank you for the thought provoking post.
So much to learn...glad I am not one of my coral frags.
I can feel your frustration and pain. I too have often wondered many of your questions and when you seek advice from LFS you would hope that someone is telling you the right answer. Sadly though there are so many different opinions and ideas out there that it makes it hard to believe anyone but you need to do what works for your tank for every tank is different. Luckily for me I have two very good LFS that have been honest and has always put ,e in the right direction when I have had problems. This forum seems to me to have the best info and knowledge on it than any other forum that I have visited. One would think with as long as reefing has been around there would not be so many different answers to one question. I know the biggest thing is patients and letting the tank get established before adding too many things. the only advice I can give is to do your best, and do what works for your tank.
 

Appoloreefer

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But how did you find him? For someone like me that's shy, I would have a hard time approaching someone just to ask them how to do things.
You need to ask questions in order to get help, people are not going to know unless you ask. I was shy as well but thankfully to my job that has become a thing of the past.
 

NoahLikesFish

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I'm seeing a major increase of Emergency threads on R2R with a general question of "Why are things going wrong?"

Seems like a mass majority of threads is a direct result of the hobbyist not allowing enough time to pass for water chemistry and all ecosystem items like LR, substrate to mature.....to be cultivated.

Starting a reef is not a turnkey operation.

You wouldn't buy a $60,000 muscle car right off the lot and with 100miles on it, take it to a Track and race it hard. Pushing the 100mile engine to extremes. You brake an engine in slowly. Allowing integral parts and fluids to brake in together.

Tanks and corals is a process of cultivating an ecosystem with balanced water chemistry over time.

But many of us with mature tanks have made same the mistakes as well....buying our first batch of corals, killing them in an immature tank. Then finding more success when 12mos has past

BOTTOMLINE: you have picked a hobby that takes 9-12mos of well planned out maintenance to cultivate an ecosystem worthy of supporting corals.

Short cuts = FAIL

Allowing an ecosystem to mature over time = a great chance at success
idk about that imo, if you use live rock or the lasse method, he had a ton of coral in his tank 1 month and it was growing. he even had sps very early. i added gsp on day 1 and its doing decent
 

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