Always listen to good advice... Doing it right the first time always costs less then doing it again.
How do you know when something is actually good advice?
Could it be research?
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Always listen to good advice... Doing it right the first time always costs less then doing it again.
First of all never ask a reef keeper what the ONE thing. There is never just one thing...There's so much to know and learn in this hobby and it can almost be overwhelming! But there are some basic, core things that every hobbyists should know! I thought it might be fun to try to narrow it down to the 10 Top things you should know! So for the question today why don't you help us do just that!
What is something that every saltwater reef aquarium hobbyist should know that should be included in the TOP 10?
I want to meet this person who claims to know it all. I have tons of questions.someone said he know it all LOL
I have quickly learned that "The more I learn, the LESS I know"
Good advice, especially the issue of light quantity - buy, beg, borrow, rent or steal a PAR meter!First of all never ask a reef keeper what the ONE thing. There is never just one thing...
1) Nothing good happens fast, but bad things often do! Think of your reef tank as underwater bonzai.
2) Don't skimp on equipment!
3) If it isn't broken don't fix it!!!
4) Use activated carbon in your system and keep it fresh!
5) It's all about balance. Ca, Mg, Kh must be balanced with one another. Phosphate and Nitrate are not bad if they are in balance.
6) Light is food - quality and quantity matter.
7) For every pest, there is a predator. A bigger tank lets you house more of them! Just be careful to chose predators carefully!
8) The exception to 5) is acro eating flatworms - so dip your frags and cut them off the plug unless you can be sure they aren't there.
9) Remember that the one thing you'll never know is what you don't know, so talk to other reefers and read up, but remember EVERY tank is different and that guy doesn't know it all either! What works in his/her system may not work for you.
10) A reef tank really takes about a year (or more) to fully cycle. The Nitrogen cycle is just the first and easiest part to measure.
11) If you can't keep a fish or invert alive in your tank, then leave it in the ocean or in the store for those who can keep it thriving.
12) Never buy a critter that can nuke your tank if it dies or gets ****** off.
13) As far as your reef is concerned, you're playing G-d so take it seriously, but know that you're not him/her so there will be mistakes to learn from.
14) Stop trying to duplicate the ocean - you can't, but successful reef tanks are better at growing coral and keeping fish alive than a natural reef environment full of parrot fish that eat coral and sharks that eat tangs.
15) Don't forget why you got into this reefing thing! As you become more successful at it, make sureto step back from your tank and just look at it without thinking about the technical stuff. Watch the fish swim and the polyps move in the current. Enjoy the colors and understand that there is no "perfect reef tank", but only works in progress.
Some of the best advice I've see
10) is one I am correcting right now.1) A little goes a long way. (Carbon dosing, GFO, Aminos, food, etc)
2) Beginner corals are generally mildly invasive and are hard to move once they set hold. Not all.
3) Nutrients in the water column are necessary. refer back to #1.
4) Trust advice with your eyes not your ears. (Everyone has an opinion, take advice from those with nice tanks)
5) Water quality > Water Flow > Lighting
6) Water changes are not evil
7) if you figure out your mistakes, they are the greatest teachers. Just remember them.
8) Tanks are best bought in 2'x2' multiples as lights are generally built for this dimension.
9) SPS and a single LED light will work but your will get shading.
10) Rocks are detritus traps, elevate your rock work.
That’s a great idea! If I had an App, I would have all my stats with me when I am near the reef store.Find a salt that suits your water parameters, it makes doing water changes a much easier and less daunting task!
if your salt doesn’t match your water parameters, then make sure to match them, whether it’s using a buffer to raise Alk, Cal, or Mag, especially in tanks where more sensitive corals like SPS are involved.
Use a par-meter to test the intensity of your lights, especially when it comes to LED’s. Those little things are very powerful !!!!!
And lastly Stability, Stability, Stability... when you Feed, Test, perform Water Changes, and always Log everything that you do to your Reef, use a notebook or an app.
Me too!I agree completely. I voted 0 to 10%. I've learned SO MUCH since I started in this hobby, but still feel like I'm at the low end of that 10%.
There's so much to know and learn in this hobby and it can almost be overwhelming! But there are some basic, core things that every hobbyists should know! I thought it might be fun to try to narrow it down to the 10 Top things you should know! So for the question today why don't you help us do just that!
What is something that every saltwater reef aquarium hobbyist should know that should be included in the TOP 10?