A while back I made a list of what I felt the top 5 biggest mistake made by new people in the hobby.
I am posting this list here in an attempt to help new hobbyist avoid making some of the mistakes the rest of us have.
1. Not Buying A Big Enough Tank
Raise your hand if you wish you had a bigger tank than the one you started out with? This is what happens. You want a fish tank and you decide on a certain size tank and think that'll be big enough for everything you want to put in there. You set it up and get more into it and realize that the tank is too small. So you get a bigger tank. You realize again that it's not big enough. Repeat. This is why many of us have MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) Including myself.
2. Rushing Into It
You see those amazing and colorful fish and corals somewhere and decide you must have an aquarium . So you go out and buy a tank and unfortunately things don't usually go well if you go that route. Let's try that again. You want a reef tank. So you go out and buy the combo package that the fish store is offering. You start to add livestock that you see at the store that look cool. But unless your LFS helps you, you usually end up with livestock of different compatibility or your equipment can't support. Take the time to do your research. Not only will you save money but you'll provide a healthy environment for your livestock.
3. Doing What Other People Think Is Cool
You want to belong with the cool reef people on the forums. But doing what they like...is that going to be what you like? Remember that your reef tank is for YOUR enjoyment and then to share with others. An example I met a guy recently who told me he hates SPS and really like wavy LPS corals yet his tank is SPS dominated I asked him why, he said he wants to have one of the best tanks and people like SPS. Unfortunately he has given up what he likes for the preferences of others.
4. Being Cheap On Equipment
Reef keeping is not a cheap hobby you can get away with inexpensive like my LEDS off EBAY but do your research when I say cheap I mean crappy quality that does not work. But everyone knows that one thing you shouldn't try to save money on is the equipment. Why? Because 10 out of 10 times you'll want to get the better equipment after buying the cheaper one. You also always want to get equipment that is rated for your tank or even better larger than yours to leave room for upgrade. My garage full of equipment that were replaced can attest to that.
5. Buying The Wrong Livestock
Buying the wrong Livestock is a big no-no. First, you just wasted your money but most importantly you put the livesock's life on the line. Buying the wrong fish and putting it into the wrong environment puts a lot of stress on the fish and buying corals that your tank is not properly equipped to care for is irresponsible. You have to remember that ultimately we're responsible for our livestock and have to do our research first.
I am posting this list here in an attempt to help new hobbyist avoid making some of the mistakes the rest of us have.
1. Not Buying A Big Enough Tank
Raise your hand if you wish you had a bigger tank than the one you started out with? This is what happens. You want a fish tank and you decide on a certain size tank and think that'll be big enough for everything you want to put in there. You set it up and get more into it and realize that the tank is too small. So you get a bigger tank. You realize again that it's not big enough. Repeat. This is why many of us have MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) Including myself.
2. Rushing Into It
You see those amazing and colorful fish and corals somewhere and decide you must have an aquarium . So you go out and buy a tank and unfortunately things don't usually go well if you go that route. Let's try that again. You want a reef tank. So you go out and buy the combo package that the fish store is offering. You start to add livestock that you see at the store that look cool. But unless your LFS helps you, you usually end up with livestock of different compatibility or your equipment can't support. Take the time to do your research. Not only will you save money but you'll provide a healthy environment for your livestock.
3. Doing What Other People Think Is Cool
You want to belong with the cool reef people on the forums. But doing what they like...is that going to be what you like? Remember that your reef tank is for YOUR enjoyment and then to share with others. An example I met a guy recently who told me he hates SPS and really like wavy LPS corals yet his tank is SPS dominated I asked him why, he said he wants to have one of the best tanks and people like SPS. Unfortunately he has given up what he likes for the preferences of others.
4. Being Cheap On Equipment
Reef keeping is not a cheap hobby you can get away with inexpensive like my LEDS off EBAY but do your research when I say cheap I mean crappy quality that does not work. But everyone knows that one thing you shouldn't try to save money on is the equipment. Why? Because 10 out of 10 times you'll want to get the better equipment after buying the cheaper one. You also always want to get equipment that is rated for your tank or even better larger than yours to leave room for upgrade. My garage full of equipment that were replaced can attest to that.
5. Buying The Wrong Livestock
Buying the wrong Livestock is a big no-no. First, you just wasted your money but most importantly you put the livesock's life on the line. Buying the wrong fish and putting it into the wrong environment puts a lot of stress on the fish and buying corals that your tank is not properly equipped to care for is irresponsible. You have to remember that ultimately we're responsible for our livestock and have to do our research first.