What are your years of experience??

[bnord]

Have 5 to 6 years, but 4 to 5 were in the late 70's early 80's with metal frames, under gravel filters, and happy to have aptasia as proof that I could keep an anemone

second wave is a classic Covid tank acquisition - started March '20 with a used 40IM cube, that I have now passed on to my son and now taking on gallons like a cruise liner that hit a reef,

Having challenges with shifting from practices that "seemed like a good idea at eat time" to better (not yet best) practices without shocking the system.

But intend to settle down and enjoy these as they hopefully enter cruise control mode

 

[N.Sreefer]

8 years, guess I'm a newb compared to alot of people on here!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Almost 36 years

 

[RMS18]

6.5 years and going strong. I have delt with almost every nightmare in this hobby.. getting all the bad out of the way so the next 20+ years will be smooth sailing - haa right.

 

[StormyVT]

3 years ago after many years of freshwater. Always learning.

 

[James_O]

Just hit 6 months. Yayay.

 

[MaxTremors]

I got my first saltwater tank (FOWLR) in 1996 when I was 15, and I’ve taken a total of four years off in since then (gone completely tankless), so total time having tanks would be around 21years.

 

[shakacuz]

would consider myself in between newbie and intermediate. still learning.

 

[rishma]

I'm curious to the variety of years of reefers that we have here. To all the vets please add some sound advice & to all our newer reefers please add a question.

25 years. Advice:
1. keep learning. The hobby evolves constantly.
2. redundancy. All equipment fails. If you cannot live with the consequence when it fails then build in redundancy.
3. If your approach/system relies heavily on your frequent action, you will eventually have a problem. We all get busy, have other priorities, or loose interest for a while. Design your approach to enable success during these periods.
4. Only bad things happen fast

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I have been keeping marine tank since 1972 and reefs since 1985 for a total of 49 years, I still don't have a clue to what I'm doing, at least I feel like it at times .

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

Started in 07 with a biocube and a sunpod. Back when halides/turnover/0 ppm was the ONLY way you could succeed! Ha

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

25 years. Advice:
1. keep learning. The hobby evolves constantly.
2. redundancy. All equipment fails. If you cannot live with the consequence when it fails then build in redundancy.
3. If your approach/system relies heavily on your frequent action, you will eventually have a problem. We all get busy, have other priorities, or loose interest for a while. Design your approach to enable success during these periods.
4. Only bad things happen fast

This is the main reason I bought all the apex crap. Is it perfect? heck no. Can I control things remotely up and to water changes or outlets? Absolutely. Even if it’s not 100% refined it’s the setup I wish I could’ve had when I was 21. So many bad things from failures or over complications…

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

I have been keeping marine tank since 1972 and reefs since 1985 for a total of 49 years, I still don't have a clue to what I'm doing, at least I feel like it at times .

It’s like a doctor. that’s why they, and I, call it a “practice.”

 

[ceaver]

Right at 20 years now, non-stop

 

[snorklr]

years of experience...over 50...years of success...0

 

[rishma]

This is the main reason I bought all the apex crap. Is it perfect? heck no. Can I control things remotely up and to water changes or outlets? Absolutely. Even if it’s not 100% refined it’s the setup I wish I could’ve had when I was 21. So many bad things from failures or over complications…

control is a rabbit hole. I’ve gone too far and regretted the complexity. not enough is a problem too for occasionally lazy reefers. Everyone’s sweet spot will be different

 

[Grallster]

Im baby at 6 months and like most things in life,try your best to learn from others mistakes.
A clever man learns from his own mistakes.
But a wise man learns from others mistakes my dad taught me when little.

But unfortunately some things we dont believe enough so have to keep making same miatakes till we do believe ^_^

Haha…not sure if the misspelling is on purpose or not, but I sure thought it was funny!!
I had my first saltwater in 8th grade in 1987 and I’ve been reefing since 2001. I’ve had at least one tank running continuously since 1994. My advice—try to limit “knee jerk reactions “

 

[outhouse]

3. If your approach/system relies heavily on your frequent action, you will eventually have a problem. We all get busy, have other priorities, or loose interest for a while. Design your approach to enable success during these periods.

AGREED in FULL Im almost fully automated less feeding I can leave for months now.

I thought i was 30ish years in, 28 is my number

 

[Billdogg]

I got my first marine tank in 1988? and have had at least 1 tank going ever since.

 

[kittenbritches]

Newbie with my own tank (3 months), but I maintained a tank with my ex for five years — I left most of the maintenance and water parameter responsibility to him. He stocked it, but I cared for the livestock and was the official fire worm catcher. He never dipped anything. :mad: