What grinds your gears? Most annoying Reefer forum behaviors.

Status
Not open for further replies.

cromag27

octoaquatics.com - ig = @octoaquatics. view my sig
View Badges
Joined
Sep 7, 2013
Messages
8,249
Reaction score
11,239
Location
arizona
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
When people start giving advice on how to solve a "problem" when they haven't asked enough questions of the OP to determine if there is an actual problem. For example:

OP: Help! My phosphate is really high.

Person #1: Tell us about your parameters

Person #2 (before OP even answers Person #1's reasonable and material question): You should go out and buy a reactor and fill it with GFO. Or dose Lanthanum Chloride. Or stop feeding your fish altogether!

OP: To Person #2. Thanks! What equipment do you recommend? (OP never answers Person #1's question)

Twenty more messages are exchanged about how to fix the "problem." Nobody ever gets the relevant information.

Turns out OP is a newbie that knows almost nothing and the phosphate levels are fine.

caveat is when you start asking too many questions, they don’t answer all of them.
 

PDR

<°)))>{
View Badges
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
3,354
Reaction score
16,952
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm stuck at home with the flu, I'm bored and cranky and want to get some stuff off my chest lol.

1. Parroting advice: I know this has been mentioned before in this thread, and it's not always a bad thing, but I have been running into A LOT of it lately. Some of which has been straight up misinformation, which leads me into my second point.

2. Misinformation: I have come across multiple instances where a relatively new member or reef keeper with a higher number of posts (which can cause other members, especially new members, to think they are experienced) spreads misinformation that gets readily accepted and sometimes changes are implemented before a more experienced member can come along to set things straight. It also seems that misinformation can be spread rather quickly on R2R because most people don't want to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, which of course leads to my next point.

3. Are we too nice?: I love R2R, and one of the main reasons is because of how friendly (most) everyone is (you might be sensing a "but" coming), but sometimes I just can't help but cringe when a new member joins and has a 1 month old 10 gallon tank with 2 "nemos" and a "dory" and everyone is just so nice, friendly, welcoming and encouraging (which we should be), but at what point do we try and actually help the person and those fish that are essentially doomed? I understand that the Meet and Greet forum is not the best place for these kinds of things, but sometimes I still think something needs to be said. To be fair, I never point anything out in those threads, mainly due to fear of not being viewed as "nice and welcoming". So when is the appropriate time to point out these kinds of issues with newer members?
 
Last edited:

Falcon53

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 19, 2016
Messages
194
Reaction score
172
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm stuck at home with the flu, I'm bored and cranky and want to get some stuff off my chest lol.

1. Parroting advice: I know this has been mentioned before in this thread, and it's not always a bad thing, but I have been running into A LOT of it lately. Some of which has been straight up misinformation, which leads me into my second point.

2. Misinformation: I have come across multiple instances where a relatively new member or reef keeper with a higher number of posts (which can cause other members, especially new members, to think they are experienced) spreads misinformation that gets readily accepted and sometimes changes implemented before a more experienced member can come along to set things straight. It also seems that misinformation can be spread rather quickly on R2R because most people don't want to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, which of course leads to my next point.

3. Are we too nice?: I love R2R, and one of the main reasons is because of how friendly (most) everyone is (you might be sensing a "but" coming), but sometimes I just can't help but cringe when a new member joins and has a 1 month old 10 gallon tank with 2 "nemos" and a "dory" and everyone is just so nice, friendly, welcoming and encouraging (which we should be), but at what point do we try and actually help the person and those fish that are essentially doomed? I understand that the Meet and Greet forum is not the best place for these kinds of things, but sometimes I still think something needs to be said. To be fair, I never point anything out in those threads, mainly due to fear of not being viewed as "nice and welcoming". So when is the appropriate time to point out these kinds of issues with newer members?

I couldn't agree more.

My local forum is now dominated by two morons that have no idea what they are talking about. Not only are they morons in reefing, but generally as well. They can't read, spell, or write. And they exemplify Dunning-Kruger perfectly.

In fact, my post above (#343) relates to these two guys.
 

Sailingeric

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 13, 2018
Messages
1,294
Reaction score
2,883
Location
Beaverton, Oregon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have one after a reading a few similar post like this "have a 20 gallon tank with a trigger fish, a tiger shark and a killer whale, will two coho salmon get along?" ok, not that bad but am I the only one who does a research on what fish get a long and tank size requirements??
 

DMG Reef

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 24, 2018
Messages
1,327
Reaction score
9,500
Location
Moore, Oklahoma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Along the lines of newbies giving advice, that cuts both ways. Some members assume that a new forum member is a new reefer with a shiny new tank. I was reefing for 5 years before I joined this forum. And even then, I joined so I could buy acros from other forum members. When it comes to giving advice, I stick to things I've actually experienced. I'm a walking, talking cautionary tale for bone-headed experiments, so I generally feel pretty comfortable advising a new reefer on what NOT to try. :cool:
 

ZaneTer

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
920
Reaction score
877
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have two small peeves:

“I know the answer but I won’t tell you”
“You have to run your tank at zero nitrate and phosphate”

Still, I love this forum. It has educated and guided, not always in the right direction, my reefing life. Long ago I learnt that if I disagreed with someone’s comment then I leave it at disagreeing with that specific comment. I will not hold anything against their other comments.

I have made so many mistakes in this hobby. Only one has not been my fault. Many on here forget that they are the masters of their reef. Responsibility lies with us.
 

Sailingeric

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 13, 2018
Messages
1,294
Reaction score
2,883
Location
Beaverton, Oregon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

James M

.
View Badges
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Messages
9,190
Reaction score
12,752
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.
Lol :D
 

jasonrusso

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 21, 2014
Messages
3,252
Reaction score
2,389
Location
Haverhill, MA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.
A free tank, can you deliver? [emoji12]
 

AZMSGT

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
3,988
Reaction score
7,893
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Posting on Facebook or instagram to try to win a "GIVEAWAY"
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,846
Reaction score
200,115
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
1- answering a question accurately and respectfully to get a reply " I already know this" and not even a thanks for a reply.
WHY DID YOU BOTHER TO ASK THEN??
2- COPYING MY IMAGES I USE TO WELCOME OTHERS
3- L O W B A L L E R S and ESPECIALLY those who search amazon , etc and then state they can find it cheaper
THEN WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING US ?? BUY IT ON AMAzON AND MOVE ON.
4- Contests that force us to sign onto or on Facebook in order to enter
I DON'T DO FACEBOOK BECAUSE MY COMPUTER WAS COMPROMISED ON FB. . . IN ADDITION TO FB DRAMA. UNFAIR !!
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Ok I say with this love...


GET OVER THE FACEBOOK ENTRIES!! LOL!!


Seriously though, again, most contests you DON'T have to use FB to enter a contest. IF we ask you too it's because the sponsor wanted it. Remember most giveaways are a marketing attempt for a company and they have a goal and have to do what makes since for them to reach the goal. They are giving us a FREE prize and sometimes, very rarely, they ask that you share on FB. If you don't like it then don't enter. :p
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I hate responses with questions that were clearly and repeatedly answered if the person just read the posts before.

Also I hate contests that require FB entries..... has that been covered?

Not yet but thanks for the note! :p
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top