What would you have done differently?

[Tyler Miceli]

First starting off in the hobby is very exciting! As with most things that are new to us, we tend to make many mistakes! Just curious to know what you all wish you could've, or would've done differently when starting your reef tank? And what have you learned when starting your next tank as past experience?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Quarantine tank!

 

[Saintnovakai]

Not dipping everything and I mean everything! Then quarantining. You'd be surprised how your tank can have things lay dormant for ages and then you get a nutrient spike and all kinds if crazy pests crawl out of the woodwork. Dip and scrub. Dip and scrub. Amen.

 

[Deschutes541]

Wait and save for a larger budget.

 

[Tastee]

1. Fill the tank with RODI from day 1 instead of initially filling with treated tap water.
2. Buy high quality Nitrate and Phosphate test kits (I now use Red Sea Pro) and keep a close eye on both N and P.
3. Depending on the levels above, use Lanthanum Chloride, Phosguard or Carbon dosing to keep them at levels I am happy with.
4. If GHA starts to get a foothold, and manual removal isn’t controlling it, dose Fluconazole.

This what I will be doing with my 2nd tank when I set it up later this year. The only problem I had with my current tank was getting rid of GHA which got rather rampant and killed several corals before I got it all under control.

 

[Quietman]

Waited another month before starting corals. Just wasn't stable enough until about 3-4 months. Lost some corals that didn't need to.