Writing a definitive article about avoiding mistakes in this hobby - need the advice of experienced aquarists!

[Grumblez]

As far as cost I think if buying mostly new you should budget for 1000$+ in your first few months for a nano even.

 

[jfoahs04]

Hello Friends,

I am working on a 'starters guide to reefkeeping' article that addresses the elementary aspects of this hobby and how to be (in most cases) fairly successful.

I see so often many who jump into the hobby with little-to-no knowledge, only to fail because they lack the basic education/patience that would have helped them to make a balanced decision on whether to venture into reefkeeping or not (for those who don't know me, I have been keeping saltwater fish for 20 years and designing/keeping reef tanks for a decade)

My goal is to address the following areas where I'm looking for advice

• What equipment you (essentially) need and realistic costs to keeping a successful reef tank? One of my goals is to document the realistic budget (not luxury) price-range one can expect to spend to succeed in this hobby, while avoiding needless expenditures on luxuries/'snake oil' solutions
  • Tough for a one size fits all answer here because it depends on tank size. I wouldn't dream of putting a skimmer on my current 13.5g nano, but I wouldn't have dreamed of running my old 90g without both a skimmer and a sump.
  • My personal take after having done this on and off for about 20 years is that a 40 breeder w/ a 20g long sump is probably the sweet spot for a startup. This is enough water volume to allow for some rookie mistakes while not being overwhelming to maintain.
  • You can usually find used ones drilled, but even new ones are inexpensive. Stands are also pretty affordable/easy to come by too. Essentials include a skimmer, 2 wavemakers on opposite ends for varying flow, good lighting (i.e. 2x AI Prime, 2x Red Sea 50, or similar), reliable heater with built in thermostat to minimize mishaps (ideally you'll keep a 2nd cheap one as an emergency backup), a return pump with a good reputation and an emergency backup in case it fails overnight, during a storm, etc., and an auto top off to maintain salinity stability. Also budget for a cheap, small (10ish gallons is fine) all in one (used is fine) setup that can serve as a quarantine/hospital tank - more on that below. Not necessarily equipment, but get the right tests from reputable brands from the start - at least ammonia/nitrite/nitrate/ph, alkalinity, and calcium (I'm on the fence about magnesium and phosphate). A mesh lid/cover (DIY is fine) is nearly essential, and an airstone in case of emergency is pretty important.
• PATIENCE! Best practices on thoroughly cycling/balancing a tank UNTIL its mature and ready for coral additions (avoiding the mistake of adding (and killing) corals by adding them to a system too soon
  • Manage your expectations and ignore the "instant cycle!" "skip cycle!" "add fish immediately with this product!" shortcuts that are often touted online. Bank on a minimum of a month before you begin adding livestock and don't even think of doing it until you're reading consistent zeroes on ammonia and nitrite.
  • Understand that stability is key for anything other than the hardiest corals and fish. And even after your cycle is "complete," the tank will go through months of pretty significant fluctuations in terms of both biology and chemistry before finding some semblance of balance. These fluctuations can lead to the death of coral, inverts, and fish. Do your homework and start only with livestock that are known to be able to tolerate changes in water chemistry (i.e. don't go buy high end acros, anenomes, or finicky fish just because your cycle is complete).
• The importance/benefit of quarantining new fish to your system (in some capacity, whatever fashion you feel appropriate), as many fish are subject to disease through the supply chain and pose a substantial threat to your livestock
  • If possible, plan on including a quarantine tank/hospital tank from the start of your reefing journey. I'd link to Jay's QT procedures.
  • It's nearly inevitable that the fish you buy will come into contact with one or more common and potentially deadly diseases at some point during the process of getting to you. Even if you don't see symptoms in the LFS or WSIWYG photos, it doesn't mean they're not carrying symptoms.
  • Quarantine inverts and corals to reduce the risk that they are also bringing parasites and nasties into your tank.
  • Many reefers choose not to quarantine. Understand that opting not to quarantine, regardless of the reason, drastically increases the likelihood that you will experience loss of livestock to one or more afflictions that are quite common in this hobby. It's also nearly impossible to treat a display tank with coral, inverts, etc. once a disease like ich, velvet, brooklynella, etc. has presented itself. The only way ensure it is gone is to remove the remaining fish and allow the tank to go fallow for up to 3 months or more (depending on the disease/parasite). It is almost always more costly to skip the quarantine process, and most effective treatments for outbreaks can only occur in a separate hospital tank.
  • Do your homework on retailers that sell quarantined fish - not all quarantine processes are equal, and buying a pre-quarantined fish is no substitute for doing the process yourself.

 

[polyppal]

Most critical for being successful in this hobby, IMO, is:

• if you can afford this hobby at all,
• having time and physical ability for attending tank
• individual mental ability to notice what is going on in the tank and take action when needed
• not biting more than can chew, aiming for a system that will need a lot more than a planned equipment, getting out of budget in the first half of year.

yup! +1

 

[polyppal]

As far as cost I think if buying mostly new you should budget for 1000$+ in your first few months for a nano even.

One of these days I want to build and document a long term 'no frills' 40Breeder with affordable but good quality items for like 500$, like intentionally try to avoid all the expensive name brand gear for proven cheaper lighting/filtration/etc.

I think it could be done for a softie/zoa/lps tank... SPS no way...