As a newer reefer, I am well aware of how overwhelming this hobby may initially seem to a beginner. I learn new things about reefkeeping everyday, and I thought it might be nice to share a few simple pieces of advice based on my own experiences that I feel would be beneficial to those who are just starting out. So, here is my advice to saltwater newbies:
1. Do your research -- This applies to all aspects of reefkeeping, from building a tank and choosing your inhabitants, to caring for your fish/invertebrates/corals and dealing with any issues that may arise. Read up as much as you can on the various aspects of aquarium husbandry, as the knowledge you gain will greatly increase your chances of success and your enjoyment of the hobby! Pay special attention to subjects such as maintaining proper tank parameters, selecting fish/corals that will get along together in your tank, and identifying critters and symptoms of disease/infection. Some information will be based on scientific fact, while other information will be based the experiences of your fellow reefers. Learn about each subject from a variety of different sources and you'll come away with a much better grasp of it. Knowledge is power, so be prepared!
2. Join a Club/Forum -- You're going to have questions. A LOT of questions. Becoming a member of a club like DFWMAS or joining a forum connects you with experienced aquarists who can provide the answers you need. Clubs also a great way to meet people who share your interest in reefkeeping, and the many events you can take part in will expose you to new ideas and help you learn, all while having a lot of fun!
3. Buy high-quality test kits and use them often -- Water parameters are extremely important, so make sure you get an entire set of test kits to monitor all your levels (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and pH). Cycling a brand new tank is a great time to familiarize yourself with the proper use of these tests, and will help you make sure that everything is going smoothly. Perform regular water tests and record your findings. This is a great way to ensure that your tank is in good shape! If you have any problems with your tank down the road and ask for solutions, the first question you're going to be asked is "What are your water parameters?", so go ahead and test them first! Finally, remember that consistency is the key. The more stable your parameters are, the better off your reef will be.
4. Get an RO/DI filter -- Poor water quality can cause all sorts of problems, so it's definitely worth it to get a good filter so that you know you're putting clean, pure saltwater in your tank from the start. You might think that it would be easier to just buy your water from a local shop, but you'll quickly find that lugging jugs of water back home is a pain, and making your own water at home is much cheaper, too! A good RO/DI filter will quickly pay for itself. RO/DI filters are easy to install, and they don't take up much space. I keep mine under the sink and simply hook it up to the faucet when I need to make some fresh water. I'd also recommend getting a refractometer if you plan on making your own saltwater. They are MUCH better than the standard swingarm hydrometer, and you'll thank yourself for getting one in the long run.
5. Quarantine any new fish that you buy -- You might think that if you spend long enough staring at that beauty in the LFS you'll be able to make sure that it's not showing any signs of disease or infection, and you can take it home, acclimate it to your tank, and start enjoying your new addition right off the bat... You're wrong. It can take time for a sick fish to show symptoms, and if you bring a fish home and get it in your tank and later notice that it's got problems, you've just infected your whole tank! Save yourself from the hassle by setting up a quarantine tank. A small tank with a heater and powerhead will allow you to monitor your new fish for a suitable period of time (4 weeks or so) to make sure it's healthy. You can even break down the QT when you're not using it so it doesn't take up space.
6. Don't stress out about the changes in your new tank -- Most people who are new to the hobby do not realize the many stages a tank goes through before it looks the way they think it should. Getting through the initial nitrogen cycling process with a new tank is only the first step toward tank maturity. Your tank is going to go through some "ugly" stages. When you observe these stages, your initial reaction might be something along the lines of "Oh no! What did I do to cause this!?" The important thing is to not freak out about these changes. That brown stuff starting to cover your beautiful white sand and rockwork? It's just a diatom bloom, and it happens in 99% of new tanks after the initial cycling process completes. It will be gone before you know it! That algae growth you're noticing? Perfectly normal, and it will die down, too. Just monitor your water parameters, sit back, and enjoy these natural processes as they unfold before you.
7. Create a schedule that works for you -- Maintaining your tank and feeding your fish/corals is important. Adding food to the tank and cleaning the glass each day is easy enough to do, but set aside some time for doing things like water changes and changing out filter media on a regular basis. For most people, the weekend is ideal for this. An hour or two of tank maintenance on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon can help keep your tank looking its best! I like to use an app on my phone that gives me a reminder for this type of work so I won't forget.
8. Be patient -- This is a big one. Everyone who gets into this hobby wants to get their tank filled up quickly with aquatic life. You want to get all those beautiful fish in the tank and watch them swim around and interact with each other and their environment. However, it's important to realize that everything in a reef tank is a balancing act. Your inhabitants are going to produce waste, and this must be dealt with by the bacteria in the tank in order to maintain proper water conditions. If you add 5 fish to your tank right after you finish cycling, you're going to put a huge strain on the biofilter, and that can have some seriously bad consequences. In this hobby, it's best to take things slowly. Add a fish and wait a few weeks or a month for things to stabilize before adding another. Your reef will be healthier for it, and you'll have plenty of new additions and changes to look foward to in the future, which will keep you interested and excited about the hobby! This doesn't mean that you'll have to endure long stretches of time with nothing new going on in the tank, though. Add some invertebrates and corals as you see fit. Hermit crabs, snails, and colorful coral all place very little strain on your biofilter, and are quite interesting to observe. Adding these to a young tank can be a great way to liven things up while keeping the tank healthy!
9. Enjoy your tank -- This might be the most important advice of all. It's easy to become paranoid about keeping a "perfect" tank, and if you're constantly worrying about every little detail, you'll never be able to enjoy your tank. This is a fun and rewarding hobby, and the hard work and time that you put into it can result in a lifetime of enjoyment. Take the time to sit back and marvel at your little slice of the ocean. Each day is a learning experience for every reefer, so relax and have fun!
I hope that some of this information will be helpful to those out there who are interesting in getting started in this hobby!
1. Do your research -- This applies to all aspects of reefkeeping, from building a tank and choosing your inhabitants, to caring for your fish/invertebrates/corals and dealing with any issues that may arise. Read up as much as you can on the various aspects of aquarium husbandry, as the knowledge you gain will greatly increase your chances of success and your enjoyment of the hobby! Pay special attention to subjects such as maintaining proper tank parameters, selecting fish/corals that will get along together in your tank, and identifying critters and symptoms of disease/infection. Some information will be based on scientific fact, while other information will be based the experiences of your fellow reefers. Learn about each subject from a variety of different sources and you'll come away with a much better grasp of it. Knowledge is power, so be prepared!
2. Join a Club/Forum -- You're going to have questions. A LOT of questions. Becoming a member of a club like DFWMAS or joining a forum connects you with experienced aquarists who can provide the answers you need. Clubs also a great way to meet people who share your interest in reefkeeping, and the many events you can take part in will expose you to new ideas and help you learn, all while having a lot of fun!
3. Buy high-quality test kits and use them often -- Water parameters are extremely important, so make sure you get an entire set of test kits to monitor all your levels (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and pH). Cycling a brand new tank is a great time to familiarize yourself with the proper use of these tests, and will help you make sure that everything is going smoothly. Perform regular water tests and record your findings. This is a great way to ensure that your tank is in good shape! If you have any problems with your tank down the road and ask for solutions, the first question you're going to be asked is "What are your water parameters?", so go ahead and test them first! Finally, remember that consistency is the key. The more stable your parameters are, the better off your reef will be.
4. Get an RO/DI filter -- Poor water quality can cause all sorts of problems, so it's definitely worth it to get a good filter so that you know you're putting clean, pure saltwater in your tank from the start. You might think that it would be easier to just buy your water from a local shop, but you'll quickly find that lugging jugs of water back home is a pain, and making your own water at home is much cheaper, too! A good RO/DI filter will quickly pay for itself. RO/DI filters are easy to install, and they don't take up much space. I keep mine under the sink and simply hook it up to the faucet when I need to make some fresh water. I'd also recommend getting a refractometer if you plan on making your own saltwater. They are MUCH better than the standard swingarm hydrometer, and you'll thank yourself for getting one in the long run.
5. Quarantine any new fish that you buy -- You might think that if you spend long enough staring at that beauty in the LFS you'll be able to make sure that it's not showing any signs of disease or infection, and you can take it home, acclimate it to your tank, and start enjoying your new addition right off the bat... You're wrong. It can take time for a sick fish to show symptoms, and if you bring a fish home and get it in your tank and later notice that it's got problems, you've just infected your whole tank! Save yourself from the hassle by setting up a quarantine tank. A small tank with a heater and powerhead will allow you to monitor your new fish for a suitable period of time (4 weeks or so) to make sure it's healthy. You can even break down the QT when you're not using it so it doesn't take up space.
6. Don't stress out about the changes in your new tank -- Most people who are new to the hobby do not realize the many stages a tank goes through before it looks the way they think it should. Getting through the initial nitrogen cycling process with a new tank is only the first step toward tank maturity. Your tank is going to go through some "ugly" stages. When you observe these stages, your initial reaction might be something along the lines of "Oh no! What did I do to cause this!?" The important thing is to not freak out about these changes. That brown stuff starting to cover your beautiful white sand and rockwork? It's just a diatom bloom, and it happens in 99% of new tanks after the initial cycling process completes. It will be gone before you know it! That algae growth you're noticing? Perfectly normal, and it will die down, too. Just monitor your water parameters, sit back, and enjoy these natural processes as they unfold before you.
7. Create a schedule that works for you -- Maintaining your tank and feeding your fish/corals is important. Adding food to the tank and cleaning the glass each day is easy enough to do, but set aside some time for doing things like water changes and changing out filter media on a regular basis. For most people, the weekend is ideal for this. An hour or two of tank maintenance on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon can help keep your tank looking its best! I like to use an app on my phone that gives me a reminder for this type of work so I won't forget.
8. Be patient -- This is a big one. Everyone who gets into this hobby wants to get their tank filled up quickly with aquatic life. You want to get all those beautiful fish in the tank and watch them swim around and interact with each other and their environment. However, it's important to realize that everything in a reef tank is a balancing act. Your inhabitants are going to produce waste, and this must be dealt with by the bacteria in the tank in order to maintain proper water conditions. If you add 5 fish to your tank right after you finish cycling, you're going to put a huge strain on the biofilter, and that can have some seriously bad consequences. In this hobby, it's best to take things slowly. Add a fish and wait a few weeks or a month for things to stabilize before adding another. Your reef will be healthier for it, and you'll have plenty of new additions and changes to look foward to in the future, which will keep you interested and excited about the hobby! This doesn't mean that you'll have to endure long stretches of time with nothing new going on in the tank, though. Add some invertebrates and corals as you see fit. Hermit crabs, snails, and colorful coral all place very little strain on your biofilter, and are quite interesting to observe. Adding these to a young tank can be a great way to liven things up while keeping the tank healthy!
9. Enjoy your tank -- This might be the most important advice of all. It's easy to become paranoid about keeping a "perfect" tank, and if you're constantly worrying about every little detail, you'll never be able to enjoy your tank. This is a fun and rewarding hobby, and the hard work and time that you put into it can result in a lifetime of enjoyment. Take the time to sit back and marvel at your little slice of the ocean. Each day is a learning experience for every reefer, so relax and have fun!
I hope that some of this information will be helpful to those out there who are interesting in getting started in this hobby!