Top thing to watch for success

C

Chaney

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One thing that helped me a lot was tips and such reading this board and talking to friends and trusted people at some of the specific LFS I go to. So I was just wanting to start up a thread of what would be the #1 tip that you can give new people in order to ensure a great tank experience. I'll start off since I've been now reefing for a little under a year. (Again props to this society for answering so many questions and being such a great resource [smilie=smile.gif] )

My #1 tip: Don't underestimate the need for water exchanges.

You may look at your tank and think things are fine, but honestly water exchanges are crucial. I run nothing but small tanks (2 29g, 1 14g, 1 6g) so the give on swings is much less than you may see on a larger tank. For me water exchanges are crucial. It helps remove things like NO3, NO2, Ammonia, etc. that builds up fast if you don't pay attention. Even if the parameters look good, doing a 1g exchange on my 6g a few days later than I normally would (weekly) means my coral don't open fully as normal, zoas look smaller in size, etc.

So my #1 thing I would say to people starting out is to get a good water exchange schedule set, stick to it, and enjoy your new hobby!

-Chaney
 
lol... good one. Very true. The only things that happen fast is bad things in this hobby. Good call. [smilie=lol.gif]
 
Take your time to read more than one book and when you get advice from someone there will almost always be someone who gives a different view on how to do it. Take that info and research it and read some more.

+1 with Wes also.
 
Don't run out and buy all the cool snake oil suppliments...buy AND use test kits first....then buy suppliments that you actually need and can test for.
 
Listen to your gut or instincts, even over what "experts" and sales people tell you. Want to move a rock or piece of coral, what does your gut say? Want to buy that fish or new brand of food, what does your gut tell you?
 
@jnmarshall wrote:
Listen to your gut or instincts said:
while this may work for some things this probably isnt the best route for fish. research all fish purchases, dont assume they will work well and while you shouldnt listen to the sales people explicitly, i would take heed of a not recommended note and look into why. same for corals or inverts or anything alive, there is normally good reason and while there are usually varying opinions on the web you can usually find a commonality among people. you can always ask here too ;)
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I have learned so much the hard way through my short experience in this hobby. The one thing I would recommend is don't take using RO/DI water lightly, have a quarantine tank available and to treat every purchase as if you were going to take home a new car. If you see something you like, reasearch it and then determine if it's something you can handle with confidence. If there's a slight uneasy feeling about a particular product, fish, corals, etc. research it some more. Finally, ask, ask and then ask some more!
 
Keep your hands out of tank as much as possible

+1 on water changes I do 10% water change every two weeks and my tank has never looked better
 
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