Log in or Sign up

Great List to read if your just starting out!!!

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009.

Join 3reef now to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

Page 1 of 2

oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

Joined:

Aug 18, 2009

Messages:

2,932

Location:

Rochester,NY
Okay, found this on another forum and thought it would be a GOOD thing to share with the rest of you new guys here at 3reef!!

Great list

*Dont over feed. If you have tons of unexplained algae, you are probably feeding too much.

*Frequent water changes are a must.

*No salt water tank is complete without a skimmer. Some people will say you can get away without one but thats like saying you can go on a cross country road trip in your car using only first gear. Why bother?

*Use coral food sparingly.

*Don't buy a fish thinking 'I will buy a bigger tank when it outgrows this one'.

*Many people, including both neophytes and seasoned veterans of the hobby, will tell you that certain things have to be done certain ways. A lot of the times these people are 90% or more correct but always do a little investigating before making your own decision. Sometimes people on the internet are wrong.

*I will never setup a tank without a sump.

*In woodworking you measure twice, cut once. My advice is to research a new livestock purchase twice, buy once.

*Adequate flow and tank turnover are two of the most important factors in tank health and are often overlooked at the beginning.

*For God's Sake, cycle that tank before stocking it with livestock.

*If you own a fish before you own a test kit you are doing it wrong.

*T5 lighting alone IS enough to grow basically any coral. PC lighting is not.

*Support local retailors. Yes sometimes stuff can be found online cheaper, but good luck calling up when you suddenly have a tank problem. It has been my experience that every local store I've ever been in has been more than happy to stop and talk/educate/teach about anything salt water related and this knowledge is far more valuable than the $5-10 you would have saved on the frag online.

*Never spend more than $20 on a frag of common Xenia or Green Star Polyps.

*If 10 people say that livestock X will probably die in your tank and 1 person says that he has had one healthy for 2 years and you'll be fine, it will probably die in your tank. Don't buy it.

*Be generous to other reefers and they will usually be generous back.

*Super glue gel is an amazing tool for mounting rocks and coral.

*Hydrometers are junk, get a refractometer.

*Frag swaps are fun ways of getting cheap corals and meeting new people.

*Homemade frozen food is cheaper and easier to maintain quality control than ready made mixes like Prime Reef.

*Regular Frozen brine shrimp is to fish what potato chips are to humans.

**Probably the most important thing I've learned is that good things happen slowly, and only bad things happen fast. Patience is key when it comes to having a good reef tank. Often times the best thing to do is provide a stable environment and keep your hands out of the tank as much as possible.
Click to expand...

Last edited by a moderator: Sep 3, 2009

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

#1

1 person likes this.

Kashoub Feather Duster

Joined:

Jul 27, 2009

Messages:

234
Very helpful thread. TY

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

#2
tatted4ever Clown Trigger

Joined:

Mar 15, 2009

Messages:

2,047

Location:

Itasca, Il
oceanparadise1 said: ↑

*Support local retailors. Yes sometimes stuff can be found online cheaper, but good luck calling up when you suddenly have a tank problem. It has been my experience that every local store I've ever been in has been more than happy to stop and talk/educate/teach about anything salt water related and this knowledge is far more valuable than the $5-10 you would have saved on the frag online.
Click to expand...

That is a great one

Last edited by a moderator: Sep 3, 2009

tatted4ever, Sep 2, 2009

tatted4ever, Sep 2, 2009

#3
oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

Joined:

Aug 18, 2009

Messages:

2,932

Location:

Rochester,NY
Yea i love this list and wanted to share it with the 3reef world

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

#4
Kashoub Feather Duster

Joined:

Jul 27, 2009

Messages:

234
Good call

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

#5

pks4life420 Fire Worm

Joined:

Jul 14, 2009

Messages:

151

Location:

Central Florida
well i learned my hydrometer sucks and im ordering a refractormeter from my LFS tomorrow

pks4life420, Sep 2, 2009

pks4life420, Sep 2, 2009

#6

mikejrice 3reef Affiliate

Joined:

May 24, 2009

Messages:

5,926

Location:

Colorado
Good list overall but it does have some things that are more opinion than proven fact.

mikejrice, Sep 2, 2009

mikejrice, Sep 2, 2009

#7
oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

Joined:

Aug 18, 2009

Messages:

2,932

Location:

Rochester,NY
pks4life420 said: ↑

well i learned my hydrometer sucks and im ordering a refractormeter from my LFS tomorrow
Click to expand...

Good bro, best move you will ever make!! Glad to see this is helping!

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

#8
oceanparadise1 Fire Squid

Joined:

Aug 18, 2009

Messages:

2,932

Location:

Rochester,NY
mikejrice said: ↑

Good list overall but it does have some things that are more opinion than proven fact.
Click to expand...

True BUT if a newbie follows this list untill the have enough exp, i feel confident they should not have nay major issues.

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

oceanparadise1, Sep 2, 2009

#9
Kashoub Feather Duster

Joined:

Jul 27, 2009

Messages:

234
This is true. Newbie's like me!

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

Kashoub, Sep 2, 2009

#10

(You must log in or sign up to reply here.)

Page 1 of 2

Search