Getting answers, when you can't find them on RC Search...

Sk8r · 03/12/2012, 10:55 PM

Now and again you really need something and can't find it.
Use the RC search function.
Sometimes search clogs up---especially during periods of high use. You could wait until midnight when users are fewer---
Or open a tab and go to the internet. A lot of people ask questions---I try to answer---and when I'm not absolutely sure, yes, I go to the internet.

Say you've think your fish could have ich---and you don't know what ich looks like. Type in: species marine ich, ie "clownfish marine ich." You'll get pix. That word marine is a good idea, so you don't get freshwater advice by mistake. You're still not sure it's ich. Re-try, with 'marine fish disease.' Change search engines, vary the order of your search terms---that can turn up new info.

You want to know what your salinity ought to be: type "salinity marine tank". OR better yet, read the very explicit stickies at the top of this forum---and, unlike other threads, read the FRONT of an info-post FIRST.

You want to know what a sea robin looks like because somebody mentioned them. OR a flying gurnard. Look it up. You'll get pix---AND species info, where they live in the wild, what they eat, etc.

Want to know what a eunicid worm looks like? Ask the internet.

The internet is absolutely rife with marine hobby info---and it can often find an RC thread faster than RC search can find it. If I've forgotten what elements Poly Filter will remove from water, and I'm answering a question, you bet I open a tab, type, "What elements Poly Filter removes" [use as few words as possible, hitting the ones that are key to what you need.]

RC search and the stickies in each forum are your best tools, especially if you realize you should read the FRONT END of the information posts first; go to the Disease forum for diagnosis and treatment; go to Lighting if you want to know about LEDs; Chemistry if you feel you're up against a water chemistry problem; there are also specific forums for clams, invertebrates, reef fishes, various types of corals, zoas, seahorses, you name it.Yes, there is also a sale/trade forum, but you can't use that one until you've been a member here for 90 days and until you've contributed 50 meaningful posts to RC forums---'gee, pretty' and 'x2" do not count as posts, understand. If you haven't learned enough in 90 days to help people who are newer than you with real helpful info---a fast way way to accumulate those 50 posts---hey, go read those stickies, hey?

Ron Reefman · 03/13/2012, 05:40 AM

GREAT ADVISE Sk8r!

I try to answer questions when I know the answer. It's kind of a pay back for the help I recieved in my early years with an aquarium. And if I'm not 99% sure of my answaer I let people know it's my opinion. And like you, if I don't know something, I go search the internet even before I'd ask the question here on RC (because my wife is a research librarian and like her, I enjoy learning).

NirvanaFan · 03/13/2012, 10:06 AM

Another great search feature of the major search engines is the ability to search a certain site. Let's use your example of the search feature being down and needing to find out what ich looks like. You only want information from ReefCentral.

In your favorite search engine type "Clownfish marine ich site:reefcentral.com" (without the quotes). This tells your search engine to only use the site reefcentral.com. This is great for finding threads where you only remember certain keywords. I usually use google. It is nice because it displays your keywords, and includes the sentences around them just like a regular search.

03/12/2012, 10:55 PM	#1
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Getting answers, when you can't find them on RC Search... Now and again you really need something and can't find it. Use the RC search function. Sometimes search clogs up---especially during periods of high use. You could wait until midnight when users are fewer--- Or open a tab and go to the internet. A lot of people ask questions---I try to answer---and when I'm not absolutely sure, yes, I go to the internet. Say you've think your fish could have ich---and you don't know what ich looks like. Type in: species marine ich, ie "clownfish marine ich." You'll get pix. That word marine is a good idea, so you don't get freshwater advice by mistake. You're still not sure it's ich. Re-try, with 'marine fish disease.' Change search engines, vary the order of your search terms---that can turn up new info. You want to know what your salinity ought to be: type "salinity marine tank". OR better yet, read the very explicit stickies at the top of this forum---and, unlike other threads, read the FRONT of an info-post FIRST. You want to know what a sea robin looks like because somebody mentioned them. OR a flying gurnard. Look it up. You'll get pix---AND species info, where they live in the wild, what they eat, etc. Want to know what a eunicid worm looks like? Ask the internet. The internet is absolutely rife with marine hobby info---and it can often find an RC thread faster than RC search can find it. If I've forgotten what elements Poly Filter will remove from water, and I'm answering a question, you bet I open a tab, type, "What elements Poly Filter removes" [use as few words as possible, hitting the ones that are key to what you need.] RC search and the stickies in each forum are your best tools, especially if you realize you should read the FRONT END of the information posts first; go to the Disease forum for diagnosis and treatment; go to Lighting if you want to know about LEDs; Chemistry if you feel you're up against a water chemistry problem; there are also specific forums for clams, invertebrates, reef fishes, various types of corals, zoas, seahorses, you name it.Yes, there is also a sale/trade forum, but you can't use that one until you've been a member here for 90 days and until you've contributed 50 meaningful posts to RC forums---'gee, pretty' and 'x2" do not count as posts, understand. If you haven't learned enough in 90 days to help people who are newer than you with real helpful info---a fast way way to accumulate those 50 posts---hey, go read those stickies, hey? __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

03/13/2012, 05:40 AM	#2
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	GREAT ADVISE Sk8r! I try to answer questions when I know the answer. It's kind of a pay back for the help I recieved in my early years with an aquarium. And if I'm not 99% sure of my answaer I let people know it's my opinion. And like you, if I don't know something, I go search the internet even before I'd ask the question here on RC (because my wife is a research librarian and like her, I enjoy learning). __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

03/13/2012, 10:06 AM	#3
NirvanaFan Reef Ninja Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 4,280	Another great search feature of the major search engines is the ability to search a certain site. Let's use your example of the search feature being down and needing to find out what ich looks like. You only want information from ReefCentral. In your favorite search engine type "Clownfish marine ich site:reefcentral.com" (without the quotes). This tells your search engine to only use the site reefcentral.com. This is great for finding threads where you only remember certain keywords. I usually use google. It is nice because it displays your keywords, and includes the sentences around them just like a regular search.