Lessons learned

[HeulittSalmi]

And tips and tricks or things you wish you would have known coming into the hobby?

[dpulve]

Welcome!
For me it's planning reading and more planning! My biggest thing believe it or not is aquascaping!! I've been disappointed in most of my tanks over the years (FOWLR) as I've rotated and traveled but I've used this site to get a ton of info and this last time I'm going to get it right!

[leviburns89]

Rock curing
Proper budget
Realistic time frame

Even a bare bones system will costs upwards of $1000.
Letting your rock cure for 2 months before even adding it to the tank.
And it will take almost an entire year before you start to get the results you want in your tank, assuming you've done everything right.

I initially thought I could have a system up and running with some corals and fish in a month, for about $400.

I have never been more wrong

[rsain]

My first tank was set up in haste. I killed lots of critters. I spent way too much money (that I didn't have LOL).

Then I ordered The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium books. Then I came on here. I should have done those two things first.

Understanding the chemistry involved, understanding the various cycles, and learning about the ecosystem as a whole made the whole endeavor enjoyable and manageable.

So. Read, read, read, read. I wish I did.

-ryan

[rsain]

Renamed... Bump

[DrewHaus]

I wish someone would have told me to take it slow when I started. Someone probably did, but I was probably too impatient to listen ;-) I've also come to realize just how long it takes a reef to get "established." Sure, you can cycle a tank in a week or two, but it will take many more to establish a healthy and stable system.

[heathlindner25]

I wish someone would have told me not to chase pH.... rookie mistake

[bmrigs]

You can make this hobby as simple or complex as you want.

[Cliving1]

Know what you want before setting up. That can help you budget, and figure out the equipment needed. I always see I started with a FOWLR and now I want a reef posts haha.

[leviburns89]

Originally Posted by heathlindner25

i wish someone would have told me not to chase ph.... Rookie mistake

+1

[Virtual Balboa]

I wish I would have known to test the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium in my salt mix every time I bought a new package. And that you can't trust the levels written on the bag, box, buckets, or even online for different brands of salt.

[kmbyrnes]

Reefing is demanding and requires proper attention.
You will worry over every little change to your tank in the beginning, and then come to realize that disaster is not looming due to a missed water change.
It can as expensive and time consuming as you want to make it.
It is also the most rewarding hobby I have ever had.

[Shawn O]

Originally Posted by Cliving1

Know what you want before setting up. That can help you budget, and figure out the equipment needed. I always see I started with a FOWLR and now I want a reef posts haha.

Good point. Build the system to meet your needs and not waste money on stuff you don't need.

I think the best advice that you could get is to build your system completely before buying a single living thing to put into it. Adding equipment a piece at a time, once you're up and running, can be a PITA. Get it all set up and running and then go fish shopping.

[scooter31707]

Quarantine. Didn't know nothing about it.

[BlackTip]

You didn't say how big is your tank?

- Don't use threaded connection in plumping - they always leak
- Buy a doser from the very beginning.
- Buy frags
- LFS almost always have pests and unwanted algae and you are going to bring it home
- Maintenance is more time consuming than you think
- Operating cost are higher than you think

[davehead86]

Buy quality used equipment instead of crappy new equipment.

I have been so happy with the stuff I have bought off people here who are getting out or upgrading or downsizing and have saved thousands compared to retail price.

[Mr.Tan]

best thing i learned was to take my time and not buying cheap stuff just to get it going. Better off waiting until you can afford a quality part than to just replace it in a short while because it either a)broke or b)wasent what you really wanted.

[nmotz]

I definitely see some common themes in the responses above, and I will echo some of those.

I also didn't know what I was doing and didn't read anything when I first started out. My first two tanks weren't anything special as a result, and I did have losses (although I can't ever really be sure what the exact causes were).

I'll add that I wish I would have known just how much of this hobby is based on opinion and personal experience (anecdote). While those things genuinely DO matter to some degree, I've found that there are so many different ways to achieve success. Part of that is because one person's version of "success" will look really different than somebody else's.

For instance, there are some people in the hobby who are convinced that their water parameters are the most important thing. If their nitrates are 10ppm and not 2ppm, they freak out and start doing water changes. Others are ok with nitrates being 100ppm if the actual tank looks good to them (and again, what looks nice to some may not look nice to others).

All that to say it is important to define your criteria for success. Are you ok with a little algae or not? Are you most concerned with saving money or not? Do you care most about having the right parameters or having a system that looks nice regardless of parameters (or both)?

There are people in this forum that have nutrient levels WAY higher than the prescribed values and their tanks are awesome. There are people that still use undergravel filters that succeed. There are people who don't use skimmers. There are people who do. It goes on and on.

Studying and experimentation go a long way, and I think once you find your formula for success it's ok to share that with others. But what may work for you, may not work for somebody else to at least some extent (with some obvious exceptions).

[Scorpius]

1. Nothing good happens fast, but disasters can happen overnight.
2. Only adjust one thing at a time and wait at least a week before making any conclusions.
3. Have a backup heater, return pump, ato pump, and anything else that is necessary lifeline for your tank.
4. Have redundancy in your system if an aquarium controller is not used.
5. Let your tank cycle and mature at least three months before adding coral. Deaths will be minimized.
6. Take your time. This is a hobby of patience. Enjoy the ride.

Finally, if you use LED lighting then realize these are death rays that need to be respected.

[leviburns89]

Originally Posted by Shawn O

I think the best advice that you could get is to build your system completely before buying a single living thing to put into it. Adding equipment a piece at a time, once you're up and running, can be a PITA. Get it all set up and running and then go fish shopping.

Hell yeah to this. Build it first, stock it later. It's extremely difficult to change things once you have living things in it.


Love this thread. Great topic