your younger self

vono · 02/11/2011, 03:46 PM

What is the one thing you wish you could tell your younger self when you first started reefing?

Examples: Perhaps a lesson learned? What to expect? Where to buy or what not to buy?

Matt Dean · 02/11/2011, 03:56 PM

Spend the money on the best gear you can and TAKE YOUR TIME! Do it right the first time.

I waisted so much money on crap equipment on my first saltwater setup - thank to bad LFS advice. My current setup was very expensive, but it has been flawless.

snorvich · 02/11/2011, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

Spend the money on the best gear you can and TAKE YOUR TIME! Do it right the first time.

I waisted so much money on crap equipment on my first saltwater setup - thank to bad LFS advice. My current setup was very expensive, but it has been flawless.

Amen to that. Buy quality rather than buy cheap. It will be much cheaper in the long run.

dvenson · 02/11/2011, 03:58 PM

i would tell my younger self to avoid Aptasia and not buy any rock that showed even one piece.

davocean · 02/11/2011, 04:02 PM

I would have told myself, that was not actually baby sebae anemones, and don't take those aptasia from the sand bed and place them safely in rock cranny's...

snorvich · 02/11/2011, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davocean

I would have told myself, that was not actually baby sebae anemones, and don't take those aptasia from the sand bed and place them safely in rock cranny's...

cr reef · 02/11/2011, 04:43 PM

+1 to all above but especially listening to a bad LFS, told me aptaisia was okay, same with a chocolat star, and the standard light fixtures for a tank were fine just use different bulbs...........................boy I could go on and on, with what they told me.

Probably why I don't count my first year in the hobby as reef keeping more like...........HUH ????? ******* Sorry didn't think Dumb*ss was a bad word when referring to yourself

b_s_c1 · 02/11/2011, 05:08 PM

I would tell myself not to waste the money on a Coralife Super Skimmer. The thing cost me so many headaches trying to get it to run correctly, damaged my floor from the many overflows and just a down right bad investment. After all the mods I did on it I would have been better off with a air hose in a piece of PVC with a bowl on top.

wedwards · 02/11/2011, 05:09 PM

Go big or go home!!!

evoi19 · 02/11/2011, 05:17 PM

LIke some others have said:

- buy the quality stuff that matters.Cheaper and less headache in the long run.
- Take your time and do lots of research
- Think ahead and future needs
- Double/triple up on things that you may need that is vital to running your system (pumps/powerheads)

AugustWest · 02/11/2011, 05:19 PM

Definitely agree with buying the best equipment that you can, seems like everybody has to learn that the hard way...

The other thing I would tell myself is to be careful with corals that can grow to plague proportions, Palythoas,Green Star Polyps, mushrooms..... Ugly Brown Paly's being the cause of me tearing down my 10 year old reef last year. Ugh!

fish77 · 02/11/2011, 05:19 PM

I would have added a sump!

fish77 · 02/11/2011, 05:20 PM

I would have started fish that would do well in my tank other then trying to put fish in it, that the tank could not support.

seapug · 02/11/2011, 05:22 PM

Never buy a tank that is deeper than your arm is long.

eja99 · 02/11/2011, 05:26 PM

I tell my younger self to be more careful about brushing/cleaning frag plugs to avoid outbreaks of pest algae.

spieszak · 02/11/2011, 05:32 PM

I'd tell my younger self that you should have started sooner.. the amount of stress relief I get from this hobby is amazing.

Mouse · 02/11/2011, 10:20 PM

Avoid the flavor of the month, trying to play catch-up with corals or equipt will bankrupt you faster than 2 ex-wives

maynardjames · 02/11/2011, 10:24 PM

i would have told myself to slow down & do more research. and get a 300 gallon tank

TampaReefer79 · 02/11/2011, 10:26 PM

I'd tell him to bet the house on Douglas over Tyson. When the little nerd starts arguing with me and telling me how there's 'no way', I'd slap him and tell him to just do it!

widmer · 02/11/2011, 11:17 PM

Say no to skilter filter and seaclone. I've had both

The one good thing about the seaclone though was it came with a maxijet 1200. That was almost a decade ago, and the maxi-jet has served me well in various positions over the years, even as a sump return pump for a year.

battplus · 02/12/2011, 12:03 AM

Don't buy liverock with mojanos, took me forever to get rid of them! Oh and I would have told myself to invest in Apple-Macintosh, I'd be getting a piece of this smart phone action and have a 50,000 gallon tank in my mansion!

02/11/2011, 03:46 PM	#1
vono Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 50	your younger self What is the one thing you wish you could tell your younger self when you first started reefing? Examples: Perhaps a lesson learned? What to expect? Where to buy or what not to buy?

02/11/2011, 03:56 PM	#2
Matt Dean I don't like wet hands! Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 555	Spend the money on the best gear you can and TAKE YOUR TIME! Do it right the first time. I waisted so much money on crap equipment on my first saltwater setup - thank to bad LFS advice. My current setup was very expensive, but it has been flawless. __________________ 125 gallon Peninsula Mixed reef Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon custom Starphyre Peninsula

02/11/2011, 04:02 PM	#5
davocean Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 14,655	I would have told myself, that was not actually baby sebae anemones, and don't take those aptasia from the sand bed and place them safely in rock cranny's... __________________ There's a fine line between owning your tank and your tank owning you! Current Tank Info: SCA 120g RR Starfire, Tunze silence 1073.02 return, 40g sump w/ fuge, SWC Extreme 160 cone skimmer,Geismann reflexx 4xT5, 2x Panorama Pro LED strips, Vortech MP40QD

02/11/2011, 04:43 PM	#7
cr reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 122	+1 to all above but especially listening to a bad LFS, told me aptaisia was okay, same with a chocolat star, and the standard light fixtures for a tank were fine just use different bulbs...........................boy I could go on and on, with what they told me. Probably why I don't count my first year in the hobby as reef keeping more like...........HUH ????? ******* Sorry didn't think Dumb*ss was a bad word when referring to yourself __________________ Current tank 173g starfire w/100g stacked sump, w/auto water change Current Tank Info: mixed reef

02/11/2011, 05:17 PM	#10
evoi19 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 221	LIke some others have said: - buy the quality stuff that matters.Cheaper and less headache in the long run. - Take your time and do lots of research - Think ahead and future needs - Double/triple up on things that you may need that is vital to running your system (pumps/powerheads) __________________ Elos 120 SPS

02/11/2011, 03:58 PM	#4
dvenson Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Denver Co Posts: 66	i would tell my younger self to avoid Aptasia and not buy any rock that showed even one piece.

02/11/2011, 05:08 PM	#8
b_s_c1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Victoria, Texas Posts: 466	I would tell myself not to waste the money on a Coralife Super Skimmer. The thing cost me so many headaches trying to get it to run correctly, damaged my floor from the many overflows and just a down right bad investment. After all the mods I did on it I would have been better off with a air hose in a piece of PVC with a bowl on top.

02/11/2011, 05:09 PM	#9
wedwards Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 163	Go big or go home!!!

02/11/2011, 05:19 PM	#11
AugustWest Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 765 Blog Entries: 1	Definitely agree with buying the best equipment that you can, seems like everybody has to learn that the hard way... The other thing I would tell myself is to be careful with corals that can grow to plague proportions, Palythoas,Green Star Polyps, mushrooms..... Ugly Brown Paly's being the cause of me tearing down my 10 year old reef last year. Ugh!

02/11/2011, 05:19 PM	#12
fish77 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 335	I would have added a sump! __________________ Addicted.... Current Tank Info: 100 gallon reef in the works

02/11/2011, 05:20 PM	#13
fish77 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 335	I would have started fish that would do well in my tank other then trying to put fish in it, that the tank could not support. __________________ Addicted.... Current Tank Info: 100 gallon reef in the works

02/11/2011, 05:22 PM	#14
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Never buy a tank that is deeper than your arm is long. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

02/11/2011, 05:26 PM	#15
eja99 HI Monk Seal Poipu Kauai Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Northern CA Posts: 224	I tell my younger self to be more careful about brushing/cleaning frag plugs to avoid outbreaks of pest algae.

02/11/2011, 05:32 PM	#16
spieszak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,877	I'd tell my younger self that you should have started sooner.. the amount of stress relief I get from this hobby is amazing. __________________ I'm new to this saltwater thing, all comments should be taken with a BUCKET of salt! :-) -Stacey

02/11/2011, 10:20 PM	#17
Mouse UnRegistered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Rio Linda CA Posts: 739	Avoid the flavor of the month, trying to play catch-up with corals or equipt will bankrupt you faster than 2 ex-wives __________________ Somedays it just isnt worth gnawing through the straps...... Current Tank Info: 125g > < this close to being set up

02/11/2011, 10:24 PM	#18
maynardjames Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: west tennessee Posts: 1,600	i would have told myself to slow down & do more research. and get a 300 gallon tank __________________ if your 555 Current Tank Info: 120 rr dual overflows, solarflare t5 fixture,octo extreme 200,vortech mp40w esx2. brs reactor for carbon, brs reactor for gfo, 40 gal breeder sump

02/11/2011, 10:26 PM	#19
TampaReefer79 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Parts Unknown Posts: 3,448	I'd tell him to bet the house on Douglas over Tyson. When the little nerd starts arguing with me and telling me how there's 'no way', I'd slap him and tell him to just do it!

02/11/2011, 11:17 PM	#20
widmer Drug Enthusiast Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 2,958	Say no to skilter filter and seaclone. I've had both The one good thing about the seaclone though was it came with a maxijet 1200. That was almost a decade ago, and the maxi-jet has served me well in various positions over the years, even as a sump return pump for a year.

02/12/2011, 12:03 AM	#21
battplus Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 544	Don't buy liverock with mojanos, took me forever to get rid of them! Oh and I would have told myself to invest in Apple-Macintosh, I'd be getting a piece of this smart phone action and have a 50,000 gallon tank in my mansion! __________________ Cube tanks rock! Current Tank Info: 75 gallon Leemar eurobraced with 2-MP10, reefkeeper 2, 2-250w Ushio 20k and 4 4ft T5 actinics, Euroreef skimmer

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