What are things you wish you knew when you first started the hobby??

[Ed Hahn]

Years ago...I did the buy 15 large show Angels at one time bit. I did not have the skimmer for the bioload or the experience to create hiding spots for them.
So what would you want to pass on the next guy if you could to help them?

 

[Krish]

The important advice I would pass on to the next guy is to research research research, before you jump into anything. And learn to exercise a bit of patience.

 

[Kensn]

Buy the good stuff the first time as far as hardware goes, you just end up buying it anyway, and to get a big enough tank to satisify you and your budget. This of course is after what the above post says to do.

 

[spongebob lover]

hmm yeah i agree with my buddy Krish, research before you buy something and be patient.
ohh and don't give up on anything

 

[Ed Hahn]

I later learned the importantance of premixing salt outside the tank, Using RO or RODI water to make up New Water, bringing the temperature to same as tank, bringing the salinity the same with refractometer...Boy, If I had the corals I lost because of this.

 

[reedman]

Nutrients get into the tank by my hand...I wish I knew they were harder to get out than to put in.

A high efficiency skimmer is worth more than any lights...I should have bought that first.

You can find a lot of good quality used equipment for much less than new in the forums if you are fast enough.

An expert is someone who knows (or appears to know) more than you on a subject. Verify what you are told before you jump in with both feet.

There are sooooo many more of these

 

[Detri]

Well I am far from being labeled as a hobbyist yet. But my best advice is (and I do practice it myself) VISIT These forums and ask questions, if you can't find what you are looking for in these forums via search. RF RULES! And, do it before you set up the tank to cycle lol

If I had done it before I set up the tank. I would have bought diffrent hardware, ie. skimmer. But I trust mine is fine for my tank. I could have a better one, but thats niether here nor there right now.

 

[spongebob lover]

hey reedman sorry if i'm getting a little bit out of topic but what do you mean by nutrients get into the tank by my hand, i didn't knwo that and coudl you explain me a little please

 

[big t]

He is talking about all the skin cells that you shed when you are messing around w/ all the corals and rockwork... Just kidding. He is talking about over feeding, or not soaking all the food that goes in the tank first in rodi to strip out the phosphates.

 

[Krish]

Well, I've already added my 2 cents on advice I would pass on, but as for things I wish I knew before I started the hobby...

(1) Understanding "bio-balls" and how and when they should be used
(2) Using ro/di water instead of well water
(3) The importance of proper flow
(4) Not using all-in-one filtration systems (eg. like wet/dry's with built in skimmers)because you are limited by the comprimise made to fit everything into one unit.
(5) Stacking all of my rocks against the backwall hindering flow and allowing ditritus to collect under it.

All of the above I was guilty of the first time around which led to me taking down my whole setup and not starting it up again until 6 months later.

 

[spongebob lover]

He is talking about all the skin cells that you shed when you are messing around w/ all the corals and rockwork... Just kidding. He is talking about over feeding, or not soaking all the food that goes in the tank first in rodi to strip out the phosphates.

dood i was sweating when you said that

 

[reedman]

Thanks Tom. That's what I'm talking about. Nutrients don't just appear in the tank, they are introduced by us via food and sometimes salt mixes. Understanding the "what goes in must come out" concept is one of the biggest hurdles for people.

 

[scuglass]

i havent started to even think about feeding yet i am still in the planning phase but can u expand on this "soaking of foods"

thanks

 

[reedman]

soaking

Store bought frozen foods have phosphates in them to act as a preservative. By "soaking"/thawing them in RO/DI water and draining the water off you can remove a lot of the phosphates and prevent them from getting into the tank.

The same is true if you make your own food, you need to rinse the ingredients to remove the P.

 

[Elmo18]

I should have read, "How to Prevent Floods: 101" .

Ah well.....

- Ilham

 

[Blazer88]

Not rinising my food was probably the biggest thing I wish I would have known. Also I wish I would have known about this website before I bought my first setup

 

[spongebob lover]

I should have read, "How to Prevent Floods: 101" .

lol hey i'm the expert for that

 

[Krish]

Here's one I use to be famous for before I went salt and was just starting out with fresh...Cleaning way too much! And when I say cleaning too much I mean I was an old janitor! I use to siphon my substrate twice a week going through every piece of gravel and then every month, I'd empty my entire tank, throw my gravel on the driveway and rinse it out with the hose for about 15 minutes. I always had cloudy water and couldn't understand why when I cleaned like crazy and my lazy friend never touches his water and it was crystal clear. So what did I do, I trucked 75 gals (at the time) from his house to mine thinking it was the water! Ha!!! This was when I first learned about the importance of BACTERIA!!!!

 

[Detri]

Its funny you say that Krish. When I tell friends and people I meet they have to let the tank stand, for freshwater, with a few hardy fish. They get a puzzled look on there face. Now, I didn't understand why really. (I had my fresh water set up from when I was a teenager and slowly switched to my Cichlids) Until now trying a saltwater tank. I was told never change the substrate unless I keep a decent amount of it and atleast half the cycled water. So I never did. Never had a problem. Most of my expensive fish I bought straight from a breeder. That what I'll probably do now to for my saltwater.

 

[wrightme43]

That some LFS will trade work for corals, and you get free experince.
Just because a fish looks friendly doesnt mean it is.
Buy a bigger tank.
If something says it will do X divide X by two and buy one size bigger.
Cheap stuff doesnt save me any money.
Make it myself, I care. And for the price I can make another one if I dont like the first one.
Powerstrips catch on fire. (Learned that on here) Glad it wasnt my tank.
Nothing is idiot proof, because they will just make a better idiot. (Thats ME!)
Leave it alone.
If you dont know what it does, dont touch it.