Your #1 Bit Of Advice!

[nickg]

This is for everyone. Please think on this one, I'm convinced if everyone throws out their best tidbit of advice we can all gain something. I'm almost 1 year deep, and consider myself an extreme "newbie", but here's mine. Stare at your reef tank for at least 15 minutes a day, and pay attention. You will learn more from the critters than anyone else. Enjoy the tank, and be sure you can handle the resposibility that comes with keeping ocean creatures in your home. Not much in the way of advice, I'm hoping some Old Skoolers will chime in on this one

[semajftw]

Never listen to what just one person has to say. Investigate, read and learn, then decide what you think is best for you and your tank inhabitants.

Just my newbie $.02

-James

[Jimbo]

Nick I have to agree, how your tank looks is very important. Often my tank has a slightly low alkalinity but the inhabitants look great. Test kits give you a guide, but the inhabitants tell the story. Having a balanced ecosystem is just as important as keeping your testing parameters in check. Making radical changes to adjust ph,alkalinity and salinity can cause problems with your inhabitants. Make changes gradually and watch your critters to see if they are happy. Consistancy is important in feeding, additives, skimming, lighting, if you change these do it gradually if you can. Just my 2 cents

Have a great day

[Drew]

My best advice (which I am guilty of not always following) is to go S-L-O-W-L-Y.............. Although sometimes, there is nothing more difficult than doing just that. Think about what you want, but make sure to enjoy what you do have. If you can't enjoy something until it's done, then this is the wrong hobby for you, because our reefs are never finished. Make sure to take time and marvel at all the wonderful creatures.

Drew

[MyReef]

Don't chase numbers...as stated above, go by feel and looks. If your tank is healthy then you can tell. I hate when someone says, I need to have my CA at this level or I need my pH in this range....I rarely check levels anymore. I look at my corals, fish, and sand bed and if something is wrong they will tell me.

If you are a newbie, then read read read....and believe only half of what you hear. Lend a helping hand to a reefer in need...it will come back 10 fold.

[Rick O]

Nick, I read your post then thought for a while before responding. There's a lot of good advice given so far but the best advice I think I could give is to go slowly and try to educate yourself as much as possible. I have made numerous mistakes in this hobby by not doing proper research before taking action. This goes for hardware as well as livestock.

[Hermit]

Yes, Drew. Do as I say, not as I do. . . Go slowly, and keep your hands out of the tank (someday I'll listen to my own advice).

[beach bum]

To READ as much as you can about the hobby. I love all my reference books, they get so much use it's amazing I haven't memorized them yet.

I just got Reef Fishes vol. 1 in the mail today, I'm so excited I bet I'll have it read through and highlited w/ margin notes, etc... before the weekend is over!

[tdwyatt]

...your number one piece of advice...

There is no correct answer to the question: "Do you think this makes me look fat???"

Pretend you don't hear it, just walk away. There is no correct answer...

(see also: "Do these shoes go with this?")

[GSM]

Actually, there is a correct answer to that question: "Of course that oufit doesn't make you look fat, the fat makes you look fat!"

[Casie]

My bit of advice is buy quality the first time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is and will cost you more in the long term.

And Gabe's bit of advice is "dry fit everything first". =P

[FishDaddy]

Read, Read, Read, then Read some more! You can never read enough in this hobby. Not all authors or web posts are going to agree so the more you read, the better you will be able to make your own informed choices.

All the advice given is good. Observing your tank is important. Combining your book learning with knowledge of your tank's inhabitants gives you a feel for things. Horge likes to call that "The Force"! The Force will let you know if something is wrong or things are good.
Dick

[Junkzoo]

ditto on the prior posts,,,,READ! READ ! READ! then what you've read , combined with all the "advice" from here and LFS's etc. ,put it in a bag, shake it up,,,and a bit o' patience,,,and go from there!get a feel for the tank, and take it SLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW.

[Brooke]

Ok..here's a few:

1. Check your temp at least twice a day. Do a head count in the morning and evening. Look at everyone for signs of illness, etc. (fish and corals)

2. It bears repeating.. READ, READ, READ. Learn everything you can about reefing. Buy books before you buy animals.

3. Have patience. Go to the LFS and leave your wallet at HOME! Most LFS will put a nice fish or coral on hold for you. Just ask. This will give you time to research the animal and see how it will fit into your tank.

HTH-
Brooke

[Big Dave]

I think the most important thing is reading. Read, read, read, and when your done - read some more. Then you can really get into reading. Go slow or you WILL kill something. Research all of your inhabitants to make sure they will survive in YOUR system and with YOUR fish and/or corals. Nothing is harder than watching something you just bought die a slow death.

Oh ya - this hobby can be frustrating at first but most of these things are part of creating a mature tank. I had a huge algea bloom that covered my rocks and sand completely. Couldn't see any coraline or that nice white sand, but it's clearing now. Like Nick said, he's a year in and still an 'extreme' newbie. That makes me, at 5 months in, a 'reeftard ' lmao Have fun with this because it takes time to create a healthy and beautiful reef!


-Big Dave