Weekly Discussion - Newbie advice

[Anonymous]

Weekly Discussion - Newbie advice

If you could only give a new reefer one piece of advice what would it be?


About the RDO Weekly Discussion:
This discussion is meant to get at your experience and to share information that is in your head, so don't necessarily treat it as information gathering. State your opinion and, if available, use material, anecdotal or otherwise, that will back up your opinion.
Past weekly discussions will be archived in the archives.
If you have topics that you think would be helpful for the RDO community to discuss, please send me a pm.

 

[liquid]

If I could only give one piece of advice to a newbie it would be: Read as much as you can get your hands on. You can never read too much in this hobby.

Shane

 

[mountainbiker619]

RESEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DOGMAI]

READ READ AND THEN READ MORE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS PATIENCE

 

[Anonymous]

Don't skimp, buy the good equipment right at the beginning.

 

[Robin Goodfellow]

hi.
It may sounds paradoxically in light of the other advice, but:
1, don't listen to everything you hear
2, don't overspend on things you don't need.

 

[uryy4me]

Have a coin handy, it will be the only way many of your decisions will be made 8O

"Runners up"
- What works for someone else, may not work for you.
- "Relax and have a home brew"....sometimes advise from other hobbies pertains

 

[danmhippo]

"You are now on your own"

(meaning, take LFS advice with a grain of salt.)

 

[Anonymous]

Size does matter! 8O

Louey

 

[Ben1]

Wouldnt anyone think to tell them to check out www.reefs.org?

 

[fish1]

(1) Plan on spending some cash-oler.
(2) Plan on spending more cash-oler.
(3) Have some cash-oler on hand.
(4) Just when you think the big cash-oler expenses are over , think again.
(5) DEDICATION.
I think the other replies have it about covered.

 

[Anonymous]

"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!"

Have patients. That's the only way you will ever have enough money to pay for the tank you REALLY want!

Seriously, take it slow and research, research, research. And GO LOOK at setups. not just pictures. It will help visualize what you really want, and will give you a good perspective on what there is out there.


B

 

[Anonymous]

You're gonna talk to 100 different people - and get 100 different opinions. If you aren't sure who to listen to or believe - you haven't read enough yet.

 

[Anonymous]

When you and your wife see that beautiful fish..

But he is sooooo cute honey, just look at his cutesy wutesy little wittle tail wagging, oh, we need to bring him home don't you think honey? He will be soo much happier in our nice clean tank than in this dirty wirty tanks here...

Just say NO

If my wife really talked like that I think I'd shoot myself

Bryan

 

[LA-Lawman]

read, read, read.... while you are reading save your money..... then buy the biggest tank you can afford... then while the tank sits empty.. read some more while you save money... then buy the right equipment the first time...

then you will be good to go..

oh yeah, sign on an read reefs.org.....

 

[Anonymous]

be prepared to redefine your interpretation of the word 'patience' :wink:

 

[Saltykirk]

Don't skimp on equipment. Buy books and magazines first. If a subscription to a couple of good mags is money you don't want to spend, this hobby may be too pricey for ya. Read advice here @ RDO.

 

[Anonymous]

My number one tip - Understock. Whatever you use to determine the number and size of fish your tank can support, make your actual stocking level less than that.

 

[wade1]

I'd have to agree with the read read thing, but start here!

http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm !!!


Wade

 

[brandon4291]

95% of your success with stony corals will be a function of correct calcium/alk maintenance, bright lighting and stable system chemistry-- they are not that tricky to grow if you meet these three demands. You will find that the only dosing agents you need for good stony coral growth are calcium and alk support, and some prefer to use iodine or iodide. Some also like to target feed certain corals with mixtures of phytoplankton and/or meat items, and this is okay if you account for it with nutrient export (water changes/filtration/refugia/dilution etc).

There is no need for products that add "DNA" or assorted chemicals and enhancements to a regularly-fed system.

Good Luck and read, read, read. RDO is honestly one of the best places to read about reef aquariums because of the collective live experiences, and if I had to pick one book Id say Corals by Eric Borneman. Good luck and stock lightly with fish to begin with as Brian said!