One thing would would give as advice

[Simon Garratt]

Ohhh always a difficult one this one..

If i had to give advice to someone comming into the hobby it would be as follows.

1. Work backwards....work out what you can afford each month to 'run' a tank, and then stick to a system that falls within that budget. small systems that are well run are a pleasure...big systems that are scrimpt on are a nightmare.

2. Go see a few successfull tanks and get some first hand advice. You can rarely go wrong if youve seen it with your own eyes. (most hobbyists are all to happy to show off a good tank)

3. Reeftanks are like fine gardens....you grow a reeftank the same way. Take your time and 'work' towards a long term goal, rather than rushing towards it without smelling the flowers as you go. Most methods of ataining that goal will actually work. The end result is in direct proportion to the degree of understanding and time you have put into that method.

4. Be as resonably ethical in your methods and habits as you can. Think about the fact that you are stealing from an already stretched resource...your obligation is to the longterm care of the animals you have taken from that resource.

5. Admit when you get it wrong....this can be as much a lesson for others follwing you as it is for yourself.

6. Have fun...Its supposed to be a hobby....but even if it becomes an all driving passion...as soon as you stop having fun, you stop learning..

Si.

 

[tommy818]

consentrate on good water quality.get good skimmer good lighting and good maintanance.also keep it simple.leave all the gadgets for the exp reef keepers.

 

[duke62]

look at your system closely.the more u look at it the more you will notice when something is wrong.also when u know something is right.dont just look at the fish and corals.look at the rock the sand the quality of your water.......JUST LOOK.

 

[BOBBY BOLIVIA]

Paul is right, in my opinion his tank is amazing, is by far the most natural looking tank i have seen so far! and I agree your tank should look like your tank. in this hobby i noticed that things can be done by the book and still fail, as well i have seen things not by the book, and they thrive, there's too many moving parts. also keep in mind not all of us run the same water, skimmers, reactors......etc.

 

[Paul B]

Admit when you get it wrong....this can be as much a lesson for others follwing you as it is for yourself.

Very important. I have made many mistakes as I started before computers, Most of the times when I lost animals was due to my fault.
I have gotten much better and don't make the same mistakes twice.
I am retired now and don't have the resources to fill the tank with expensive corals but I like what I have. I am not looking for TOTM as they usually come about to some extent by throwing a lot of money at your tank. If I want to spent 4 or $5,000.00 I could have a dynamite tank but I am more interested in healthy and longivity. I don't really know how many of those TOTMs have been around for 5 or 10 years.
I love to show my mistakes and failures as I feel it is more of a learning experience that my successes.
If we never made a mistake, we would never learn anything and I must know a lot because I have made some winners. Mostly stupid things like aclimitizing a fish in a container that had a little bleach in it or buying something and forgetting it in the bag for a day. :shhh:

This was my tank in the (I think) eightees, Look at the hair algae.
Everything was healthy but that stuff wasa a pain. Now I have an agreement with it and we can live together. It grows in an algae trough and I don't bother it. :inlove:

 

[MatthewScars]

water changes. 10-20% every 1.5 weeks.

And keep up on dosing alk and cal