Peter Eichler
New member
I'm not sure if what you're asking for exists, but if it does you'll probably find it here. 
http://www.imv.uit.no/ommuseet/enheter/zoo/wim/a_e.html
http://www.imv.uit.no/ommuseet/enheter/zoo/wim/a_e.html
Common Misconceptions In the Hobby
- Thread starter Peter Eichler
- Start date
Aquarist007
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10598301#post10598301 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
I haven't stopped drinking Bitburger in 4 days. In that time my corals have all doubled in size and "colored up"!
Someone get me an endorsement deal!
haha another misconception---we have been told all along to dose with vodka :lol: and it should have been beer.
Aquarist007
New member
that probably was true 10-15 years ago. for the following reasons:
there has been new technology that has made keeping a reef tank less problematic and more affordable for a huge amount of hobbyists
the internet has made referencing and linking to information and scientests alot easier.
the internet has allowed the sharing of experiences between hobbyists and scientests.
There has been a successful period of time that has allowed "experience' to be blended with "knowledge" and new concepts tried out.
Sites like this one allow the presentation of alot of points of view and discussion-----and this is how misconceptions are best dealt with.
thejrc
New member
I wholeheartedly agree, but I think the tricky part is the commonly large amount of bad information out there online. Anyone can toss up a site or post information regardless of how good or bad it is with this all powerful thing we call the internet. I explain this in my field of work (information technology) to others in comparison to books very easily by noting that publishers will have editors and a lot more at stake to ensure the information the authors hand them to print is accurate, whereas anyone can post in a forum.
Classic case of reader beware on the downside.... anybody can and should be smart enough to compare multiple sources of information before acting, whether it's in this hobby, or any other area. This has always been true in more complex subjects even before the advent of freely available online forums and information.
The gain is immense though and cannot be discounted, not only does the vast majority of average humanity (non researchers, etc) have freeley available access to a plethora of information, we now have a constantly available real time channel where we can share and explore our own personal findings. Thus increasing the speed and area that research covers at lower monetary costs but higher time costs (sorting the information out).
It's a means of collaboration, and yes in any collaborative effort there is always good info and bad, and there is always a ton of grey area. But without collaboration we will never sort out the three areas and final answers would become a crapshoot at best!
just my 2 cents
Aquarist007
New member
We share the same occupation---I am not stating something new when I state the internet is still rapidly evolving with more people finding a practical use pleasure what ever to motivate them to learn how to use it.
Gone are the days when one reads the symptoms of prostrate cancer on the net and rush to their doctor demanding the 'plastic glove"
People learn quickly( and we are teaching them) how to evaluate sites, information etc on the net.
This kind of site makes it very easy to check out the experience they have had, what they have had experience in, and who are their supporters.
situation here: I have been chemistry/biology/math/It teacher for 37 years, have 1200 posts in four months, and have one years experince in reef tanks.
Now Greenbean--(for example--it could have been Bertonli, boomer etc etc ) has had 7,000 posts, many years experince , get many different tanks and is a marine biologist)
Whose answers are you really going to put faith in.:smokin:
Equally, this site provides an excellent communication vehichle where all can discuss their small experinces with experts like we have. any I can't begin to tell you what I have learned today rather then in the past(the old days when the phone was on
the wall instead in your pocket)
IMHO for sure
Scott
bureau13
New member
Peter is going for two consecutive Thread of the Month awards 
Question though, about the high pH "myth": You mentioned a pH of up to 8.8 being OK, but at some point high pH can cause Ca to precipitate out of solution. The last time that happened to me (from an overdosing Kalk scenario, I'm hitting two myths for one low price here) I never saw it get higher than about 8.6. I'm pretty sure my Mg was not where it needs to be, which can make it easier for this to happen, but isn't 8.8 getting dangerously close to this level even for proper Mg levels?
jds
Question though, about the high pH "myth": You mentioned a pH of up to 8.8 being OK, but at some point high pH can cause Ca to precipitate out of solution. The last time that happened to me (from an overdosing Kalk scenario, I'm hitting two myths for one low price here) I never saw it get higher than about 8.6. I'm pretty sure my Mg was not where it needs to be, which can make it easier for this to happen, but isn't 8.8 getting dangerously close to this level even for proper Mg levels?
jds
Peter Eichler
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10603477#post10603477 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
Peter is going for two consecutive Thread of the Month awards
Question though, about the high pH "myth": You mentioned a pH of up to 8.8 being OK, but at some point high pH can cause Ca to precipitate out of solution. The last time that happened to me (from an overdosing Kalk scenario, I'm hitting two myths for one low price here) I never saw it get higher than about 8.6. I'm pretty sure my Mg was not where it needs to be, which can make it easier for this to happen, but isn't 8.8 getting dangerously close to this level even for proper Mg levels?
jds
That's a good question and it depends on a lot of factors. I would say that your chances of precipitation are more likely. However, with "normal" temperature, calcium and magnesium levels I don't think it would be a common problem, though some chemistry gurus may disagree. I'd say the problem with the kalkwasser was from the PH being elevated beyond 8.6 or even 8.8 in the area where the kalkwasser was being added. The higher calcium concentration in that area is probably another factor.
However, I should have expanded a little in the first entry that maintaining PH between 8.2-8.6 is probably best even though going a little higher or a little lower will most likely not cause harm. The inspiration for the original entry was people posting on here and wonder what they can do to lower their high PH of 8.4-8.6 as if it was something dangerous.
thejrc
New member
I've got the copepodgeek.com blog going (when I have time to update) and since I finally got my hands on a good dissection microscope it should have a lot more failed experi.... uh lessons fairly soon here for that. Beauty is now I can actually watch them feed and see what their feeding on, I've made my own recommendations on how to feed and culture pods based on examination of culture growth but I am almost certain I'm going to learn that I too have been guilty of ill advise when I actually see whats happening.
It's fun to know random things, sometimes it's even more fun finding out what you dont know...
Paul B
Premium Member
This sounds like fun.
I disagree with everything.
No not really but a few things drive me crazy about this hobby.
I think the most posted thing is what type of animals do I need to get rid of my hair algae problem?
The answer is that no animal will eliminate a hair algae problem.
If it wants to grow, it will grow faster than those few snails will eat it.
People will say that their 1/2" hermit crab or a lettuce nudibranch ate a tank full of it. Not gonna happen. Also there is no such thing as a "Lettuce Nudi" they are slugs and they don't eat hair algae.
Sea hares are another thing. They may eat a little hair algae but they will not clear a tank of the stuff. The hair algae is gone because it died as it does all the time for no apparent reason. Thats why we have so many "cures"
You also can't "cure" it because it is not a disease and it has some benefits.
Greenbean mentioned people saying about cleaner shrimp and fish eliminating ich.
Also not gonna happen. Your ich disappeared for the same reason that hair algae disappeared. It died on it's own as it sometimes does. (personal experience of fifty years +) It also wasen't the garlic, eat it yourself, it's great with linguini and clams.
As to temp changes. I have no chiller, my tank goes to a little over 90 degrees in the summer as it is now. When the lights go off it goes down to the mid eightees. Some of my fish lived to 18 years but only because I diden't let them see the thermometer
:eek1:
UV sterilizers, another pet peeve of mine. They will not cure ich, no way, no how. There is no sign in your tank telling all of those paracites to go into the light. Some may but most of them will just laugh at the thing from the substrait or from their favorite place inside the gills of your favorite fish. They are good at clearing water if you have a diatom bloom or some other one celled nusience problem. They will keep a goldfish pond very clear.
Someone mentioned that a "clean up crew" only lives for a few years. I don't know I think I have some hermit crabs for ten years. I am not really a big fan of clean up crews for the purpose of "cleaning up" but I like them as I like all interesting animals.
There is another one about if you use copper in your tank you can never keep inverts. Wrong.
Never is a long time and although I am older than most of you guys I am not older than "never" and in the beginning of this hobby I kept copper in my tank continousely. Many of those rocks are still in my reef and I diden't notice any residual copper problems. It was a few years after I used copper that I introduced inverts though but I can't say you can "never" use a tank after it has been dosed.
Undergravel filters, my favorite topic. If you use them the correct way, which is in reverse very slowly, they will work forever.
My tank was set up when Nixon was President. That is almost forever.
"Old Tank Syndrome" I don't think that kicks in until at least 37 years. My tank is having problems lately so I think it may be "Old Tank Syndrome" :bum:
Rocks get full of detritus after a few years and don't work for nitrification. I say to that......Ha.
I'm done.
:dance:
I disagree with everything.
No not really but a few things drive me crazy about this hobby.
I think the most posted thing is what type of animals do I need to get rid of my hair algae problem?
The answer is that no animal will eliminate a hair algae problem.
If it wants to grow, it will grow faster than those few snails will eat it.
People will say that their 1/2" hermit crab or a lettuce nudibranch ate a tank full of it. Not gonna happen. Also there is no such thing as a "Lettuce Nudi" they are slugs and they don't eat hair algae.
Sea hares are another thing. They may eat a little hair algae but they will not clear a tank of the stuff. The hair algae is gone because it died as it does all the time for no apparent reason. Thats why we have so many "cures"
You also can't "cure" it because it is not a disease and it has some benefits.
Greenbean mentioned people saying about cleaner shrimp and fish eliminating ich.
Also not gonna happen. Your ich disappeared for the same reason that hair algae disappeared. It died on it's own as it sometimes does. (personal experience of fifty years +) It also wasen't the garlic, eat it yourself, it's great with linguini and clams.
As to temp changes. I have no chiller, my tank goes to a little over 90 degrees in the summer as it is now. When the lights go off it goes down to the mid eightees. Some of my fish lived to 18 years but only because I diden't let them see the thermometer
:eek1:
UV sterilizers, another pet peeve of mine. They will not cure ich, no way, no how. There is no sign in your tank telling all of those paracites to go into the light. Some may but most of them will just laugh at the thing from the substrait or from their favorite place inside the gills of your favorite fish. They are good at clearing water if you have a diatom bloom or some other one celled nusience problem. They will keep a goldfish pond very clear.
Someone mentioned that a "clean up crew" only lives for a few years. I don't know I think I have some hermit crabs for ten years. I am not really a big fan of clean up crews for the purpose of "cleaning up" but I like them as I like all interesting animals.
There is another one about if you use copper in your tank you can never keep inverts. Wrong.
Never is a long time and although I am older than most of you guys I am not older than "never" and in the beginning of this hobby I kept copper in my tank continousely. Many of those rocks are still in my reef and I diden't notice any residual copper problems. It was a few years after I used copper that I introduced inverts though but I can't say you can "never" use a tank after it has been dosed.
Undergravel filters, my favorite topic. If you use them the correct way, which is in reverse very slowly, they will work forever.
My tank was set up when Nixon was President. That is almost forever.
"Old Tank Syndrome" I don't think that kicks in until at least 37 years. My tank is having problems lately so I think it may be "Old Tank Syndrome" :bum:
Rocks get full of detritus after a few years and don't work for nitrification. I say to that......Ha.
I'm done.
:dance:
Last edited:
miwoodar
Likey the bikey
Amen brother. I don't know why people think salinity would be less stable in a smaller tank but I hear it all the time. Maybe they assume larger tanks always include an ATO system? Without an ATO system one could argue a larger tank would have high evap rates due to the increased lighting and fans.
I disagree here though. Dilution is the solution to many problems.
reefer1024
New member
Miwoodar: What I'm trying to say is that if you have if you have a nano 1/10th the size of a larger tank and a fish 1/10th the size and feed 1/10th as much food then everything should be equal. If you keep all additions and changes to your nano to scale with the size tank you have there is very little difference between a large and small tank
The only real benefit a larger tank has is that it has more diverse micro organisms, pods and other little critters. These larger breeding populations are much more stable in a larger tank. (all the pods, snails and starfish in my 2.5 pico are inbred.):lol:
The only real benefit a larger tank has is that it has more diverse micro organisms, pods and other little critters. These larger breeding populations are much more stable in a larger tank. (all the pods, snails and starfish in my 2.5 pico are inbred.):lol:
Aquarist007
New member
I love reading these posts--really makes you think--thank you Paul--also glad there is someone around here that is older then I am
Do you feel you need a uv sterilzer if you are running carbon in a phosban reactor?
I took my uv sterilizer off a week ago and have noticed no difference. I just felt it was counterproductive to a refugium in which you are trying to introduce organisms into the water column not reduce them.
reefer1024
New member
Can we agree if you fill a nano with small perching gobies that the idea holds true?
korndogg091
New member
this is a very helpful thread.
reefer1024
New member
Yay somebody agrees with me!! This never happens
Peter Eichler
New member
Thought this discussion related to the topic so going to link is here.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1189924
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1189924
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