For all the pros on here

[seapug]

Lots of good replies here. If there are two pieces of wisdom to always keep in mind, they are:

1. Patience.
2. Keep it simple.

If you read and look at the tanks of very successful hobbyists you will generally find two common factors-- they attempt to create a balanced "biotope" with the use of a sump/refugium with minimal mechanical filtration (hence the advice to avoid canister filters as the sole "filtration" of a tank) and they have been running the tank for two or more years. They may have complex monitors and calcium reactors and all kinds of mind boggling gadgetry, but when you peel the layers away, the system itself is usually quite simple.

There is also the fact that your tank and this hobby are going to constantly evolve, so if are looking for a hobby that allows you to go to the store, buy what you need and then never have to think about it again, Reefkeeping is not for you. If you are looking for a hobby that is completely foolproof, has no learning curve and is impossible to make a mistake, Reefkeeping is not for you. If you cannot emotionally or financially afford to make mistakes or be told that something you did or want to do is not a good idea, Reefkeeping is not for you. It's not a personal jab at you, it's just an inescapable part of this hobby. Even the "Experts" often disagree about the correct approach to setting up and running a tank. Some people find the challenge, learning, and "work" involved in it exciting and rewarding, others find it too intimidating.

If you take the advice of people here for what it is (advice, not gospel) and balance that with your own personal experiences and what you have learned from other sources you will be successful in the long run, but you will hit bumps along the way. It's up to you to decide if you can handle the ride.

p.s. If you want to deal with that Phosphate problem, get a PhosBan reactor and GFO. 8)

 

[seapug]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11966634#post11966634 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ricky1066

I originally went to buy test kits. Got them
I called the store and the guy says the alkanliny does not come with a chart?????? So what do I need it for I still have no idea what it means 12 drops made it yellow divide by 2 is 6 NOw what?

Ricky, did the test kit come with an instruction book? If it didn't you need to take it back. If it did, you need to read it. Alkalinity tests usually work by counting the # of drops required to reach the end point, not by looking at a chart.

 

[EllieSuz]

Please remember that Reef Central is just one of the sources for education and problem solving. Owning and reading some books on the subject, especially those by Robert Fenner and/or Eric Bourneman is another source. Surfing WetWebMedia.com is another. If you get conflicting information on Reef Central, widen your search to other venues and make an informed decision based on all available resources.

 

[Ricky1066]

Yes it came with a book It had a table on the bottom that honestly Lost me It has x2,9 then x5.8 then x50 and next to it, it had german,french? I was lost I called instant ocean and they said after I divide the number that is my alkalinity which I had 12 drops so I made 6 which he said is ok it is from tap water. But not a big headache

I know that the canister is not great But there are many people on here who use them and right now I feel safe with them I have looked for all in one setup sump/refugium I found them on ebay and will consider but for now I will sit back and let the tank do its thing.

I forgot to mention your name Seapug as one of the peole who do give good advice

 

[Ricky1066]

Yes it came with a book It had a table on the bottom that honestly Lost me It has x2,9 then x5.8 then x50 and next to it, it had german,french? I was lost I called instant ocean and they said after I divide the number that is my alkalinity which I had 12 drops so I made 6 which he said is ok it is from tap water. But not a big headache

I know that the canister is not great But there are many people on here who use them and right now I feel safe with them I have looked for all in one setup sump/refugium I found them on ebay and will consider but for now I will sit back and let the tank do its thing.

I forgot to mention your name Sepug as one of the peole who do give good advice

 

[dsn112]

I used a canister for months. They are great if you can be dilligent enough to clean them. I on the other hand was lazy and didn't like the extra work to having one.

Once I started doing coral, my tanks natural filtration seemed to work alot better. Almost like the reef environment takes care of it self more than I take care of it.

 

[Nanz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11965907#post11965907 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
but I've also kept things in a 2 gallon glass bowl with a bubbler and a hydrometer...I can't say how long I could have done so, because a neighbor's cigarette smoke got that rig.

LOL.... Pepsi just ran out my nose, hehe..

This hobby is a grand learning experience that never seems to end. I think I spent close to $300 on trying to build a Kalkwasser unit when I could have made a simple one like Sk8r's.

Lots of stuff in this hobby looks easier than it is.

 

[gws76]

Nanz, is there a link to Sk8r's Kalkwasser unit? Or could you PM on the particulars? Sorry, not trying to hyjack anybodies thread here, but since this came up.

 

[Segundo]

This thread has quite a few good points. I'll add one.

Do your own research. Don't be overly dependent on the experiences of others. hmmmm... Let me reword that. You should do your best to understand what is going on in your tank, the chemical breakdowns and processes that happen in saltwater aquariums. Understand the cycle. If you better understand the problem and it's possible sources you can better evaluate the 10 different solutions that 10 different people give you. For some oddball reason, I studied saltwater enviroment for a full year before I got into the hobby. I had my failures just like anyone else, but I can tell you that the knowledge obtained in that year made a considerable impact on my experience as a begining aquarist. I was armed with the tools I needed to cope with the problems at hand.

So good luck and do some research.

 

[Secondchance]

Hey Ricky, at least you do have all that stuff. I don't even know what half of it is or what it does or how it works. LOL.

I do have to say though, that of the sites I have been on, at least you do get answers/responses on here. (Whether you like them or not).

 

[Norward]

Good Plan Ricky. Good Luck!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Re: For all the pros on here

there aren't many "pros" that visit the newbie forum frequently.
Always get second opinions and thoroughly research the credibilty of those giving it to you.

 

[Nanz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11967037#post11967037 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gws76
Nanz, is there a link to Sk8r's Kalkwasser unit? Or could you PM on the particulars? Sorry, not trying to hyjack anybodies thread here, but since this came up.

He described it in one of his posts.. Its nothing more than a trash can with a bunch of Kalk in the bottom. I'll let him elaborate on it.

I have one I built out of an RO unit but it requires maintenance every week or two. If you seach DIY forums with my name you can find it. I prefer a kalkwasser unit that I dont have to maintain more than once a month. I ended up buying one from reeftek but I wish I would have saved the money and done something like sk8r did.

 

[Sk8r]

Not to divert the thread, but since the question's been asked, I started a kalk thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1333329
Now: remember this thread is on the pros and cons of taking advice you get in forums. So back to the original premise: the goodness and badness of advice in general.

 

[Ricky1066]

I Did not start the thread on pros and cons Now I take all advice and I think that is the probelm you CANNOT take all advice you have to pick one or two people and listen to them I had a little help coming from Captn hyliner but he seems busy now I guess.

I am sure that from what I have posted and my responses you can all see that I take the advice just as the post stated sometimes too much and that is what was meant by the post for newbies to stop first and let the post build up some answers and let the pros realize they cannot argue with each other on the posts that only makes the newbies more confused,
But in general I love it here you guys are the best and My fish say thank you

After all is said I done my fish are swimming all overn ow no more hidding
it looks really nice but they are funny any little air bubble or bit of debris they go runnning for it

 

[Bremmon]

Looks like I am coming late to the discussion (jeez this thread is moving fast).

Just my .02 worth from a new reef hobbyist:

Ricky, you are absolutely right and there are many, many opinions on how things should be done. Some of those work, and some don't. What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another.

What I've done is take averages. Before doing ANYTHING, I research the forum here (primarily) and look at another forum or two concerning the change I want to make or the question I have.

For example, concerning canister filters, you will find that some say 'no go on the canister', others say 'canisters are ok'. One thing concerning canisters I have found is that, on average, IF they are being used, Bioballs are highly discouraged by about everyone because they build up nitrate. You will also find that the ones who use canisters, more often than not, use it for Carbon or some other mechanical filtration. Some have even used them as an inexpensive chiller (though that is risky).

Often times it isn't so much what you have connected to your system, it is how you use it.

It is good to see you did research, but it seems you may have jumped at the first thing you saw in a forum addressing your concerns. I guess the advice is to research, research, research, then average out the responses and see what you feel comfortable doing. But be sure to thoroughly research something before making your decision

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11973792#post11973792 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ricky1066
I Did not start the thread on pros and cons Now I take all advice and I think that is the probelm you CANNOT take all advice you have to pick one or two people and listen to them I had a little help coming from Captn hyliner but he seems busy now I guess.

I am sure that from what I have posted and my responses you can all see that I take the advice just as the post stated sometimes too much and that is what was meant by the post for newbies to stop first and let the post build up some answers and let the pros realize they cannot argue with each other on the posts that only makes the newbies more confused,
But in general I love it here you guys are the best and My fish say thank you

After all is said I done my fish are swimming all overn ow no more hidding
it looks really nice but they are funny any little air bubble or bit of debris they go runnning for it

Ricky, I don't live on my computer--although that's what my wife thinks too:eek2:
If you need to get a hold of anyone at any time then use the pm fuction--when I leave my computer and come back I always start my reading the posts in MY RC to check if anyone made a comment on my previous posts that I should answer.
If someone left a pm--then the message pops up instantly.
Quite often if you have been proactive in alot of posts you won't always notice if someone has requested something

I appreciate your kind words---I have always felt that you learn yourself by helping others.

I think you are doing great--I look at your post count--you are asking alot of questions and remember I told you to try and do that from day one--no one here is going to fault you for asking too many questions By some of your recent posts, the improvement in quality is excellent.
I still can remember Lobster of Justice, telling me that it was ok to take in alot of ideas here but not to feel I had to go and immediately adopt them and incorporate them in my system.
That was some excellent advise , so I am relating that to you now
keep on posting my friend--and don't let the odd post that could be interpreted as personal sway you.
Twice I have reacted that way--and twice I have ended up apologizing because the poster had no intent to do that--it was just my interpretation.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11966179#post11966179 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NewFish3
I realy believe that a saltwater hobby is like a bad divorce.

1 - Well that didn't work
2 - look at all the money I spent
3 - where will I put all this crap in my new tiny apartment.

:lol: :rollface: :lol:

are you posting from personal experience:lol:

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11965764#post11965764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gws76
I thought the purpose of this forum was for help and info. If you are asking a question, and you get many different opinions, then you have many options to choose from. So in the end it is up to you to decide on which option you want to go with. It's just advise so if you choose to take that advise, ultimately your at fault for buying or using that advise. That's just my opinion! LOL

in most cases the information here is anecodatal based on that person's particular experience and knowledge.
You have to weigh the advice in the perspective of your particular situation or reef tank.
No reef tank is identical in all its variables and sometimes a little point mentioned might be the key to your problem.

The other perspective here is to look at who is giving the advice--we are all reef hobbyists with no other motivations then wanting to increase our own knowledge by discussing stuff with others.
The other side of the hobby is the commercial side--and so often you hear new reefers going out and buying that and doing this because the LFS guy told them to and they bought into it. These guys are out for profit so their motivations aren't always for helping you in the best way.
If you folllow some threads you can see where a point that someone has made has been up for discussion--this is good--I personally have had a lot of misconceptions clarified this way as have others.

 

[NewFish3]

are you posting from personal experience

No.........I got everything.... because they couldn't find her....OH, I mean....hey hows your fish...lol lol lol

just kidding