whiteshark
Active member
Nice tank by the way 3Ford!
How to start this hobby and maintain it, inexpensively and with minimal work
- Thread starter 3FordFamily
- Start date
reefgeezer
Active member
I'm pretty well seasoned and disagree with much of the OP. This just isn't a cheap hobby. There not a lot of cost difference in building a marginal tank and a Kick A$$ one. People make it much more expensive than it has to be by buying the wrong equipment, poor quality equipment, or misapplying equipment in the beginning.
IMO... Find one person who has a kick a$$ tank (not an ok tank, I mean the "oh wow" kind) and ask for advice in private AND FOLLOW IT... plan everything... buy new... buy quality... go slow...
I wish I had done that before I was past the point of no return.
IMO... Find one person who has a kick a$$ tank (not an ok tank, I mean the "oh wow" kind) and ask for advice in private AND FOLLOW IT... plan everything... buy new... buy quality... go slow...
I wish I had done that before I was past the point of no return.
nuxx
.Registered Member
Don't cheap out on the tank...
I bought two used tanks (135 and 240), both junk IMO...
They didn't even run for more than an hour or so before I decided to sell them.
I still don't get why people think it's expensive to maintain a SW tank.
If you don't include hardware and livestock, it's cheap every month.
I bought two used tanks (135 and 240), both junk IMO...
They didn't even run for more than an hour or so before I decided to sell them.
I still don't get why people think it's expensive to maintain a SW tank.
If you don't include hardware and livestock, it's cheap every month.
whiteshark
Active member
Yeah and if you exclude every part of the car but the tires a new car is cheap too. This hobby still brings with it, if nothing else, an increased electricity bill. I can't understand how anyone could pretend like this is cheap.
itzonlithai
New member
I'm not marine biologist or specialize in immunology, but I am a biochemist. In humans anyway, immunity to a foreign body is established for a long time after a single exposure. The reason for annual flu shots is because influenza is very mutagenic and the CDC predicts which strain will be prevalent for that year. Anyway, all a moot point, as I don't know much about the immune system found in fish. Just food for thought on your theory of not QTing.
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
I understand my wife is a pharmacist and spent 7 years in school obtaining she doctorate and explains immunizations and diseases and how they work. I won't claim to be an expert myself I can only comment on what works and explain the theory behind it, and what and why I've done it for years. Repeated exposure to parasites seems analogous enough for sake of discussion regarding why it works and why my existing fish never succomb, only new additions can and occasionally do. There are also hundreds of other vaccinations that people and other animals receive annually.
itzonlithai
New member
Yeah, repeated exposure to different strains of parasites will build strong and resilient fish, but repeated exposure to the same parasite doesn't do much. So there might be something to your method, however, there's always the chance that something serious might actually infect and wipe out a tank before your fish has a chance to recover and build an immunity to it. You've got years on me and experience is everything in this hobby, so any advice is appreciated; with a grain of salt of course =]
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
Yup I've thought that for awhile. Knock on wood, velvet brook and ich make it in to my setups probably with every 3rd fish I had or even mlre
Frequently!
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
PCygni
New member
"I've done both practices where I qt and treated everything. I ended up killing more fish with stress in qt and treatment than when I let them build their own immunity. Many will fight me tooth and nail on this but keep reading I'll provide you with a video of my successes on my three tanks."
I don't think you ever ran a 'real' QT.
I don't think you ever ran a 'real' QT.
jminick2
New member
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
I appreciate your conjecture... Not going to spend time proving it to you.
and your clowns
Technically that's correct. You got me!
I've had to deal w/ICH many times over the years and have tried many cures. The only conclusion I've reached is that more often than not ICH is a stress related disease. If the tank and other fish are healthy, a sick fish may survive and healthy fish may develop a few spots but remain healthy.
I think the parasite is always around and that only when a fish's immune system is weakened due to stress, will is manifest itself.
I think the parasite is always around and that only when a fish's immune system is weakened due to stress, will is manifest itself.
3FordFamily
In Memoriam
I agree except that I believe you can keep the parasite out for some time. Eventually though it will happen
Wazzel
New member
Not going to pretend it is cheap, but now that an am running the monthly cost is not to bad. I did spend a bit upfront to keep future cost down. I tried the get what I need to get by approach before and that is a drain on the bank. Same with time. I spend just a few minutes each day and about an hour once a week on maintenance. I find doing a little here and there saves time over trying to do it all at once. Letting stuff pile up just makes it harded to deal with.
Yeah, pretty much where all these QT/no-QT/ich debates go. Maybe time to trot out my old potato joke. I think you just have to follow whatever approach you believe makes the most sense and what others think be damned.
BigCountry74
New member
lol
BlueFyre
New member
Interesting perspective, thank you for sharing.
Sometimes in the reefing world there is an elitist view that you must spend a lot of money AND do everything a specific way in order to succeed. That really is not the case. Every tank is different and so is every reef keeper.
He's not saying everyone else is wrong, he's only providing a different view point and way of doing things based on his experience. I actually agree with most things.
I also pick and choose what I buy new and what I don't. A lot of my equipment and all of my live rock have come from other hobbyist without issue.
I too have lost several fish in QT where I felt if I had just added them to my display they would have been fine.
I research everything I buy and I did tons of research before I got my first tank wet.
I've had success and failure. Each brings another opportunity to learn. If we constantly tell others they are doing things "wrong" then we never really grow. The hobby is constantly changing and there is a ton of information out there. One has to decide for themselves what path they choose and honestly I don't think they should be berated for that choice.
Sometimes in the reefing world there is an elitist view that you must spend a lot of money AND do everything a specific way in order to succeed. That really is not the case. Every tank is different and so is every reef keeper.
He's not saying everyone else is wrong, he's only providing a different view point and way of doing things based on his experience. I actually agree with most things.
I also pick and choose what I buy new and what I don't. A lot of my equipment and all of my live rock have come from other hobbyist without issue.
I too have lost several fish in QT where I felt if I had just added them to my display they would have been fine.
I research everything I buy and I did tons of research before I got my first tank wet.
I've had success and failure. Each brings another opportunity to learn. If we constantly tell others they are doing things "wrong" then we never really grow. The hobby is constantly changing and there is a ton of information out there. One has to decide for themselves what path they choose and honestly I don't think they should be berated for that choice.
