w16227
Premium Member
Seriously -
I am not talking about the large chains either.
Now - my tank has only been up and running (rock/sand) since the last week of December. I fully acknowledge that I am a newbie - but I am one of the most well read and researched newbies that you can find. My first post was late last year - but my registration date goes WAY back. I was in the planning phase when I registered at RC, and had probably lurked for a year. My tank plans were postponed when I went back to school.
My plans followed a lot of the common themes here at RC - live rock, dead sand (seeded by the LR), RO/DI, quality salt, best skimmer u can afford etc.
I have had an almost flawless start due mostly to RC. In fact, the advice here led to me having no real detectable cycle. Not the norm - but it can happen.
I also know a lot of my own faults here. I do have too many fish for a 3 month tank - but I also still over-test (both myself and at my local LFS) to make sure that I do not have any mini (or major) spikes.
The pic below is about 4 weeks ago -
You can probably call this a "Sho" - tank. All of the livestock, sand and rock came from Sho-Tank ( helps to live close). I know that they are one of the LFS in the area with a good rep - and I have never had a bad experience there. Steve and Mark both give decent advice and do not seem to dictate.
One thing that I have learned form researching here (and other areas) - there is no one way to run a reef tank. Yes, most frown on canister filters- but there are those who have successful with them. It is a learning process.
Now - I was visiting another local store on Dundee. Also one that has been recommended as a decent place. I have been running a minimal clean up crew - and wanted to built it up a bit. I have 12 blue leg hermits, 6 asteras, 6 narcissus, 2 peps, 4 emeralds and probably a dozen or so stromanellas (the stromanellas came in the rock). I was looking for some red legged hermits, maybe some mroe blues - and possibly some more snails or other critters. Besides general maintenance, I have a couple of small patches of cyano. I am adjusting the flow patterns in the tank - but was looking for potential husbandry solutions as well.
Now - the conversation stated good enough. I was describing my setup - but then it seemed to turn into a lecture about how wrong I am doing everything. Frist - I have too much rock. I have ~ 165 lbs total including rubble in the fuge. Now - he made this judgment based only on weight. Apparently - I have no flow patterns in the tank and no room for a sand bed. Good thing I did not have a barebottom tank, I would have been run out of the store.
Hmmm - lets go to the pic - honestly, I have seen way better looking tanks with what looks to be 2x the rock. Heck, at times I look and think that I may not have enough.
Next - my salt is bad. I have to switch to what he has in the store. So much better. Lol - ok, maybe give me some better reason than "it is better". Plus, the RC reviews of my salt (Tropic Marin Pro Reef) are mostly positive. He was claiming that the mag, calcium and alk would be so much better with the new salt. Well - I am not planning on 3x a week water changes - so I already know that I will need to supplement if I intend to keep stonies. Heck, given all of the variability in the element content of the available salts, I would really doubt that there is only one answer.
Oh yea - and my sand bed is wrong. No matter what - I will need a deep sand bed in the DT (I have 2-3" now). The one in my fuge is useless and will do nothing.
Plus - I should not have more than one emerald crab in a 125 gal - and I will need 300+ blue leg hermits.
You know - I am not turned off by advice or constructive criticism, but the conversation was pretty much a lecture. I have no problem with talking intelligently about my tank and why I do things in a certain way - but if you are really interested in me being a patron at your establishment, talk TO me, not DOWN to me. Seriously - I have seen people in the newbie forum her on RC treated better when they had major issues (3 tangs in a 35gal - that kind of stuff).
Especially important when you run a store - you are depending on repeat business. I will probably go back again, but if this is the norm and not an exception I doubt I will shop there too much.
Heck - the employee even based on "Rods Food" - because the stuff that they sell is so much better. Seriously - the hard pressure sales tactics make you look like a used car salesman.
Thanks for the rant
I am not talking about the large chains either.
Now - my tank has only been up and running (rock/sand) since the last week of December. I fully acknowledge that I am a newbie - but I am one of the most well read and researched newbies that you can find. My first post was late last year - but my registration date goes WAY back. I was in the planning phase when I registered at RC, and had probably lurked for a year. My tank plans were postponed when I went back to school.
My plans followed a lot of the common themes here at RC - live rock, dead sand (seeded by the LR), RO/DI, quality salt, best skimmer u can afford etc.
I have had an almost flawless start due mostly to RC. In fact, the advice here led to me having no real detectable cycle. Not the norm - but it can happen.
I also know a lot of my own faults here. I do have too many fish for a 3 month tank - but I also still over-test (both myself and at my local LFS) to make sure that I do not have any mini (or major) spikes.
The pic below is about 4 weeks ago -
You can probably call this a "Sho" - tank. All of the livestock, sand and rock came from Sho-Tank ( helps to live close). I know that they are one of the LFS in the area with a good rep - and I have never had a bad experience there. Steve and Mark both give decent advice and do not seem to dictate.
One thing that I have learned form researching here (and other areas) - there is no one way to run a reef tank. Yes, most frown on canister filters- but there are those who have successful with them. It is a learning process.
Now - I was visiting another local store on Dundee. Also one that has been recommended as a decent place. I have been running a minimal clean up crew - and wanted to built it up a bit. I have 12 blue leg hermits, 6 asteras, 6 narcissus, 2 peps, 4 emeralds and probably a dozen or so stromanellas (the stromanellas came in the rock). I was looking for some red legged hermits, maybe some mroe blues - and possibly some more snails or other critters. Besides general maintenance, I have a couple of small patches of cyano. I am adjusting the flow patterns in the tank - but was looking for potential husbandry solutions as well.
Now - the conversation stated good enough. I was describing my setup - but then it seemed to turn into a lecture about how wrong I am doing everything. Frist - I have too much rock. I have ~ 165 lbs total including rubble in the fuge. Now - he made this judgment based only on weight. Apparently - I have no flow patterns in the tank and no room for a sand bed. Good thing I did not have a barebottom tank, I would have been run out of the store.
Hmmm - lets go to the pic - honestly, I have seen way better looking tanks with what looks to be 2x the rock. Heck, at times I look and think that I may not have enough.
Next - my salt is bad. I have to switch to what he has in the store. So much better. Lol - ok, maybe give me some better reason than "it is better". Plus, the RC reviews of my salt (Tropic Marin Pro Reef) are mostly positive. He was claiming that the mag, calcium and alk would be so much better with the new salt. Well - I am not planning on 3x a week water changes - so I already know that I will need to supplement if I intend to keep stonies. Heck, given all of the variability in the element content of the available salts, I would really doubt that there is only one answer.
Oh yea - and my sand bed is wrong. No matter what - I will need a deep sand bed in the DT (I have 2-3" now). The one in my fuge is useless and will do nothing.
Plus - I should not have more than one emerald crab in a 125 gal - and I will need 300+ blue leg hermits.
You know - I am not turned off by advice or constructive criticism, but the conversation was pretty much a lecture. I have no problem with talking intelligently about my tank and why I do things in a certain way - but if you are really interested in me being a patron at your establishment, talk TO me, not DOWN to me. Seriously - I have seen people in the newbie forum her on RC treated better when they had major issues (3 tangs in a 35gal - that kind of stuff).
Especially important when you run a store - you are depending on repeat business. I will probably go back again, but if this is the norm and not an exception I doubt I will shop there too much.
Heck - the employee even based on "Rods Food" - because the stuff that they sell is so much better. Seriously - the hard pressure sales tactics make you look like a used car salesman.
Thanks for the rant
Sorry if it sounds corny when referring a reef setup as a work of art.
