Lessons Learned... please post YOURS.

[freakingreefer]

I have been keeping reefs for a couple of years, and it never astounds me how, no many how many "lessons" I have learned along the way, I manage to learn a few more every year. For example, this year I learned not to clean/change anything in the tank before going away, no matter how many people you have looking after the tank. Something is bound to go wrong.

Post YOUR lessons learned, so that all of us can learn from them, please.

 

[GhostCon1]

Do things right the first way around and don't rush, research everything and don't buy cheap junk.

 

[sdc19982002]

After having used tap water for 2 years, and after a bad hair and bubble algea breakout, I just ordered my rodi from bulf reef supply. I should have listened along time ago.

 

[mutateddogbone]

save up and buy the things that you WANT, not what will GET YOU BY....

and scrape that little purple spot before it turns into a 2 hour scrape job down the road.

 

[Flame_Angel]

and scrape that little purple spot before it turns into a 2 hour scrape job down the road.

If you learn nothing else, learn this.

 

[SDMichaelRyan]

Don't be lazy and just take off then entire light fixture rather then try and work around it....dropped mine in the water while it was on....

 

[lrowland]

1. Don't ever say this can't possibly leak or this is foolproof. You are issuing the Universe a challenge to figure out how to prove you wrong and the Universe is a lot bigger and smarter than you are.
2. Don't come to RC thinking you know the answers; just say what you think and/or ask for help. Then - listen (read) a lot and don't pointlessly argue.
3. If you think you need a water change you probably do so just do it already!

 

[Palting]

Lesson 1. Don't impulse buy. Thought I found the perfect 110 gal reef set-up based on good but 15 y.o. knowledge and bought it immediately. Found out lots of things have changed in 15 years, AFTER I already bought the outdated set-up. Starting all over again with a 150 gal. Expensive lesson.

Lesson 2. Don't throw good money after bad. If the set-up is outdated or wrong, stop trying to make it work with half measures. Take a deep breath, back away, accept the error, and do the right thing whatever it is.

 

[sslak]

1. Always run heaters on a controller.

2. When you pump new salt water into your sump, be sure you hold onto the hose or the pressure from the pump turning on will cause the end of the hose come flying out of the sump, pouring water all over the floor!

 

[snarkes]

1. Dont forget that you left the RO/DI running before you go to bed!
2. Train a friend/roommate/significant other on the basics and a few things to look out for.
3. As others have said, try and buy quality supplies the first time around... but look on craigslist first

 

[Allmost]

for me : its never gonna be big enough lol


I have trained my GF to be my fish advisory lol I buy at impulse, she stops me lol

make one change at a time, so u know what caused what.

and lastly question everything and understand the reasoning and logic behind it before adding to your tank (I guess that cant be applied to Zeovit lol )

 

[KeMo]

Learn about what you are putting in you tank. Dont put big fish in a small tank. Read up on the fish or whatever you plan on putting in their. Learn its habits likes and dislikes.
Don't rush. Slowly add live animals.
Oh and If something is sick or needs to be eliminated from the tank Please Please People do not Freeze the poor thing like people have said on here to do. OMG. I cant believe that but anyway. Take The sharpest Knife You have and Sever the Spinal cord right at were the head and body are. Starting always from the top.

 

[dcombs44]

1) Bigger isn't always better. I'm enjoying my 10 gallon species specific tank far more than my others.
2) +1 on controllers with heaters and controllers in general. Making my life much easier.
3) No matter what your estimated budget is for a tank, it's wrong. You will spend more than you hope to.

 

[GhostCon1]

3) No matter what your estimated budget is for a tank, it's wrong. You will spend more than you hope to.

This

 

[beefcake78]

+1 on getting an RO first

 

[jerseyhokie]

Oh and If something is sick or needs to be eliminated from the tank Please Please People do not Freeze the poor thing like people have said on here to do. OMG. I cant believe that but anyway. Take The sharpest Knife You have and Sever the Spinal cord right at were the head and body are. Starting always from the top.

Does clove oil work in saltwater as a sedative as it does in fresh?

 

[dcombs44]

Does clove oil work in saltwater as a sedative as it does in fresh?

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Panel on Euthanasia lists three acceptable methods of euthanasia for fish, and two conditionally acceptable methods. Methods listed as acceptable are overdoses with the anesthetics tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222), benzocaine (related to MS-222 but less soluble in water) and barbiturates. Methods listed as conditionally acceptable are stunning (by a blow to the head) and decapitation in combination, or decapitation alone. Of the three methods listed as acceptable, tricaine and benzocaine are immersion anesthetics, while barbiturates are administered by intravenous injection. Overdoses of other anesthetics in water, such as eugenol (active ingredient of clove oil) and isoflurane (a volatile anesthetic used for gas anesthesia of terrestrial animals) will produce similar effects.

 

[sruiz]

Don't use HOB overflows, go drilled.

 

[Canadian Reefer]

Dont add anything to your system you cant test for!!!!
Be patient you cant force things

 

[Stuart60611]

Treat each and every fish in a hospital tank for both marine ich and flukes before adding the fish to the display whether or not the fish shows any signs of either parasite. This is, perhaps, the single most important thing I have learned to avoid major problems. Once you get ich into your system and have a bunch of fish already, it is incredibly difficult and time consuming to rid your display of ich. Leaving the ich in the system with the hopes that your fish can tolerate the ich often leads to greatly shortened fish lives and many other problems. Do not take any short cuts here b/c if you get burned it will make this hobby very difficult to enjoy (good chance that you will eventually get burned b/c one study I read indicated that approximately 1/3 of all fish sold retail have a parasite).