Lessons Learned... please post YOURS.

[Crustman]

Don't buy the fish at the store because it is cheap and the special for the month. I regretted buying the $13.95 Yellow Coris wrasse at 1/2 price when it went under the live rock and died 2 days after buying it. A good way to change salt water is with a hand operated bilge pump. The salt water mixed in a bucket can be easily pumped into the sump.

 

[jerseyhokie]

Bump for an awesome idea, lets hear more

 

[cdeboard]

Get a drilled tank.

Dont trust "live rock" off craigslist

(tied to the last one) Gorilla crabs suck.

Aiptasias are not cool anemones LOL

 

[MCary]

Salt water and electricity don't mix.

Don't flame on reef websites.

Don't present long winded, overly detail, answers to peoples questions if the post before already answered it. You are smart, we all know, love yourself and you won't have to prove it.

Salt water and electricity don't mix.

If hobbies include, airplanes, photography, boating, motorhome camping, woodworking, target shooting, RC helicopters, gardening, fishing, and reefing then you are sick and need help. You don't have enough money or time, I don't care if you're Warren Buffet. Pick one or two and stop!

And finally, salt water and electricty don't mix.

 

[demonnite57]

Starting up your fish tank, let it cycle....don't be over eager (like me) and get all the chemicals just so you can see all the pretty fish in the tank the next day and then have them all die within a week, because you didn't do research on how to do SW tanks.

 

[Boa1277]

Brass will ruin your reef, especially your SPS and snails!

 

[sphilli40]

1. Don't buy a sand sifting goby unless you want sand all over EVERYTHING....
2. Use RO/DI water from the start... don't care want your tap water reading are.. (used tap the very first time I ever set up a tank and hated the tank until I tore it down)
3. Listen to the "old wise ones" here on RC..
4. Keep a stack of old towels handy when changing the water
5. Get off RC and write your papers for college that are due in 12 hours..... LOL

 

[Shoryureppa]

get a drilled tank or at least an hang on overflow, cheap diy are floods waiting to happen, nothing about this hobby is cheap, if you want to do things right.

 

[CHG107]

5. Get off RC and write your papers for college that are due in 12 hours..... LOL

Couldn't agree more with this....have a paper due in 2 hours and 12 minutes

 

[quest4JC]

Temporary fixes should be just that, temporary. Either do it right or don't do it at all.