reef keeping 101 ideas

[Kreeger1]

Were looking for ideas you'd like to hear about at the reef keeping 101 meeting. A few board members will get up and do a presentation of things you want to know more about.
Not sure if we'll be able to fill up 2 hours on 101 topics so were looking for ideas.

Another possible idea would be to help not alienate are advance reefers, possibly closing out the meeting with a condensed version of Chuck's speech and video on non-photosynthetic reefs. That might make it more appealing to the reefers in the club that are past the 101 stage too. What do you think?

This is what we've tossed out as ideas so far
expalining different types of skimmers i.e. needlewheels, down draft, ventri, and beckett

Float hydormeter vs refracometer

mixing salt to right levels

Water testing

proper levels.

brief lighting


Thanks for your input on this.
Help make this a meeting you enjoy attending
Erik

 

[ReefWidowed]

Comparing test kits (brands) , ease of reading and their accuracy (I have the worst luck with these things)

QUARANTINE.....proper set up, and why it's so important...treatments for comom fish/coral ailments

Dips.....chemical and fresh water (matching Ph on the fresh water)

How to add more flow to dead spots without blasting the flesh off of corals

I'm sure I'll think of more

 

[CleveYank]

RO/DI setup and maintenance

controllers

makeup water automation with any do's and don'ts

chemical media methods and types

refugiums

ozone

calcium reactors vs kalk reactors or why to use both

what depresses or raises pH levels

What bio processes cause bad algae's to invade a system and how to prevent them

Water chemistry (Ca, Alk, Mg, I, Stront etc) and trace elements for optimum coral growth/survival (LPS, SPS and softies)

Basics of acclimation and why it is so important to a chance for new acquisition survival.

 

[fambrough]

I am past the 101 stage, but wouldn't pretend to consider myself advanced by any stretch. I think the suggestions so far are really good and enough, in fact, to run over more than one meeting.

Did I miss a presentation on non-photosynthetic reefs? I don't plan to ever maintain one, but I'd really enjoy a presentation.

Taking a holistic view, it would be relevent to discuss reef keeping methodologies based on specific groups of organisms, which is something I see lacking in 101/new enthusiast discussions.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[fade2black]

How to do water changes

How a sump works

plumbing (can probably spend days on this alone)

Overflows

 

[funkyman]

Researching fish and corals BEFORE buying them.

Cheap skimmers = waste of money.

Identifying LPS, SPS, and softy corals.

For every 10 people who tell you how to do something, there will be at least one person who will tell you not to it that way.

 

[DaveOSU]

Would like to suggest keeping topic presentations brief and leave more time for specific questions. I think the opportunity for more advanced hobbyists to share their experiences/knowledge may keep them engaged in the presentation and discussion.

 

[serpentman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11956955#post11956955 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DaveOSU
Would like to suggest keeping topic presentations brief and leave more time for specific questions. I think the opportunity for more advanced hobbyists to share their experiences/knowledge may keep them engaged in the presentation and discussion.

I agree. The collective knowledge at each meeting is significant. If there is an organized way to keep an open dialog, I think it would be beneficial.

 

[Kreeger1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11957110#post11957110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by serpentman
I agree. The collective knowledge at each meeting is significant. If there is an organized way to keep an open dialog, I think it would be beneficial.

Good call

 

[ReefWidowed]

maybe even set up separate stations, and run "mini-classes" (repeated two or three times) at scheduled time slots, so that members can check out areas they are actually interested in, and get more one-on-one question time. It would also give the more knowledgeable a way to showcase their specialty.

 

[itZme]

I could put something together about plumbing drains. like dursos, stockman, herbie method etc... There seems to be a lot of confusion and interest in that lately.

 

[CleveYank]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11956460#post11956460 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CleveYank




makeup water automation with any do's and don'ts





ozone



what depresses or raises pH levels

What bio processes cause bad algae's to invade a system and how to prevent them

Water chemistry (Ca, Alk, Mg, I, Stront etc) and trace elements for optimum coral growth/survival (LPS, SPS and softies)

I'd be willing to take a crack at a presentation with someone or by myself of any of these topics or variations of linked sub-topics within these in bold above. Someone let me know which one and I'll get it done.

The mini-classes in a rotation is a fantastic idea.

 

[serpentman]

I am just getting my system back up and running so I have several pieces of non-essential-at-the-moment equipment I could bring for hands on.

Currently, I could bring a calcium reactor, kalk reactor, phosban/fluid reactor, MH setup

 

[Kreeger1]

Good ideas, but this meeting was request by a few members to be a 101 reef keeping talk. Not sure we want to get into all the sub tables and such, just a few demonstrations by the board members with a Q and A afterwards. Doing more sounds good but really its never a easy thing to organize a simple meeting let alone one with stations and such. I'd say most people will already have a good grasp on what were talking about at this meeting. Were keeping it mostly for the new people in the hobby. It was discussed at the round table meeting to do this type of meeting so thats what were doing

I just thought it would be nice to see the non photo video at the end and a quick couple of questions to follow from chuck to bring in the more experienced reefers. I know that this meeting I would pass on if I wasn't speaking at is all.

Just going to keep it simple, touch base on some beginner topics maybe even go into treatments and testing and call it good.

Erik

 

[serpentman]

I agree. To large an affair will never get off the ground with too much chaos.

What I have seen work in other capacities is to have a "expert panel" for a Q&A session. However, given the limited timeframe, presentations are probably the best way to keep on track.

I for one, would be interested in the non-photo video at the end.

 

[calypso1]

i know we had a frag workshop....but maybe we can get some info on how to keep the hard corals alive after being fragged. mine seem to do fine for a while but then slowly bleech out.

 

[CleveYank]

Calypso1.
1 Slow bleach out could be indicative of starving frags.
2 Too much light or not enough light.
3 Bulbs shifted so far red they are hitting the frags with UV.
4 Specific gravity fluctuations.
5 pH too high or too low.
6 Ca Alk and Mg levels out of balance or too high or too low in any one or all components (this is a doosy to peice together at first glance).
7 Nitrates too high (fish loads and overfeeding can lead to this)
8 High Phosphates inhibit Ca uptake by encrusting or "building" corals which your SPS frags are.
There are a few more but those are the common ones.

So your rather advanced multi faceted question of why your frags slowly bleach out is a process of elimination until you figure out which one is causing it. And may not be a reefkeeping 101 topic. Might post a new thread to get the slew of worthy replies to help dial your tank in and possibly find the cause(s) of the problem.

 

[Old Crusty]

The Basic parameters and how to maintain them,
simple Bad habits and good habits.
"overfeeding to scheduled water changes"
Electricity and salt water DO NOT Mix, Salt Creep can shock you.
what to look for in a sick fish and a healthy fish when looking to buy
basic quarantine tanks.
Easy corals to keep "Softies" so forth
Easy fish to keep" damsels" so forth
keeping premix SW on hand for water changes
6 stage RO system needed for FOWLR tank? "NOT"
simple $10.00 inline charcol filter for drinking water is OK.
Algea control
Ick Control
what is a UV Sterilizer and when to use. what wattage to use.
Where to get good buys on equipment and consumables.
just a couple ideas

 

[Dtip]

One way it might be kept more interesting for more experienced reefers would be for the presentations to go over the basics but then build into closing with some of the more still controversial questions, maybe even with a little back and forth between people with different philosophies. I'm not talking about a debate or anything, but just more just introducing people to how the solid 101 fundamentals link up to things still unknown or unagreed upon, or to show where at some point there is really a diversity of different approaches that can work. A sort of "where we're at in reefkeeping on this topic" that gives people a sense of the frontiers.

 

[scottfarcuz]

To me automation, advanced chemistry etc is not 101. Keep it simple, and not overwhelm the newbies all at once.

A Q&A session sounds like a great idea, taking notes and using google is always a great idea. I find its hardest for new hobbyist to grasp that there are several hundred ways to do a nice reef tank, and none of them can be called "the right way". We could spent days with pros/cons on any aspect of the tank.