start out right

[joedirt54]

I would, after a number a failed/great reefs, offer some basic info for new reefers:

First: read all you can before you buy anything. Buy all the quality used equipment you can find.

Second: start with a good RO/DI unit and a good quality salt mix like IO.

Third: read more!

Fourth: light every 2' of reef with a 150w DE Metal Halide or 250w(if your thinking of SPS, or your tank is 20" or deeper). Mix with t-5's for the look you want and the corals you might keep.

Fifth: only dose what you test for!!!! Get a good quality DkH test kit and a good 2-part ca++/alk supplement like b-ionic...test and keep your dkh ~10.

Sixth: provide a good and varied flow of water around your reef to remove wastes and suspend detrius for the skimmer to take care of.

Seventh: Buy the best skimmer and live rock you can afford. Skip all sand/ substrate at this point.

Eighth: Keep you hands clean and out of the tank as much as possible...use gloves, rinse them, and only move things after much thought.

Ninth: only buy corals and fish you know about...if you can't understand it's needs at the store you will rarely figure it out at home.

Tenth: Save a reef: buy, sell, and trade as many corals as you can...third and fourth generation corals are common and are much more adapt to live in your captive reef.


These are my ten tips: good quality source water and salt mix, un-ending search for infomation, simple DE Metal Halide/ t-5 lighting, quality live rock and skimmer, no sand or gravel, good- varied flow, and a understanding of each and every critter you buy.

Next master temp and SG control with auto-top off and dual stage temp controller.

You are now ready to advance to the unique problems of a mature reef...good luck.

Dirt

 

[joedirt54]

15 views no posts...I realize now , this is a holly-s h i t, I just paid $3000, my whole tank is green-what do I now, forum...Sorry.

The only hope here is that a few that listened too much and spent too much at the LFS might just have enough success, interest to continue the right way.

 

[boggs32]

yeah, a little too late my friend )

A lot of these things, I'm ok with. Some I could use a do-over. Although I have been lucky with my tank so far, it's beautiful!

 

[LarryW]

ah, some who have come here for guidance will hopefully follow the slow and steady, buy good equipment the first time, and no you can't put a yellow tang in a 10g nano method

 

[joedirt54]

It's like I had things 20% right on my first 20H, 75% on my 75gal and now close to 95% on my current reef. Getting the basics down is so important to keeping a reef long term...I have not lost a coral or had any algae problems over the last year running my tanks as high as 10w/gal of light(I was running a 10gal for a year with a 150w MH).

 

[returnofsid]

No yellow tang in my 10g nano??? Hmmm how about a hippo??? lol.

Joedirt, I hear you. I started out with a 29 and every mistake taught me something that I could use when setting up my 46. Each mistake there has taught me something I've used when setting up my 75...lol. Maybe by the time I get up to a 500, I'll have learned to learn more BEFORE making mistakes...but I doubt it!!

 

[FZ1Rider]

I would change "buy the best liverock you can afford" to "Find the best liverock you can, preferably from a running tank in your area." Or something to that effect. I have a fish store that charges 7.99 a pound but I got all my LR of craigslist from local reefer s that are re doing their tank or getting out all together price $3 - $4.50.

Price != quality. Tell the newbies what they need to look for.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

But no sand? Sand is a personal preference, and I dont think you should convince newbies to not get it. You can tell them the advantages/disadvantages of bb to dsb, but dont make it out to be a bad thing.

 

[zoomfish1]

I think the point here is: It is easier (and cheaper) to learn from someone else's mistakes than from your own.