things not to impulse-buy

[Sk8r]

After answering a lot of queries from people who have just had a calamity in their tank, I think I can summarize my advice in a nutshell: things you should not buy on impulse, because you visited the lfs and had money burning in your pocket.

1. exotic inverts. At very best, get the lfs to hold it while you run home and do some heavy online research. If you don't know anything about it, no matter how pretty or cool it is, it will not be attractive once it's slimed everything in your tank and died. Anemones are NOT easy to keep and require a lot of careful management.

2. fish. Same deal. Know the adult maximum size of everything you put in your tank, and if you don't know the species, ask here in reef central before you buy it. It is NOT true that fish stop growing to fit their tank. If you don't have a hundred gallon tank don't get anthias, tangs, or fullsized angels, never mind what you saw in Finding Nemo. And make sure you see your new fish eat before you buy it. Likewise---do not rush out and buy all your fish at once just because you've cycled. Every individual fish in a new tank requires a week for the tank to adapt to his bioload before you put in another. Exception: mated pairs, and small schools. Do not get another fish 'because mine looks lonely.' Fish are different. If you add another of his kind he may regard it as The Enemy.

3. additives. It may say in the ad that it cures the common cold and heals ich from afar, but again, ask online before you trustingly put it in your display tank. In general, if you don't have a test to measure how much of it there is in your water, you shouldn't be adding it to your tank. This goes for minerals and magic cures alike.


Hope that helps head some new folk off from disasters that didn't need to happen.

 

[Hop]

You forgot skimmers, pumps and lights! Very important to do research before you waste hard earned, borrowed or stolen cash

 

[IPowderBlueTang]

Just like the time I was at the Lfs and this young kid was buying 5 saltwater fish for his newly cycle tank. 2 large tangs,2 large Angels and a Spotted Sweetlips that grows to 29 inches in a 75 gal. I asked him if he didn't any research before buying and mention to him that those fish will grow too big for his 75 gal. That the Sweetlips will get 29 inches. Also that it's too soon to put that much fish in all at once, some might die because of the bioload can't catch up. He didn't care took his fish and left. The owner tried also to talk him out of it and only take 2 fish the smaller ones. I said he will learn when his fish all dies or crashes his system!

 

[jerehmy]

Don't impulse buy a reef tank, I did and a whole heap of $$$$ was gone! If you want the best you must sell your kidney!

 

[Sk8r]

Yep. It's so sad. You look at the situation and think---omg. Go back. It's a trap.

There is never time wasted while a tank is cycling: you can rearrange your rocks. Research the fish you someday want. Draw plans and layouts. A handful of weeks spent studying the species and learning about tank chemistry and tank problems, so when you see an algae breakout you have some clue what to do---that's oh, so helpful.

And the skimmers bought 'because that's what they had,' without looking at the situation. I tell you, a real reefer lfs is priceless: I came back into this hobby so asea in the new tech, they could have sold me the Brooklyn Bridge---but didn't. What they put together for me has been just pretty good. What I could have put together if I'd found this site before I got my tank---priceless.

 

[RBU1]

And just like anything else. When you ask a question on Reef Central you will get 5 different answers......... I found the best thing to do is think about all the responses and give it your best answer.


Hey Sk8r what is your opinion about putting a Gold Flake Angel in a 75 gallaon reef with an Atlantic Blue Tang, 2 Clowns and a 6 line?

 

[Sk8r]

Answer: because I don't know the gold flake or the atlantic blue, or the adult size of the 6-line, I'd run home and research---the clowns alone could max out a 55, if they're maroons. Hmmmn. A little fast internet sifting says your goldflake is a sweet-tempered fish which will max at about 5 inches, while your blue tang is another name for the Hippo Tang, which gets twice that size. I'd say you could squeak by with the goldflake and the clowns but the blue is going to get oversized; ditto, the wrasse can hit 6 inches. I could go with the goldflake and the clowns, or the goldflake and the wrasse, but I think the blue is going to be bouncing off the walls...

 

[RBU1]

No the Atlantic Blue is not another name for Hippo. It is a different species of tang.

 

[Sk8r]

jerehmy---lol!

 

[Sk8r]

RBUI---back to that, 'if you ask on RC, you'll get 5 different answers.' My online source said they were virtually the same fish, but the Atlantic Blue has a yellow juvvie phase. But knowing the web, I'll take your answer if you know this fish. It's a new one on me. I thought a blue tang was a blue tang. Clearly there are differences, and having a different colored juvie stage means almost anything else could be different, too.

 

[RBU1]

Here ya go Sk8R

Hippo Tang

Atlantic Blue Tang


SEE Ya learn something new everyday!!!!!!!

 

[Sk8r]

That's certainly a beautiful tang, RBU1. I've never seen one of his kind before.

 

[RBU1]

Thanks and I think mine looks a lot nicer than the one in the picture.

 

[Sk8r]

Of course you know (wicked grin) when both those fish grow all the way up, you're going to be in for a major tank increase...and you're going to have to use a heck of a net to catch them. You've picked some unusual and very nice types, seriously, and I hope they do very well.

 

[RBU1]

Thanks I think they will be fine. If the need arises that I have to upgrade I will have to see if the money is available. If not and the fish are not happy I will have to sell them.

 

[scarter]

I dont think a newbie should buy any type of leather either. you never know if you may want to try SPS one day. I had to sell about 400$ worth of leathers to get into SPS.

 

[Sk8r]

If your lights aren't going to up to stonies, it's one choice you've got to make, but they are cranky things. Primadonnas, all. And one of the things beginners aren't necessarily told is that your first coral choices sort of dictate which way you're going to go, toward stonies or toward softies. If you're going to change your mind about which you want, you just have to get a second tank or start moving out specimens. I kept a mixed stony/leather tank (my first reef) and it was a headache, resulting in some real bad choices. I find, outside of the huge expense of the lights early on, that my 52 gallon does pretty well as an sps, lps tank---it's not big enough that I have no choice but get a calcium reactor, so I just dump my spoonsful of calcium daily and we get along. Sometimes I ask myself if I'd gone mushrooms/and/or/leathers if life would involve a little less testing and mixing, but I'm not sure it would: I'll bet that end of the science has evolved a bit, too, and there's probably just as much dipping and dripping and dosing on the softy side of the hobby.