Trying to learn, here's a list of questions I need help with

[Easttuth]

As I've posted a few times lately, I have a few tanks and I'm looking to start maintaining them myself so I have a little more control of how things are going. I'm not a fan of being on someone else schedule or not knowing what's going on with something I own. Reading the big boards there is a ton of info but I'm not even to the point where I feel comfortable with the lingo to even ask questions there.

I came up with a small list of questions that I would like help with. If anyone would be kind enough to answer them it would be greatly appreciated.

Also still looking to meet up with any local reefers. I'm in the Tavares/Mt Dora area but I'm willing to drive to look at systems or pick someone's brain.


1- Why not wet skim all the time? Wouldn't that only help pull out more harmful things out of the water?

I realize it would cause for greater water top offs and alkalinity variations, but if that's the only drawback I don't think it's that big of a factor.

2- Using an over sized skimmer is a good thing, right?

I've always heard that you don't want to get a skimmer that fits your tanks gallon for gallon because the ratings aren't true. Go for the larger model?

3- Do most problems in reef tanks come from the person taking care of them doing too much?

I get the sense that people are always changing things, adding stuff, playing chemist, etc. and it ends up causing most of what happens to tanks.

4- I don't have the patience to let frags grow in my tank. What's the best way to fill the tank quicker with larger corals? Spend a ton of money or buy cheaper versions of corals? Do you guys trade much between each other?

5- How much does it cost you to make 1 gallon of salt water for water changes?

To this point I've been getting water from my tank service as part of our monthly agreement. I recently looked into making my own water and the benefits are obvious, but I was wondering about the true cost including everything (system, filters, water, electric, salt, barrels, etc)

6- Does feeding extra help fish not damage your corals?

This might go back to extra skimming. More feeding= more skimming, but it could allow you to have fish others won't risk having. I've seen many systems over on the Large Reef Tank board that had non coral friendly fish.

7- Automatic feeder vs hand feeding?

I hand feed now, but its inconsistent due to life happening. I'm thinking of going to an auto feeder.

8- a QT is a must have, correct?

I have a feeling 90% of people don't have one, but should. I currently don't, but I have a 46g bowfront at home that I'm thinking of making into one to feed my 2-220s. I have no idea what's involved with running a QT tank, fresh water dips, etc.

9- I'm looking for a LFS to call home. I've visited 4-6 in the Central Florida area and so far I like StormBorn Reef in Debary and Top Shelf Aquatics in Winter Park.

Stormborn people are friendly and not as busy so they have a little more time to spend with each customer. At Top Shelf I feel like I'm in Winter Park. They have a good selection, but most of the customers are arrogant and the employees aren't much better. I have found 1 person there that has been helpful. Any other suggestions of places to check out? Wasn't a fan of Ocean Blue or Leesburg Pet Center. Don't remember the others I visited.


I really appreciate your help. I'm looking forward to being more involved in the decision making for my tank and knowing more about what's going on.

 

[trialanderror]

Here are my opinion

1- Why not wet skim all the time? Wouldn't that only help pull out more harmful things out of the water?

I think it is a personal choice, wet skim takes more stuff out. The down side is that you empty the collection cup more often, and need to replace the loss of salt water (minimal though)

2- Using an over sized skimmer is a good thing, right?

Typical rating rate is twice of your size, 100 g system uses 200 g rated skimmer. Bigger is not better

3- Do most problems in reef tanks come from the person taking care of them doing too much?

Any change takes time to manifest, patience is the key. People makes many changes to the system is not good for the tank. People who take care of the tank consistently is good.

4- I don't have the patience to let frags grow in my tank. What's the best way to fill the tank quicker with larger corals? Spend a ton of money or buy cheaper versions of corals? Do you guys trade much between each other?

Depend on what you like - softy grows fast and fill your tank quickly. Over time, most ppl switch to lps and sps. Personally, I want to start with frag.

5- How much does it cost you to make 1 gallon of salt water for water changes?

Salt costs about $0.25/g (200 g box cost about $50), RODI costs about $0.05/g. I like to make water my own, same brand, test for salinity, calc, alk, and mg.

6- Does feeding extra help fish not damage your corals?

If your equipment support heavy feeding then go for it. Ultra low nutrition system is not for beginner and it is for sps

7- Automatic feeder vs hand feeding?

Hand feed if you have time. I like to see them interact. Inconsistent is fine. Fish in the wild don't get timely meal, just don't overfeed them. Frequent smaller feed is better.

8- a QT is a must have, correct?

QT tank must have a similar environment as DT but not connected to DT in any case. I don't run QT so I only get corals from few known reefers.

 

[eg8r210]

I will give a stab at the questions with my personal experience and I am sure others here with more experience will chime in also...

As I've posted a few times lately, I have a few tanks and I'm looking to start maintaining them myself so I have a little more control of how things are going. I'm not a fan of being on someone else schedule or not knowing what's going on with something I own. Reading the big boards there is a ton of info but I'm not even to the point where I feel comfortable with the lingo to even ask questions there.

I came up with a small list of questions that I would like help with. If anyone would be kind enough to answer them it would be greatly appreciated.

Also still looking to meet up with any local reefers. I'm in the Tavares/Mt Dora area but I'm willing to drive to look at systems or pick someone's brain.

I live in Ocoee and am not too far from you. You are welcome to stop by any time. I work from home so my availability is pretty open.


1- Why not wet skim all the time? Wouldn't that only help pull out more harmful things out of the water?

I realize it would cause for greater water top offs and alkalinity variations, but if that's the only drawback I don't think it's that big of a factor.

I personally don't see any positives for this. Some people have tried to tell me that is a pseudo-water change but I am not buying it. I think it is a way to keep you spending money buying salt. For me it is a no go.

2- Using an over sized skimmer is a good thing, right?

I've always heard that you don't want to get a skimmer that fits your tanks gallon for gallon because the ratings aren't true. Go for the larger model?

I tend to prefer an oversized skimmer because to be honest I haven't seen any explanation from a group of vendors who sized their skimmers the same way. I think they like to make small, medium and large sizes and just put numbers to them. I would prefer to go even larger on my skimmer but find room to be an issue.

3- Do most problems in reef tanks come from the person taking care of them doing too much?

I get the sense that people are always changing things, adding stuff, playing chemist, etc. and it ends up causing most of what happens to tanks.

My guess is that it is 50/50. You have people that are all over their tank and others that just leave it alone. Doing too much or too little is usually not a good thing.

4- I don't have the patience to let frags grow in my tank. What's the best way to fill the tank quicker with larger corals? Spend a ton of money or buy cheaper versions of corals? Do you guys trade much between each other?

You really need to decide what you want your tank to be. The last time I was in World Wide Corals they were selling lots of colonies of all types of coral. You might want to stop by and get an idea of what they have and what it might cost you to fill the tank to your desire.

I don't trade an awful lot because I am leery about bringing in pests. Not to say everyone has the problem but I have been unlucky the past couple times and the pests made it past the dipping process. I lost a lot of really expensive zoas not too long ago. Glad that mess is over. There are quite a few people here on the board that I have gotten to know of the past few years and wouldn't mind trading with them. If my stuff would grow a little faster I already have a few trades lined up.

5- How much does it cost you to make 1 gallon of salt water for water changes?

To this point I've been getting water from my tank service as part of our monthly agreement. I recently looked into making my own water and the benefits are obvious, but I was wondering about the true cost including everything (system, filters, water, electric, salt, barrels, etc)

I have no idea. I bought a RODI system for $90 used and replaced all the filters for $50. Garbage cans are $40 and city water has its own cost. I make around 200 gallons of RODI/month to keep up with top off and water changes. My guess is that this route is massively cheaper than going to an LFS and buying it. I haven't had a water bill over $60 in three years. I replace filters every few months and I buy salt about once a month. I have never added it all up but maybe I am spending $75/month making my own water.

6- Does feeding extra help fish not damage your corals?

This might go back to extra skimming. More feeding= more skimming, but it could allow you to have fish others won't risk having. I've seen many systems over on the Large Reef Tank board that had non coral friendly fish.

This is called playing with fire which is something I don't do. My pockets aren't deep so I don't do it. I buy corals I like and they dictate what fish I will not buy. I find that I really do not listen to the one or two people that are successfully keeping non-reef safe fish in their tank when the overwhelming majority have had bad luck with it.

7- Automatic feeder vs hand feeding?

I hand feed now, but its inconsistent due to life happening. I'm thinking of going to an auto feeder.

I use an auto-feeder because I only feed dry foods (flake/pellets). It is amazing to see my fish can tell time and the only clock around them is the auto-feeder.

8- a QT is a must have, correct?

I have a feeling 90% of people don't have one, but should. I currently don't, but I have a 46g bowfront at home that I'm thinking of making into one to feed my 2-220s. I have no idea what's involved with running a QT tank, fresh water dips, etc.

I am in the 90%. My wife is not going to allow me to have another tank running just to keep fish or coral separated. I am very picky where I buy my coral (haven't bought any fish in over a year) and trust that what I am getting will be pest free after dipping.

9- I'm looking for a LFS to call home. I've visited 4-6 in the Central Florida area and so far I like StormBorn Reef in Debary and Top Shelf Aquatics in Winter Park.

Stormborn people are friendly and not as busy so they have a little more time to spend with each customer. At Top Shelf I feel like I'm in Winter Park. They have a good selection, but most of the customers are arrogant and the employees aren't much better. I have found 1 person there that has been helpful. Any other suggestions of places to check out? Wasn't a fan of Ocean Blue or Leesburg Pet Center. Don't remember the others I visited.

I am a HUGE fan of World Wide Corals. A lot of people knock them for prices but if you show up on a weekend you will see that there is a lot more smack talking on the web than what is really going on. They are always busy. I recommend you show up when they open or be willing to stick around. They have a ton of knowledge and are always willing to answer questions. I just visited Reefers Direct when the ORCA meeting was there and I was very impressed with the SPS selection. I didn't really look at any of the other corals so I can't say, but they do sell colonies for some pretty good prices. There are plenty others, Sea in the City and Living Reef are probably the others that I frequent the most.

I really appreciate your help. I'm looking forward to being more involved in the decision making for my tank and knowing more about what's going on.

 

[Tenshoa]

As I've posted a few times lately, I have a few tanks and I'm looking to start maintaining them myself so I have a little more control of how things are going. I'm not a fan of being on someone else schedule or not knowing what's going on with something I own. Reading the big boards there is a ton of info but I'm not even to the point where I feel comfortable with the lingo to even ask questions there.

I came up with a small list of questions that I would like help with. If anyone would be kind enough to answer them it would be greatly appreciated.

Also still looking to meet up with any local reefers. I'm in the Tavares/Mt Dora area but I'm willing to drive to look at systems or pick someone's brain.


1- Why not wet skim all the time? Wouldn't that only help pull out more harmful things out of the water? There's nothing wrong with wet skimming as long as you can keep up with the maintenance and cost of it all. But I'm willing to bet you will grow tired of it rather quickly.

I realize it would cause for greater water top offs and alkalinity variations, but if that's the only drawback I don't think it's that big of a factor.

2- Using an over sized skimmer is a good thing, right? In my opinion, using an oversized skimmer isn't entirely necessary but it also doesn't hurt. I say entirely, because there is a point, depending on how oversized, you will get diminishing returns.Efficiency is more important.

I've always heard that you don't want to get a skimmer that fits your tanks gallon for gallon because the ratings aren't true. Go for the larger model? Yes.

3- Do most problems in reef tanks come from the person taking care of them doing too much? I don't know I would say "most" in it's general term. But I would be willing to say that there are many cases, yes.

I get the sense that people are always changing things, adding stuff, playing chemist, etc. and it ends up causing most of what happens to tanks.

4- I don't have the patience to let frags grow in my tank. What's the best way to fill the tank quicker with larger corals? Spend a ton of money or buy cheaper versions of corals? Do you guys trade much between each other? Trust me when I tell you, that from experience, take the time and enjoyment in watching them grow. It will be much more gratifying. I was once like you. But over time, you will see more and more corals that you REALLY like and wish you had the real estate for. I PROMISE that down the road you'll be glad you did. I crossed the line of being reckless more than a couple of times since I didn't have patience. But if you don't have the patience to watch and enjoy them grow, I would be concerned about your patience in other aspects of this hobby that are detrimental. All that aside, you CAN buy mini colonies, but unless you're wanting to spend a fortune, most will likely be maricultured (not that there is anything wrong with that).

5- How much does it cost you to make 1 gallon of salt water for water changes? I chuckled a little bit here since cost wise, it seems like you are trying to save a few cents, when earlier, you didn't seem to care when you implied that wet skimming wasn't enough to worry about. If your question is whether or not it is more cost effective to make your own water than buy it, the simple answer is yes. Stores have to utilize the same materials as you and therefor will make a profit off of it.

To this point I've been getting water from my tank service as part of our monthly agreement. I recently looked into making my own water and the benefits are obvious, but I was wondering about the true cost including everything (system, filters, water, electric, salt, barrels, etc)

6- Does feeding extra help fish not damage your corals? No. Grazers are grazers and are going to graze whether or not you feed them. On the contrary, if you are overfeeding, you are increasing your bioload and most likely your phosphates and Nitrates, which can harm corals. Particularly sps. I suppose if you are performing frequent water changes and making sure you are getting all of the waste out, you could mitigate the effects, But that goes back to what I said about the practicality of maintenance.

This might go back to extra skimming. More feeding= more skimming, but it could allow you to have fish others won't risk having. I've seen many systems over on the Large Reef Tank board that had non coral friendly fish. I would not attempt non reef-safe fish. There will always be instances where someone got lucky, but taking a gamble when the odds are not in your favor will get you a dead coral. In addition, you may not always see the fish nip at them, but even if it's infrequently, the polopys on your corals will stay retracted more often, resulting in less food consumption.

7- Automatic feeder vs hand feeding? Auto feeding means you have to use flake food or pellets. It also means that you are not providing a variety of foods. Though some hobbyists may disagree with me, I know for a fact that when I use dry foods, my phosphates increase noticeably. It's not a bad thing to auto-feed. Just not all the time, IMO.

I hand feed now, but its inconsistent due to life happening. I'm thinking of going to an auto feeder. Back to what I was saying earlier, if feeding is inconsistent, consider the practicality of maintenance.

8- a QT is a must have, correct? The simple answer is yes. I learned this the hard way as well. If you have the means to do it, then do it.

I have a feeling 90% of people don't have one, but should. I currently don't, but I have a 46g bowfront at home that I'm thinking of making into one to feed my 2-220s. I have no idea what's involved with running a QT tank, fresh water dips, etc. Low salinity, a tank, aeration, flow, couple of pvc pieces for fish to hide in, and a hangover filter would be fine. Marine depot has a helpful article on this.

9- I'm looking for a LFS to call home. I've visited 4-6 in the Central Florida area and so far I like StormBorn Reef in Debary and Top Shelf Aquatics in Winter Park. I tried that as well. You will find that no one store will have everything you are looking for. Therefore you will likely settle into a handful of them for different reasons.

Stormborn people are friendly and not as busy so they have a little more time to spend with each customer. At Top Shelf I feel like I'm in Winter Park. They have a good selection, but most of the customers are arrogant and the employees aren't much better. I have found 1 person there that has been helpful. Any other suggestions of places to check out? Wasn't a fan of Ocean Blue or Leesburg Pet Center. Don't remember the others I visited.


I really appreciate your help. I'm looking forward to being more involved in the decision making for my tank and knowing more about what's going on.

Since the internet is full of contradicting information, misinformation, and a wealth of people who just like to repeat something that they heard somewhere else, I will give you my answers based on my personal experience.

With that said, I strongly encourage you to take any advice with a grain of salt since I have at times found drastically opposing information than what the mass consensus can indicate.

On the flip side, most of the guys in this forum have been pretty accurate with their advice. But always keep in mind that there are no constants in this hobby, a vast amount of circumstances, and unless you are a scientist performing controlled experiments in a laboratory, no one, including myself can give you definitive info.

Now that the disclosure is out of the way, see my answers above.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Easttuth]

Great responses. Would love to hear from as many people as possible.

Eg8r210, did you get my PM response?

 

[geckoejon]

here is a little of my perspective and limited experience...

As I've posted a few times lately, I have a few tanks and I'm looking to start maintaining them myself so I have a little more control of how things are going. I'm not a fan of being on someone else schedule or not knowing what's going on with something I own. Reading the big boards there is a ton of info but I'm not even to the point where I feel comfortable with the lingo to even ask questions there.

I came up with a small list of questions that I would like help with. If anyone would be kind enough to answer them it would be greatly appreciated.

Also still looking to meet up with any local reefers. I'm in the Tavares/Mt Dora area but I'm willing to drive to look at systems or pick someone's brain.


1- Why not wet skim all the time? Wouldn't that only help pull out more harmful things out of the water?

I realize it would cause for greater water top offs and alkalinity variations, but if that's the only drawback I don't think it's that big of a factor.

i believe you will pull out just as much gunk dry skimming. it just won't be as watered down. i had an eye opener on this subject when i started running my vertex. i saw a serious difference between the way it skims and my reef octo 6" dual recirculating skimmer. imo, wet or dry takes out the same amount of crap, just more water mixed in with the wet.

2- Using an over sized skimmer is a good thing, right?

I've always heard that you don't want to get a skimmer that fits your tanks gallon for gallon because the ratings aren't true. Go for the larger model?

yes, i try to double what they are rated for.

3- Do most problems in reef tanks come from the person taking care of them doing too much?

I get the sense that people are always changing things, adding stuff, playing chemist, etc. and it ends up causing most of what happens to tanks.

??? i think every tank and tank keeper are different.i try to keep it simple, and have always been told don't add in what you can't test for. personally, i don't add anything except fro running a carbon / gfo reactor and perform regular water changes.

4- I don't have the patience to let frags grow in my tank. What's the best way to fill the tank quicker with larger corals? Spend a ton of money or buy cheaper versions of corals? Do you guys trade much between each other?

i would vote for quality over quantity any day. this doesn't mean chasing names. this means chasing healthy bright coral. you should check out mattanderin's coral. nice colonies and good prices.

5- How much does it cost you to make 1 gallon of salt water for water changes?

To this point I've been getting water from my tank service as part of our monthly agreement. I recently looked into making my own water and the benefits are obvious, but I was wondering about the true cost including everything (system, filters, water, electric, salt, barrels, etc)

cost??? not sure... but well worth doing my own, imo. i used to run for water, and it became a hassle. worth every penny to have mine on tap. bought a 4 stage ro/di unit, barrel, and use red sea coral pro salt.

6- Does feeding extra help fish not damage your corals?

This might go back to extra skimming. More feeding= more skimming, but it could allow you to have fish others won't risk having. I've seen many systems over on the Large Reef Tank board that had non coral friendly fish.

depends on the fish. i tried a couple "maybe reef safe fish", and ended up catching them after awhile. not worth the risk, imo. too many beautiful reef safe fish. if you want to go with iffy fish, go fish only. i'm plotting a 180g fish only for the ones i really want... shh... don't tell the wife! lol

7- Automatic feeder vs hand feeding?

I hand feed now, but its inconsistent due to life happening. I'm thinking of going to an auto feeder.

some people like them. i just feed frozen every evening when i get home. if i'm not around, then the wife feeds them. if no one is around (very rare), they don't eat that day. it's certainly doesn't kill them.

8- a QT is a must have, correct?

I have a feeling 90% of people don't have one, but should. I currently don't, but I have a 46g bowfront at home that I'm thinking of making into one to feed my 2-220s. I have no idea what's involved with running a QT tank, fresh water dips, etc.

i'm one of the 90% also. i actually have a handful of tanks in the critter room. i even have a qt still set up, but quit using it. i do dip all my coral. i use bayer and coral rx. haven't had issues yet. i am taking a risk though...

9- I'm looking for a LFS to call home. I've visited 4-6 in the Central Florida area and so far I like StormBorn Reef in Debary and Top Shelf Aquatics in Winter Park.

Stormborn people are friendly and not as busy so they have a little more time to spend with each customer. At Top Shelf I feel like I'm in Winter Park. They have a good selection, but most of the customers are arrogant and the employees aren't much better. I have found 1 person there that has been helpful. Any other suggestions of places to check out? Wasn't a fan of Ocean Blue or Leesburg Pet Center. Don't remember the others I visited.

i have one that i prefer, which is little reef shop. that would be a serious drive for you though. lol i still hit other shops as well. i think it's still good to shop around some.


I really appreciate your help. I'm looking forward to being more involved in the decision making for my tank and knowing more about what's going on.

just my 2 cents, for what it's worth...