The Three Best Pieces Of SW Advice you have

[Vinnie71975]

Hey all lets make this thread a BIG one What are your 3 best pieces of advice for a SW tank? Doesn't have to be advice for new people just Good Advice!]

Ill Start:

A) Bigger is better Buy the biggest tank you can afford!

B)Dont Skimp On Lights(Trust me you will want a reef later!)

C) Double Check any Advice you get from a "LFS" With the people here on RC and Other Reef Clubs!!!

[drillsar]

Patience, don't give up

Research before getting

Double check here if your not sure

dont beleive your LFS

[sanababit]

A. save some money by buying used equi[ment from fellow reefers
B. read, read, read (thats three)
C. get your spouse involved to make this hobby easier

sana

[Altpers0na]

1. stop
2. wait
3. dont

4. go bigger

[AaronKelly]

1. patience
2. read/ research
3. tank surface volume

[Pea-brain]

1. The following statement is true
2. The preceding statement was false
3. "I" before "E" unless after "C" except in words that are weird.

Just kidding :D

1. Research everything before you buy. You may regret getting that sally lightfoot
2. Don't believe the hype or alot of things that people say.
3. If you hear a pop in your tank (especially after the lights go out. They are diurnal!) it most likely isn't a mantis....unless your rock is from tbs :D

Dan

[BangkokMatt]

a - Make sure you can afford all necessary quality equipment

b - Get the biggest tank you can but not so big you have to rip out your kitchen and turn it into a dedicated fish room

c - Have enough knowledge to have a relatively smooth start - then read - then read some more

Oh, did I mention reading!

[kydsexy]

A. When you think you're ready, wait another week
as said, patience is key to this hobby
B. Ask questions, then research the answers given
people are imperfect, we all make mistakes
C. Only bargain shop using well-known brand names
don't buy a brand no one has ever heard from

if u can start with 500 gallons, go for it

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

1. Don't always believe what it says on the bottle or package.

2. Don't always believe what your friend or the LFS tells you unless you double check with a reliable source (if it is important).

3. Remember that you are only the most recent of 22 million reefers before you. You are probably not going to be successful doing "X" if most other people before you were not.

[Vinnie71975]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11611531#post11611531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
1. Don't always believe what it says on the bottle or package.

2. Don't always believe what your friend or the LFS tells you unless you double check with a reliable source (if it is important).

3. Remember that you are only the most recent of 22 million reefers before you. You are probably not going to be successful doing "X" if most other people before you were not.

Wow randy great to see you posting! Feel free to add more advice (this goes for everyone not just randy!)

[McTeague]

1) you cannot spend your way to success
2) there is a lot of work to do, just do it!
3) research the animal before you buy it
4) double check the "advice" given at RC with your LFS and other internet sources

[taillonjohn]

1) understand that the SW hobby costs as much as a new car
2) research a little bit every day, (or, learn something new every day)
3) understand that patience is key in this hobby

[ProHaloSniper]

1. Do your homework. Read everything more than once!

2. Take your time. I have learned that rushing things will inevitably drain your wallet in this hobby.

3. Take everyones advice. There are tons of people who know more than you do. Take their advice every time.


--Jim C.

[Sk8r]

1. 'attitude' kills tanks and costs money. When somebody with experience tells you it's not a good idea, it's probably not a good idea.
2. read the manual. Then check and fine-tune with somebody who actually uses that equipment.
3. you can't have everything you ever wanted all in one tank: they'd probably eat each other.

[192clark]

1. Get the best skimmer you can afford.

2. Use as large of a sump as you can.

3. Grow macro algae for nutrient export.

[heyfredyourhat]

1. Patience
2. Research
3. Dont get buyers remorse/regrets. ( I have a decent size sump, I know i should of went larger, but this one is going to work because it is better than no sump)..that kind of thing

[Cope]

1 QT
2 QT
3 QT
Quarantine
Cope

[Vinnie71975]

MY Best Advice EVER FIND A LFS THAT IS SW ONLY!!!!!!!!!!! I did this and the owner also has over 12 yrs in the hobby and has been EXTREMELY helpful to me!

[realest]

1) Do not get into this hobby if you can't spend at least 1.5 hrs per day on it.

2) And don't ever assume one person's answer is the answer. No one knows it all.

3) and be ready to spend all your time and extra money on it.

[dileggi]

1.) Patience...and then some more patience.
2.) Plan ahead and do your research ahead of time - It's easier to do it right the first time, than to have to re-do it once your up and running!
3.) Always ask questions...there are no dumb questions. The only dumb questions are the unasked...it could save you lots of grief if you just ask.

[wachuko]

I wanted a SW tank/setup... made a list, budget, researched equipment and gave myself 3 years to get it done... 6 years later, tank, stand, Wet/Dry filter, fine sand, gravel was all still sitting in a corner...

Wet/Dry Filter was not the right setup to go with... so this is still sitting new in the garage since I really needed a sump... the sand I bought with the gravel was probably great for decoration but really sucks for a SW setup...

So my list of three:

1. Save your money and not equipment... when you are ready then buy your equipment...

2. Be sure you read read read... if you are in this site you have reached a great source of information, congratulations, now read and research

3. Water quality is key... make sure you get the right equipment to sustain the quality of the water you have in the tank...

[WaterKeeper]

Your fish live in WATER. Set up the right environment by using RO/DI at the start.
The surest way to remove every type of pollutant is by doing regular water changes.
Nothing happens in this hobby overnight, unless it is a bad thing.

[Freed]

Cope beat me to it:

1. QT
2. Quarantine
3. Q. T. no ifs ands or butts.

[Zoophile]

1.) Don't save money by buying cheap equipment. Save money by buying GOOD equipment the FIRST time.

2.) Learn HOW and WHY things happen in your tank. Water testing is your eyes and ears!

3.) Absorb as much knowledge as you can. Learn the basics like the back of your hand before dosing with purple kool-aid just because someone said it brightened up their acros!

[Ebisan]

1. RODI
2. Research before you buy (e.g. fish, equipment)
3. Using RC as a resource

[Kemo484]

1. When you think you've done enough research, do a little more

2. Quarentine Tank, worth every penny

3. Let's try and buy tank bread fish and inverts and coral frags instead of collected ones. Help preserve the reefs for future generations.

[Kemo484]

double post, sorry

[FUA]

The Basics

1. Don't overstock
2. Don't overfeed
3. and have some frickin patience man!!

[jamiep]

1. Never trust one person (Esp. LFS's)
2. Get a bigger tank to start with
3. Expect to want to redo everything inside 6months!

[zotzer]

1. Join a reef club
2. Get as much information as you can, and be discerning about who is giving it (even here on RC...not all reefers are created equal, and post-count is not always an accurate measure of knowledge ::)
3. Set up a system you can manage and *enjoy*

Tracy

[Vinnie71975]

And of course Welcome to your new addiction!

[r0bin]

1. Buy the best equipment up front and whatever tank you think you want, go at least one size bigger.

2. Watch your water quality very closely

3. Don't buy a purple pseudochromis (joke) kinda sorta, well not really, lol :lol:

[K' Family Reef]

this has already been posted three other times but

1.
QT, QT, QT

2.
before one even begins to reef
and purch LR/fish/corals - recom to learn about all the possible (((PESTS))) that can come into our aquariums... espec on LR or corals that are being added - if one doesnt know what to look out for they may just think what they are seeing is a neat anenome (majano) then try and feed it and watch it grow/spread (have read this many times here on RC and other forums)... once a person is thousands of dollars into this hobby down the road... THE STAKES ARE MUCH HIGHER... have seen veteran reefers having to completely tear down their systems due to majano (and other pests) infestation - demoralizing to say the least and not healthy for the pocketbook or ones 'time' invested either!... this rock comes from the great unknown and who knows what may be along for the ride - which is why QT is the best thing to do to observe/monitor ANYTHING before adding it to main display

3.
QT, QT, QT


most people (myself included)
get into too much of a hurry then end up regretting it later when say hundreds of dollars in fish end up sick or dying... and many people only assoc QT w/ fish - ich etc...

but there are many other reasons to QT...
i got flatworms by adding chaeto(macroalgae) to my system - when i was already on top of QT procedures... caught me way off guard but who would have thought to QT chaeto???

since starting out in this hobby
have heard the veterans reiterate this fact many times and it seems that it almost takes a few lessons before one really begins to accept why so many who have been in the hobby for years really emphasize this one point over and over again!