people you are confusing

[mistergerardob]

well let me tell you: I love Reefcentral, I'm read it every night after work but...
For some one new like me, It's difficult to don't get confuse, example there is people that talk about ro di, and how better are the most expensive models, another say oh I can get the same results with the ones on ebay, then is the ones that say a dsb is the best, but of curse the is the ones that say a bare bottom is much better.
I went to look for play sand, and there is two types in my city, the white and the brown, the white sand has a warning in the bag that say do not use on aquariums, Can I use the brown then?
And then there is the people that say hermit crab are bad, but I like the aquariums that I see with them!!.

[j007dreamer]

I'm with you on that ... Alot of the time i have no idea what anyone is talking about on here. But if you ask people are very helpful

[michaeldaly]

There are a lot of differing opinions in this hobby, and no specific opinion is always the right one

[kau_cinta_ku]

well first off i will tell you that the reason you will get confused is because you are getting peoples diff. experiance's with things. some ppl have better luck doing something one way as other's have better luck doing it another. not everything you do will work for your ways. so basically you ask questions and get ppl's opinions on what has and hasn't worked for them and then you need to take those answers and find the one that best suits you. i doubt you will ever get an answer on a thread about a skimmer and everyone says one certain brand is the best. everyone's setup is diff. i hope this helps

[Amphiprion]

It is important to do what works for you. Although you can find a lot of information out there and here on RC, trial and error is still necessary to see what would work best for your particular situation.

[Sk8r]

Well, on the home page (I think) there is at least a link to a file with all the common abbreviations. One gets tired of typing local fish store, so lfs is the recourse. When posting in the newbie forum I try to use regular words instead of the abbreviations, but a venture into the more technical levels sends me hunting for that abbreviations file, too. [A hint: if you've got the spelled-out buzzword for a term, you can open another Explorer window and google the thing, which may give you a picture or a definition without losing your place in the forum. It's what I do when people start talking about Eheims or Deltecs.]

[Chromed1]

I too am new to the hobby and moving from freshwater to salt. I found a list of acronyms on the site that helped me with the lingo. I also found that if you ask the ? you will get the answers. Be prepared though that you will get a lot of different perspectives. I found this to be real helpful too because it helps you think about the different scenarios and what may be right for you. Definitely find that acronym list - it helps a lot!!!

[rodgod20]

I am really new to the hobbie as well, basically working on my first tank right now, a 6G nano. I have been researching for the past few months about what I need to do, what fish are good and everything and it can get overwhelming. What I have been doing is see how many people differ on one way or the other, and the one with the most people agreeing try that first and see if it works for you. But I think the biggest thing about this hobby (and why I am enjoying it) is the experiementation you can perform. Being more of a sienctific mind I like doing the experiements. So bascially what I am saying is take one opinion....and try it. Its all trying and seeing what work for YOU

[bigfruits]

thats the beauty of large forum like reef central. you will get many different opinions and views on how to do things, what equipment to buy etc. then you take in all the information youve read and you decide what is best for your particular setup.

[CarmieJo]

I think that you have to remember that this is a forum and like the other posters said, you are getting opinions. I tend to believe that the advice of someone with 8 years of experience is more seasoned than someone with 1 week of experience.

Read all you can and try to see if there is a consensus. Also read the magazines like Reefkeeping http://www.reefkeeping.com and Advanced Aquarist http://www.advancedaquarist.com and everything else you can get your hands on.

As far as the acronyms go the list can be helpful but sometimes I just have to ask. So far no one has called me stupid for not knowing something :)

Finally I would also recommend the TalkingReef www.TalkingReef.com podcasts. I have learned a ton from listening to these. If you don't have an iPod or MP3 player you can download iTunes and listen directly from your computer.

:fish1:

[Wryknow]

Someone once made the observation that every good answer to a reef keeping question begins with "It depends.." Unfortunately this seems to be largely true but it can be a good thing depending on how you look at it. If you are looking for "the best" answer to evreything then this will be a very confusing because "best" is subjective and every different reef aquariums can and do behave a little differently.

What RC (reef central) is great for is to figure out possible ways to do things. Then you can take your pick from the ideas and try to duplicate them. With time you will find that the opinions of certain posters will make more sense to you than others and you can start weight those opinions more heavily. Some of the moderators (waterkeeper for example) are such experts that you COULD just blindly accept what they tell you and have a successful reef aquarium (but what's the fun in that???) Most of the posters are like me though: I share a little bit of knowledge and learn a little bit with every post and exchange of information :)

I believe that you will find that even the "experts" will tell you that they have a lot to learn about the hobby though. It can be a little frustrating when you're looking for a "perfect" answer but it is a little exciting as well! The hobby would be boring if everything was predictable I think.

[psimitry]

Huzani! His army, with fist open!

The river Tamak, in winter!

Darmok and Jillad at Tinagra!

When I was new, a lot of the posts read just like that. After much reading on here and books posted on the subject, you'll learn to read through the bull-carp and get to the nuggets of especially awesome information on here.

[gobygoby]

nm

[roader247]

Another thing to also remember is no two tanks are the same I have two 30 gallon fish only tanks on upstairs and the other down stairs same salt water etc. one I constantly have algae problem the other is good

[RobbyG]

Zinda! His face black. His eyes red

Mirab His sails unfurled


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131784#post7131784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psimitry
Huzani! His army, with fist open!

The river Tamak, in winter!

Darmok and Jillad at Tinagra!
.

[psimitry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131896#post7131896 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RobbyG
Zinda! His face black. His eyes red

Mirab His sails unfurled

:D Was wondering if anyone would recognize that.

On another forum I'm on, we had a thread going that worked surprisingly well that we were carrying on conversations like that (only using terrestrial metaphor - based on (usually) American Pop culture).

[MCary]

Don't get caught up in the furvor of some peoples arguments. The debate over BB vs DSB is getting rediculous. You'd think they were dividing up Germany after WWII.

There are many posters that fire off something that they've heard as if they have some first hand knowledge. The best thing you can do when soliciting advice or considering an opinion is ask why? If they can't explain it don't listen. Then see if the explanation makes sense or can be further researched.

[RobbyG]

I liked that story, wish they were still writing them.


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131925#post7131925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psimitry
:D Was wondering if anyone would recognize that.

On another forum I'm on, we had a thread going that worked surprisingly well that we were carrying on conversations like that (only using terrestrial metaphor - based on (usually) American Pop culture).

[kclewis]

mistergerardob
where did you find the white sand at? what was the name brand on it? pm me and let me know.
as far as your post, just read as much as possible and make up your own mind. it seems to me no matter what you post you will get pros and cons on anything. but stick with it and you will be just fine.

[6stang9]

home depot in my area sells white play sand. onthe bag it says kolor scape it is distributed by old castle. it says do not use in aquariums. this IS the sand you WANT to use in your aquarium. it passed the vinegar test. and i have talked to many people that used it and reserched it.

[mistergerardob]

thank you.
I like to hear all the opinions, I just want to know the right way to do things.

[Pete1399]

I listened to many opinions here and made up my own mind as to what I wanted. Look at my tank description below and you will know exactly what equipment I would suggest! You will get a lot of opinions and the fun part is deciding on what you want and are willing to pay for. You do have to be careful because sometimes the advice you get is not 100% correct because the person giving it is not 100% sure as to what they are talking about.

[teena]

i read everyones opinions, i just try to stay with one good member i can PM my ? to like paint bug any thing i do with my tank goes through him first, i trust him all the way,

[seshapir]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131784#post7131784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psimitry
Huzani! His army, with fist open!

The river Tamak, in winter!

Darmok and Jillad at Tinagra!


LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

Oh man I am such a nerd...

[goda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131885#post7131885 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by roader247
Another thing to also remember is no two tanks are the same I have two 30 gallon fish only tanks on upstairs and the other down stairs same salt water etc. one I constantly have algae problem the other is good


isnt that true


some people seem to think there is a universal equation that gurentees succsess.. iv had several tank and always go with really deep sand bed. enough rock to make it look good. low bio load . wet dry filter and florecent lights.. yet every tank acts differently... i like to think it has to do with some planetary alingment BS lol just as good of explenation as any one elses :P

[WaterKeeper]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7131666#post7131666 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wryknow
Some of the moderators (waterkeeper for example) are such experts that you COULD just blindly accept what they tell you and have a successful reef aquarium (but what's the fun in that???)

It's my way or the highway!!!
:D

Well said; I preach an approch to reefkeeping that has worked for me. Is it the best way? I have no idea. Choose a path Grasshopper and see where it leads.

[PatMayo]

I agree with Tom

This is what I do. I have a tank that is 75 days old. I had some previous experience years ago. (Not so great I might add.)

For tank parameters, Alkalinity/Calcium/Magnesium, this is science for the most part. I spent months in the chemistry forum quizzing Randy and others and now I have a good basic knowledge of how it works and am executing that knowledge.

For the rock I determined that the best way to go for me was to buy cured live rock from my local "reef" store. It worked great and I have real nice rock with coralline out the yooo hooooo.

I listened and gathered information on skimmers and bought the skimmer that I felt would do the best job for me. I also talked to the folks at my local "reef" store. (This is not a lfs, it's a couple of enthusiasts that decided to sell some reef stuff and make a buck.)

For the substrate, I didn't want to work that hard and I'm not using a DSB so I used a commercially prepared product that is for Reef tanks.

As far as the peripherals, heaters-timers-controllers-ph meters and test kits, I listened and probed and asked a lot of questions.

The advice I give is based on my experience from years ago, (mostly what not to do.) and the tank that has been up 75 days. I think to date it has been very successful and I believe anyone would be happy to have this 75 day old tank.

I also read books apart from this site, I seek out advice from qualified authors and those that I feel understand the hobby Randy, Anthony, Tom (AKA waterkeeper), Steven Pro, Ron S., Eric B., Jonathan and many many others.

There are also many other websites where you can get additional help and knowledge.

You just have to be an informed consumer and the only one that can get you to be that is You!!

Ok off my soapbox now.

Oh and boy have I made some mistakes along the way. But you know that's what makes this a hobby and fun!! If it wasen't fun I wouldn't work near as hard to get the knowledge I need. If it was work I would just pay someone to make it for me.

Regards,

Pat