Great article!

RWD · 02/04/2002, 11:29 PM

Hello Doug,
Just wanted to say "great article!" Lots of good info for the newbie. Bob

Sdonnelly · 02/05/2002, 04:48 PM

Just to get a bit of a debate going, I though I would disagree with your article.

I am also relativley new to marine and entered the same way the author did. I have made a lot of mistakes, and received a lot of bad advice from various LFS. But that is part of the process. Now I know you can't put a Tang in a small tank, because I did it, I know how to get algea under control bacuase I have done it, I know not to put Damsel fish in first.....well you get the picture. Learning is part of the interest of the hobby, please get advice and read good books, avoid losing fish and don't be cavalier, but don't let anyone dictate to you about right and wrong ways, experiment, learn and enjoy.

Doug · 02/05/2002, 09:20 PM

Hi Sdonnelly.

Thanks for your input.

I do agree that learning is a big part of the interest of the hobby. Learning is part that of the hobby that keeps me in it. That said, there are many things that I wish that I did not have to learn the hard way.

What I am hoping to do, with this series of articles, is help the new reef keeper avoid the frustration that many others have had in the past. Many of the people that look for advice in articles like these and on the message board are doing their homework up front and hopefully avoiding the pitfalls that many of us have made.

I know that I would never have bought some of the fish that did when I started in the hobby if I had someone to help guide me along. I am not trying to keep people from learning for themselves but I am trying to take away some of the frustration and hopefully help them from loosing fish or corals that they would not have lost if they had a game plan to begin with.

The part that you said below is a very good point.

"Now I know you can't put a Tang in a small tank, because I did it, I know how to get algae under control because I have done it, I know not to put Damsel fish in first.....well you get the picture."

On the other side of the coin.

Wouldn't you rather have known not to put the tang in to a too
small of a tank up front, or how to avoid the algae in the first place or at least minimize it?

Those are good learning experiences but I would rather not have caused the harm to first animals that I purchased or had to deal with algae outbreaks myself in the first few months after I started in the hobby. I did not want to learn that a yellow tang in a 10 gallon tank is bad by killing the fish but, as a beginner in the hobby I did not have a plan to work with.

While I would also agree that you should not let any one person dictate the right or wrong of reef keeping, I would hope that the beginners will do research up front, ask questions and then make an informed decision before they buying incompatible animals or equipment. I would rather learn from the mistakes of others than make them myself many times.

Thanks again for your input.

Doug

02/04/2002, 11:29 PM	#1
RWD Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Chicago,Il USA Posts: 701	Great article! Hello Doug, Just wanted to say "great article!" Lots of good info for the newbie. Bob

02/05/2002, 04:48 PM	#2
Sdonnelly Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Preston, England Posts: 2	Debate Just to get a bit of a debate going, I though I would disagree with your article. I am also relativley new to marine and entered the same way the author did. I have made a lot of mistakes, and received a lot of bad advice from various LFS. But that is part of the process. Now I know you can't put a Tang in a small tank, because I did it, I know how to get algea under control bacuase I have done it, I know not to put Damsel fish in first.....well you get the picture. Learning is part of the interest of the hobby, please get advice and read good books, avoid losing fish and don't be cavalier, but don't let anyone dictate to you about right and wrong ways, experiment, learn and enjoy.

02/05/2002, 09:20 PM	#3
Doug Reefkeeping Ninja Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: USA Posts: 12,863	Hi Sdonnelly. Thanks for your input. I do agree that learning is a big part of the interest of the hobby. Learning is part that of the hobby that keeps me in it. That said, there are many things that I wish that I did not have to learn the hard way. What I am hoping to do, with this series of articles, is help the new reef keeper avoid the frustration that many others have had in the past. Many of the people that look for advice in articles like these and on the message board are doing their homework up front and hopefully avoiding the pitfalls that many of us have made. I know that I would never have bought some of the fish that did when I started in the hobby if I had someone to help guide me along. I am not trying to keep people from learning for themselves but I am trying to take away some of the frustration and hopefully help them from loosing fish or corals that they would not have lost if they had a game plan to begin with. The part that you said below is a very good point. "Now I know you can't put a Tang in a small tank, because I did it, I know how to get algae under control because I have done it, I know not to put Damsel fish in first.....well you get the picture." On the other side of the coin. Wouldn't you rather have known not to put the tang in to a too small of a tank up front, or how to avoid the algae in the first place or at least minimize it? Those are good learning experiences but I would rather not have caused the harm to first animals that I purchased or had to deal with algae outbreaks myself in the first few months after I started in the hobby. I did not want to learn that a yellow tang in a 10 gallon tank is bad by killing the fish but, as a beginner in the hobby I did not have a plan to work with. While I would also agree that you should not let any one person dictate the right or wrong of reef keeping, I would hope that the beginners will do research up front, ask questions and then make an informed decision before they buying incompatible animals or equipment. I would rather learn from the mistakes of others than make them myself many times. Thanks again for your input. Doug __________________ Doug Its better to be 2nd and learn something new than to be at the top and all alone. Current Tank Info: 90g, and 75g prop tank.