Newbie Corner Feedback Thread

WaterKeeper · 10/03/2007, 11:28 AM

All right, all right; settle down and listen up. It's time to train you New Recruits that have recently joined RC. So fall in and quit the chatter while I instruct you ragged Newbies in the fine art of Reefkeeping!

Starting this month we will be adding a new column to Reefkeeping Magazine called the--

Click on the above Logo to go directly to the Article.

Many of you seasoned reef veterans have read the New Tank Thread but it was getting time for an overhaul. The Newbie Corner will start out with a revamped version of the New Tank Thread in an easier to read, magazine format. Be sure to read Reefkeeping Magazine every month for installments to the New-New Tank Thread as well as other future topics designed for the novice.

One of the things about doing it as a magazine article is that it doesn't have the feedback that one gets with a posted thread. That is what this sticky is about--feedback on the topics covered. After reading the articles, you are invited to post any questions that you may have and I, or one of the other Newbie Corner authors, will try to answer them in a timely fashion. If you have a question about what to feed your Giant Grouper ( Epinephelus lanceolatus) and we are discussing water, please post it as a separate thread or wait till we cover Grouper feeding in the Newbie Corner (I wouldn't hold my breath while waiting).

Anyway, we at Reef Central and Reefkeeping Magazine hope you enjoy the new series and find it informative. If not-
Drop and give me fifty!

Editors note--in the interest of keeping the magazine a quality publication I had to remove the old Sarge from the articles. However, on the board anything goes.

Here are the current Reefkeeping 101 articles--
Water
Tank Selection
Lighting
Sumps
Completing The Set-up
Natural Filtration I
Natural Filtration II
Natural Filtration III
Various Nutrient Control Methods
Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 1
Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 2

voodude · 10/06/2007, 07:40 PM

all right Tom .. so you lied a lot to me (and your advice worked)...

Excellent and a great starter .. you shoulda done this 7 months ago .. then I would have my Porsche!!

Seriously ... god job

edfkbf · 10/07/2007, 07:51 AM

Thanks for doing this. Very helpful. I have started the reseach to set up a SW tank, likely a 150+ tank. I want a reef ready tank/equipment, but will start off very slowly with fish only and very gradually venture into establishing a reef tank. It would also be helpful if estimated costs were included along the way, with the obvious qualifiers, and any +/- of reef tank equipment (e.g., noisey). Thanks again,

shikhyung · 10/07/2007, 09:17 AM

Hi Tom, regarding to Di water, someone told me that if I don't use the Di constantly (since I only need about 20 gallons/week), the resin will went bad and re-act differently( make the water worse). Is this true?

Thanks. Shin.

WaterKeeper · 10/07/2007, 11:29 AM

Hi edfkbf

To Reef Central

WOW! Am I impressed; a potential reefkeeper who has been on the board for close to four years and makes their first post on my thread. I will try to give a general idea on costs like I did in this article but it is best to shop around and see what are advertisers are charging. Back when you first joined RC a RO/DI ran almost $600. Now you can get a pretty good one for less than $200.

Hi Shin

Not with a RO ahead of the DI. An RO filters molecular sized particulate matter, even something as small as a virus. Since the water reaching the DI is fairly sterile there is little chance for a bacterial slime to build up and coat the resin. Your demand should not influence resin life.

Voodude,

If you can afford a Porsche then forget what I told edfkbf
and buy a $600 DI unit.

shikhyung · 10/07/2007, 03:54 PM

Thanks Tom, your words make the Di add on comes closer to the door.
Shin.

voodude · 10/07/2007, 06:26 PM

Not $600 but a good one .MAX50.. found out the hard way!! .. have a dual TDS meter ... do not care how accurate .. but on the way out it still says ZERO ... that is what I truly watch .. although the input is interesting ... numbers higher during high temps or rainfalls .. (town water) .I have done all water tests along the way (water in, water out, tank .. da-da-da-da ) and the RO/DI confirmed all that you have said .. again, found out the hard way (or soft, if you consider the hair algae!!).. .Tnx Tom ...Keep up the good work/info ... Bruce. (The Magnum in my avatar eats Porsches!!)

WaterKeeper · 10/08/2007, 09:15 AM

I should have put in the article that Magnums are aggresive and not reef safe.

snodine · 10/08/2007, 11:56 AM

Tom, great article! I am new to the reef habit, er, hobby and the first thing I purchased (after a tank) was an RO/DI unit. I am still working on getting the other equipment necessary (there seems to be a never-ending list!) but am getting closer. Purchased a skimmer, working on building a sump and an overflow so things are coming along.

I am looking forward to these articles. The amount of information on Reef Central is fantastic and has been very interesting.

Thanks,

Steve

WaterKeeper · 10/08/2007, 01:01 PM

At the moment the articles are--

Water
Tank selection and placement
Lighting
Sumps
Filtration and other equipment (tentative)

Thanks for your support.

voodude · 10/09/2007, 08:53 PM

Good Comeback .. and they are!!!

Do not know where you are going to go with this ... but what I would like to have seen is when you think you follow all of the advice/suggestions and things do not work out (like params look way off (like Nitrates!! (spooky until u know) or Hair goes crazy ... and you Freaque-out

or things start dying .. .yadda-yadda-yadda .. You are good at it .. think and write .. everyone would hinge on your every word!!.. great job

Prost!!..

voodude · 10/09/2007, 09:04 PM

BTW ... maybe people shopuld know that it is NOT bad to "go swimming" ... i.e. reaching in to the tank to adjust, clean, feed, etc (as long as you did not just change your oil in the car and not wash your hands !) .. Mother nature and the Ocean in particular are very forgiving ... within reason .. good filtration and habits simulate those functions and will keep the tank on an even keel ... people should not be afraid .. sometimes the articles here and elsewhere and books lead to that kind of mentality .. CAREFUL...YES .. scared .. NO ..

just some thoughts Tom .. 6 months of water in the box and it looks like offshore Tampa .. with very little intervention ..

WaterKeeper · 10/10/2007, 09:44 AM

Just as a note here. I won't be the only writer for this new column. I expect Marc (Melev) to do the column on sumps as he is a far better DIY person than I. We have some other hidden talents around here such as a worm expert and one that specializes in algae. I'll invite them to contribute as time goes by. The initial months will be geared to starting a tank and then will be followed by how to handle problems, water chemistry and easy to care for critters. All ideas are welcome however.

RickySan · 10/13/2007, 08:52 AM

great article!! thanks for the help and...nice idea, way to help nobs like me!

Scuba_Steve · 10/13/2007, 11:21 AM

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Not another new tank thread! Im going to have to take cover for a few months until Waterkeeper stops shelling the newbies with bogus information.

WaterKeeper · 10/13/2007, 11:36 AM

I'll have you know I only use safe, biological weapons these days. Pure tetrodotoxin toxins extracted from puffer fish I had die on me in the past.

mhhauser321 · 10/16/2007, 08:37 AM

I loved the article very down to earth. I agree with your stance on having purified water, its the best bet.

Keep on writing its very informative work

PatMayo · 10/16/2007, 11:59 PM

Nice article WK. I'm looking forward to future articles.

Thanks.

Regards,

Pat

masher09 · 10/29/2007, 02:46 PM

I just like your Avatar

WaterKeeper · 10/29/2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by masher09
I just like your Avatar

It is far better than anything I write.

It does make me feel better to know that at least nine people took a glance at the new column.

nrstype · 10/29/2007, 05:23 PM

LOVED IT! Wish I would have had that about 1 yr ago! I'll be reading frequently. Thank you all for the hard work!

(Thank heavens I liked it.. If I didn't... Couldn't give you "FIFTY" if I tried! $$.. OR pushups!)

Sometimes.. it is a bit daunting to post on RC, or ask a question. Reefers tend to "eat their young" just as bad a nurses do. Being a newbie can be daunting, and a bit discouraging at times. I can see these line of articles being a big hit.

Thanks again.

Shooter7 · 10/30/2007, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Sometimes.. it is a bit daunting to post on RC, or ask a question. Reefers tend to "eat their young" just as bad a nurses do. Being a newbie can be daunting, and a bit discouraging at times.

There's nothing to be afraid of, come on in, the water's fine!

*goes back to filing teeth to needle sharp points*

WaterKeeper · 10/30/2007, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nrstype
Sometimes.. it is a bit daunting to post on RC, or ask a question. Reefers tend to "eat their young" just as bad a nurses do.

We need to eat our young as we are too broke in this hobby to afford groceries.

I see some of our veteran reefers around. I do want to say this first few months of this series of columns may be a bit dull. I'm covering territory that I covered before. I wanted to start from scratch with the column and then move onto new topics. The good part is these are condensed versions of some of those long threads I wrote quite awhile back. Hopefully that will make them a bit easier to follow.

I do promise we will get to more interesting topics after we get through the basics.

nrstype · 10/30/2007, 02:12 PM

Ahhh... yes.. I'm finding that when I have to choose between a great steak dinner for two, or one awesome SPS frag.... my husband gets stuck with mac and cheese.

You may be "boring" the veterans out there, but your articles are directed toward newcomers to the hobby, (aka.. NEWBIES), so your target audience will NOT be bored, or at least, should not be bored. Even though your going over the basics first, you must discuss that to have a solid base on which to build future, more in depth or specialized topics.

Thank you again for all your hard work.

( OH.......and I'm still waiting for my newbie pledge badge to come in the mail.)

WaterKeeper · 10/31/2007, 09:33 AM

This is what that Newbie Pledge Badge looks like--

Seriously, for only $2 a month you can help support this site and also Reefkeeping Magazine. Unlike many on-line hobby magazines RK is free of advertising and relies on contributions form the readership. If you get the time how about chipping in Premium Membership. As it says in that ad, "Membership has its privileges."

Well, enough of the on-line commercials--
Happy Halloween

10/03/2007, 11:28 AM	#1
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Newbie Corner Feedback Thread All right, all right; settle down and listen up. It's time to train you New Recruits that have recently joined RC. So fall in and quit the chatter while I instruct you ragged Newbies in the fine art of Reefkeeping! Starting this month we will be adding a new column to Reefkeeping Magazine called the-- Click on the above Logo to go directly to the Article. Many of you seasoned reef veterans have read the New Tank Thread but it was getting time for an overhaul. The Newbie Corner will start out with a revamped version of the New Tank Thread in an easier to read, magazine format. Be sure to read Reefkeeping Magazine every month for installments to the New-New Tank Thread as well as other future topics designed for the novice. One of the things about doing it as a magazine article is that it doesn't have the feedback that one gets with a posted thread. That is what this sticky is about--feedback on the topics covered. After reading the articles, you are invited to post any questions that you may have and I, or one of the other Newbie Corner authors, will try to answer them in a timely fashion. If you have a question about what to feed your Giant Grouper ( Epinephelus lanceolatus) and we are discussing water, please post it as a separate thread or wait till we cover Grouper feeding in the Newbie Corner (I wouldn't hold my breath while waiting). Anyway, we at Reef Central and Reefkeeping Magazine hope you enjoy the new series and find it informative. If not- Drop and give me fifty! Editors note--in the interest of keeping the magazine a quality publication I had to remove the old Sarge from the articles. However, on the board anything goes. Here are the current Reefkeeping 101 articles-- Water Tank Selection Lighting Sumps Completing The Set-up Natural Filtration I Natural Filtration II Natural Filtration III Various Nutrient Control Methods Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 1 Adding Some Science to Your Tank, Part 2 __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29 Last edited by WaterKeeper; 12/08/2008 at 11:45 AM.

10/06/2007, 07:40 PM	#2
voodude Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 183	all right Tom .. so you lied a lot to me (and your advice worked)... Excellent and a great starter .. you shoulda done this 7 months ago .. then I would have my Porsche!! Seriously ... god job __________________ You can't kiss a ducks' butt... without gettin' feathers in your mouth ---The Tao Texas Ching--- Current Tank Info: 90gal Oceanic reef,LPS,soft,inverts- 30G FOWLR (or something like it!)

10/07/2007, 07:51 AM	#3
edfkbf Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oakton, VA Posts: 34	estimated costs Thanks for doing this. Very helpful. I have started the reseach to set up a SW tank, likely a 150+ tank. I want a reef ready tank/equipment, but will start off very slowly with fish only and very gradually venture into establishing a reef tank. It would also be helpful if estimated costs were included along the way, with the obvious qualifiers, and any +/- of reef tank equipment (e.g., noisey). Thanks again,

10/07/2007, 11:29 AM	#5
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Hi edfkbf *To Reef Central* WOW! Am I impressed; a potential reefkeeper who has been on the board for close to four years and makes their first post on my thread. I will try to give a general idea on costs like I did in this article but it is best to shop around and see what are advertisers are charging. Back when you first joined RC a RO/DI ran almost $600. Now you can get a pretty good one for less than $200. Hi Shin Not with a RO ahead of the DI. An RO filters molecular sized particulate matter, even something as small as a virus. Since the water reaching the DI is fairly sterile there is little chance for a bacterial slime to build up and coat the resin. Your demand should not influence resin life. Voodude, If you can afford a Porsche then forget what I told edfkbf and buy a $600 DI unit. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

10/07/2007, 03:54 PM	#6
shikhyung Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ca Posts: 1,310	Thanks Tom, your words make the Di add on comes closer to the door. Shin. Last edited by shikhyung; 10/07/2007 at 04:05 PM.

10/07/2007, 09:17 AM	#4
shikhyung Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ca Posts: 1,310	Hi Tom, regarding to Di water, someone told me that if I don't use the Di constantly (since I only need about 20 gallons/week), the resin will went bad and re-act differently( make the water worse). Is this true? Thanks. Shin.

10/07/2007, 06:26 PM	#7
voodude Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 183	Not $600 but a good one .MAX50.. found out the hard way!! .. have a dual TDS meter ... do not care how accurate .. but on the way out it still says ZERO ... that is what I truly watch .. although the input is interesting ... numbers higher during high temps or rainfalls .. (town water) .I have done all water tests along the way (water in, water out, tank .. da-da-da-da ) and the RO/DI confirmed all that you have said .. again, found out the hard way (or soft, if you consider the hair algae!!).. .Tnx Tom ...Keep up the good work/info ... Bruce. (The Magnum in my avatar eats Porsches!!) __________________ You can't kiss a ducks' butt... without gettin' feathers in your mouth ---The Tao Texas Ching--- Current Tank Info: 90gal Oceanic reef,LPS,soft,inverts- 30G FOWLR (or something like it!)

10/08/2007, 09:15 AM	#8
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I should have put in the article that Magnums are aggresive and not reef safe. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

10/08/2007, 11:56 AM	#9
snodine Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Romeoville, IL Posts: 155	Great article! Tom, great article! I am new to the reef habit, er, hobby and the first thing I purchased (after a tank) was an RO/DI unit. I am still working on getting the other equipment necessary (there seems to be a never-ending list!) but am getting closer. Purchased a skimmer, working on building a sump and an overflow so things are coming along. I am looking forward to these articles. The amount of information on Reef Central is fantastic and has been very interesting. Thanks, Steve

10/08/2007, 01:01 PM	#10
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	At the moment the articles are-- Water Tank selection and placement Lighting Sumps Filtration and other equipment (tentative) Thanks for your support. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

10/09/2007, 08:53 PM	#11
voodude Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 183	Good Comeback .. and they are!!! Do not know where you are going to go with this ... but what I would like to have seen is when you think you follow all of the advice/suggestions and things do not work out (like params look way off (like Nitrates!! (spooky until u know) or Hair goes crazy ... and you Freaque-out or things start dying .. .yadda-yadda-yadda .. You are good at it .. think and write .. everyone would hinge on your every word!!.. great job Prost!!.. __________________ You can't kiss a ducks' butt... without gettin' feathers in your mouth ---The Tao Texas Ching--- Current Tank Info: 90gal Oceanic reef,LPS,soft,inverts- 30G FOWLR (or something like it!)

10/09/2007, 09:04 PM	#12
voodude Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 183	BTW ... maybe people shopuld know that it is NOT bad to "go swimming" ... i.e. reaching in to the tank to adjust, clean, feed, etc (as long as you did not just change your oil in the car and not wash your hands !) .. Mother nature and the Ocean in particular are very forgiving ... within reason .. good filtration and habits simulate those functions and will keep the tank on an even keel ... people should not be afraid .. sometimes the articles here and elsewhere and books lead to that kind of mentality .. CAREFUL...YES .. scared .. NO .. just some thoughts Tom .. 6 months of water in the box and it looks like offshore Tampa .. with very little intervention .. __________________ You can't kiss a ducks' butt... without gettin' feathers in your mouth ---The Tao Texas Ching--- Current Tank Info: 90gal Oceanic reef,LPS,soft,inverts- 30G FOWLR (or something like it!)

10/10/2007, 09:44 AM	#13
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	Just as a note here. I won't be the only writer for this new column. I expect Marc (Melev) to do the column on sumps as he is a far better DIY person than I. We have some other hidden talents around here such as a worm expert and one that specializes in algae. I'll invite them to contribute as time goes by. The initial months will be geared to starting a tank and then will be followed by how to handle problems, water chemistry and easy to care for critters. All ideas are welcome however. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

10/13/2007, 08:52 AM	#14
RickySan Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 518	great article!! thanks for the help and...nice idea, way to help nobs like me! __________________ RM3 Current Tank Info: AGA 30g Reef 36x12x18, 4x39 ATI T5, 39w LED, Koralia 425, VorTech MP10wES, HOB CPR 2 Skimmer, 60lbs LS, 40lbs LR

10/13/2007, 11:21 AM	#15
Scuba_Steve Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Pooler, Ga Posts: 1,342	Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Not another new tank thread! Im going to have to take cover for a few months until Waterkeeper stops shelling the newbies with bogus information. __________________ 40g DIY AIO. DT Size is 27"x18"x17" SCA-301 skimmer, DIY ATS 4"x4" 1 cube setup, Ocean Revive 120w LED, Quiet One 3000, Jager 150w TBS Rock

10/13/2007, 11:36 AM	#16
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I'll have you know I only use safe, biological weapons these days. Pure tetrodotoxin toxins extracted from puffer fish I had die on me in the past. __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

10/16/2007, 08:37 AM	#17
mhhauser321 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 283	I loved the article very down to earth. I agree with your stance on having purified water, its the best bet. Keep on writing its very informative work __________________ "Fry: I'm not a robot like you, I don't like having discs cramped into me... unless they're Oreos... and then only in the mouth." "Fry: Wow. That guy makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez"

10/16/2007, 11:59 PM	#18
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Nice article WK. I'm looking forward to future articles. Thanks. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

10/29/2007, 02:46 PM	#19
masher09 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bloomington IL Posts: 57	I just like your Avatar

10/29/2007, 05:23 PM	#21
nrstype Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NE Columbus, OH Posts: 215	LOVED IT! Wish I would have had that about 1 yr ago! I'll be reading frequently. Thank you all for the hard work! (Thank heavens I liked it.. If I didn't... Couldn't give you "FIFTY" if I tried! $$.. OR pushups!) Sometimes.. it is a bit daunting to post on RC, or ask a question. Reefers tend to "eat their young" just as bad a nurses do. Being a newbie can be daunting, and a bit discouraging at times. I can see these line of articles being a big hit. Thanks again. __________________ You can't change a quote, the quote changes you.... nrstype :-) Current Tank Info: SW = 27g Reef, 10G Nano reef, 5g PICO reef, with fish, LR, Inverts, LPS, SPS, Softies and all kinds of critters. Last edited by nrstype; 10/29/2007 at 05:29 PM.

10/30/2007, 02:12 PM	#24
nrstype Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NE Columbus, OH Posts: 215	Ahhh... yes.. I'm finding that when I have to choose between a great steak dinner for two, or one awesome SPS frag.... my husband gets stuck with mac and cheese. You may be "boring" the veterans out there, but your articles are directed toward newcomers to the hobby, (aka.. NEWBIES), so your target audience will NOT be bored, or at least, should not be bored. Even though your going over the basics first, you must discuss that to have a solid base on which to build future, more in depth or specialized topics. Thank you again for all your hard work. ( OH.......and I'm still waiting for my newbie pledge badge to come in the mail.) __________________ You can't change a quote, the quote changes you.... nrstype :-) Current Tank Info: SW = 27g Reef, 10G Nano reef, 5g PICO reef, with fish, LR, Inverts, LPS, SPS, Softies and all kinds of critters.

10/31/2007, 09:33 AM	#25
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	This is what that Newbie Pledge Badge looks like-- Seriously, for only $2 a month you can help support this site and also Reefkeeping Magazine. Unlike many on-line hobby magazines RK is free of advertising and relies on contributions form the readership. If you get the time how about chipping in Premium Membership. As it says in that ad, "Membership has its privileges." Well, enough of the on-line commercials-- Happy Halloween __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29 Last edited by WaterKeeper; 01/25/2008 at 12:32 PM.