Asking the experienced

I am asking the experienced. If you think you fall under that criteria, please give your advice.

What are the top ten steps, pieces of advice, list, checklist of having a successful reef tank. Meaning growth, colorful and stability. Number 1 to 10

So, lets hear them! Ready? Set! Go!

That's one! What's the other 9? :)

Edited by evan127 - March 08 2017 at 8:39pm

jdinchak wrote: evan127 wrote: That's one! What's the other 9? :) Still figuring them out.... Who isn't ;) Having the right equipment - but that doesn't mean you have to have everything.  Buy the right items the first time to help avoid issues. Absouletly. Having the basics is very beneficial in the long run. I think lighting and flow are the most important to get right the initial setup. Probably planning of tank (if you haven't built it yet), making sure the plumbing will meet your needs and the lighting is the right requirements.  Planning is huge. I told a friend that was getting into the hobby for the first time to invest in light, flow, and items that will instill good husbandry practices before the tank is even wet. If you aren't sure you will dose do more water changes, it ultimately costs more but it is one of the easier things to do and you get a lot of the other elements you may have missed. I think this is good advice until someone catches the bug. Water changes can only keep up so long. Depending on where that "bug" takes you, softies, LPS, SPS, mixed, water changed instill the good husbandry but only suffice as supplementation for so long. Watch the impulse buys, don't talk yourself into something that doesn't belong in your tank (it happens to all of us).  Absoluetly! I've purchased things far beyond my abilities and capabilities at the time. I regret the ignorance and torture, but it does happen to every hobbiest I think Be extra picky about the live stock you do get, make sure it looks good.  Know the chain of custody.  Dip your corals - always! Always, always, always! Quarantine your fish (I don't really do this and it has burned me but that is a tip). I don't either, but because I don't have a QT tank is why I am no longer adding any fish. Period. Do your research on any new fangled thing or advice someone gives you.  Tons of opinions in this hobby. Knowledge is power, choose what's best for you and your tank.

Thanks for your input! Greatly appreciated!

1. Patience is a virtue. In the reef tank, good things happen slowly. Bad things happen in a matter of hours.
2. Plan for sufficient funds. The bigger the tank, the more it costs.
3. Plan a theme and stick to it. Don't try to have a tank with too many themes.
4. Have redundant systems, as much as possible. Things fail.
5. Stability is key to success.
6. Don't over-frag your tank. In other words, don't have 100 frags and no room to grow. I love big corals. Keep it simple.
7. Don't put so many fish in that you have a roller-derby all day long. Keep it simple.
8. Your tank may crash at some point. Be emotionally prepared and deal with it when it comes.
9. Get the right equipment the first time. Go back to #2 if in doubt. Research it and ask around. Remember that LFS will sell what they have, but have good insight on what works and what doesn't.
10. Misc: Check it often. Count fish. Test stuff. Make small changes. Go back to #1. Perform frequent water changes. Try to take out algae from a RDP refugium as a nutrient export.

Edited by Corey Price - March 09 2017 at 4:46pm

Wow, thanks Shane. You really expanded on all that.

Adam

Adam Blundell wrote: Growth and color- remove all nutrients. Shoot for 0 phosphate and nitrate. Rotifers good, spot feeding good. Filtration the most important. Adam

I you should remove all nutrients, implying you are adding the equal amount of nutrients you are removing. What goes in must come out.

Edited by evan127 - March 10 2017 at 4:36pm

Adam really, remove all nutrients or remove all impurities(not doubting, just want to know how you came to that conclusion). If my phosphate hits 0, I know tests lie, I have no color or growth

I believe there are 2 types of tanks:
1)nutrients in and pull them out-let's say this is Brad Syphus way. Tons of fish tons of food, but in that same note tons of filtration and water changes. His color and growth could be put globally against anyone.

2) control nutrients going in, but still pulling some out. Let's say people like Nick Tenney does it this way. Less fish, less to no water changes. Feeds less. Still has great color and growth. And slim to no water changes once your biological system sets up.


Both of these way work. You have to pick one and do it.don't try and change half way through (I did, takes twice as long).

I would say also make sure numbers are stable, auto dosing never worked for me. Switched to a reactor, love every day.

Skimmer- Do not, I repeat DO NOT get an over sized skimmer (at least the neck diameter). Get one that works constantly not sporadically. Every skimmer manufacturer should switch to inches of fish, and feeding habits. If I have a 300 with 4 fish, I have almost the same DOC as a 150 with 4 fish.

Also I love my sulfur biodinitrator, would never run another tank without one.

I've most always had near zero nitrates and phosphate using algae filters. Some tanks I have been able to feed more, and those tend to have better growth and color. So I feed as much as I can without overloading the filter.

One more - never give up on a coral!  You never know what they will transform into.









Edited by bur01014 - March 10 2017 at 11:40pm