1 thing i wish i knew when i started that i know now

[nikkibabee]

Been reading the forums lately and thought that this would be a great thread for everyone to share their knowledge either from mistakes they made or tips, tricks and secrets they learned along the way.

Please list 1 thing that you know now about being in the hobby that you wish you knew when you started. Hopefully this will help not only newbies like me but a thread everyone can get something from.


If I could do something different or 1 thing that I learned is that buying new is probably the best way to go if possible. At least in my case.

Thanks!
Nikki

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Buy the right equipment first. Saving now means spending more in the future.

 

[noodleman]

one thing i wish i knew about when i started was MR and other online forums!!! Could have saved me some money on useless items

 

[Leroy]

Don't buy a cheap skimmer only to find it's not doing what you expect it to do. Skimmers are the workhorse in a reef tank. You could save a lot of money in the long run and put up the cash for good equipment.

 

[Bob 1000]

Don't we all.....

 

[Leroy]

Here's a helpfull tip if you have a situation when you run out of teflon tape when installing your plumbing. Cut strips of plastic wrap either food wrap or plastic bags you get from shopping stores and wrap your threaded fittings. So the next time they ask, "paper or plastic", you just never know.
Also the plastic bags work good if you double them up and stretch them over 5 gallon buckets when transporting water with LR or fish. Not as good as lids but it's the next best thing.

 

[Leroy]

Helpfull Tip- Lable Supplements, ml per gal
I find it usefull to lable the amount of dosage to the size of the tank of supplements added with a perma marker at the top of the bottle around the cap. Dosages can vary and it can get tough remembering all of them. If you have more than 1 tank apply a paper lable with the dosages for each tank. You'll find yourself always reading the fine print directions as you move the bottle closer to the tank for more light.
Pills delivered to a patient in the plastic cup dispensers are perfect for dispensing in ml amounts or a capfull is 5ml. (Always wash cup after each dose)

Keeping a log book nearby helps with water changes and tests, dosing or added corals to backtrack if the tanks environment changes.

 

[inkblue]

Start SLOOOWWWWW....:happysad:

 

[tsinkoy]

I wish I knew that in order to succeed in reefkeeping, I should just not have the right equipment for my tank, but also, the right photography equipment.

That is, photography goes hand in hand with reefkeeping.

(And I'm not just talking about the exhibitionists here)

 

[ming]

Don't believe everything you read, regardless of the person's post count. If you can understand the reasoning of things, that would be optimal

 

[juiceguy]

don't skimp on equipment and research what works for others and apply that to your tank....no 2 tanks are alike....some ppl are always fiddling with there tanks and others just sit back and automate everything.

 

[asianer]

That you should check the return pipe on a HOB fuge occasionally for any accumulated build-up...

 

[yeahcheetah]

That I should not have jumped in this whirlpool....I know it is blackhole for a lot others.

 

[Shad]

I wish I had been more educated in reef keeping. Make sure you do your homework before buying anything!

 

[Mr.First]

That really nice Frag that you are not sure is secure will not be there in the AM. It will be behind the rocks, unreachable by fat human hands.

 

[leoskee]

I wish I had known the thousands of $$$ reefkeeping was going to cost me. Especially when I started with an economical 55gl FOWLR tank that used an UG Filter, Whisper wet/dry, crushed coral and a seaclone skimmer. Oh, and plastic plants made by Tetra and very cool reef background paper.:fishhit:

 

[fritz]

Two things:
1. Nothing good happens fast.
2. The only thing worse than spending money once is spending money twice.
(Buy the good equipment the first time.)

 

[ellebelle]

Before you buy a fish, make sure it's eating frozen food. If the people at the fish store won't feed it for you ... don't buy it.

 

[BlueSi4]

All the things mentioned above sum up my experience up till now. So here goes my little contribution to this thread.

I believe one of the most important things you can do, is that before you buy something, talk it over with people that have a lot more experience than you do. For example, there's that really nice looking fish that you like, but you're not sure as if it will be the right fit. The best bet is to let the people on forums like MR give you an idea of what that fish will be like and if it's the right fit for your tank. Websites and books don't necessarily always give you the right information, or at least that's what i have found!

 

[cb747]

Use a QT tank and dont buy "no sick fish" products