What not to do in your reef tank!

[nanoreefer22]

Let your tank cycle completely before putting in live stock.

If you're running any mechanical filtration clean it out at least once every two weeks.

Don't use a hydrometer, invest in a refractometer.

Don't buy livestock without researching first

Don't play with your rock work everyday, it screws with everything TRUST ME.

Know how flow affects your tanks inhabitants.

More to come...

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

DO NOT LET THE TANK PHOSPHATES LEVEL GET HIGH FROM

uneaten food
plant decay
dying algae
fish feces
dead fish
carbon filter media
aquarium salts
pH buffers
kH buffers
water itself

 

[Tonyscoots84]

wow great guys keep em coming. This list will help out alot of people :grouphug:

 

[Tonyscoots84]

:bump:

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Don't leave your ro/di running at night!! --expect a flood!
Don't forget to plan ahead or plan to do things twice....as well as pay twice!!

 

[Tonyscoots84]

updated

 

[tangy84]

Make sure ur tank is leveled before adding everything.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

updated

 

[Oldschoolreefer]

Do not allow Sawtoothed Calerpa in your tank unless you have a secret desire to kill your corals, or get off on using tweezers.
Do not forget to rinse out hydrometers after use unless you enjoy that panic feeling when it reads .60 .
Do not put away hoses from water changes w/o rinsing them- salt builds up.
Do not dose for anything that you do not test for.
Do not accept that what 'the LFS dude' says is reef law because he wears a funny shirt with a name on it! Do your research!
Do not forget to write down parameters or dosings- memory fails sometimes.
Do not forget that even ' Reef Experts' are not experts on every single facet of Reefing- find at least 3 sources.
Do not believe that you need every new toy or gadget that comes out- people have been doing this for decades without them.
Do not believe for a minute that are reliable shortcuts to nature.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

updated keep em coming guys. i think we are running out :biggrin:

 

[Wilhelm]

Don't neglect to test your water at least once a week. Alkalinity, pH, calcium, salinity, nitrites, nitrates, etc.

 

[Oldschoolreefer]

Don't forget floor supports before you put water in that 120 or larger.
Don't forget to clean the reflectors on your lighting system periodically.
Don't forget to close the lid on tank ( sorry kitty ).
Don't forget to clean pre-filters in a drilled tank- otherwise you are storing funk in your tank.
Don't forget to check temp regularly- thermometers can go bad. Very, very bad.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

updated

 

[thickglass]

Don't use Windex on your tank with your top off water in a pale right underneath it! - exactly

 

[Jlavine]

DON'T plug in your ALK doser directly to the outlet (bypassing the broken timer) and then forget to shut it off!

DON'T leave your ALK in an unmarked container that looks identical to your top-off water. Then ask your wife to top-off the tank while you're away and she adds 1 gallon of ALK to a 30g tank.....RIP tank