biggest regret so far

freeborder_01

freeborder_01

Member
I was thinking a lot about this since im a money conscious guy and it bothers me when i waste money especially when i could have gotten something better for cheaper.
My biggest regret since starting saltwater fish keeping was not researching enough, not buying cheap liverock, and jumping into it too fast. Had i waited a little longer i would have found out about 5.5gallon all in one tanks you can make, 2$/lb liverock on craigslist and just decided to go with a 10 gallon and nicer lights rather then wasting money then upgrading.
Im just curious what all your regrets, if any are or things you wish you did differently. It doesnt have to be about money too, thats just what gets me because it coulda been better spent on livestock
 
baseballman 25

baseballman 25

Member
Listening to the lfs.When ever I go in,they always are so fake to people.Just today my lfs told guy that he could keep a clam under pc's.
 
freeborder_01

freeborder_01

Member
heh, i was thinking about trying to keep a clam under my lights...ive seen it done with good success but in a 5.5gallon that is pretty shallow to start, definitely not the best advice in the world though.
 
chaoticdamsel

chaoticdamsel

Member
My biggest regret is not finding my way onto a messageboard like this sooner. I stumbled through the hobby for 5 years before I found out about the wonders of a saltwater aquarium based messageboard in 2003. I wouldn't have made nearly as many costly mistakes in the beginning if I had been able to rely on the experiences and expertise of others.
 
nanomantis

nanomantis

Member
Originally Posted by Baseballman 25
http:///forum/post/2913408
Listening to the lfs.When ever I go in,they always are so fake to people.Just today my lfs told guy that he could keep a clam under pc's.
I am?
And my LFS has taken good care of me. I don't understand the stigma some people have about them.
 
chaoticdamsel

chaoticdamsel

Member
Originally Posted by NanoMantis
http:///forum/post/2913483
And my LFS has taken good care of me. I don't understand the stigma some people have about them.
I too have an LFS that I trust, but unfortunately, this is more the exception than the rule. Many LFS give people bad advice... either intentionally just so they can make a sale or unintentionally simply because the employee in question has a lack of good knowledge about saltwater aquarium keeping.
 
nanomantis

nanomantis

Member
Originally Posted by ChaoticDamsel
http:///forum/post/2913569
I too have an LFS that I trust, but unfortunately, this is more the exception than the rule. Many LFS give people bad advice... either intentionally just so they can make a sale or unintentionally simply because the employee in question has a lack of good knowledge about saltwater aquarium keeping.
Well the thing is with this hobby is that all the information that one person can give to another is based upon experience. I might have good luck with one thing, however another person might not share the same fortune. Those whom work in our LFSs share the same, but on a much larger level. They get to experiment with many different types of fish everyday that we do not get to keep.
Plus I know I have broken many of the standards myself. However I normally do something to compensate for my personal experimentation. I kept about 5 fish in a 10 gallon with only cheato in the tank for filtration. Sure I was doing a large water change weekly but its not something that anyone else would recommend doing and I would never tell anyone to do it. There is no textbook we can go out and purchase that will tell us the rules and regulations on what works and what doesn't. I have a buddy who has an Emperor Angel in his reef tank. Anyone you ask will tell you its a no-no. However, it works for him, and it doesn't cause problems. I doubt I'll see something like that again. Our knowledge in this hobby is unfortunatly based off of either our own trial and error or what we have witnessed. Its unfortunate for the fish, but thats how we learn. And many of those we go to for advice I believe have a lot more experience than us, and on a much larger scale (hundreds of fish/creepy-crawlies to work with, changing on a weekly basis).
Granted, every fishstore does have that one person who has no buisiness giving advice... Well ususally its only one person, but I do have faith in the stores I visit.
 
justinwwwallin

justinwwwallin

Member
my LFS people are actual reef keepers. they dont just try to sell everything they can. they ask u tons of questions first and sometimes wont let u get them. but i dont usually have troubles cuz they already know my tank size :)
 
lil.guppy

lil.guppy

Active Member
Not waiting and making or purchasing a sump to help with a skimmer. I got a HOB skimmer and though I like it, I dont like it visually in the tank.
 
freeborder_01

freeborder_01

Member
i have mixed emotions about lfs. But in the end id rather ask here, as long as they can correctly identify the name of something, ill listen to them tell me about it but dont act without first consulting this and other boards i go on. Ever since i was told its "impossible" to cycle a tank without a damsel i wont listen to one of my lfs. They are my RO source close to campus thats it.
 
subielover

subielover

Active Member
Not mixing my own water from day 1. I ran into algae problems not long after the tank was set-up. Such an easy thing to do, but my lfs told me their water was perfec
^& it was not
Lesson learned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top