Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
i agree with you. the problem with new hobbiest is that they try to find a cheaper way of doing things..the fact is that this hobby isn't cheap.
cheap things turnout expensive in the long run..
i'm not trying to make this an argument, but when someone is asking for advice on cutting corners, we should give them the best possible advice that he's looking for. i know is not the best for the animals, but i guees he has to live and learn..
No, I know this hobby isn't cheap. That is why I said that he can mix it with base rock. Rock can also be purchased over time. He can start off with 20lbs of base and 10lbs of LR if he wants. It becomes a lot more expensive in the long run to keep replacing fish, or buy meds, or extra salt for the water changes needed without natural filtration. I didn't come into this hobby knowing everything, far from it. I had only FW experience and bad advice given to me. I also reply daily to people who have put themselves and their fish into situations where they have to re-do their setup costing even more money. As you said, this is not a cheap hobby. I don't believe that it should come off as a cheap hobby. It costs more to fix mistakes than it does to do it right the first time. I am not trying to discourage anyone at all. The rock does not have to be purchased all at once, but his fish will benefit greatly from it.