The Do Not Buy List

[ophiura]

I remember so many times when working at the LFS when people would make some comment on it. We had a 7day guarantee on fish, we kept records of people's water quality (including refusing to sell when things were out of wack - even alkalinity), were very conservative in selling certain animals, etc. And yes, we were more expensive. I remember talking to some woman for over an hour about setting up a tank, etc etc and she then said she was just going to Walmart to get the tank and had the nerve to ask why buying from us would be different from buying there. Hello...the hour I just spent telling you about salt water tanks and setting them up properly (quality of tank aside).
I do look for deals online, I ain't rolling in money. But there are some things worth spending the extra on...

 

[1journeyman]

Well said.

 

[acekjd83]

i dont know how the prizm or cpr work, but even after cleaning, my via aqua stopped sucking air, so i hooked up an air pump to the air intake, and now it works great. however, i dont think i would recommend it to anyone... just spend the extra couple bucks and get an in-sump or self-contained skimmer.

 

[fishmamma]

Hmmm... Newbie here (still cycling)-so swing arm hydrometers are that bad huh?? How off the mark can they potentially be? (not a sarcastic question If you have a fish only live rock tank is it still a must to use a refractometer?? Is this something I can put off getting for a little while without totally jeopardizing my tank?:help:

 

[ant]

fishmamma- I can only tell you that I've been using a swing arm since I set my tank up almost 5 weeks ago and it's worked well for me so far. My readings check out with my LFS. I have a clean up crew and added two clowns a week ago and a pepperment shrimp and they are all doing very well. Good luck. Ant.

 

[ophiura]

The only way to really know for sure with a swing arm is to check it against a refractometer...then you can mark the difference on the swing arm and still use it. However, every so often soak it in white vinegar to remove any calcium build up that can totally skew readings. For a FO tank it is not as critical, IMO, but for inverts it is more important to have some accuracy.

 

[fishmamma]

Where to check....do LFS use refracto's?

 

[ophiura]

Well, not many will I am afraid. These days they are coming down in price so I would add one to the "wish list" to get in the future. One thing to do would be to look for a local reef club in your area and see if you can find someone with a refractometer to check for you.

 

[shep77]

1. a mantis Shrimp
2. tangs for a 10 gallon
3. a variety of shrimps and crabs because you like watching them only to have them placed in a agressive tank!

 

[fishmamma]

A bobbing plastic pirate ship.

( I save those for my freshwater fish!

)

 

[kimmysue]

I'm still setting up my tank, but I've learned:
Don't buy a plastic "bubble eel" just to please your son, because they are not good for the tank and are just plain ugly. Thank goodness he broke it.
Also don't buy from a LFS UNTIL you have researched on your own though books and the help of this website. I would have saved a fortune in unnecessary supplies if I would have found this site before I purchased my equipment. My LFS has healthy fish, but didn't always give me the best advice.
On the side, a thank you to Arkey for the great advice. I added sand to my tank and waited until I could see the back of the tank before turning on the filters. Worked like a charm!

 

[evilbob22]

Originally posted by fishmamma
so swing arm hydrometers are that bad huh?? How off the mark can they potentially be? (not a sarcastic question
I personally had one read a specific gravity of 1.000 (distilled water) from my old 55 Gal.

 

[mudplayerx]

Go to your local college campus biology department. They will more than likely calibrate your swing-arm hydrometer for free. I know if you came to my campus we would gladly do it.

 

[fishmamma]

Good idea. I may have bad Bio Lab flashbacks though.....stinky green algae in tubes.:happy: LOL, it would definatly bring back some memories.

 

[farmboy]

I had 2 swing arm hydrometers measure the same. Do you think this is pretty safe? Also, what specific gravity is recomended for reef tanks?

 

[jobob]

i keep mine at 1.026.

 

[mudplayerx]

I keep mine at 1.024... the specific gravity of natural ocean water.

 

[farmboy]

Thanks folks!
BTW how's the hunting MudplayerX?

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by Farmboy
I agree with DO NOT BUY anything until you research. AND price shop. I've seen a H.O.T. magnum cannister filter online many places for less that $70.00. I picked one up (physically) at a LFS and saw the price. IT WAS OVER $200.00!!!!!
I almost dropped the thing. Know your prices.
This site has an emporer angel for $129.00. The LFS has one for $299.00!!!!
Keep in mind that a lot of fish are on the NOT GUARRANTEED LIST.
And a lot of online places won't cover an expensive fish if it arrives dead.

 

[jobob]

i used to keep mine at 1.024 then i bought a 10gal of sea water from lfs, and it was at 1.026, so i cut it with ro water. then i was on here and someone told me that 1.026 was better for the corals, and the fish like it lower. so i upped mine to 1.026. anyway i think its personal preference.