Quote:
Originally Posted by
Flower http:///t/395392/things-i-dont-believe-in#post_3520249
What??? I missed this one.
I keep seahorses, frozen pre-packaged Mysis shrimp is the only thing they eat. I made sure I purchased captive bred so I could be sure they would eat frozen pre-packaged food. I do stock their tank with amphipods for a little hunting fun, and for them to snack on...but frozen pre-packaged Mysis shrimp is a must have. Seahorses can't be the only ones that need frozen pre-packaged food.
There are quite a few new folks who hang on every word you post.
On this thread...
You advocate using tap water, accepting nuisance algae as a normal process.
You would rather purchase additives and chemicals instead of doing water changes.
Only test your water when you see things going to pot in the tank.
Too much flow???? If the fish are not fighting the current, and the corals are not bent over, you don't have too much flow, and I don't know a soul who does....even new folks notice if the fish are in distress and the corals can't stand up to the water flow.
Snake, the stuff I mentioned that you posted, is just bad advice. Often (Back when I worked on the railroad) I was asked to train the new guy. I had my shortcuts, and knew what I was doing (35 years experience) but I always told the new guy what he SHOULD be doing. I always showed him the correct way to do any task and took the time to explain why. As the new guy went along over the years he found his own methods of getting the job done that worked for him. I didn't start off with telling him how close he could cut in front of a rolling train in the yard and not get killed.
If a fish or coral has a certain dietary need, of course give it to em'. That's called common sense. DIY frozen foods can be much more nutritious than those pre-packaged meals from the store - and much, much, much cheaper over time. I never said to never feed frozen brine or mysis. I just said I didn't believe in it.
I never said that I advocated using tap water long term. Starting a tank with dechlorinated tap can, in some ways, be a good thing. Some areas in this country have decent tap water to begin with. Some don't. Again, use your common sense. If you keep getting boil warnings or heavy metal warnings in the mail - do you think that you should drink the water,... let alone put it in your tank to start it? No. Common sense.
I would rather keep a tank healthy on my own budget. Whether I want to balance my water chemistry with the proper amounts of elements after I have tested the water to see the deficiencies is my own personal choice. I never held anyone down and said "don't do water changes, ever." I don't think, however, that frequent small weekly water changes do much besides add major and minor elements in small portions back to the system. Large monthly water changes remove waste from the system - detritus within rocks, in the substrate and the muck that has settled in the sump. I believe larger water changes are better at removing actual waste from the system - rather then a 1g water change every day that removes no solid waste from the system. Again, use your common sense.
I never said wait until things go to pot before testing your water parameters. I don't even mention that here on this thread. I simply said that I don't believe in the accuracy of API test kits. As an experience aquarist, I can look at my tank and notice if something is off. If there is, I check my water parameters - first the temp, then pH, then salinity, then alkalinity and keep on going down the line until I find something wrong. If you observe your tank at all every day, you will notice things that might be off with the whole tank. Testing water parameters every single day is completely unnecessary in my opinion. Now, I do advocate testing before dosing anything.
Also - the issue with my opinion on flow... I see some people on RC who are putting upwards 70x - 100x flow in their tanks. It is of my opinion that past a certain point, it is absolutely unnecessary to blow your fish out of the water. I believe that more importantly than flow rate is flow patterns. Flow patters are definitely more important than flow rates. For example, we know that in order to keep a healthy tank there has to be enough to keep the tank oxygenated and the display tank detritus suspended in the water column. If you can accomplish that at 30x, why would you want to go up to 70x or more? SPS corals can grow at 30x turnover rate until they start growing in. By then keeping detritus suspended can be accomplished with additional flow....
I know there are some people on here who read what I have to say and take it to heart. But, I always tell them to do their own research and to use their own common sense. I advocate research, learning through experience, and common sense every single day to new hobbyists. By now, they ought to know to take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. Even yours, Flower.
