What are some of questions we ask as new hobbyists?

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Hey Guys and Gals,
I was thinking: What are some of the first questions that new hobbyists ask when getting into the saltwater aquarium hobby? What questions need to be asked, and what questions are answered most frequently? I DO NOT WANT TO GET THEM ANSWERED IN THIS THREAD.
Here's a few that I thought of when I started an aquarium:
1. How big of a tank do I need?
2. How much does all that water weigh?
3. How much live rock do I need?
4. What is the difference between live rock and live sand?
5. How much sand do I need for my tank?
6. What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
7. How do I cycle my tank?
8. What are some good starter fish?
9. What type of lights do I need to keep soft corals?
10. What is the correct pH for a tank?
11. How do I balance pH?
12. How to I increase calcium?
13. Why is calcium, alkalinity and pH so important?
14. How to I cure X disease?
15. How long does it take for a tank to cycle?
16. If I add some liquid bacteria, will it cycle my tank faster?
17. How long does it take a tank to mature?
18. What type of lighting do I need for an anemone?
19. What do you mean I can't have my tank in direct sunlight?
20. What are nitrates and phosphates, and how do they affect my overall aquarium's health?
21. How often should I do water changes?
22. What are the correct salinities to keep X livestock at?
23. How much water flow should I have?
24. What filter is the best?
25. What protein skimmer is the best?
26. What are refugiums and how do they work?
27. What in the world is that critter?
There are many, many, many more questions, so please, feel free to post! I am just doing a little research.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
28. What temp should I keep my tank at?
29. What is a RO/DI unit?
30. What sort of stocklist can I make up for an X gallon tank?
 
kube

kube

Member
cant believe you have nothing on that list about a sump, fuge, the difference between the two, what to keep in your fuge, why have a sumpfuge....and on and on we go........

edit: opps i do see you do have something about a fuge...my bad
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah, wow, ... that's another world! lol
31. What is an overflow box?
32. What is an external overflow and how does it work?
33. What is an internal overflow box and how does it work?
34. What return pump should I use?
35. What is the purpose of having a sump?
36. How much flow should I have through my sump?
37. How much light should I have over my refugium?
38. What type of algae is the best to grow in a refugium?
39. What in the world is a "turf algae scrubber?"
40. How much time does the hobby take up for you?
41. How much money do you spend each year on your tanks?
42. How much time do you spend watching your tanks?
43. Why should I get a saltwater tank to begin with?
44. What is a deep sand bed?
45. What is considered a shallow sand bed?
46. How are calcium and alkalinity and pH all interrelated?
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Be serious.
49. Will this take away from your family time, and affect your life adversely?
50. How much do you spend a week/month/year on reefkeeping?
51. How much patience do I have? (one to ask yourself)
52. Do I have plumbing, carpentry and electrical skills? (aquarists are handymen in all trades lol)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
53. How do I move an already established aquarium?
54. How do I properly acclimate fish?
55. How do I properly acclimate corals and invertebrates?
56. How do I know when to add my first fish?
57. What should my first fish be?
58. How long should I leave my lights on?
59. What would be the perfect setup (in your eyes)
60. How often do you have to perform "tank maintenance"?
61. I have high alkalinity, how do I lower it?
62. AHH I HAVE ICH! What do I do??
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
oooo, here's a good set of questions:
63. What is hair algae?
64. How can I get rid of hair algae?
65. What is cyanobacteria?
66. How can I get rid of cyanobacteria?
67. What is bryopsis?
68. How can I get rid of bryopsis?
69. What are some great herbivorous creatures?
70. What are some great detritus eaters?
71. What is detritus?
72. How can I prevent the build up of detritus?
73. What is phytoplankton?
74. What should I feed my herbivorous fish?
75. What should I feed my carniverous or omnivorous fish?
76. Should I try to feed my hermit crabs and snails?
77. How do I make my own fish food?
78. Can I use playbox sand?
79. Can I use inert sand?
80. How good does sand really buffer pH?
81. Glass or acrylic?
82. What is TDS?
83. what is a DI unit?
84. How do you filter your water?
85. RO/DI vs. Tap water?
86. What is the efficiantcy of using an RO Unit?
87. Cost vs savings of using an RO Unit?
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
89. What's the best salt to use?
90. Why shouldn't I mix natural salt with synthetic salt mixes?
91. What is kalkwasser/limewater?
92. What is the pH of kalkwasser?
93. How do you mix kalkwasser?
94. How do you dose kalkwasser?
95. If food causes nitrates and phosphates, how can I limit nitrates/phosphates getting into my system?
96. What is a good macroalgae to use in my display tank?
97. What is a "lagoon style" tank?
98. What other types of tanks are there out there that are not standard?
99. How can I control evaporation?
100. How do glass tops effect gas exchanges and pH?
101. How much evaporation should I expect from an Xg tank?
102. How does evaporation help control temperature?
103. How can I increase evaporation to control heat?
104. What is anaerobic bacteria?
105. What is aerobic bacteria?
106. How does bacteria play such an important role in aquaria?
107. What makes live rock "alive?"
108. How much wood can a wood chuck, chuck?
109. Are t5 lights any good?
110. Are Metal Halides as good as they say they are?
111. What is a retrofit kit?
112. Are VHO's any good?
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
113. What IS a protein skimmer?
114. Do I need an anemone to have clownfish.
115 Is this light good enough for an anemone (it usually isn't).
116. What kind of anemone should I get?
117. What is the difference between an anemone and a coral?
118. Do you have to wear gloves?
119. Is this a good LFS?
120. How big of a tank should I start with?
121. Can I get the fish from Finding Nemo?
122. How big of a tank does a tang need?
123. What should my test results look like?
124. When does the cycle end?/How long does the cycle take?
125. What is a good book?
126. How much flow do I need?
127. Do I need to run carbon?
128. What makes a reef a reef?
129. What is this brown algae growing on my sand?
130. Why is my water cloudy?
I hope I didn't accidentally repeat any. Good Thread...I don't really see the point though. I know you said you wouldn't answer any, but what is bryopsis? That's the only thing I have never heard of here. I faintly seem to be connecting it to hair algae though.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
some were repeats, but most not! Great additions, thank you for your contribution!
131. What is that clicking in my tank?
132. Why are my fish dying, and what is this weird colorful crustacean in my tank?
133. Are UV sterilizers good, what do they do and do I need one?
134. What are Diatoms and how do I get rid of them?
I'm just making a list because I am considering writing a small book/booklet with the help of a few of the more experienced reef keepers on some forums.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2936582
some were repeats, but most not! Great additions, thank you for your contribution!
131. What is that clicking in my tank?
132. Why are my fish dying, and what is this weird colorful crustacean in my tank?
133. Are UV sterilizers good, what do they do and do I need one?
134. What are Diatoms and how do I get rid of them?
I'm just making a list because I am considering writing a small book/booklet with the help of a few of the more experienced reef keepers on some forums.
That would be awesome. A booklet is a lot less overwhelming than having to read a 500 page book.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
What are some more experienced questions?
Here's some ideas:
1. How do I culture phytoplankton?
2. How do I baffle a sump?
3. How do I cut and weld acrylic?
4. How do I culture rotifers?
5. How do I culture brine shrimp?
6. What is it meant exactly by de-nitrification?
7. How can I DIY a protein skimmer?
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
135. What types of protein skimmers are there?
The thing is, I think the booklet is going to have to be 300 pages to discuss everything! lol
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
8. What is fragging?
9. How often do I need to change my bulbs?
10. How can you make DIY live rock?
11. Coral placement?
12. How do I hook up an Auto Top Off system?
13. How can I increase my Coraline algae?
14. How can I cool down my aquarium without a chiller?
15. Can I get my clownfish to host a coral?
16. How can I MAKE my clownfish host something?
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
My favorite newbie question (I've seen it a few times) has to be, "Can I cycle my tank by urinating in it?"
 
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