what's the 1st thing you wish you had known
- Thread starter chachi
- Start date
nygel
Active Member
my live sand took about 2 days to settle... just give it time... also i had a really powerful pump and it just seemed to make it worse, so i unplugged it one night... and everything settled really well...
now, i wish i didnt get damsels
not that they arent' cool... its just i wish i had got a different fish.. damsels just look pretty and swim back and forth... thats my only thing i wish i knew... id say ive gotten lucky with a pool water tester, cycling in one week with live rock/ sand, having two damsels and a clown and 2 snails and 1 hermit in a 10....
now, i wish i didnt get damsels
not that they arent' cool... its just i wish i had got a different fish.. damsels just look pretty and swim back and forth... thats my only thing i wish i knew... id say ive gotten lucky with a pool water tester, cycling in one week with live rock/ sand, having two damsels and a clown and 2 snails and 1 hermit in a 10....
rarend
New Member
Hi Dexter, you made me laugh.
To friends on this forum, they understand and think it's great. To the other group of "normal people" they think I am nuts. I really do have wall to wall fish tanks. Yes, it is a lot of work, especially the types of fish I keep. Oscars, puffers etc. All messy eaters.
I love it. it is work, but I love my fish. Each tank has it's own decor, types of fish and relationships, it is so cool to watch. So full of personality. I love to watch the eyes and mind games that the fish play with each other.
To friends on this forum, they understand and think it's great. To the other group of "normal people" they think I am nuts. I really do have wall to wall fish tanks. Yes, it is a lot of work, especially the types of fish I keep. Oscars, puffers etc. All messy eaters.
I love it. it is work, but I love my fish. Each tank has it's own decor, types of fish and relationships, it is so cool to watch. So full of personality. I love to watch the eyes and mind games that the fish play with each other.
deeze
Member
I use a $12.00 twelve inch fan from Wal-Mart to blow a nice stream of air into my sump (drilled it out and screwed it into the side of the sand above the sump). I have an auto top off gadget from ---- that automatically fills my system with RO water when it evaporates. The fan helps speed this up and essentially gives me free water changes.
spectre879
Member
I wish my LFS would have told me what I really would have needed. Like a skimmer, LR, RO unit and other now obviouse things. Needless to say I am now very displeased with their services and will be taking my business elsewhere.
fighting0
Member
Originally Posted by nYgel
my live sand took about 2 days to settle... just give it time... also i had a really powerful pump and it just seemed to make it worse, so i unplugged it one night... and everything settled really well...
now, i wish i didnt get damsels not that they arent' cool... its just i wish i had got a different fish.. damsels just look pretty and swim back and forth... thats my only thing i wish i knew... id say ive gotten lucky with a pool water tester, cycling in one week with live rock/ sand, having two damsels and a clown and 2 snails and 1 hermit in a 10....
The sand did settle out nicely. Time to add some LR! Woo Hoo!!
and I 27th the notion that the LFS people don't know jack. I once saw a mantis shrimp in the display tank... (small 20L).. I told the guy that they had one in there and I pointed him out. Can you believe that the moron stuck his bare hand in there to actually grab him out?! I said "uh, you don't wanna do that... try a net maybe" Then I just walked away.. they're probably still trying to get him out. lol
my live sand took about 2 days to settle... just give it time... also i had a really powerful pump and it just seemed to make it worse, so i unplugged it one night... and everything settled really well...
now, i wish i didnt get damsels
not that they arent' cool... its just i wish i had got a different fish.. damsels just look pretty and swim back and forth... thats my only thing i wish i knew... id say ive gotten lucky with a pool water tester, cycling in one week with live rock/ sand, having two damsels and a clown and 2 snails and 1 hermit in a 10....The sand did settle out nicely.
Time to add some LR! Woo Hoo!!and I 27th the notion that the LFS people don't know jack. I once saw a mantis shrimp in the display tank... (small 20L).. I told the guy that they had one in there and I pointed him out. Can you believe that the moron stuck his bare hand in there to actually grab him out?! I said "uh, you don't wanna do that... try a net maybe" Then I just walked away.. they're probably still trying to get him out. lol
biker364
New Member
Expensive and addicting. I was lucky enough to get SOME good advice from the beggining. here is the but, 1st buy a used aquarium you will save a ton of money. Second lckily I was told this buy RO unit. Third unfortunately was not told, when I was setting up for reef tank I was told to get pc lights, then later Ilearn have to have mh. Fourth trade coral frags. last everything is cheaper purchasing online. I have spent 12,000$$$$ so far on a 120g reef!!! I could have gotten away with 6 or 7k. Oh well se la vi !!!!
sleasia
Active Member
Diane4...I shouldn't really knock the eheim wet dry cannisters. I used two, one on my 55 saltwater tank and one on my 55 goldfish tank. I could never get the saltwater fish to survive more than 4 or 5 months....but in retrospect, this was a time before I began using R/O water and a UV sterilizer...and a time when the lfs told me that a berlin airlift 60 skimmer would be "adequate" for the 55 gallon tank....and a time when I had alot less live rock in the tank...so there were alot of screwed up variables which likely were more responsible in the long run for this time of failure. I have to say the eheims ran continuously for three years, were easy to prime and clean.
diane4
Member
sleasia - I agree with you. I sure have had LOTS of mistakes I made or didn't realize or could have done better as I learned the ropes in Saltwater fish or reef keeping.
I have since setup a 50 gallon reef. Converted it to a 75 gallon. I have a 90 gallon fish only in operation and I am now in the process of converting my 120 gallon freshwater to saltwater. All of this has been over the past year or so.
I have learned so much.
I think, the place or source where I learned the most, was right here....on this forum. Even though some of us get testy with others, or insist our way is the only way, I find the majority of the folks on this forum truly care about their fish keeping hobby. If they didn't, they wouldn't be coming to this forum for research and to talk to others that have been there....done that.
I think the hardest lesson to learn is.....patience.
I have since setup a 50 gallon reef. Converted it to a 75 gallon. I have a 90 gallon fish only in operation and I am now in the process of converting my 120 gallon freshwater to saltwater. All of this has been over the past year or so.
I have learned so much.
I think, the place or source where I learned the most, was right here....on this forum. Even though some of us get testy with others, or insist our way is the only way, I find the majority of the folks on this forum truly care about their fish keeping hobby. If they didn't, they wouldn't be coming to this forum for research and to talk to others that have been there....done that.
I think the hardest lesson to learn is.....patience.
reeffreak9
Member
I wish, I found this site before I set up my 55 gal, and I wish I bought a 120 gal instead of the 55 gal.
diane4
Member
I couldn't agree more.
It all is so complicated when you first start out, and you learn so much, FAST. Then after a while many things are old hat and it feels odd to see someone just starting out and feeling overwhelmed and the stuff they are stressing about is basic stuff to you.
But yet, I have so much to learn.
I get my new GF puffer within the next week. And a new Picasso Trigger. I am so excited.
It all is so complicated when you first start out, and you learn so much, FAST. Then after a while many things are old hat and it feels odd to see someone just starting out and feeling overwhelmed and the stuff they are stressing about is basic stuff to you.
But yet, I have so much to learn.
I get my new GF puffer within the next week. And a new Picasso Trigger. I am so excited.
sleasia
Active Member
Diane4 ...that would be great to get together. Do you have a reef tank? are there pics on this website somewhere? I am only doing fowlr and inverts for now because I do not as yet have good lighting. your profile does not allow email...here's my email
sleasia@comcast.net
sleasia@comcast.net