No you can't do that! Trust me.... I know.

Bouncer420 · 12-24-2003, 10:07 PM

The more and more I read, the more I realize the more I should have read before I jumped into this hobby. I was wondering if any of you would share some of your stories about "Learning the hard way."

That is, assuming some of you are less than perfect...

Witfull · 12-24-2003, 10:19 PM

about a thousand years ago i learned to put a syphon break in my return piping. it came up from the sump and returned the water about 4" below the water line on my 125g. well the power went out and what do you know....the in line to the sump broke syphon...but it back flowed from the retun pouring water all over the floor...now that was a mess!

JeepersReefers · 12-24-2003, 10:23 PM

My list of mistakes would take up page after page but ill just share some of the highlights:

The first mistake that i ever mad was beliving the local fish store

Not usuing a check valve or an idiot hole to break the syphon on my renturn when the power went out. floded my house the first time.

droping a power compact light in to the waster while i was working in the tank...ouch that hurt.

using home depot silicate sand instead of arginite or south down

not buying a tank that is drilled thru with overflow boxes

making my first fish a blue damesl, couldnt get rid of the dang thing. it was way too agressive for my tank.

loosing fish to a power head with no screen.

the list could go on and on but these were a few of the first mistakes i made.

Curtswearing · 12-24-2003, 10:59 PM

I think you will find that most people didn't do the proper amount of research before starting. I know I certainly didn't.

I started out thinking the guy at the LFS was a genius. Not only was he not a genius......he didn't even work for the LFS like I thought he did. He ran his own tank maintenance company and they let him hang around because they brought them sales. He was purposely helping me overstock my tank so that he could come out and do the maintenance for me.

Other than not doing research ahead of time, I purchased every useless additive known to mankind.

I also didn't even follow through on my own research. I know some of us who say, since this skimmer, light, pump, etc. costs half of the price of what my research says I should buy, I'll just make do. Then after 3 months, you say, "Why on earth did I buy this piece of junk". Then you go out and buy what your research told you to buy and the piece of junk gets added to the trashy tank equipment graveyard to collect dust because throwing it out would be admitting you were foolish for buying it in the first place). While I don't have a trashy tank equipment graveyard, I have been told that most people do. Obviously, I'm not talking from experience.

mnreefman · 12-25-2003, 01:00 AM

okay my first mistake... not buying a reefready tank... my second mistake not realizing that a 55 gal will NOT be suffiecent.. i have since then boughten many tanks... my third mistake, being compulsive....

Pro_builder · 12-25-2003, 01:42 AM

Well I will try to keep this short.
First mistake, thought the guy at the LFS was God. Wrong
2nd mistake, Forgot to drill the hole in the return line to break the siphon. Water all over the floor.
3rd mistake, bought No lights (was told that was all I needed by LFS) heaped them in the bone yard, bought PC's (LFS said there is nothing better), then did Reasearch on here -Got smart and bought 2- 250 watt MH and retro'ed my PC's for Actinic.
And the list goes on and on.

mwrager · 12-25-2003, 01:56 AM

I read everyone mistakes and i have done them all.

Travis · 12-25-2003, 02:21 AM

Hmm... I could probably make an extensive list with some time and thought...

One of my biggest regrets is purchasing something I somehow think I can keep that many others can't. Case in point, the elegance coral I bought, and watched slowly die. Every time I get the itch for a goniopora, I think of how I had to sit there watching that elegance die.

Other mistakes... I actually regret getting Gulf-View rock. The hitchhiker problems that came with it lasted much longer than the good life it had on it.

I regret getting a non-reef ready tank, as has been mentioned already.

Finally... this is kind of a big one... I regret stocking my 46-gallon tank chock full of "average" corals, I sometimes run across a really cool specimen and just don't have the room for it. Part of that is just needing a bigger tank, but part of it is the new reefkeeper's "one of everything" syndrome where the tank ends up more as an extensive collection of corals rather than a beautiful display of them.

Dennis7 · 12-25-2003, 02:40 AM

Hmmmm.
Everything that was mentioned.

Craig Manoukian · 12-25-2003, 03:07 AM

The common theme here is lack of planning and research. This is what leads to all of the problems listed above. I've committed a variation of every challenge posted here.

One thing that I didn't plan, that has turned into a blessing, was my sand bed. Started, per a recommendation from guy hired to set-up my tank, with coral gravel and an undergravel filter. Yikes! After looking at a Michael Paletta book, did I say lack of planning and research, I didn't see one tank pictured with coral gravel. Had already strarted cycling he Live Rock.

Took all the LR out and removed all but an inch of coral gravel and the filter plates. Covered the gravel with nylon screen and added 3" - 4" od aragonite sand. What I have ended up with is a plenum/DSB that rocks. No clumping of sand, tons of critters, and tons of nitrogen bubbles which is indicative of a successful biological denitrification system. Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

wooddood · 12-25-2003, 10:16 AM

i think i've had everything mentioned above happen to me and the only solution to most of them is not proper research.it's cost us all a lot of headaces and money,but im still learning,lol.

Reefguard · 12-25-2003, 12:36 PM

I dont have any regrets nor made mistakes since I have started reefing. Hah, who am I kidding? There are a lot but the one that sticks out the most and believe me I still do it. CUTTING COST by buying the not so expensive equipment then ending up upgrading getting the better one.

Noel

mojoreef · 12-25-2003, 02:35 PM

Hmmm when I started thier was no research.....I think at one time or another I have made every mistake out thier that was possible to make

...I might even be concidered one of the founding fathers of mistakes

. Even if you research like the dickens your going to make mistakes, its inherent to this hobby. Then once you think you have it all figured out..Lazyness comes out of the closet and bites you right in the Butt...rofl

Mike

sharks · 12-25-2003, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mojoreef
Then once you think you have it all figured out..Lazyness comes out of the closet and bites you right in the Butt...rofl

Mike

LOL Isn’t that the truth !!
I've done them all.

fidojoe · 12-25-2003, 03:42 PM

Better question for me... Which mistake haven't I made?

12-24-2003, 10:07 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bouncer420 Tunicate Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle area. Posts: 9 View Gallery Karma Komment	No you can't do that! Trust me.... I know. The more and more I read, the more I realize the more I should have read before I jumped into this hobby. I was wondering if any of you would share some of your stories about "Learning the hard way." That is, assuming some of you are less than perfect... __________________ Life is hard, it's harder when your stupid. ~ITC Horton

12-24-2003, 10:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
JeepersReefers Sea Pen Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 349 View Gallery Karma Komment	My list of mistakes would take up page after page but ill just share some of the highlights: The first mistake that i ever mad was beliving the local fish store Not usuing a check valve or an idiot hole to break the syphon on my renturn when the power went out. floded my house the first time. droping a power compact light in to the waster while i was working in the tank...ouch that hurt. using home depot silicate sand instead of arginite or south down not buying a tank that is drilled thru with overflow boxes making my first fish a blue damesl, couldnt get rid of the dang thing. it was way too agressive for my tank. loosing fish to a power head with no screen. the list could go on and on but these were a few of the first mistakes i made. __________________ 180g reef (72x24x24) 240g system total 2x 250w HQI MH 2x VHO 72" aqua-c 400 skimmer 20g refuge with 2x 6500 CFL 190lbs of LR 1/3hp chiller

12-24-2003, 10:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
Curtswearing Golden Moray Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,597 View Gallery Karma Komment	I think you will find that most people didn't do the proper amount of research before starting. I know I certainly didn't. I started out thinking the guy at the LFS was a genius. Not only was he not a genius......he didn't even work for the LFS like I thought he did. He ran his own tank maintenance company and they let him hang around because they brought them sales. He was purposely helping me overstock my tank so that he could come out and do the maintenance for me. Other than not doing research ahead of time, I purchased every useless additive known to mankind. I also didn't even follow through on my own research. I know some of us who say, since this skimmer, light, pump, etc. costs half of the price of what my research says I should buy, I'll just make do. Then after 3 months, you say, "Why on earth did I buy this piece of junk". Then you go out and buy what your research told you to buy and the piece of junk gets added to the trashy tank equipment graveyard to collect dust because throwing it out would be admitting you were foolish for buying it in the first place). While I don't have a trashy tank equipment graveyard, I have been told that most people do. Obviously, I'm not talking from experience. __________________ In memory of Fluffy, please pause before hitting enter---being nice is free. Click for ReefKeeping FAQ'S Click for Product Reviews Click for Photo ID Gallery http://curtcpapfs.com/downloads/1Curt.jpg

12-25-2003, 01:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
mnreefman Reef Lobster Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,393 View Gallery Karma Komment	okay my first mistake... not buying a reefready tank... my second mistake not realizing that a 55 gal will NOT be suffiecent.. i have since then boughten many tanks... my third mistake, being compulsive.... __________________ http://reefrock.com

12-25-2003, 01:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
Pro_builder DIY Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Oxford, Iowa Posts: 1,746 View Gallery Karma Komment	Well I will try to keep this short. First mistake, thought the guy at the LFS was God. Wrong 2nd mistake, Forgot to drill the hole in the return line to break the siphon. Water all over the floor. 3rd mistake, bought No lights (was told that was all I needed by LFS) heaped them in the bone yard, bought PC's (LFS said there is nothing better), then did Reasearch on here -Got smart and bought 2- 250 watt MH and retro'ed my PC's for Actinic. And the list goes on and on. __________________ -Troy 180 gallon Reef, 3- 250 XM 15K MH Electronic ballast, 380 watts VHO Actinics, 2- 5 watt LED Moon lights, 100 gal rubbermaid sump, 75 gallon Fuge, ETSS 600 Skimmer, 4700-5400 gph pump for return, Octopus 3000 controller, Iwaki 40 RL skimmer pump, 2- 65w PC 10K fuge lights, 2 55 gallon barrels, Custom light oak stand and hood, misc pumps, extra 600 gallon rated tank size protein skimmer. Purple tang, yellow tang, pacific blue tang, 2 green chromis, 1 Sand sifting star, snails, hermit crabs, 2 mated perculas, pulsing Xenia, Anenome, mushrooms, ricordia, zoanthids, kenya tree 1 1/2" tall, misc other hitchhiker stuff. DIY is my dream... ...well OK the only way I can afford this Addiction!! Just as the light goes on in my head... ... I break the bulb!!

12-25-2003, 01:56 AM	#7 (permalink)
mwrager Elegance coral Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Gilbert AZ Posts: 1,068 View Gallery Karma Komment	I read everyone mistakes and i have done them all. __________________ Mark Some days I realy feel old! http://www.reefsanctuary.com/Banners/RS_banner3.gif

12-25-2003, 02:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
Travis Smilie Bartender Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 6,890 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Hmm... I could probably make an extensive list with some time and thought... One of my biggest regrets is purchasing something I somehow think I can keep that many others can't. Case in point, the elegance coral I bought, and watched slowly die. Every time I get the itch for a goniopora, I think of how I had to sit there watching that elegance die. Other mistakes... I actually regret getting Gulf-View rock. The hitchhiker problems that came with it lasted much longer than the good life it had on it. I regret getting a non-reef ready tank, as has been mentioned already. Finally... this is kind of a big one... I regret stocking my 46-gallon tank chock full of "average" corals, I sometimes run across a really cool specimen and just don't have the room for it. Part of that is just needing a bigger tank, but part of it is the new reefkeeper's "one of everything" syndrome where the tank ends up more as an extensive collection of corals rather than a beautiful display of them. __________________ Help build the Encyclopedia of ReefKeeping Find over 1400 Reef Aquarium Articles at The Reef Aquarium Index

12-25-2003, 02:40 AM	#9 (permalink)
Dennis7 Ricordea Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 190 View Gallery Karma Komment	Hmmmm. Everything that was mentioned. __________________ Dennis 120 gal/tank, custom overflow in center, closed-loop on a Squid, custom sump,Reef Concepts skimmer, CA reactor, Refugium gravity feed into tank, Lighting: 2 - 250 watt MH's, 4- 55 watt PC's, and 110 watt VHO. 12 gal NanoCube, with 2-32 watt PC's and a 13 watt PC, in a custom hood.

12-25-2003, 03:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
Craig Manoukian Regular Guy Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Marina Del Ray, CA Posts: 19,012 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	The common theme here is lack of planning and research. This is what leads to all of the problems listed above. I've committed a variation of every challenge posted here. One thing that I didn't plan, that has turned into a blessing, was my sand bed. Started, per a recommendation from guy hired to set-up my tank, with coral gravel and an undergravel filter. Yikes! After looking at a Michael Paletta book, did I say lack of planning and research, I didn't see one tank pictured with coral gravel. Had already strarted cycling he Live Rock. Took all the LR out and removed all but an inch of coral gravel and the filter plates. Covered the gravel with nylon screen and added 3" - 4" od aragonite sand. What I have ended up with is a plenum/DSB that rocks. No clumping of sand, tons of critters, and tons of nitrogen bubbles which is indicative of a successful biological denitrification system. Even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while. __________________ Currently tankless. 20 Gallon mini reef with mated pair of Maroon Clowns given to Rougiem! 80 gallon reef given to Rougiem/Wooster HS.

12-25-2003, 10:16 AM	#11 (permalink)
wooddood the wood dude Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: marion. INDIANA Posts: 3,457 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	i think i've had everything mentioned above happen to me and the only solution to most of them is not proper research.it's cost us all a lot of headaces and money,but im still learning,lol. __________________ 120 gal/in wall tank/starboard substraight/2 250 watt 10k xm metal halides/ 4 55watt 03 actinics/150lbs lr/scwd on return/scwd on a closed loop/aquaclear aquatics 200 pro wetdry w/skimmer. ask all the questions you have if we cant answer it we'll make up some thing. remember patience is the key to a kick ass reef. dave.

12-25-2003, 12:36 PM	#12 (permalink)
Reefguard Serpent Star Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Fairfield California Posts: 229 View Gallery Karma Komment	I dont have any regrets nor made mistakes since I have started reefing. Hah, who am I kidding? There are a lot but the one that sticks out the most and believe me I still do it. CUTTING COST by buying the not so expensive equipment then ending up upgrading getting the better one. Noel __________________ 100 gallon mix reef. 2x65 watt Actinic PC for dawn and dusk effect. 2x175 10 k XM. DIY Euro Reef Clone skimmer. 36 gallon sump.

12-25-2003, 02:35 PM	#13 (permalink)
mojoreef Just a reefer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,176 View Gallery Karma Komment	Hmmm when I started thier was no research.....I think at one time or another I have made every mistake out thier that was possible to make ...I might even be concidered one of the founding fathers of mistakes . Even if you research like the dickens your going to make mistakes, its inherent to this hobby. Then once you think you have it all figured out..Lazyness comes out of the closet and bites you right in the Butt...rofl Mike __________________ Make sure you check out The Fish Gallery The Coral Gallery The Equipment Gallery

12-25-2003, 03:42 PM	#15 (permalink)
fidojoe Fish Addict Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,584 View Gallery Karma Komment	Better question for me... Which mistake haven't I made? __________________ *Member "Crabs Are Evil" Society* My Tank: 90g AGA, 18g tall sump, CSS 220 w/ meshmod impeller, 4x54w Tek T5 retro w/ IC reflectors, Kalk reactor w/ aquamedic niveaumat system, a few SPS, LPS, zoos, and a few softies, 2 Ocellaris Clowns (hosted by both a RBTA and GBTA), Yellow Watchman, Potter's angel, Yellow Tang, Foxface, Midas Blenny, Purple Pseudo, huge brittle star, 2 tigertail cukes, fire shrimp, snails, and unfortunately two emerald crabs (the bubble algae got out of control).

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