I think I've made a huge mistake

memarkers

Reefing newb
Hello everyone. I recently was asked to watch over my Dads tank while he was away for awhile. He told me before he left that all I need to do was feed the fish a cube of brine each day and add tap water once week. Well you can imagine what I have been through in the last few weeks. Anyway, I managed to get the problems with his tank dealt with but along the way I've become nearly obsessed with wanting a tank for myself. So today I purchased the first piece of my new tank. I have but one favor to ask of you all. If there was one major mistake each of you made, what was it? I will be reading as many topics and posts as I can over the holidays. I am certainly relieved that I found this site when I did.
 
First off welcome to the Reef. What did you get for the impending tank? What makes you think that you made a huge mistake?
 
my biggest mistake is not having patience. also i suggest you tell your dad to stop feeding brine since it is like a junk food to fish and tap is also very bad. and welcome to the site
 
So you have been bitten by the bug.Join us and welcome to the site!

I agree with Alto,tapwater and lack of patience was my undoing many years ago.
 
I will not be using tap water any longer. I have a shop very close to home I can go to when needed. The algea was all over the sand and rock and was red in color. Within 24 hrs of the first fish dying, the tank turned milky white and the rocks looked as if covered by snow. I made a 50% water change and now it looks clear. I will check the water today and see if it is safe again. Thanks for your help everyone.
 
wait wait did you just set this tank up and put fish in it?? if so stop. you need to let the tank cycle before adding any live animals. to check if the cycle is finished you need to test for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate. when the first two are 0 after at least a week you can then add fish 1 at a time every couple weeks or at the least a week in between.
 
No this tank has been up and running for a couple of years now. I have only dealt with it foir the last few weeks. I can't understand how the fish lived so long being cared for as they have. It's a miracle.
 
Hi and welcome! Like others have said, using tap water is a big mistake. Not only can tap water be fatal to invertebrates, but it will cause major algae problems most of the time. Buying an RODI unit is recommended, or buying RODI water from Walmart, the grocery store or your LFS.
 
Welcome.

My biggest mistake was thinking the tank and stand are the most expensive parts of the hobby. I probably would have gone bigger if I had known better. The lights can be as much as the tank and stand combined if your buying new. Also, Craigslist can be your best friend.
 
Hello and welcome!

I haven't been doing this very long but I have made my share of mistakes. Here are a few of my thoughts...

#1 An ro/di unit is a must. You can buy it at stores, and many people are just fine with that, but imo just go buy one if you can. I got mine on ebay from user purewaterclub*com and have had great luck with it. The water I make is almost perfect (4ppm or less) and saves loads of time. I got a 6 stage unit for less than 80 bucks. Here is the link to them http://stores.ebay.com/purewaterclub

#2 Be patient. Everybody says it. Few actually do it. Going fast is almost always bad. Tank maturity is a major role in health and success.

#3 Do your homework. No matter what you are buying, whether it be equipment (tank, lights, adhesives, stand, etc...), livestock (fish, inverts, corals), or anything else for you're tank (live rock, sand, etc...), read up on it. There is a ton of info here and other places on what to do, what not to do, what to buy, what to avoid, etc... The internet is an invaluable tool. The more research you do ahead of time, the less money you will waste. I know if I had known then what I know now, I would have a few extra bucks in my pocket.

#4 Get access to a digital camera and take pics of everything you do. It's so much easier to show people rather than try to explain it and it is fun to look back and see how far you have come.

That's all I have for now. I am sure I will remember more dumb things I have done and post them here. Good luck and have fun.
 
i agree i made my share of mistakes just like bigploch. he is right the light,rodi unit and digital camera very great investments almost a must on these 3 things.
 
Welcome to the site.
The only hobbiest that have not made some kind of mistake,are the ones that have yet to buy their tank.
My biggest mistake so far,besides getting in a hurry,was adding an anemone to my reef tank.Every thing went great for over a year.Then the nem decided to move and went right through the middle of my SPS corals.Killed every coral but one and left me with 7 or 8 colonies of bleach white sticks.
 
Back
Top