What grinds your gears? Most annoying Reefer forum behaviors.

[cromag27]

When people start giving advice on how to solve a "problem" when they haven't asked enough questions of the OP to determine if there is an actual problem. For example:

OP: Help! My phosphate is really high.

Person #1: Tell us about your parameters

Person #2 (before OP even answers Person #1's reasonable and material question): You should go out and buy a reactor and fill it with GFO. Or dose Lanthanum Chloride. Or stop feeding your fish altogether!

OP: To Person #2. Thanks! What equipment do you recommend? (OP never answers Person #1's question)

Twenty more messages are exchanged about how to fix the "problem." Nobody ever gets the relevant information.

Turns out OP is a newbie that knows almost nothing and the phosphate levels are fine.

caveat is when you start asking too many questions, they don’t answer all of them.

 

[PDR]

I'm stuck at home with the flu, I'm bored and cranky and want to get some stuff off my chest lol.

1. Parroting advice: I know this has been mentioned before in this thread, and it's not always a bad thing, but I have been running into A LOT of it lately. Some of which has been straight up misinformation, which leads me into my second point.

2. Misinformation: I have come across multiple instances where a relatively new member or reef keeper with a higher number of posts (which can cause other members, especially new members, to think they are experienced) spreads misinformation that gets readily accepted and sometimes changes are implemented before a more experienced member can come along to set things straight. It also seems that misinformation can be spread rather quickly on R2R because most people don't want to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, which of course leads to my next point.

3. Are we too nice?: I love R2R, and one of the main reasons is because of how friendly (most) everyone is (you might be sensing a "but" coming), but sometimes I just can't help but cringe when a new member joins and has a 1 month old 10 gallon tank with 2 "nemos" and a "dory" and everyone is just so nice, friendly, welcoming and encouraging (which we should be), but at what point do we try and actually help the person and those fish that are essentially doomed? I understand that the Meet and Greet forum is not the best place for these kinds of things, but sometimes I still think something needs to be said. To be fair, I never point anything out in those threads, mainly due to fear of not being viewed as "nice and welcoming". So when is the appropriate time to point out these kinds of issues with newer members?

 

[Falcon53]

I'm stuck at home with the flu, I'm bored and cranky and want to get some stuff off my chest lol.

1. Parroting advice: I know this has been mentioned before in this thread, and it's not always a bad thing, but I have been running into A LOT of it lately. Some of which has been straight up misinformation, which leads me into my second point.

2. Misinformation: I have come across multiple instances where a relatively new member or reef keeper with a higher number of posts (which can cause other members, especially new members, to think they are experienced) spreads misinformation that gets readily accepted and sometimes changes implemented before a more experienced member can come along to set things straight. It also seems that misinformation can be spread rather quickly on R2R because most people don't want to offend or hurt anyone's feelings, which of course leads to my next point.

3. Are we too nice?: I love R2R, and one of the main reasons is because of how friendly (most) everyone is (you might be sensing a "but" coming), but sometimes I just can't help but cringe when a new member joins and has a 1 month old 10 gallon tank with 2 "nemos" and a "dory" and everyone is just so nice, friendly, welcoming and encouraging (which we should be), but at what point do we try and actually help the person and those fish that are essentially doomed? I understand that the Meet and Greet forum is not the best place for these kinds of things, but sometimes I still think something needs to be said. To be fair, I never point anything out in those threads, mainly due to fear of not being viewed as "nice and welcoming". So when is the appropriate time to point out these kinds of issues with newer members?

I couldn't agree more.

My local forum is now dominated by two morons that have no idea what they are talking about. Not only are they morons in reefing, but generally as well. They can't read, spell, or write. And they exemplify Dunning-Kruger perfectly.

In fact, my post above (#343) relates to these two guys.

 

[littlebigreef]

ASD/CB/GB OG Ultimate Dragon Soul Heart Gold Indo Holy Grail Torch.......

Oh, you mean you have a gold torch. There, I just saved you several characters.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

What grinds my gears, a little?
Read my signature.

 

[Sailingeric]

I have one after a reading a few similar post like this "have a 20 gallon tank with a trigger fish, a tiger shark and a killer whale, will two coho salmon get along?" ok, not that bad but am I the only one who does a research on what fish get a long and tank size requirements??

 

[Mayerlyn A]

When I log in and I see 6 notifications in my inbox and I think I have friends but it's just @revhtree with his fancy contests or sweepstakes.

As a newbie , this happens to me a lot, and I just laughed out loud for a good minute.

 

[DMG Reef]

Along the lines of newbies giving advice, that cuts both ways. Some members assume that a new forum member is a new reefer with a shiny new tank. I was reefing for 5 years before I joined this forum. And even then, I joined so I could buy acros from other forum members. When it comes to giving advice, I stick to things I've actually experienced. I'm a walking, talking cautionary tale for bone-headed experiments, so I generally feel pretty comfortable advising a new reefer on what NOT to try.

 

[ZaneTer]

I have two small peeves:

“I know the answer but I won’t tell you”
“You have to run your tank at zero nitrate and phosphate”

Still, I love this forum. It has educated and guided, not always in the right direction, my reefing life. Long ago I learnt that if I disagreed with someone’s comment then I leave it at disagreeing with that specific comment. I will not hold anything against their other comments.

I have made so many mistakes in this hobby. Only one has not been my fault. Many on here forget that they are the masters of their reef. Responsibility lies with us.

 

[DanConnor]

Pet peeve threads

 

[Sailingeric]

Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.

 

[James M]

Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.

Lol

 

[jasonrusso]

Not saying what you want. A couple post recently on the local SW club form "looking for a 30-40 gallon tank." I have a 30 gallon taking up space in my garage, so I reply if they want it, come and get it. They respond back they are looking for AIO. Then say that in your original post.

A free tank, can you deliver? [emoji12]

 

[Captain Quint]

A free tank, can you deliver? [emoji12]

LOL

 

[AZMSGT]

Posting on Facebook or instagram to try to win a "GIVEAWAY"

 

[vetteguy53081]

1- answering a question accurately and respectfully to get a reply " I already know this" and not even a thanks for a reply.
WHY DID YOU BOTHER TO ASK THEN??
2- COPYING MY IMAGES I USE TO WELCOME OTHERS
3- L O W B A L L E R S and ESPECIALLY those who search amazon , etc and then state they can find it cheaper
THEN WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING US ?? BUY IT ON AMAzON AND MOVE ON.
4- Contests that force us to sign onto or on Facebook in order to enter
I DON'T DO FACEBOOK BECAUSE MY COMPUTER WAS COMPROMISED ON FB. . . IN ADDITION TO FB DRAMA. UNFAIR !!

 

[revhtree]

Ok I say with this love...


GET OVER THE FACEBOOK ENTRIES!! LOL!!


Seriously though, again, most contests you DON'T have to use FB to enter a contest. IF we ask you too it's because the sponsor wanted it. Remember most giveaways are a marketing attempt for a company and they have a goal and have to do what makes since for them to reach the goal. They are giving us a FREE prize and sometimes, very rarely, they ask that you share on FB. If you don't like it then don't enter.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I hate responses with questions that were clearly and repeatedly answered if the person just read the posts before.

Also I hate contests that require FB entries..... has that been covered?

 

[revhtree]

I hate responses with questions that were clearly and repeatedly answered if the person just read the posts before.

Also I hate contests that require FB entries..... has that been covered?

Not yet but thanks for the note!

 

[Dempsey941]

"Where is the live sale?"
"If the coral is in my cart its mine right?"