Are you a ONE HIT WONDER?

[Tired]

I've had aquariums for a decade now. My prior saltwater tank wasn't really a reef, though, it was a FOWLR that I put a mushroom coral rock and some yellow polyps in. The rest were freshwater.

 

[JustJoan]

I have had freshwater tanks for 20 years. This is my first saltwater tank, and far more challenging, rewarding and defeating than any freshwater tank i have ever had. I feel as if i am on a roller coaster, one day i want to quit, the next week i am in love with my tank again. I am now battling Ich, so i am headed downhill.

 

[sfin52]

The best advice I got was not to jump on the latest craze or technology. Philosophies and technology change all the time doesnt mean they are better than what you're currently doing.

I have two tanks. A 90g reef and the 55 fowlr kinda. The 55 was going to be my qt. Its home to one of my prettiest fish.

 

[RickLRMS]

Right now I’m a .1 hit wonder — but my tank was delivered today! Hopefully I’ll fill out that first “one” soon.

 

[DiaTom]

After keeping freshwater tanks for many years, I started my first saltwater tank in January. So far, it is going really well. I'm not planning to do any more saltwater tanks, especially since I take care of 3 freshwater tanks for other people too.

 

[SmugglersReef]

I’ve had aquariums for 56 years, freshwater to cIchlids to salt to reef. I remember when CF bulbs were all the rage. I have had over 10+ reef tanks in all sizes. My best tanks were/ are my most simple ones. Not a ton of equipment or additives in the tank. Just religious 10% weekly water changes and CA, ALK, MG on a doser or manually, depending on the live stock. So don’t try to skip out on water changes or add too many additives.

Be careful with these strong LEDs and too much flow with these mega pumps. If your hammers and acans are not fully extended you could be blasting them with two much of the above.

Leave room in your tank for things to grow. We see all these jam packed tanks where every coral looks colorful and happy. The reality is, corals do not like to touch each other unless they are from the same colony. So if you are doing an encrusting coral leave room between them. If they are SPS don’t touch them and keep moving them. The tank will look empty but trust me, by 2 or 3 years you will be taking a chisel to your tank to clear out overgrown hard corals, like red Monticap (which by the way blocks the light to anything under it). Look at full grown corals to see how big they get and how the grow. My best tank now is NOT a mixed reef.

Keep your equipment. A lot of times we sell our equipment when we upgrade and then we downgrade. Prices keep going up on everything, fish, corals, and equipment. Keep your smaller DC pump when you upgrade to a bigger one. Put it in the closet. 3 years later you will pull it out for something else and will be glad you didn’t sell it for a loss because now it cost more than you paid for it.

Please, please read about the livestock you impulsively want to buy when in the LFS. That mandarin goby is cool but really, don’t buy expert fish unless you are an expert Reefer.This hobby is expensive and we don’t want to be cruel to the fish, like placing a large tang in a small tank. It’s just not fair to these beautiful creatures.

 

[ca1ore]

I am an overnight success 35 years in the making ....

 

[GrapevineReefs]

KISS is such a under used term still I think... I am in LFS from time to time with reefers running in for the latest Gear this or additive that. My best best best looking tanks have always been my KISS tanks. A L W A Y S. that by no means neglect. I am sick in the head when it comes to being regular with maintenance its more important that showering or bowel movements to me but I always tell me family my one favorite word when the ask why my tanks look so amazing and I said “Stability” so I’m really always looking for constants I hate any swings in any way of any factor. To avoid being a one hit wonder if I could go back to my 6 month into reefing self I would say “keep it stable stop trying to make it better or tweak this and that” with stability it all looks gorgeous in the end

Also BIG UPS to the previous poster who reminded me to say leave room for growth.. YES YOUR SMALL FRAG WILL GROW WITH LOVE AND CARE THE GET TO PROBLEMATIC SIZES SOMETIMES what some people seem to forget is that humans are the only ones who place monetary value on coral to a cheap no name coral an expensive rainbow chalice is just competition that it will try to take over its territory.the real estate market on the reef is serious business home buyers kill one another over views in the reef

 

[AquaArtist]

Stop letting life be an excuse to quit.

Why did you even get in this hobby just to be defeated so easily?

Moving, having kids, spouse, jobs, natural disasters.
I powered thru all of these and did not turn my back on my animals.
Most people throw in the towel because they have to move from one apartment to the next.
What a waste of time and flakiness on your part!
If you signed a lease on your living space you need to ask your self what’s the plan when it’s time to move this tank?

Not, “it’s time to give up!” Derp!

I would say only get into this hobby for one reason, because you have real passion for the animals and conservation of the reefs.

If this is just ART or COOL factor to you stay away, stay far far away please.
More animals are going to die from your ignorance and brazen short sided ideas than should.
Also this only makes the hobby look worse to people on the outside.
So tired of the fly by night into this just to get out people.
I have close friends I saw this with, and I no longer entertain their thoughts about getting into the hobby
In fact I talk them out of it.

Have a 3 and 5 year plan minimum if you plan on doing a fish tank to start with.
Plan on 10 years being the goal.
I promise if you make it to that point, nothing will stop you beyond that.
Fresh or saltwater no matter what the species is.
Every fish,coral,invert or plant deserves the best if your going to rip it from it’s home so you can look at it in a glass box.
Always always improve and build more knowledge.
Real knowledge not YOUTUBERS regurgitating the same stuff that has been in books for years.

Learn what the real habitats of these creatures are like.
Know what actually lives with them in the wild.
The wether patterns, the cycles of seasons, the geography, diet, breeding patterns.
Go to the location if you can!

Find a mentor who is successful, (made mistakes and went thru hardships)
If you do this any amount of time, everything at some point will fail....period no matter how nice it is. Know that.

Get into this with the thought that nothing is going to stop you, and know that everything will try to stop you.

Murphy’s law is strong in this hobby, mainly because of human interaction.

Good luck.

 

[WallyB]

I think there are one key thing that improves long term success is [Regular Maintenance VS Reactive Maintenance]. That includes a lot of things (Like Maintaining equipment, Cleaning Tank, Replenishing Supplies, Water Maintenance, Testing, etc). To simplify REGULAR maintenance....Set your Calendar, Log your activities , and if budget allows, Automate. When you establish that kind of regular routine from the start, it sets you up for a stable setup, and avoids potential issues. Maitenance can be a painful chore. Getting into the habit, it gets easier after a while. You are ahead of the game rather then dealing with Big/Ugly Issues, which is much more painful/stressful/costly (Leading to Folks Giving up)

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I've automate a lot on my tanks, Water Changes, Water Top UP, Some Water Testing, Auto-Smart Dosing, Feeding Fish, but you can't autmomate everything..

So I actually built a Hardware Based "Auto Maintenance Minder" for my 3 Tanks. It covers the things I can't automate.

It does the tracking for me. Red, Yellow and Green LED's give me quick glance status.
Mini Bar Graphs and Count-Down Counters give me plenty of heads up (to buy appropriate supplies)
I can add lessons-learned new routines.
If certain routines are not properly scheduled, I check the history and adjust for optimal results.

It's the best thing I ever did, and makes things so simple and effective way to keep my tanks problem free.

Above is the Newest Version, but the Mini-Original Concept and build is here (Features Explained)
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...your-nutrients-n-p.497508/page-3#post-5904164

You don't have to build a advanced Controler to do the same. A simple Pen and Paper Log Book and weekly review can achieve similar results.

 

[a4edwin]

I started with a 36 bow front which is still up and running. Purchased a 100g sca sitting int the garage also purchased most of the supporting equipment to get it going. Built the the most of the stand only needs to be skinned. Gonna be a year since I purchased the tank. I’ve lost that drive so many other things going on in life. Deep down I want to get the sca up and running but like I said life and to an extent money.

 

[Dbichler]

Started with a 54 corner, then a 29 bio cube, and now my 210 softy. Best advice is if you question something your going to add don’t do it. Plus if you think your going slow your probably still going to fast.

 

[WallyB]

Stop letting life be an excuse to quit.

Why did you even get in this hobby just to be defeated so easily?

Moving, having kids, spouse, jobs, natural disasters.
I powered thru all of these and did not turn my back on my animals.
Most people throw in the towel because they have to move from one apartment to the next.
What a waste of time and flakiness on your part!
If you signed a lease on your living space you need to ask your self what’s the plan when it’s time to move this tank?

Not, “it’s time to give up!” Derp!

I would say only get into this hobby for one reason, because you have real passion for the animals and conservation of the reefs.

If this is just ART or COOL factor to you stay away, stay far far away please.
More animals are going to die from your ignorance and brazen short sided ideas than should.
Also this only makes the hobby look worse to people on the outside.
So tired of the fly by night into this just to get out people.
I have close friends I saw this with, and I no longer entertain their thoughts about getting into the hobby
In fact I talk them out of it.

Have a 3 and 5 year plan minimum if you plan on doing a fish tank to start with.
Plan on 10 years being the goal.
I promise if you make it to that point, nothing will stop you beyond that.
Fresh or saltwater no matter what the species is.
Every fish,coral,invert or plant deserves the best if your going to rip it from it’s home so you can look at it in a glass box.
Always always improve and build more knowledge.
Real knowledge not YOUTUBERS regurgitating the same stuff that has been in books for years.

Learn what the real habitats of these creatures are like.
Know what actually lives with them in the wild.
The wether patterns, the cycles of seasons, the geography, diet, breeding patterns.
Go to the location if you can!

Find a mentor who is successful, (made mistakes and went thru hardships)
If you do this any amount of time, everything at some point will fail....period no matter how nice it is. Know that.

Get into this with the thought that nothing is going to stop you, and know that everything will try to stop you.

Murphy’s law is strong in this hobby, mainly because of human interaction.

Good luck.

Lots of good points!!

It's what I kind of tell my kids who want a puppy, and will take care of it forever. Research and Do every little thing.
Yah!! It will be me after a few months, for years!!

Learn what the real habitats of these creatures are like.
Know what actually lives with them in the wild.
The wether patterns, the cycles of seasons, the geography, diet, breeding patterns.
Go to the location if you can!

I really wish I could go to those locations where my Tanks Inhabitants come from.
All of them, with my Mask & Snorkel

 

[LRT]

I ain't no one hit wonder I just crush alot
Lol on a serious note tho I just keep lining up for another whooping. Everytime. Knock me down. I get back up until I have brain damage and don't care as long as I win. That's probably a personal problem haha.
Would have been easy to give up through all the adversity I've experienced in this hobby. Mainly when I fail my corals and lose one or do something stupid I knew i shouldn't have, those are the hardest to overcome.
Sticking those kind of things out and making your wrongs right is the greatest accomplishment in this hobby for me. Its mainly about my ego but not so much about me when I right a situation and my corals thrive and show me the hard work pays off.
Hard work, dedication.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I like to tell people that nothing you buy for your system is going to make you understand the tank and reef chemistry better. Understanding the chemistry and biology costs nothing but time.

 

[lavoisier]

We only stay in this hobby because we enjoy it. It is not always easy (I hate finding the woods on the golf course) but we persevere and love it. One hit wonders probably like the idea of a reef tank but really do nor like the labor involved in making it happen day in and day out.

 

[RJKain-777]

Start with a manageable tank, no bigger then 120 gallons, no smaller then 40 gallons. This makes it easy to learn the parameter swings, and won’t cost a ton of money while you learn. You don’t need the best equipment on your first tank, since upgrading is inevitable. Quarantine everything, save the head ache and loss before it happens. Don’t over complicate things either, the KISS method works the best .

 

[WVNed]

Not sure I ever had a hit but I do enjoy playing the music. I have had a tank with some aquatic thing living in it since about 1972.

My tip would be do your own thing and keep what you like. Don't pressure yourself to have a tank that looks like it's "supposed to".

These animals are my pets in the same way my dogs and cats are. I find the concept of trying to create the equivalent of a piece of art made with living things for your living room somewhat creepy.

There are no pests in my tanks. Anything from the sea I can keep here in the middle of a West Virginia is good with me.

You will fail sometimes.... Try again.