Jump to content
Premium Aquatics Aquarium Supplies

What do you consider your reef experience level and why....


Revenant

Recommended Posts

While I was doing some routine weekly maintenance on my 12g, I simply mused at how much more efficient I'd become at recognizing, testing and adjusting for positive results. I'd never given it much thought over the past 5 years I've been in this hobby because my mindset going into it was that its not a lazy mans hobby and doing work and research was the only way to a successful reef.

 

In other words I never got out of the "beginners mindset".... Even though I still don't think I know enough to consider myself "intermediate" (but maybe I'm approaching it), I am comfortable saying I'm not a "beginner" anymore now. More like something in between. ... Expert isn't even in my vocabulary at this point.

 

So, where is your reef experience level...

Link to comment

Def a begginer for me been wanting a tank for 2 years after my mum and brother got tanks which were 'plug and play' tanks... I decided I wanted the same as I've only ever had cold water fish so thought b easier to manage but with joining the forum and researching a lot I've taken the plunge and had a custom tank built with sumP, as like to b that person who is "different"....

 

As funds are tight the tank is still not set up as I've been getting things month by month and in my opinion Its really making me think about things like plumbing aquascape equipment that I want for the tank., I've had the tank since January and I've still not got a stand yet, got little bits but In my head I really want the tank up and running but I know in the long run it will be worth it and with the great info on here I get I know I can become a better hobiest and learn more in time.... ( and I can steal a few great ideas from you guys)

 

 

I'll always be a beginner as " with all hobbies your always learning no matter how long you've been in the hobbie "

Link to comment
righttirefire

I'm a beginner, I've had successful and unsuccessful freshwater tanks but always had a desire to try saltwater. It was presented to me you had to spend $1000s to be able to start. Years later I found a LFS that actually encouraged a "nano" tank. It started in the garage with a hydor 240gph and 100w heater in a 33 gallon tote on cardboard to isolate the tote from the concrete floor. About a week later, February 6th, it all transferred into a 20 high. It's been an awesome experience, I feel confident, but I'm still researching and planning. It's been amazing watching everything grow. My little CUC is about a week from having the algea under control and a battle with turf algea is about to begin.

Link to comment
Angel<3Nanos

"A man ceases to be a beginner in any given science and becomes a master in that science when he has learned that he is going to be a beginner all his life".

 

-Robin G. Collingwood

Link to comment
gulfsurfer101

Your basically all noobs is what he's saying! I agree as well! Intermediate level ten year veteran, with nooby tendencies!

Link to comment

Been reef keeping for about 5 years, with good experience, and a decent knowledge but still I consider myself a beginner. This hobby changes a lot in terms of equipment, methods, etc, so for me is a never ending learning experience.

Link to comment

I will definitely be a learner for the rest of my life when it comes to this hobby, but I think I have gotten to the point where I consider myself at an intermediate level of knowledge.

Link to comment
Mr. Microscope

I consider myself far from noob, but still in the intermediate-beginner club. I've got experience caring for a wide array corals/inverts available in the hobby. I still have a lot to learn about fish, but that's been mainly due to a lack of gallonage to house them. Most importantly, I have a grasp on the care requirements of any given livestock and know which ones I'm capable of keeping happy (thriving/growing) and which ones I need to leave to the experts.

Screen%20Shot%202015-02-10%20at%209.31.1

 

Another measure of skill level is your ability to walk into a LFS and walk out without purchasing anything.

 

I simply mused at how much more efficient I'd become at recognizing, testing and adjusting for positive results.

The more important thing to recognize is why you're not getting negative results. In science, all experiments are designed to disprove a hypothesis. If the hypothesis stands up to test after test, then it becomes theory, but that is rarely the case. Most experiments fail to produce positive results, and when it does happen we repeat everything time and again to rule out human error.

 

TL:DR I'm extremely skeptical any time I see the exact number I'm hoping for and try to figure out how I screwed up the test.

 

Also, results over time is crucial. Many times, subtle changes to our reef (new equipment, additives, filtration) can take months to generate results. By the time your coral is bleached or thriving, you may have forgotten what it was that you changed to cause this to happen. Being able to pin down effect and cause is one of those skills that separates the noobs from the veterans and why it takes many many years to get out of the beginner phase (the latter of which I'm still very much a part of).

 

 

Thirdly, having a seemingly infinite spectrum of avenues to discover and research is really what keeps my passion for the hobby going. From biology, to photography, to aquaculture, to DIY projects of everything imaginable, there's so much to learn out there.

Link to comment
chicagoreef

I'm still pretty clueless and subscribe to "do as little as possible, though spend money on stuff" approach.

 

I started with a fluval edge and after a few months of semi-frustrationupgraded to a 35G AIO. I've had that up now for 19 months and even with a completely embarrassing lack of water changes, the reef tank is doing decent. I had an outbreak of GHA at the one year point and after 2-3 months of frustration one morning the GHA was all gone. I now have an outbreak of a tougher green turf algae - I think that is what it is called, and am patiently waiting it out. I had a bunch of different LED light bars and over time replaced some of them and noticed the algae was all on one side of the tank with the weaker lights so recently replaced all the lights so at least there is uniform strong light across the tank.

 

I have friends with absolutely beautiful algae-free tanks, but being realistic about work and 2 kids, my tank looks naturalistic. :)

Link to comment

Another measure of skill level is your ability to walk into a LFS and walk out without purchasing anything.

I always have to bite my tongue when I hear them giving advice to other customers. But it's been awhile since I've been to a LFS.

Link to comment
Mr. Microscope

I always have to bite my tongue when I hear them giving advice to other customers. But it's been awhile since I've been to a LFS.

"..sure! You can keep a tang in a 10 gallon!"

"..sure! Scooter blennies are great beginner fish!"

"You should buy our pre-cycled water!"

Link to comment

Beginner for SURE! I just started in this hobby in January of this year so I still have a ton to learn, a ton of mistakes to make and a ton of hopefully successes to experience :)

 

.. hoping the successes outnumber the mistakes.

Link to comment
righttirefire

I love the cycled water! Or mature water, I understand mature enviroment, but mature water. My favorite

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...