Good article for newbies

[fishtankbabe]

I got this in my email newsletter from Marine Depot and thought I'd share it.

 

 

"Getting Started in Reef-keeping" (Part 1 of 4) BY: MIKE PALLETTA

 

Getting started in keeping marine fish and invertebrates can be a very daunting task, especially if you are discoursed from doing so by misinformation. Many shops and individuals initially tell new hobbyists that keeping a successful marine tank, especially one containing corals and other invertebrates as well as fish is impossible and they should not even try. This may have been the case twenty years ago, but fortunately in the past decade or so keeping marine invertebrates and fish successfully over the long term has become much easier now that a better understanding of the biology of a marine system is fully understood. In addition, as long as a few things are done before getting started in the hobby, the chances for success are greatly increased as well. The first step is to read as much as possible. There are now several good introductory books on the market including “The New Marine Aquarium” and “The Conscientious Marine Aquarist” that lay out everything a new hobbyist needs to do and plan for in order to achieve success in the hobby. These books provide an excellent framework from which to start. The rules and general design laid out in these books should be followed by anyone getting started in the hobby. One of the ways by which new hobbyists get into trouble is by listening to too many sources of information and then trying to incorporate all of these different opinions into their system. It is much better to follow a relatively simple plan to start with and then as success comes, add to it.

 

In this regard it is also a good idea to try and find a mentor to help you along the way. This can be someone whose tank you have seen, someone you have met on the internet, or even someone whose work you have read. Most advanced hobbyists are willing to help new hobbyists as long as the new hobbyist shows a willingness to learn and put the time in to be successful. In terms of time, this is one of the other crucial aspects of reef keeping that needs to be fully understood if success is to be achieved. First, the initial set up, curing and establishment of the tank is going to take a fair amount of time. So plan on spending a fair amount of time getting your tank established. Fortunately once a tank is set up successfully it really does not take that much time to maintain it, so keep this in mind. The other aspect of time that needs to be taken into account is that patience is absolutely essential in order to be successful. A number of years ago I made the statement that nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank, only bad things happen fast. By this I mean that a tank will not be fully established with full-grown corals, a complete fish population and perfectly working equipment overnight. It will take at least a year for a tank to really be fully established and even then a tank will still be in its infancy.

 

The basic principles behind the establishment of a successful reef tank are actually quite simple: good water quality, proper lighting, strong water motion, and proper stocking. There are myriad ways to achieve these conditions, with no single way being perfect. For this reason there are many ways to set up a tank and be successful. The crucial thing is to find a methodology that is successful and follow it. Also most successful hobbyists are meticulous in terms of knowing the details of their tank and in following up quickly when things start to go even a little wrong. Patience and attention to detail are what separate very successful hobbyists from those that have constant problems so keep this in mind. Cost is also not necessarily the determining factor for success or failure. Setting up a reef tank is relatively expensive. However when done properly, over the long term the cost is manageable as it should not be necessary to have to replace fish, coral or live rock in that in a stable successful system these inhabitants can live happily for decades. The discussion below of what is necessary to get started with a reef tank is very simplistic and is only meant to provide a general idea of what is necessary to get started and hopefully demonstrate that the fundamentals behind this hobby are not really that daunting. Hopefully it will convince you that it is not difficult and that starting a reef tank should be fun and not scary and that an advanced degree in chemistry is not needed. Right now reef tanks are the fastest growing segment of fish-keeping so this in itself should be evidence that things are getting easier and people are more successful in this hobby than ever.

 

Pictures related to this articles series can be found at

http://www.marinedepot.com/articles_aquari...Reefkeeping.asp

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

[TheCurriculum]

It's nice to see that a mass email that will state that a lot of LFS and people are full $&(^

 

I'm happy now that I've had a few of my friends looking through here and @ reefC, who are going to setup a tank after I get mine done. Once they saw a nano is possible and not impossible to maintain.