If your just starting
Seen this on another site thought it would be good for newbies!!
*Dont over feed. If you have tons of unexplained algae, you are probably feeding too much.
*Frequent water changes are a must.
*No salt water tank is complete without a skimmer. Some people will say you can get away without one but thats like saying you can go on a cross country road trip in your car using only first gear. Why bother?
*Use coral food sparingly.
*Don't buy a fish thinking 'I will buy a bigger tank when it outgrows this one'.
*Many people, including both neophytes and seasoned veterans of the hobby, will tell you that certain things have to be done certain ways. A lot of the times these people are 90% or more correct but always do a little investigating before making your own decision. Sometimes people on the internet are wrong.
*I will never setup a tank without a sump.
*In woodworking you measure twice, cut once. My advice is to research a new livestock purchase twice, buy once.
*Adequate flow and tank turnover are two of the most important factors in tank health and are often overlooked at the beginning.
*For God's Sake, cycle that tank before stocking it with livestock.
*If you own a fish before you own a test kit you are doing it wrong.
*T5 lighting alone IS enough to grow basically any coral. PC lighting is not.
*Support local retailors. Yes sometimes stuff can be found online cheaper, but good luck calling up Dr Fosters & Smith when you suddenly have a tank problem. It has been my experience that every local store I've ever been in has been more than happy to stop and talk/educate/teach about anything salt water related and this knowledge is far more valuable than the $5-10 you would have saved on the frag online.
*Never spend more than $20 on a frag of common Xenia or Green Star Polyps.
*If 10 people say that livestock X will probably die in your tank and 1 person says that he has had one healthy for 2 years and you'll be fine, it will probably die in your tank. Don't buy it.
*Be generous to other reefers and they will usually be generous back.
*Super glue gel is an amazing tool for mounting rocks and coral.
*Hydrometers are junk, get a refractometer.
*Frag swaps are fun ways of getting cheap corals and meeting new people.
*Homemade frozen food is cheaper and easier to maintain quality control than ready made mixes like Prime Reef.
*Regular Frozen brine shrimp is to fish what potato chips are to humans.
**Probably the most important thing I've learned is that good things happen slowly, and only bad things happen fast. Patience is key when it comes to having a good reef tank. Often times the best thing to do is provide a stable environment and keep your hands out of the tank as much as possible.
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