research, research, research

[igot2gats]

A big part of why anyone decides to start a reef tank for a hobby is all the different color combination possibilities with all different fish, corals, invertebraes, together in the same tank. Not to mention how they all interact with each other....

However, purchasing a really cool looking fish or coral or invertebrae at your local fish store without knowledge of the care that it needs in order to live a long, healthy life in your reef tank is vital in this hobby. I can not reiterate that more than what I just did: v-i-t-a-l.

All of us have had that gut feeling to buy a colorful coral or fish, bring it home, add it to your tank, and then come to a reef forum & ask what you need to do in order to take care of it. That's easy to do, right? PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. It's not fair to the piece of livestock - giving it an unfair advantage of living in your reef.

Even if the employee at the fish store said it would be ok, that's not necessarily the case. The person who told you it would be ok may just wanted the sale, isn't knowledgable enough, or didn't want to take the time and inform you more about the species. I'm not saying that all fish store employees or owners do not give sound advice - most of them do. But it can't hurt to do some reading to back up the advice you just recieved. A little validation can't hurt.

And I know that it would be very annoying to take a book or a printed article from the internet around with you to the fish store & keep referencing your information with every cool fish or coral that the store has, in order to figure out if it suits your needs.....you do not have to do this.

Brainstorming about what livestock you would like in your reef tank while your tank is cycling can save you time, energy, gas, and money down the road. Make a list of what fish/coral/inverts you'd like. Then, ask questions here on a forum, or do some of your own research (reading a reef book or articles on the 'net) about whether or not it's a good "plan." If multiple sources inform you with almost identical answers - chances are it's the right answers. The more sources you inquire, the better.

While your reef is cycling, there isn't much maintenance you can do anyways -that's just part of the cycling process. The water and liverock is in the process of creating the ecosystem that you will eventually need for your reef in the coming months. This is prime time for you to read up on the livestock that you eventually want to have for a pet in your reef tank.

As your reef tank progresses down the road, and you are able to SLOWLY add more livestock to it, there may be something that you find/hear/read about that you are going to want in your tank. You may have not thought about this when you were originally planning out the "blueprint" for your tank - that's ok too. Read about it's living requirements, find out if it can thrive with what you already have in your tank, and then make an educational decision about if it will be able to live in your reef without any repercussions.

And if you do the necessary research before you put that Mystery Wrasse in your reef, ensuring that your tankmates will be welcoming it with open arms, you will thank yourself a million times over that you will be enjoying that fish for a long time to come.

Your reef and pocketbook will thank you as well.

[ReeferRob]

Too many words, my brain hurts. J/K good read.

[tankdude]

Instant gratification is hard to avoid, people want their tank to look mature in two weeks. This is a good read for anybody just starting out.

[jimsflies]

Great post! I have stuck it for future new reefers.

[MUCHO REEF]

A big part of why anyone decides to start a reef tank for a hobby is all the different color combination possibilities with all different fish, corals, invertebraes, together in the same tank. Not to mention how they all interact with each other....

However, purchasing a really cool looking fish or coral or invertebrae at your local fish store without knowledge of the care that it needs in order to live a long, healthy life in your reef tank is vital in this hobby. I can not reiterate that more than what I just did: v-i-t-a-l.

All of us have had that gut feeling to buy a colorful coral or fish, bring it home, add it to your tank, and then come to a reef forum & ask what you need to do in order to take care of it. That's easy to do, right? PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. It's not fair to the piece of livestock - giving it an unfair advantage of living in your reef.

Even if the employee at the fish store said it would be ok, that's not necessarily the case. The person who told you it would be ok may just wanted the sale, isn't knowledgable enough, or didn't want to take the time and inform you more about the species. I'm not saying that all fish store employees or owners do not give sound advice - most of them do. But it can't hurt to do some reading to back up the advice you just recieved. A little validation can't hurt.

And I know that it would be very annoying to take a book or a printed article from the internet around with you to the fish store & keep referencing your information with every cool fish or coral that the store has, in order to figure out if it suits your needs.....you do not have to do this.

Brainstorming about what livestock you would like in your reef tank while your tank is cycling can save you time, energy, gas, and money down the road. Make a list of what fish/coral/inverts you'd like. Then, ask questions here on a forum, or do some of your own research (reading a reef book or articles on the 'net) about whether or not it's a good "plan." If multiple sources inform you with almost identical answers - chances are it's the right answers. The more sources you inquire, the better.

While your reef is cycling, there isn't much maintenance you can do anyways -that's just part of the cycling process. The water and liverock is in the process of creating the ecosystem that you will eventually need for your reef in the coming months. This is prime time for you to read up on the livestock that you eventually want to have for a pet in your reef tank.

As your reef tank progresses down the road, and you are able to SLOWLY add more livestock to it, there may be something that you find/hear/read about that you are going to want in your tank. You may have not thought about this when you were originally planning out the "blueprint" for your tank - that's ok too. Read about it's living requirements, find out if it can thrive with what you already have in your tank, and then make an educational decision about if it will be able to live in your reef without any repercussions.

And if you do the necessary research before you put that Mystery Wrasse in your reef, ensuring that your tankmates will be welcoming it with open arms, you will thank yourself a million times over that you will be enjoying that fish for a long time to come.

Your reef and pocketbook will thank you as well.

Give that man a high five , best thing I've read all year. Basic, vital, down-to-earth facts which everyone, not only newbies should adhere to. I was nodding my head to every word you said sir as you hit the nail square on the head .

Impulse buying has cause so many corals and livestock to perish. Believe it or not, I still carry a reference book with me and keep it in my car just in case the LFS doesn't have one. I too want to be sure the potential purchase is compatiable with what I already in house.

Establishing a relationship with people in your LFS is a great start. Listen to what they say, but you should also weigh and fact check what they say or even ask another employee and see if you receive the same answer. Keeping a reference book in the car is nothing to be ashamed of and I highly recommend it.

Again, GREAT post igot2gats


MUCHO REEF