ridetheducati November 8, 2013 Author November 8, 2013 Potassium (K) This element is the second reason why I changed salt from Instant Ocean to Red Sea (Blue) a couple years ago. The primary reason is alkalinity levels, story for another time. I like to keep my system K levels in the natural saltwater 390 - 400 ppm range. Potassium seems to pull my SPS coral colors together, especially Blue and Purple. If you are using a salt with low K, simply test using Salifert and slowly bring levels up to the recommended range. I do not recommend the Red Sea Potassium kit because it is very difficult to execute. My system consumes approximately 25 ppm of K per month. Dose system with Brightwell Potassium monthly. As with any product, follow manufactures instructions.
wangspeed November 12, 2013 November 12, 2013 Fishless cycling with ammonia and your choice of bacterial additive. What can I say, I'm impatient.
bendeng November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 - "but honey, I won it in the raffle" This only works if your significant other is oblivious to the hobby. In Duke's case: I attempt to finalize on all hobby related "purchases". (Attempts are not always successful... sneaky men) Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
smallreef November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 - "but honey, I won it in the raffle" This only works if your significant other is oblivious to the hobby. In Duke's case: I attempt to finalize on all hobby related "purchases". (Attempts are not always successful... sneaky men) Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk You are probably 1% of significant others who also partake in the same hobby...If I can pay out of my other checking account and not our joint, I just tell him it was cheap,lol
Squishie89 November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 Quarantine your fish! And possibly even your corals!+1 on keeping a journal of some kind (I use both a physical journal and one on-line)Take time to just look at your tank. Sit down, drink a cup of coffee and enjoy your tank.
paul b November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 Some day I am going to tell my wife that we have a fish tank
sen5241b November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 Best tip of all: "Pay half cash and half credit card when trying to hid a purchase." No matter whether you have money for a generator or not at least have a tested plan to deal with power outages! Auto inverters are great!
Origami November 13, 2013 November 13, 2013 Some day I am going to tell my wife that we have a fish tank I'm rolling on the floor over this, Paul. (I think that she knows, but just hasn't let on yet.) Face it. Some things just show up sometimes. Just pretend that it's always been there. I'll add to Squishie's advice to look at your tank and extend it to "Look at your tank every day." When you get to know your tank, the appearance of life in it will be the single best indicator of when things are going well and when they are not. It's a WAY better indicator than any test kit will ever be. It also serves as a check as to when you should believe a concerning test kit reading and when to be skeptical. Your eyes can save your butt one day if you get to know your tank and learn to read the signs.
ridetheducati November 15, 2013 Author November 15, 2013 Dont be shy, I know there is more out there.
jacobB89 November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 Start as big as you possibly can. Yes to this a 29 biocube was not the beat starter tank even though it looked like it. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Shoelace November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 Start as big as you possibly can.+1 Corollary: But don't start so big that your activities of daily living or wallet can't handle it. Been there, done that, and now doing it again.
roni November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 When you're new or even when you've been doing things for a while and are struggling, step back and look at each step of the process. Review things you take for granted and you'll usually find the breakdown. Also, when you're new and read about the millions of ways to do things, don't try to mix and match. Find someone who has a tank you like, learn how they did things and what their methodology is and do that. Once you get the hang of everything and understand what's going on, you can tweak your approach. Oh, and this may go against grain...but don't hide purchases from your spouse. My wife is significantly smarter then me and would quickly figure out if I was lying. Better to ask for more then you need and then bargain down
sachabballi reef November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 . Oh, and this may go against grain...but don't hide purchases from your spouse. My wife is significantly smarter then me and would quickly figure out if I was lying. Better to ask for more then you need and then bargain down lying is such an ugly term.....ambiguous is my choice
GraffitiSpotCorals November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 Learn about coral pests before collecting the corals! Because someone is telling you they should be trusted doesn't mean they should. This hobby is not about profiting. Look at your corals closely day and at night, a lot of you would be surprised at what you will find. Just because you have pests doesnt mean you should hide it and feel bad, being open and sharing helps new people and everyone else avoid them. Pests are are part of having a saltwater tank, learn about them and be proactive.
Origami November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 Give your first couple of frags to friends as a sort of Noah's ark. Especially if you really like it and it's not already in circulation with the club. This way, should you lose it along the way, you have a place to go back and start it again.
steveoutlaw November 16, 2013 November 16, 2013 Just because you have pests doesnt mean you should hide it and feel bad, being open and sharing helps new people and everyone else avoid them. Pests are are part of having a saltwater tank, learn about them and be proactive. Yeah, and that includes if you've EVER had pests in the tank? Just because you've treated and don't see them doesn't mean they're gone. Things like.....oh, I don't know.......let's say flatworms, can still be infecting a coral even after you've treated. It's dishonest as H-E-double hockey sticks not to tell people that you have them or YOU"VE HAD THEM.
sen5241b November 17, 2013 November 17, 2013 Use a count down timer with alarm when filling your change out bucket with RO water. Ever had a spill or overflow?
smallreef November 18, 2013 November 18, 2013 Use a count down timer with alarm when filling your change out bucket with RO water. Ever had a spill or overflow?I fill my buckets in my tub...just for this reason.... Also, my new mportant thing...wear gloved when working in your tank...especially with bristleworms...but a new issue I just had is being stung by my anemone....BAD...so now elbow length gloves,lol
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