Did anybody here start out with reef?

[Aquattro]

How long have you been at it?

[lastlight]

Good point it seems common for certain corals to do well in certain tanks. Some trial and error is sometimes needed. That's after you make friends with stability.

[The Codfather]

I ran a fish only for the first year, year and a half. But slowly the coral bug bites and you start filling in the tank. Next thing you know.....REEF.

[reefgirl189]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

How long have you been at it?

Not long. Just enough to say it's cycled and add a few live things like snails, shrimp and a few softies. There's not a chance I'd dump the hobby altogether because I do love it. I'm just getting a bit discouraged from my SPS goal. I think all the dosing and special finicky corals that need ridiculously perfect water parameters and what not may be just too much for me right now. I still don't feel entirely confident of the whole reef system and how it's all supposed to fit together perfectly.

It's life too. Discussing a big life changing move (career and geographically) and having a child, showing my dogs, crazy family drama, a full time job with mandatory overtime. Ugh. Maybe I'm just being a downer.

I just want a nice beautiful living piece of art to come home to everyday and be confident in myself that everything will still be there the next day. I don't want to kill anything. Ever. Except maybe an ugly crab or the odd aptasia. I could probably do that much.

[reefgirl189]

Maybe I'll just stick with slowly adding reef safe(r) fish and inverts and stay with the softies and get some LPS in time. I kind of feel like SPS is something you can't pull off with nothing but research and good intentions. Maybe it's better to take things slow and gain confidence with more hardy specimens for the first year or so in this hobby? amiright?

[no_bs]

Patience is a virtue in this hobby. It can take up to 2 years before it becomes "mature".

[Coralgurl]

Ahhhh, tank envy,,, it's all about patience, the tank will go thru an ugly stage, could show you pics of mine in the beginning before it starts taking shape! I've been trying sps and some have done ok, some not. I read about dosing systems and am like WTF? I guess that's why taking this hobby slowly is so important, gives you time to learn, try things out. Stick with it, don't look for corals till your system is a bit older, enjoy the fish!

Sounds like lots going on in your world, take a deep breath and enjoy today! Chin up, boobs out..always good for a bit of a smile! (at the risk of all male replies.....)

[MarkoD]

I started with reef. If for any reason my tank crashes and everything dies, it'll be fish only afterwards

[MKLKT]

If anything I'd be more inclined to run coral-only with no fish, haha. I love coral and random inverts, I don't really care as much about the fish.

[Vitaminz]

Originally Posted by reefgirl189

Not long. Just enough to say it's cycled and add a few live things like snails, shrimp and a few softies. There's not a chance I'd dump the hobby altogether because I do love it. I'm just getting a bit discouraged from my SPS goal. I think all the dosing and special finicky corals that need ridiculously perfect water parameters and what not may be just too much for me right now. I still don't feel entirely confident of the whole reef system and how it's all supposed to fit together perfectly.

It's life too. Discussing a big life changing move (career and geographically) and having a child, showing my dogs, crazy family drama, a full time job with mandatory overtime. Ugh. Maybe I'm just being a downer.

I just want a nice beautiful living piece of art to come home to everyday and be confident in myself that everything will still be there the next day. I don't want to kill anything. Ever. Except maybe an ugly crab or the odd aptasia. I could probably do that much.

IMO you shouldn't be adding SPS until you tank is at least 6months old, gives the tank enough time to balance out and get established. SPS are very finicky, and like lots of light.

And just fyi, a reef system is never perfect, and if it is, it doesn't last long, too many variables. The problem becomes that we are constantly adding and taking things out.

Also sooner or later you will kill something, it is inevitable.... Some maybe not your fault, some maybe it is. That is just life

Jeff