Did anybody here start out with 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

[Skimmerking]

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.

Hey remember ROME wasnt built in a year nor was the ARK built in 48 hrs. I read for about 12 months on all that i could do before taking the plunge. read what I have put in my end state. doesnt matter how long you have been reading until you take the plunge you know JACK ****!!!!!!

PATIENCE PATIENCE. so guys on here like Dez Can make SPS grow like weeds. Some of us can kill them in 5 mins. rushing your time and wondering if this SPS coral is going to grow will eat you inside. tae it slow and take your time everybody wants a perfect Reef. But in this hobby sometimes Life gets in the way of it and $$$$$$ , children, husbands , the Wife, Boyfriends you get the picture. Aot of times some will buy outright a current system and half will die. Will this make a bad Reefer? NO it just means that sometimes we need to look at what we get our selves in to. When I want a perfect Reef I just come on here and look at some of our Canreefer's tanks. and then I look at mine and say heck its looking pretty good why would I want to get rid of it. Then I have the thought of going FOWLR and think Been there done that and wasn't impressed. Then I look at all the cool Corals that I have. you don't need to have Top of the line Corals SPS sometimes fall in to that Category. I think just starting out do Leathers, Mushrooms, RIcordias, these ones are the ones that makes you think about what to have and whatnot to have ...


At the end of the day. sit back and go the road of least resistance and you tank will follow you. HTH

Mike

[lockrookie]

Originally Posted by asmodeus

Hey remember ROME wasnt built in a year nor was the ARK built in 48 hrs. I read for about 12 months on all that i could do before taking the plunge. read what I have put in my end state. doesnt matter how long you have been reading until you take the plunge you know JACK ****!!!!!!

PATIENCE PATIENCE. so guys on here like Dez Can make SPS grow like weeds. Some of us can kill them in 5 mins. rushing your time and wondering if this SPS coral is going to grow will eat you inside. tae it slow and take your time everybody wants a perfect Reef. But in this hobby sometimes Life gets in the way of it and $$$$$$ , children, husbands , the Wife, Boyfriends you get the picture. Aot of times some will buy outright a current system and half will die. Will this make a bad Reefer? NO it just means that sometimes we need to look at what we get our selves in to. When I want a perfect Reef I just come on here and look at some of our Canreefer's tanks. and then I look at mine and say heck its looking pretty good why would I want to get rid of it. Then I have the thought of going FOWLR and think Been there done that and wasn't impressed. Then I look at all the cool Corals that I have. you don't need to have Top of the line Corals SPS sometimes fall in to that Category. I think just starting out do Leathers, Mushrooms, RIcordias, these ones are the ones that makes you think about what to have and whatnot to have ...


At the end of the day. sit back and go the road of least resistance and you tank will follow you. HTH

Mike

lol and yet you want to trade me for my 50g lol... i love your systemits huge and great and high end equiptment.....you need to find a way to keep it if you have to move it heat your garage and set it up in there

[Skimmerking]

Dude love too just can't its called moving I and renovating my basement