READ THIS AND VOTE, ARTICLE FOR THE LIBRARY

[erikharrison]

I found a really good article that can help any begineer to SW. I found alot of useful information here. PLEASE REVIEW THE ARTICLE FULLY.
http://www.nvreefers.org/community/articles/new_to_salt.php#loop

[mathias]

Hmmm it really doesn't say STOP WAIT DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA MONEY? NO then turn around....

[mathias]

sorry yes it does great article :)




Thinking about it but haven't taken the plunge?
Marine fish and reef tanks are truly inspiring but they do require a higher level of commitment than your average freshwater tank. If the next few paragraphs don't scare you off then get ready to dive into the lifestyle of the saltwater fanatic!

Financially: Figure on $50 per gallon for a reef tank (fish only can be substantially less). This figure includes what you'll spend on the tank itself, equipment, livestock, food, water, and electricity. So a 75g reef tank will have cost you approximately $4000 by the end of the first year.

Maintenance: Averages about an hour a day for a typical reef tank. More or less depending on the actual tank size.

Patience: This hobby will test your patience to the extreme! Being hasty will usually lead to problems and frustration.

Speaking of Frustration: If you can't handle some frustration and defeat definitely DO NOT pursue this hobby! There will be highs and lows and you just have accept what happens and move forward.

If you can handle everything stated above then you've got what it takes to keep a marine aquarium! The following sections cover some of the details that you'll be curious about.

[LoneStar]

Well I'm not sure about the financials in his statement, but it does give a decent list of terms and their definitions any new saltwater enthusiest would need to look over.

If I only had $4000.00 my first year of reefing :innocent I know I'd have a larger tank than 75g with the premium equipment to boot!

[erikharrison]

bump.

[Texreefer]

i think those #'s are in the ballpark for a full blown Reef,,, i have a 120 that i have spent a little over $6000 on. if you are just starting out it gives you an idea of what you can get yourself into

[erikharrison]

well despite the prices posted, I am talking about the viable information needed to start a reef can be derived from this. I found a wealth of information there, and that is what I feel the article should be looked at for. Y'all ignore the prices, we can cite the site and take that portion out. Also it is for a full blown reef, which if you have a ton of acros, could easily exceed that mark. Ten colonies of quality acros at 80 a pop plus s&h, unless ordered all at once can be quite pricey. Add to that cost of drilling (article speaks of closed loops, which is how I found it) this that and the other thing, 4000 is reasonable IMO. I spent 1200 on our setup the first month, including everything but electric. Yes I got screwed on a few items, but I did not know about MAAST at that time....

edit: Also Mike, you're knowledgeable about reefing, construction and that greatly would reduce your price. :)

[brewercm]

That and he's talking about buying everything new. Ahhhh, the pleasures of finding MAAST where you can cut that cost down significantly. Probably add a disclamer about those prices being for all new so as not to scare off everybody that thinks about getting in. Regardless though, it's good to know what you are getting yourself in to.

[erikharrison]

Don't forget to vote cliff :P

[erikharrison]

bump.

[erikharrison]

bump this is for the LIBRARY, please vote.

[loans_n_fishes]

Great info, Erik. However, I really don't see a problem with posting a link to sites like this in the library without a formal vote. I'm afraid we may not get the library done at all if we vote on every article/link/advice that I receive. If we MUST do this, there would need to be a time limit to vote on each article, recipe, advice, etc. I am all for member input, but voting on everything may wind up bogging things down.

I'm really not trying to be a pain, or pooh-pooh on your efforts. ;) I really appreciate your help and willingness to get involved! 8)

[loans_n_fishes]

Those of you interested in contributing or knowing more about the library, see the sticky at the top of general reefkeeping.

Thanks all! 8)

[erikharrison]

IDK on how fast yall plan on putting a library up, but IMO, if there are multiple articles of interest, they should be voted on for which is best and most informative. I thought this one was great because it would give any newb a good place to start any/all research. Also the chronology, listing in order of importance is good. I just saw it, and thought to myself, man if I had only seen this when I started. I challenge anyone to look up articles on this, and find something that isn't lame. Most of the articles are silly
STEP ONE, PROPER PLACEMENT OF YOUR AQUARIUM.
IMO anything that starts with this is garbage. I know the first thought should revolve more around what kind of tank and implementation best suits them. If you REALLY read this article, you'll probably be able to have a firm grasp on intro knowledge.

[erikharrison]

I am going to bump this. BOD please take a look. Reason I say that is because there needs to be some kind of review structure setup. Maybe an elected group (of willing participants, of course) that are the cream of the crop for knowledge in our organization. Angela shot the idea of a vote down, but I think if we hurry to fill the library, there will be issues, such as the other episode.

[erikharrison]

Read the info, not all the money stuff.

[Ping]

To Erik and All.

I am now the Chairperson for the educational committee. Before we post a link from our site to someone else's site it is proper (and possibly legally necessary) to ask their permission.

It appears to be a very good article. I, however; only took a cursory glance at it.

I will make an attempt contact with them next week and ask permission, I will be very busy until Monday.

If someone finds erroneous information in the article we are looking at please LMK. Thanks

[Sherri]

I think it is good that we have a Chairperson to go thru on decisions with educational articles before they are posted...that is what a committee is for. Looking into articles & posting isn't that easy...permissions must be addressed as legal issues isn't something we want pointed at MAAST. I feel this isn't something that needs to be voted on - let the committee that is now putting the Education Library together do their job. Any suggestions, articles, etc. should be first directed to that committee. Keeps thing organized.

Everyone also has their own opinion on what works good for them which is what MAAST is all about. We always must respect someone else's opinions...and unless something is "borrowed" by permission, it should be listed as "My Opinion Only" and not be ridiculed or put down because one feels another way. I myself have loved the different opinions offered in MAAST thru the years - especially on questions I've asked....as I then made my own decision as to follow thru what I felt would work for me. Personally, it turns me off when I see competition as it's unnecessary. Just offering some of my own opinion as a BOD....I do love the enthusiasm - keep it up...let's just direct it in the right direction - to the committee to make the proper decisions. :)

[ClownReef®]

Sherry,

VERY well said. Just like my fish disease post. It clearly stated i am not a marine biologist, or anything of that matter. I am a passionate hobbyist like many others here. It clearly said those methods have worked for me and that i strongly encouraged people to do the same, since they have been proven to work. No lies, no myths, just the honest truth. No magical cures or snakes oils.

I emailed every single source of my diseases post. I took the time in the format. Made it easy and used friendly with pictures and amazing info. I took the time to research the quality of the information. I didnt sit down and yapped away a bunch of lies. I am going to go over my post (i have it saved) and i will re-submit it to, in this case, Ping. I WILL NOT WRITE SOMETHING I KNOW IS A LIE. I am not one to give advice if i wouldnt take it myself.

I take pride in the work i do. It took me HOURS upong HOURS of reading and researching to do my post. I didnt come across something and copy pasted it.. I took the time to email the owner/owners/websites. If you need proof i can submit it. I like doing things right, not half done.

Ping,

I look forward to working with you.

Best,

Diego

[sawarf]

I am a newbie reefoholic and I got alot out of the article. Thanks for making it available.

[Instar]

The only down side to posting links to articles on someone else's web site is that we depend on them keeping their web site alive (paying their bills, repairing equipment, etc.) and not moving the link for the life span of ours. I recommend getting permission for reprints and posting an exact copy or combine the article with reseach and site it as a reference only. This will prevent many broken links over time and lost references in our library.

[erikharrison]

I recommend getting permission for reprints and posting an exact copy or combine the article with reseach and site it as a reference only. This will prevent many broken links over time and lost references in our library.

I agree. Thanks for the input!

[BIGBIRD123]

Guys this is the kind of discussion we need.

Diego, thanks for the write-up.

Sherri, well said and we can't thank you enough.

Larry, I totally agree and I hope to meet you soon.

Erik, thanks for understanding that we all have differences. It's the diversification of our differences that make us one, one group, MAAST.

Peter, thanks for accepting the position. It will be great working with you. I know you will be an asset to MAAST.

I am PROUD to be a part of MAAST, proud to be a BOD and proud to be a part of the future here.

MACNA RIVERWALK "09

Steve

[Texreefer]

:cry what steve said :D

[BIGBIRD123]

I agree...

[erikharrison]

Yeah I started this post originally to kinda get some form, or a procedure in place for this type of thing. Glad to see it is coming together. Peter took on a good task, but I do believe that each post should be open to change. We are not all perfect, and surely the things we post will not be either. I guess if there needs to be an ammendment to a post, they need to be submitted to Peter (ping, for those that don't know) for review. That way instead of bickering, and fighting, there will be a final say-so from an individual that we all respect, and the debate will end there.

[Sherri]

That way instead of bickering, and fighting, there will be a final say-so from an individual that we all respect, and the debate will end there.

A group leader of a committee... :)

[loans_n_fishes]

Sounds like a good plan guys. Unfortunately, I had a huge amount of articles that I had found to submit for review, but my computer crashed and I lost them all! :angry

Sorry I have been so scarce. It has been a rather difficult and busy spring and summer. Right after my father's memorial service, my grandmother came back to live with my mother. We have recently found that she, too has cancer and is now starting treatments. Not sure what the outcome will be. She is 94 and not very strong. My mother had a colonoscopy. Two pre-cancerous polyps, but no cancer--thank God! I have been going back and forth very frequently to help my mother and grandmother and just haven't had time to keep up with everything fishy! :P I hope you all don't think I am flaky. This has just been a very difficult time. I am still more than willing to shoulder a lot of the burden on the library. However, I am thankful that the education committee is coming together on this, too. PLEASE forgive the absentee-ism!! :(

Having a library will be a great asset to MAAST, I believe. Thanks for all of the help and interest in this!