So long and fair well

[Reef Swimmer]

After being in the hobby for about 4 months I'm getting out. I don't have the money to get what I need to make my tank run right. Thanks for all the advice you all have given me. But I'm at an end.

[hobogato]

it can definitely be an expensive hobby. look forward to seeing you return when you can afford it.

[Reef Swimmer]

Yeah me too. I love my tank it just need more upgrades than I can afford.

[Scutterborn]

Sorry to see you go.


- Ben -

[jrossjr79]

Sorry to see you go, I can attest it is expensive, hopefully we will see you come back when you get more money.


Sorry to see you go.


- Ben -

Just saw your sig, congrats on quitting so long. Keep at it.

[ducati996]

After being in the hobby for about 4 months I'm getting out. I don't have the money to get what I need to make my tank run right. Thanks for all the advice you all have given me. But I'm at an end.
This is getting old now I quit no I don't lol every week its the same story tanks running fine as of yesterday and today u quit everyone doesnt reef with the top of the line equipment what's going on with tank now that ur quitting?

[Reef Swimmer]

I'm chasing numbers. My ca+2 is 500ppm
my kh won't even register. I've put a lot of time in it to and I still need more stuff. Yeah I know patience and mine is running thin.

[ducati996]

I'm chasing numbers. My ca+2 is 500ppm
my kh won't even register. I've put a lot of time in it to and I still need more stuff. Yeah I know patience and mine is running thin.tanks still cycling lol imo ur taking it too far too fast

[350gt]

Man my tank has been up going on 3 years and ive never chased #s....


That will drive you insane.... The # game is for the more experienced folks that dose and all that..... Water changes should be sufficient for a tank thats just starting up..... Shoot i still dont dose....

[reefreak]

Never chase numbers, they will almost always be off. IMO Let the tank sit and just make sure Stuff is still alive and make sure it runs properly. Sorry to see you go.

[Reef Swimmer]

Ok so what should I test for besides ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, and high range ph.

[Paul28]

salinity and do waterchanges that's all you need with only a few frags in the tank

[ducati996]

Tony said it best keep up with ur water changes and u will be fine

[Reef Swimmer]

I haven't done one since I got it started and I wasn't sure when to start doing them.

[REBridges]

I remember when I first got into this hobby. I had my ups and downs and not a lot of money to spend at all. Your tank is just an infant. Let it run and cycle more. The more you do, the more it grows and gets easier. A lot of us have learned that patientce is a virtue. Its SOOOOO HARD to hold back. IMO, dont quit. You'll get it down before long.

[ducati996]

Tank was setup on july 13th its time for a water change

[stephaniegarcia06]

Nothing else for now. I test salinity with water changes (and like hobogato - use tapwater.) If something starts looking bad, something else is wrong and I'll run more tests based on what's wrong. Just let your tank sit and run a while. It will stabilize at some point. I don't keep or care to keep sps, so I'm not as involved in water parameters as some.

[Paul28]

do the waterchange then go watch tv and go outside the tank will be ok :) that's all it needs every now and then

[350gt]

Saturday is my water change day.... Every other one....

It works, i dont need to dose....

i just make sure the salinities match and its all good... Softies and lps are forgiving... Sps not so much...

just stay consistent with them and get the basics down....

Like i said chasing #s is too much work.....

I personally would rather have a simple forgiving tank that is full of color.. Rather than a high demaning tank that is not so forgiving and needs to be supplemented and monitored..... Now thats heart breaking when those types of tanks take a dip.... Ask a seasoned salty on here.....

When my tank dipped, i didnt really sweat it...... Let it run its course, figured the problem and habe been slowly fixing it...

No quitting here!..

[jrsatx20]

Ok so what should I test for besides ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, and high range ph.

nothing. let it sit for a month with just top off. at the end of month do a water change and put a fish in and see what happens. thats how i test. i know i m prob gonna get some hate mail for using a fish as a test but thats what i do

[Big_Pun]

Man my tank has been up going on 3 years and ive never chased #s....


That will drive you insane.... The # game is for the more experienced folks that dose and all that..... Water changes should be sufficient for a tank thats just starting up..... Shoot i still dont dose....

lmao tony.

you know on one of the many pm's i told you never chase numbers. i told you stop dosing and just do water changes. not sure why you keep making this harder for yourself.

[jrsatx20]

my corals (LPS) always told me when i needed to do a water change. they would deflate and not perk up. did a water change and everything back to normal.
dont have a tank at the moment killed everything j/k . slow down and enjoy the tank it will come together

[jrossjr79]

With such a young tank, and I am assuming you are new to the hobby, like everyone has stated, slow down, dont chase numbers. Do your water changes.

I dont have any corals, because I am not ready (as far as equipment or funds) to support them. I am gradually going forward in my endeavors with my tank and not rushing. Rushing causes problems. Only thing I test for is Nitrates. Since cycling my tank I dont ever check nitrites, only time I check ammonia is when I suspect a problem. I do check my ph values, but it is usually just once a month, and I check my nitrates once to twice a month. Which is probable to much. I nver have checked for phosphates, or anything else. I keep an eye on my temp and my salinity. I do 10% water changes every month, sometimes its 20% depending on my nitrates.

My tank is very budgeted, which can be attest by a few of the people here on MAAST that have come by and see it.

Really need to start paying attention to the advice people are giving here.

[Reef Swimmer]

I'm not dosing at all.

[350gt]

lmao tony.

you know on one of the many pm's i told you never chase numbers. i told you stop dosing and just do water changes. not sure why you keep making this harder for yourself.



Lol even leroy said im probably the only person on maast thats never used purple up....

[jrossjr79]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm, I never used that stuff :)

[footballdude2k3]

first, i am goona set the over/under at 17 days until you post on here that you are quiting again in a new thread. settle down, read something that will help you instead of whining about how everything sucks and you want to quit. if you want advice, or have questions, find a better way to ask.

second, what is it with you texans and purple up?

[Southern Flame]

I've never used purple up :-)

[Big_Pun]

first, i am goona set the over/under at 17 days until you post on here that you are quiting again in a new thread. settle down, read something that will help you instead of whining about how everything sucks and you want to quit. if you want advice, or have questions, find a better way to ask.

second, what is it with you texans and purple up?

never used the stuff and i tell customers at store its a gimmick lol

[Reef Swimmer]

Ok only thing I remember is stop dosing and run my skimmer and take it slow. I've done that and I still feel like I'm putting in a ton of work and getting nothing back. Yeah my tank is young and its looking great from my pov. Every tank I see is beautiful and has all these beautiful corals and sweet looking fish. I look at mine and I'm like what else do I need to buy or do to get a tank like that. My lights bearly cut the mustard and I need LEDs. I push myself to have the best tank, the best equipment and to do my best. If I don't I feel like I'm not doing good enough.

[350gt]

You dont need leds!.......

leds are a little of a guess work too...

You can run the proven metal halide or t5.....

Imo for beginners a good light would be a 4-6 bulb t5ho, depending on size....

i would push for a 6 bulb if you can fit it and it will grow just about anything.....

[REBridges]

My newest tank has been setup only since April...it's NOTHING compared to my main tank thats pretty seasoned. Over 5 years seasoned. I look at my new tank and sometimes I think that it looks horrible to the other that has tons of corals, fish, etc...In due time it will come together. That tank just cant handle too much until it matures more.

[Big_Pun]

everyone of our tanks is ugly at some point,5 months ago i was battling weird algae on sand bed and rocks. took months of hard work hair pulling a few text messages to friends telling them i wanna throw hammer at tank to finally get my tank cleaned up. right now im trying to get back in routine and color up my sps.
run what you have reef in your means, that means no sps, no more wasting money buying up coral till you know what your doing. most of all stop whining and understand this hobby is not easy, and requires work and money.this the only hobby ive ever done that ive stuck it out more than a year, because its different everyday and challanges me everyday.

[footballdude2k3]

If you want LEDs you can get Chinese ones on eBay that have had amazing success with some epic tanks on rc for under 200 each, I agree with the above post that you can get away with a t5 or mh setup for your tank that would let you grow anything for less than that, you're throwing money at the wrong things. You need lights, flow, and salt. That's pretty much it. Get the basics down, you're trying to move far too fast. This is going to be a learning game. Most of us have years on you for experience. I still maintain that if you ask for advice better, you will get people that are more willing to help, you're just whining. This hobby requires patience, intelligence, and the ability to research things.

[kkiel02]

Mh are super cheap right now cause everyone is converting to LEDs. I pretty much gave my halide stuff away compared to what I paid for it. Sorry havent read the whole post but what size tank is it?

[Reef Swimmer]

90g

[Sherita]

There is a saying in this hobby. "Nothing good happens fast". You can't start a tank, and then expect to have a showstopper in a couple of months, or in some cases in a couple of years. Everything worth doing in this hobby takes time and patience. And you don't *need* leds. You might want them, but you don't need them. There are tons of beautiful tanks out there that are lit with metal halide/vho combos or with T5ho lights. And, on top of that, it's not necessary to have the latest, greatest skimmer/lights/pumps/whatever. I currently have 5 tanks running. Every last one of those tanks is lit with used lights that I picked up here and there. All but one of those tanks is used. The one that is not is one that I built. Return pumps, skimmers, carbon reactors, ATO's......all used. This hobby can be as expensive as you want it to be. But it doesn't have to be stupidly outrageous expensive. You don't have to spend thousands on LED's, go with reefbreeders instead, under $200 new and from my experience grow corals great. Or, just watch the forums. The six LED lights that I have right now were all bought used. You don't have to spend a huge chunk on the latest skimmer technology, get a used workhorse from someone that decided to get out or upgrade. Powerheads are for sale all the time used, no need to buy new there. Same with return pumps. And reactors.

You can also make this hobby as complicated, or as simple, as you choose. I run skimmerless, don't dose, do bi-weekly small water changes. Other folks go to the opposite of the spectrum, monster skimmers, reactors, dosing. It's all up to you. You have to decide what you want to do. The more "stuff" running on a tank, the more work you will put into it. I made the decision to not keep sps, because I didn't want to fool with daily dosing, and I wanted to run skimmerless. So I keep softies, zoas and palys, and lps. You have to make the decision of how much work you want to put into it, then go from there.

And the same thing goes for corals. It's not necessary to spend thousands of dollars on super premium high end corals. There are lots of "common" corals to be found for sale everywhere on this forum, and others. Those common corals are in many cases just as spectacular as their named family members.

IMHO, the biggest investments that this hobby requires are time and patience. Tanks take time to mature and season and become stable. And it's not going to look spectacular until it has the time to mature and become stable.

[Scutterborn]

All good advice. ^^. Stick it out and just do small regular water changes. It'll level out.

[hobogato]

david, we have all been there.

look, here is my current tank progression:

day 1

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC07964.jpg

6 weeks

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08068.jpg

3 1/2 months - finally past most of the cyano, diatoms, and hair algae

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/250/DSC08531.jpg

stop shooting for what you see in others' tanks and start enjoying the progression of your tank. while you are looking past these stages, you are missing all kinds of cool stuff.

[350gt]

Nice post ace!..... Add a today pic!

[Reef Swimmer]

So you think I'm whining huh. I'd rather spend money on LEDs then be buying new bulbs every 6 months and have to run a chiller cause the metal halides heat my tank. My skimmer works but I want a better one same goes for my sump. It's getting by till I can get better stuff. But I will not run t5s longer than I need to.

[ducati996]

So you think I'm whining huh. I'd rather spend money on LEDs then be buying new bulbs every 6 months and have to run a chiller cause the metal halides heat my tank. My skimmer works but I want a better one same goes for my sump. It's getting by till I can get better stuff. But I will not run t5s longer than I need to.
Nothing wrong with t5 lights its that type of attitude that is gonna drive u nuts in this hobby I ran t5 lights forever my tank paid for.my current leds or else I wouldn't have them and for tje record yes u are whinning and not taking any of the advice people are giving u here its 5 pages of useful info here and ur just not getting it

[Scutterborn]

Thread locked per OP request.