|
Do's :) |
|
Don'ts :( |
| Do use
RO water. |
| Don't use tap
water. |
| Do
cycle your tank with uncured
live rock. | |
Don't cycle your tank with
damsels. Damsels are mean and aggressive. They will limit what
you can add to your tank later. Even if you think you've got a
nice damsel, you might wake up one day and find that it's
flipped out. |
| Do use a
sump,
protein skimmer,
live rock, and
overflow as your
main filtration. |
| Don't
use canister filters as main filtration. This is freshwater
technology! |
| Do use a
phosphate sponge. |
|
Don't let phosphates turn your
corals brown and cause ugly algae growth. |
| Do keep your
fish plump. |
| Don't
overfeed! It can lead to high nitrates, phosphates and bad
algae. |
| Do use
nassariuss
snails and/or sand sifters to clean your sand. Or stir your
sand weekly. This slowly releases debris as to not shock your
system |
|
Don't stir your sand if
you've never stirred it. You could be releasing deadly toxins. |
| Do use a
protein
skimmer. | |
Don't
buy a cheap skimmer. You'll end up replacing it with a better
skimmer. (But having a cheap skimmer is better than none at all.) |
| Do research or ask about
livestock behavior.
For corals, be sure you have the
right lighting, water flow, and water parameters. For fish, be
sure it's compatible with other tankmates and you have the right
size tank and food. | |
Don't buy on impulse because
something looks cool. |
| Do change
bulbs
regularly on reef tanks. Most bulbs last 10-12 months. | | |
| Do
test
your water
parameters before and after adding livestock. | |
|
| Do create drip loops with your power cords.
Elevate power source so if water drips down cord, it won't cause
a fire. | | |
| Do 10-15% water changes every
two weeks. | |
|
| Do be patient while your tank
cycles. | |
Don't add chemicals to speed up cycling. You may be doing
more harm than good. |
| Do
research
the right type of system for your needs. (lights, filtration,
tank size, equipment) | |
Don't buy on impulse. You will waste money re-buying the
right equipment or on dead livestock. |