Question: what do you think the reefing hobby/hobbyists should stop doing?

[goosemans]

I saw a vid a while back from wwc and thought it was an interesting topic.

 

[Formulator]

I think the manufacturers need to stop catering to people who don’t have the problem solving and engineering “chops” for this hobby. It used to be there was sort of a natural engineering barrier to entering the hobby. You had to have some basic problem solving skills and know how to use a wrench to even get a system put together. They have made these AIO systems and plug and play reefs so dumbed down that anyone with a 5th grade reading level and some disposable income can jump in head first. Often they are completely lost within a couple months and in some cases, no amount of reading will make them a great reefer. This hobby takes a certain kind of person and a certain type of intelligence to be successful in. It used to be there was a filter at the front end, but that seems to have disappeared in the last 10-15 years.

This will be an unpopular opinion, and I am not trying to say the hobby should be made inaccessible to the average joe, but the barrier to entry has sunken too low IMO. Obviously this will never change as that would be bad business. More of an observation I suppose.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I think certain species such as blue Linckias and feather stars should VERY rarely be collected for the hobby.

 

[fish farmer]

Stop oversaturating coral pictures on vendor websites. I don't trip on mushrooms anymore...

 

[Zionas]

I think for Clowns and especially with the massive amount of inbreeding and all the designer strains from the Occys / Perculas, we should encourage breeders to use natural form wild fish as broodstock or captive bred broodstock with a wild lineage traceable to a geographic location. These should also be breeders that have no interest in producing any of the designers, or strictly separate their designer strains from the wild forms and don’t try to pass designer cast-offs as the “original thing.”

I think we should allow for more diversity rather than subtly promoting the high-lighting mixed reef or SPS dominant / only tank as kind of an “end goal” that people should go for once they “graduate” from simpler corals and setups. A lot of the most natural setups and ones with the most longevity have mostly softies but they look great.

And we should throw all our weight behind the companies out there doing captive breeding as well as encouraging home breeders developing their own protocols. That means your guys like Biota, Poma, Proaquatix, Sustainable Aquatics, ORA, Bali Aquarich (though they have some questionable practices mainly regarding selling the more sensitive Angelfish species at tiny sizes). The more hobbyists are informed about the benefits of CB livestock, the more they will be able to achieve economies of scale and bring prices down.

CB Goldflakes from Bali Aquarich are already about as expensive as a wild specimen, and fairly readily available. Majestic Angels and Regal Angels are now also regularly available as CB and the prices are comparable with wild caught specimens or slightly more.

Poma’s Conspics and Kingi are now cheaper than wild caught specimens.

I would also be interested in more Butterflies as CB fish.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Moving at light speed in setting up their tanks. I see SO many instances where a tank is set up and all of a sudden there are a multitude of fish, corals and anemones in there at week 2 or 3. It's a recipe that sets a new hobbyist up for potential disaster. Maybe an overstatement there cause I did JUST THIS at one time and lucked out hard-core. But this is an issue that bothers me now.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I think the manufacturers need to stop catering to people who don’t have the problem solving and engineering “chops” for this hobby. It used to be there was sort of a natural engineering barrier to entering the hobby. You had to have some basic problem solving skills and know how to use a wrench to even get a system put together. They have made these AIO systems and plug and play reefs so dumbed down that anyone with a 5th grade reading level and some disposable income can jump in head first. Often they are completely lost within a couple months and in some cases, no amount of reading will make them a great reefer. This hobby takes a certain kind of person and a certain type of intelligence to be successful in. It used to be there was a filter at the front end, but that seems to have disappeared in the last 10-15 years.

This will be an unpopular opinion, and I am not trying to say the hobby should be made inaccessible to the average joe, but the barrier to entry has sunken too low IMO. Obviously this will never change as that would be bad business. More of an observation I suppose.

Great perspective, worth exploring further.

It does seem that most new hobbyists tend to turn their brain off only to rely on others to guide them. That seems like a recipe for a gullible hobbyists to make decisions in contradiction of their best interest.

I definitely see that all the time. It could be due to the fact that the individuals entering the hobby don't have the basic foundation, nor are they willing to learn the basics in order to keep a reef tank.

 

[Reefer911]

Judging others

 

[rtparty]

Comparing their tank(s) to others.

Spouting nonsense about Redfield and ratios that have no bearing on our systems.

Arguing about product A vs product B

Stop posting to be heard and instead actually answer questions

 

[Reefer911]

Comparing their tank(s) to others.

Spouting nonsense about Redfield and ratios that have no bearing on our systems.

Arguing about product A vs product B

Stop posting to be heard and instead actually answer questions

Very annoying when the self righteous answer questions that weren’t even asked.

 

[exnisstech]

---

EDIT Rephrased to answer the question :

Stop killing fish and then researching their requirments and difficulty level.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The list is very long. Lol

Stop believing every test result.

Stop believing ANY manufacturer claim that is supplied without evidence.

Stop believing that if a long standing big name company or individual says something, there must be some truth to it.

Stop adding products claiming to boost colors unless you have independently confirmed the tank needs them.

Stop wasting time and money adding certain elements with no known biological role (rubidium, for example).

Stop adding nitrifying bacteria on a regular basis.

Stop using media designed to promote nitrification.

Stop freaking out when an icp company reports something critically high or low. There’s a lot of “the sky is falling” going on in the icp community.

Stop believing that every assertion or hypothesis is equally likely to be valid unless someone proves it wrong.

Stop believing that if a great tank uses a particular practice or has a particular parameter, it must be desirable.

 

[PharmrJohn]

The list is very long. Lol

Stop believing every test result.

Stop believing ANY manufacturer claim that is supplied without evidence.

Stop believing that if a long standing big name company or individual says something, there must be some truth to it.

Stop adding products claiming to boost colors unless you have independently confirmed the tank needs them.

Stop wasting time and money adding certain elements with no known biological role (rubidium, for example).

Stop adding nitrifying bacteria on a regular basis.

Stop using media designed to promote nitrification.

Stop freaking out when an icp company reports something critically high or low. There’s a lot of “the sky is falling” going on in the icp community.

Stop believing that every assertion or hypothesis is equally likely to be valid unless someone proves it wrong.

Stop believing that if a great tank uses a particular practice or has a particular parameter, it must be desirable.

LOL, are you sure this is it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

LOL, are you sure this is it?

No, just ran out of time lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

Stop believing that every assertion or hypothesis is equally likely to be valid unless someone proves it wrong.

Stop believing that if a great tank uses a particular practice or has a particular parameter, it must be desirable.

Will you be selling shirts? Put me down for two XLs please.

 

[Reefering1]

Stop asking questions only to turn a dead ear to the advice given or adamantly defend their position. If you don't want help, don't ask for it.

 

[Dbichler]

We all need to stop buying the over priced items no matter if it’s equipment of livestock we’re only increasing the cost of an already expensive hobby. With this stop selling livestock at such a high price. Go back to the day when we would grow out corals and sell frags for dirt cheap or trade.

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

I find the naming, renaming & grading of corals a little comical & I see a lot of hobbyists boasting about their "ultra A grade, holy grail torch" etc.
Without lineage alot if it feels like a cynical marketing exercise to relieve naive hobbyists of their cash.
Full disclosure-im not immune to this pattern & have bought some myself but purely as a somewhat cynical investment to grow & trade when the time is right.
So I'm no better

 

[Reefer Matt]

Stop treating coral like trademarks.
Stop being so critical of your tank.
Stop thinking reef tanks are linear.
Stop making things hard for yourself.
Stop assuming it’s all been figured out.
Stop buying on impulse.

 

[BeanAnimal]

We all need to stop buying the over priced items no matter if it’s equipment of livestock we’re only increasing the cost of an already expensive hobby. With this stop selling livestock at such a high price. Go back to the day when we would grow out corals and sell frags for dirt cheap or trade.

Honestly, what is overpriced? What happens when you stop buying and the vendors fold and you have no choices?