Reefbusters: Share your favorite reefing myths!

[OrionN]

I poke at all my bubble algae to rupture them. Nutrient control is the way to get rid of Bubble algae and poking them open and the tangs can eat them. This is no myth.

 

[brad65ford]

skimmer and the must have deep sand bed are ones I remember the most. Love running no skimmers setups.

 

[VintageReefer]

I've wondered the same about aptasia. If a predator is eating it wouldn't that stress it out and cause it to release babies? The claim that you have to glue them shut to prevent spreading goes against what happens when it's being eaten.

The predators that eat them will eat at a rate faster than reproduction. A few years ago I had hundreds and hundreds and added a filefish, and in 6 months I had none

Other times more recently during aiptasia outbreaks I added berghia nudibranches. Twice. About 12-14 months apart. Both times the berghia colonies ate all the aiptasia and eventually ran out and then they starve if not rehomed

 

[OrionN]

About the only must have thing for a salt water aquarium is salt water and a container. Everything else is optional. 40 years ago, I saw an aquarium at a LFS with some rock and Aiptasia growing on it with just transient room light. That is a reef tank although most of us don’t like it now.
I don’t remember any circulation but there must have been. Possibly a heater.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

skimmer and the must have deep sand bed are ones I remember the most. Love running no skimmers setups.

Plus, a lot of people run very successful bare-bottom tanks!

 

[BeanAnimal]

Dosing is essential

This, like many "myths" posed here is not a "myth" but rather a statement lacking context.

Dosing is essential for certain outcomes and not for others.

A "myth" is along the lines of "you should not use soap on (or even wash, lol) a cast iron pan, it will ruin the seasoning"

It is a mistruth at many levels, yet has become generational lore and culturally engrained worldwide. Worse, it is based on another "myth" that "soap" contains "lye". Real soap is MADE with lye, but does not contain raw lye and has a finished pH of 7-10 (with 10 being the high end that most soap makers would avoid). So even thousands of years ago, soap makers avoided "lye heavy" soap because it was hard on the skin. Soap does not and never did "ruin" the seasoning on cast iron.... That soap that would eat away the seasoning on the pan would eat away your skin and the ancients, or even your great great grandma didn't have rubber gloves and therefore avoided making high alkalinity soap. Anyway that is an example of a real myth (or myths)
.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Dosing is essential

Mmmmm, if I didn't dose my tank would crash in no time. Fish only, no dose. Softy tank do water changes. Tank full of hard coral required.

 

[OrionN]

I actually don't think replacing Ca, Alk and Mg as dosing. I guess it is. I never dose anything else other than the big three (and Calcium reactor and water change). I guess thinking about it, dosing these are essential for my tank.

 

[i cant think]

Probably Goniopora still being impossible, I love showing my Goni garden for this reason.

 

[Sump Crab]

Mmmmm, if I didn't dose my tank would crash in no time. Fish only, no dose. Softy tank do water changes. Tank full of hard coral required.

Agreed. To me it seems that the general sentiment in the hobby is that all reef tanks need dosing when in reality most will do just fine with water changes. I have been keeping softy and LPS reefs for 20 years and have never once dosed anything. I don't even religiously perform water changes.

 

[Sump Crab]

This, like many "myths" posed here is not a "myth" but rather a statement lacking context.

Dosing is essential for certain outcomes and not for others.

A "myth" is along the lines of "you should not use soap on (or even wash, lol) a cast iron pan, it will ruin the seasoning"

It is a mistruth at many levels, yet has become generational lore and culturally engrained worldwide. Worse, it is based on another "myth" that "soap" contains "lye". Real soap is MADE with lye, but does not contain raw lye and has a finished pH of 7-10 (with 10 being the high end that most soap makers would avoid). So even thousands of years ago, soap makers avoided "lye heavy" soap because it was hard on the skin. Soap does not and never did "ruin" the seasoning on cast iron.... Anyway that is an example if a myth or myths.

You remind me of Data from star trek lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

You remind me of Data from star trek lol

I appreciate the comparison, though I am very much human. Data is known for his logical and precise nature, so I hope it's meant as a compliment. How can I assist you further?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Agreed. To me it seems that the general sentiment in the hobby is that all reef tanks need dosing when in reality most will do just fine with water changes. I have been keeping softy and LPS reefs for 20 years and have never once dosed anything. I don't even religiously perform water changes.

Not sure why anyone would even distinguish dosing by water change as fundamentally different than dosing in lots of other ways.

Any method whose purpose is to add something to the water is dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am not sure if that is a compliment or insult. I am very much human.

My wife says that about me frequently. I take it as a compliment, even though it isn’t necessarily intended that way. lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

My wife says that about me frequently. I take it as a compliment, even though it isn’t necessarily intended that way. lol

LoL - I edited my post as you quoted.

But, I get pretty much the same when I try to explain something. Worse, the more she tunes out, the more I try to explain...

 

[Sump Crab]

Not sure why anyone would even distinguish dosing by water change as fundamentally different than dosing in lots of other ways.

Any method whose purpose is to add something to the water is dosing.

Well one is doing a water change and the other is dosing solutions or chemicals to maintain numbers semantics I guess but I don't recall anyone ever calling a water change dosing. But ok I get it you are Mr chemistry lol. Ol' bill nye the science guy lol.

 

[Sump Crab]

I appreciate the comparison, though I am very much human. Data is known for his logical and precise nature, so I hope it's meant as a compliment. How can I assist you further?

I love next generation and data is one of the best

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well one is doing a water change and the other is dosing solutions or chemicals to maintain numbers semantics I guess but I don't recall anyone ever calling a water change dosing. But ok I get it you are Mr chemistry lol. Ol' bill nye the science guy lol.

Water changes dose stuff and remove stuff. Water changes are just a very expensive way to dose, unless you are already doing them for other reasons.

 

[OrionN]

If we consider add Alkalinity, Ca and Mg as dosing, then it is essential for coral tanks.
If we consider water change as dosing, then it is essential for all tanks. The only people doing "no water change" tanks dose various concoctions to keep their tank healthy, along with extensive testing.

So dosing is essential. It is not a myth but is the truth IMO.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I did not dose or do a water change for 5 or so years..... fwiw. Well maybe in that time 5-8 pinches of food... so that is some dosing.