You ever get that suspicion that something is just “not right” with your tank? You do a little investigation, and notice that the problem is something minor: The reason your tank looked a bit darker is that the cover glass over your LED pendant was a bit dirty. Easy fix. You wipe it down and move on. However, easy stuff like that should give you some pause...I mean, what if it wasn't such an easy fix? Could a problem have been prevented? It's worth a little advanced planning, or at least, advanced consideration, huh?
Here are my top seven things that I think you just can't afford to ignore in reef keeping.
1)That small drip means something. You regularly notice a bit of dried salt or an occasional, yet consistent wet spot near a plumbing connection. It’s obvious that the fit isn’t perfect, and that you have a very small leak. A lot of hobbyists will simply note it and accept this as a “self-curing” problem. The salt will mineralize and create a natural seal. But isn’t that near-constant leak bothering you? Could it be indicative of a greater problem, or simply an isolated instance of an ill-fitted connection? Who cares! Fix it now, by either re-fitting the section, or utilizing a material like Rescue Tape to create a more permanent seal. No time like the present. Over time, “small” leaks can often result in major water damage or other issues for your aquarium and the room in which it resides.
That little drip should be telling you something...
2) That Acropora colony is declining steadily. It’s apparently the only one in your tank that’s doing poorly. You need to take some action- either fragging off large portions of the affected coral, or simply removing it all together for treatment in a separate tank. Could it be the dreaded "diseases" we all hear about? RTN/STN (“Rapid Tissue Necrosis/Slow Tissue Necrosis”) are usually brought on by stress, wether its from shipping, poor water quality, unstable water parameters like temperature fluctuation, Kh swings, low calcium, etc. Perhaps more of a response than a true disease, yet the affects are equally devastating. No one is exactly sure, but we do know one thing: RTN can progress quickly, like in a manner of hours and your entire colony could be history. STN, as it’s name implies, is a slower process. Is either condition “contagious” in the true sense? Can they spread to healthy corals in your system? Possibly. It’s not entirely understood. So why take chances? If you have an affected coral, why gamble? When in doubt, get it out!
It happens to the best of us. Sanjay saw it coming, and there wasn't much that could be done.
3) Getting a handle on your system's water chemistry is important. Yeah, I know. I’ve went on and on about you not getting obsessive about numbers on your test kits, and shooting for specific numbers. I still believe that firmly. However, I also believe that you need to get an initial “baseline” reading on your environmental parameters. It will make it easier to spot trends- both good and bad- in your reef system. Test when your tank is looking awesome. This will establish what is “normal” for your system. Obviously, if the condition of your reef starts to decline, you’ve drifted away from what was ideal for your system. The same tests conducted at that time will no doubt confirm a few things. Use the differences as a means to determine an acceptable range. Don’t obsess over your phosphate being exactly 0.02ppm. Understand that it may fall into a narrow range that is acceptable for your corals, without a massive algal bloom or other consequences occurring. It’s never bad to have information.
Knowledge is power in reef keeping. Don't obsess, but know what's going on...
4) With all of the storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, power interruption is more of a possibility than ever before, and lack of power for even a few hours can doom your expensive and precious reef in many instances. You’ve invested many thousands of dollars in creating your dream reef, so what not protect the investment with a battery backup or backup generator? It may seem like a luxury, but when you take into account just how much time, energy and money you’ve invested into your reef, spending a several hundred dollars on a dedicated generator to keep the lights, heat, and circulation going after the power fails just makes sense, doesn’t it? In my opinion, it should be as important a part of your planning as developing the correct stocking program, or purchasing the right lighting system for your reef. Consider this from day one of the planning of your next dream reef. You will not regret it, trust me.
Your reef is worth the investment, isn't it?
5) That Centropyge Angelfish has become a real problem. Not only is it chasing all of your Blennies and Assessors around the tank relentlessly, it’s nibbling on your expensive Acans and Zoas. Removing this fish is going to be almost impossible without tearing apart your reef! That’s gonna suck. What to do? In my opinion, you can do one of two things: Continuously subject your other fishes to disease-causing stress, and watch your pricy coral and fish collection shrink continuously, or you can suck it up, start breaking apart some of the reef structure, and getting the offender out. Wow! That’s pretty radical! You could try fish traps, trying to get the fish out at night…whatever. But in the end, almost inevitably, you’ll end up tearing some or all of your rock work out to get the fish out before it decimates the tank. It’s always an ego blow, a disappointment, and a royal pain. However, the alternative is to watch your other animals suffer. Trust me, after doing this, you’ll never take a “calculated risk” again quite so easily!Unfortunately, it’s a clear cut example of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, or the one” as Mr. Spock would say. Bite the bullet and get him out.
He seemed like a good idea at the time, huh?
6) The heater seems to be having trouble holding a steady temp. The tank is drifting way more than you’d expect from day/night variations. Perhaps it’s running a bit warmer? If you have a controller, it’s really easy to spot this problem. Regardless, you need to have a backup for critical components like heaters and system pumps. These things don’t have infinite life spans, as you may have surmised, Build items like a backup main system pump and backup heaters into your overall reef budget when you build your system. Yeah, forgo that one Aussie Acro colony and have these backups in your closet “Just in case.” Usually, the “just in case” seems to come at night. On a holiday weekend. During a snowstorm. Right after you paid that huge roofing repair bill. ‘Nuff said.
7) You have a life. You travel a lot, work hard, and are simply not always around. On occasion, you’ll need to entrust your reef to someone else. maybe that person is an experienced reefer if you’re lucky. Maybe you have a controller that will at least tip you off to a failure. Maybe not. Maybe, you’ll have to talk that person through some sort of emergency from thousands of miles away. You can make the process somewhat less dramatic and daunting by taking just a few steps. First, make sure that you label every plumbing connection, every power cord, every switch, and every piece of equipment. This may seem insanely time consuming, but it just might save your reef if you need a rapid response from someone who isn't familiar with it. Trust me, there are few things more difficult than trying to simultaneously diagnose a problem from a distance, while telling the person taking care of your reef which valve to turn, or which cord to disconnect. It’s one of those projects that you can do as you set up the system that will pay potential dividends when you need it the most.
Okay, so I’ve given you my top seven things that I don’t think you can ignore. You must have dozens more, no doubt! It’s part of being a reefer- solving problems. Or in the case of some of these things- identifying them BEFORE they become problems!
Let’s hear some of your favorite reef-related things that you simply cannot afford to ignore. Please share, so that we can all add your experiences to ours! The reef you save might just be your own!
Until next time..Be prepared.
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
Here are my top seven things that I think you just can't afford to ignore in reef keeping.
1)That small drip means something. You regularly notice a bit of dried salt or an occasional, yet consistent wet spot near a plumbing connection. It’s obvious that the fit isn’t perfect, and that you have a very small leak. A lot of hobbyists will simply note it and accept this as a “self-curing” problem. The salt will mineralize and create a natural seal. But isn’t that near-constant leak bothering you? Could it be indicative of a greater problem, or simply an isolated instance of an ill-fitted connection? Who cares! Fix it now, by either re-fitting the section, or utilizing a material like Rescue Tape to create a more permanent seal. No time like the present. Over time, “small” leaks can often result in major water damage or other issues for your aquarium and the room in which it resides.
That little drip should be telling you something...
2) That Acropora colony is declining steadily. It’s apparently the only one in your tank that’s doing poorly. You need to take some action- either fragging off large portions of the affected coral, or simply removing it all together for treatment in a separate tank. Could it be the dreaded "diseases" we all hear about? RTN/STN (“Rapid Tissue Necrosis/Slow Tissue Necrosis”) are usually brought on by stress, wether its from shipping, poor water quality, unstable water parameters like temperature fluctuation, Kh swings, low calcium, etc. Perhaps more of a response than a true disease, yet the affects are equally devastating. No one is exactly sure, but we do know one thing: RTN can progress quickly, like in a manner of hours and your entire colony could be history. STN, as it’s name implies, is a slower process. Is either condition “contagious” in the true sense? Can they spread to healthy corals in your system? Possibly. It’s not entirely understood. So why take chances? If you have an affected coral, why gamble? When in doubt, get it out!
It happens to the best of us. Sanjay saw it coming, and there wasn't much that could be done.
3) Getting a handle on your system's water chemistry is important. Yeah, I know. I’ve went on and on about you not getting obsessive about numbers on your test kits, and shooting for specific numbers. I still believe that firmly. However, I also believe that you need to get an initial “baseline” reading on your environmental parameters. It will make it easier to spot trends- both good and bad- in your reef system. Test when your tank is looking awesome. This will establish what is “normal” for your system. Obviously, if the condition of your reef starts to decline, you’ve drifted away from what was ideal for your system. The same tests conducted at that time will no doubt confirm a few things. Use the differences as a means to determine an acceptable range. Don’t obsess over your phosphate being exactly 0.02ppm. Understand that it may fall into a narrow range that is acceptable for your corals, without a massive algal bloom or other consequences occurring. It’s never bad to have information.
Knowledge is power in reef keeping. Don't obsess, but know what's going on...
4) With all of the storms, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, power interruption is more of a possibility than ever before, and lack of power for even a few hours can doom your expensive and precious reef in many instances. You’ve invested many thousands of dollars in creating your dream reef, so what not protect the investment with a battery backup or backup generator? It may seem like a luxury, but when you take into account just how much time, energy and money you’ve invested into your reef, spending a several hundred dollars on a dedicated generator to keep the lights, heat, and circulation going after the power fails just makes sense, doesn’t it? In my opinion, it should be as important a part of your planning as developing the correct stocking program, or purchasing the right lighting system for your reef. Consider this from day one of the planning of your next dream reef. You will not regret it, trust me.
Your reef is worth the investment, isn't it?
5) That Centropyge Angelfish has become a real problem. Not only is it chasing all of your Blennies and Assessors around the tank relentlessly, it’s nibbling on your expensive Acans and Zoas. Removing this fish is going to be almost impossible without tearing apart your reef! That’s gonna suck. What to do? In my opinion, you can do one of two things: Continuously subject your other fishes to disease-causing stress, and watch your pricy coral and fish collection shrink continuously, or you can suck it up, start breaking apart some of the reef structure, and getting the offender out. Wow! That’s pretty radical! You could try fish traps, trying to get the fish out at night…whatever. But in the end, almost inevitably, you’ll end up tearing some or all of your rock work out to get the fish out before it decimates the tank. It’s always an ego blow, a disappointment, and a royal pain. However, the alternative is to watch your other animals suffer. Trust me, after doing this, you’ll never take a “calculated risk” again quite so easily!Unfortunately, it’s a clear cut example of the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, or the one” as Mr. Spock would say. Bite the bullet and get him out.
He seemed like a good idea at the time, huh?
6) The heater seems to be having trouble holding a steady temp. The tank is drifting way more than you’d expect from day/night variations. Perhaps it’s running a bit warmer? If you have a controller, it’s really easy to spot this problem. Regardless, you need to have a backup for critical components like heaters and system pumps. These things don’t have infinite life spans, as you may have surmised, Build items like a backup main system pump and backup heaters into your overall reef budget when you build your system. Yeah, forgo that one Aussie Acro colony and have these backups in your closet “Just in case.” Usually, the “just in case” seems to come at night. On a holiday weekend. During a snowstorm. Right after you paid that huge roofing repair bill. ‘Nuff said.
7) You have a life. You travel a lot, work hard, and are simply not always around. On occasion, you’ll need to entrust your reef to someone else. maybe that person is an experienced reefer if you’re lucky. Maybe you have a controller that will at least tip you off to a failure. Maybe not. Maybe, you’ll have to talk that person through some sort of emergency from thousands of miles away. You can make the process somewhat less dramatic and daunting by taking just a few steps. First, make sure that you label every plumbing connection, every power cord, every switch, and every piece of equipment. This may seem insanely time consuming, but it just might save your reef if you need a rapid response from someone who isn't familiar with it. Trust me, there are few things more difficult than trying to simultaneously diagnose a problem from a distance, while telling the person taking care of your reef which valve to turn, or which cord to disconnect. It’s one of those projects that you can do as you set up the system that will pay potential dividends when you need it the most.
Okay, so I’ve given you my top seven things that I don’t think you can ignore. You must have dozens more, no doubt! It’s part of being a reefer- solving problems. Or in the case of some of these things- identifying them BEFORE they become problems!
Let’s hear some of your favorite reef-related things that you simply cannot afford to ignore. Please share, so that we can all add your experiences to ours! The reef you save might just be your own!
Until next time..Be prepared.
And Stay Wet.
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
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