The Official Asylum Reef Tank Thread

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by shilala

In my 17 years of saltwater keeping, I've killed over 5K worth of fish. Easily. Sometimes a couple thousand bucks at once. It is a painful, painful hobby.
It sure is nice when everything is going right, I'll admit that. I figured out what my most recent problem is. Now I just have to get the gumption up to fix it and wait the year it'll take till things straighten out.
I tried to give my fish tank away the other day but I don't want all the stock dumped in the garbage. So I decided I have a responsibility to the critters and I'll struggle forth.
I imagine my "want to" will return. I'd really just rather go back to keeping fresh water local fish like crappies and bass and stuff. That's FUN.

Scott,
After many years in the hobby and as a business, there a few simple secrets to not killing fish and having them live as long as 15 years, as my Emperor Angel.
1 - before buying expensive fish, buy all your expensive equipment, like an EETS skimmer and so on.
2 - and more important than 1, never, ever, ever add additional fish to your tank once populated. If you must, as hard to keep number 1, never, ever add fish to your tank that have not been quarantined for at least a few weeks. I always fresh water dipped them first for five minutes and then in copper tank for two to three weeks. Easiest way to kill established fish is to add new fish with parasites.
3 - see first two

For reefs, put in all your rocks and corals and run tank that way without fish for a couple of months, so that any parasites that may have come with th rocks die without a host. Then refer to 1, 2 and 3.

That worked well for my customers and me.