If there is one thing that bends reefkeepers of every tank personality out of shape more than anything else, it would be when a reefkeeper buys colonies of coral, frags them out, sells the frags and makes more money off the frags than they paid for the colonies.
Why this bends people out of shape, I’ll never know as buying and selling is basic capitalism at work.
Yes, someone is making money off the people buying the frags. Which they should – the person who took the risk to buy the whole colony, not knowing if they’d make their money back – gets rewarded. This action is basic economics at work- more risk -> more reward. The people buying the frags could have bought the colony, but they didn’t. Probably because they didn’t want to pay the price – i.e. take the risk
Also, the person buying/fragging out the colony provided value (again basic economics – more value -> higher price) to the frag purchaser. The colony purchaser took the time to buy the colony, pick it up/pay for shipping, make sure the colony was going to live and is pest-free, cut/mounted the frags, posted the frags for sale, etc. For the added value, the colony owner gets rewarded with a higher price.
Reefkeepers on the other side of the table argue that people shouldn’t be making money off a hobby. This idea is insane. If you can provide value and take on risk so that others don’t, then you should be rewarded for it. If you can make a couple of bucks while you are at it, more power to you. If you can make a full time living off of doing it, let’s write a book about it!
Now, if you are ripping people off by mis-representing your corals by saying they are 1″ when they are actually 1/2″, then you deserve to not make any money and there is no room for you in the reef keeping world if you are selling frags or even trading them.
But to shun fellow reefkeepers because they utilized basic economics is just wrong.
Lately, I’ve seen 2 really nice, established reef junkie tanks come down and both owners made the same mistake.
Both of these tanks had additional live rock added to them after the tank was already up and running and 100% cycled.
What happened next?
Green hair algae outbreaks, mini-cycles, and bleached corals. Oh, then owners then got frustrated and quit the hobby.
If your tank is established, do not add significant amounts of new live rock to it. If you want to add some small (3bs or less) pieces, that’s fine, but any piece over 5 lbs and no more than 10 lbs total should be added to your tank.
Adding “new” of live rock will cause a mini-cycle, nuisance algae outbreaks and cause headaches for you and your tank.
However, If your tank doesn’t have enough live rock (a good rule of thumb is 1 pound per gallon) then add new pieces slowly – 1 piece every 2 weeks.
And if you haven’t setup your tank yet, then plan on buying dead rock instead of live rock. (Read here to find out why). Also plan on buying enough rock all at once so that all the rock can cycle together.
If there is one mistake that I see saltwater tank owners make more than any other (besides not knowing their tank personality) is that they choose a path for their tank, then switch.
Here’s an example.
A reef keeping friend of mine was battling bleaching SPS corals so decided he wanted to start dosing the Zeovit system. He tried it out for a week. He didn’t see any results, so he switched to doing heavy water changes. 2 weeks later…no results. Then he switched his lighting and waited 2 weeks…nothing. Then he heard about bio pellets and tried those. He started seeing some results after a week so then he decided he wanted to add back in the Zeovit system, etc…
Get the picture? He was constantly changing what he was doing with his tank.
When you choose a path for your tank, whether its your tank personality, carbon dosing, dosing 2 part solution, change of lighting or (fill in the blank for the path you’re headed on), the best thing you can do is stick to that path for at least 2 months.
Why?
Because:
Changes take time to affect your tank so you won’t see immediate results.
The more you change, the more you are throwing your tank for a loop and it doesn’t like that – it likes the same thing, every day, every time. More changes = more stress = not a happy tank
The only reason you should immediately change the path you are on is if you see negative results in your tank!
I.e: fish die off, corals bleaching or retracting, large algae growths, parameter (pH, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) spikes.
Among ocean going vessels, there is a saying for this – “Skipper, hold your course”.
A Reef Junkie’s life revolves around their tank. The tank is part of the family and they are proud of it.
In this episode of Mr. Saltwater Tank TV, I go to my friend Mike’s house, a die-hard reef junkie, to check out his 120G tank and all the glory that goes with it.
I’ve talked about having a backup plan in case anything goes wrong with your tank and this week it was put to the test with a fellow reef keeping friend of mine.
While on vacation last weekend, my friend John was riding 4 wheelers when his 4 wheeler flipped over on him, breaking his hip and fracturing the other. While in the hospital recovering after surgery, John’s chiller died, throwing a breaker in his electrical box, and leaving his whole tank without power for most a day.
He had all the necessary backup plan pieces in place which helped, but the #1 thing he had on his side was the most important backup plan item – a tank buddy.
John called on our local reef club members to help him out since his wife really didn’t know what to do. Within minutes of putting out a call for help, members lined up and were ready to leave work if need be to help out. We’ve lined up members for tank sitting duties and have a water change crew while he recovers. He even got a sweet deal on a new chiller due to some connections club members have!
Without his tank buddies helping him out, the losses in his tank would have been devistating.
The best plan is only as good as its weakest link, so if you are a lone ranger reefkeeper, your backup plan is destined to fail. Get a tank buddy if you don’t have one.
Nuissance Algae is always a real drag to find in your tank. And bubble algae is among the hardest algae to get out of your tank. Any pest can be defeated and I show you 4 ways to remove bubble algae from your tank
Pawn Stars is a great show to watch (and study) to learn the art of negotiating. Here’s what I took away from the show that you can use when buying coral, fish, or equipment.
*note: its highly likely that your local fish store (LFS) will negotiate their prices, but you won’t know if you don’t ask!
Tip #1: Do your research
The pawn shop owners – Rick and The Old Man – never buy anything they aren’t familiar with. And if they don’t know how much something is worth, they have no problem calling in (and paying) someone who knows what the value of the item is.
Reeftank takeaway: Know what the value of the item is before you buy. Hint: google the item and see how much it is going for new and used. Keep in mind that prices are region specific. For example, in my area, pink lemonade frags are almost worthless as there is plenty of the coral in town. Online though, it goes for $60/inch.
Tip #2: Be willing to walk away from the sale
Rick and The Old Man have no trouble saying no to a customer’s offer. Why?
Because the best negotiating tool you have is being willing to walk away from the sale. And this fact is true if you are buying or selling an item. If the item isn’t right for you as a buyer, then walk away. Trust me, there is always another one just like it out there and as my father always said, “There is always someone willing to take your money”.
If you are selling an item and the buyer wants to lowball you and you know the item is worth more than they are offering, just say no and let the buyer deal with it. (Chances are they will counter offer you at a higher price).
Reeftank takeaway: There is always another item out there…don’t be attached to the one in front of your face.
Tip #3: Don’t sell in desperation.
It amazes me how many people walk into the store on “Pawn Stars”, get their item appraised by an expert, then settle for a price that is hundreds, if not thousands less than the item is worth. Most of the time, these people are desperate for the money. They lost their job, they need cash, etc, so any amount of money sounds good to them. They hear an offer and their mind walks out of their body.
Reeftank takeaway: If you are desperate to sell or buy an item, you holding a losing hand at this game. Instead, use time to your advantage and be willing to pass on cheap offers (see tip #2) and re-list your item, or bump your post on the message boards.
Keeping a reeftank can be an expensive hobby, but if you use these tips, you can keep more money in your pockets and add some nice corals, fish and equipment to your tank
It is summer time in the northern hemisphere and that means trips to the beach, road trips and time away from your tank. Nothing can ruin a vacation like coming home to a tank that’s been ruined by something going wrong with you are gone, so here are 5 things you must have to make sure your tank runs smoothly while you are away:
#1 Tank Buddy
I’m not talking about your neighbor next door. You need an experienced friend who knows his/her way around tanks. Hint: make sure your friend is your tank personality, or one above you – i.e. if you are reef enthusiast, find another reef enthusiast or a reef junkie, but not a tank dabbler.
#2 Extra Saltwater
Have it mixed up and ready to go. Hint: Make sure you put “saltwater” clearly on the bucket. Remember – K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) applies here !
#3 Extra Top off Water
Again, have it mixed up (if you put anything in it) and clearly mark it “RO” or “Top off water”.
#4 Clear instructions with a Backup Plan
Even though you’ll be using a similar tank personality as you for your tank sitter, write your care instructions such that a non-tank keeper could understand and use them. Hint: let your neighbor read them and watch them go through the steps to test them for clarity. Yes, it sounds like a lot to do, but its your tank on the line here – it will be worth it if you ever need them.
#5 Extra Equipment
If something goes wrong with your tank, it could be hours before your tank buddy finds out about it, so when minutes count, it is good to have spare equipment on hand. My friend recently left the country and his power went out at his house. His son dropped by to check on the house and immediately called the tank sitter, but it was hours before the sitter could gather up the right equipment. Read here for what to have on hand at all times.
Vacations are meant to be relaxing time away from your every day life. By implementing the steps above, you can leave your tank behind and rest assured that you will come home to the same tank even if something goes wrong.
Are you near the Baton Rouge, LA area and have a reef tank? I’m headed that way soon to do some filming and would love to meet with some local reef keeper types during my stay.
Let me know if you fit the bill and I’ll be in touch.
Protein skimmers, like any piece of equipment in your tank get dirty – real dirty. Cleaning the neck is important, but every 6 months, your skimmer should be taken out and given a deep cleaning.
In this episode of Mr. Saltwater Tank TV, I show you how to deep clean your skimmer is a cleaner that is probably already sitting in your house.
July 29, 2010 
Posted in Reef Enthusiast, Reef Junkie 
1 Comment » 
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