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Beginners Education

Arguably, there are few “pastimes” as challenging and all-consuming as marine (and especially reef) aquarium keeping. Longtime hobbyists might forget the relative ease with which they likely got “into” reef aquaria--very possibly with a lot of freshwater aquarium keeping experience behind them. While it is true that the foods, equipment and methodologies of today are greatly improved from those of yesteryear, there is now so much more to learn from the get-go. Definitely a lot of choices to make! With the massive amounts of (often contradictory) information out there, beginner reef aquarists might feel more intimidated now than ever before.

That’s totally cool. You’ll get “there” soon enough. The most important thing is to move forward step-by-step, and to have fun along the way. The whole point of spending all that money and time on this (or any) hobby is to relax and maybe learn something, right? The vast majority of saltwater aquarists who throw the term “newbie” around don’t really mean it as a pejorative; if anything, they recall that period with nostalgia (and maybe even a bit of envy), for it is the fleeting beginner stage where aquarium keeping is especially exciting and the animals so incredibly fascinating.

No one here would suggest that a beginning aquarist should avoid challenges, but we certainly would advise one against making some of those beginner mistakes. In reef aquarium keeping, there is no bigger virtue than patience!

In this section, you will learn how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls for novice aquarists as well as how to build the foundation of knowledge you’ll need to master the art.

188 Posts

Be Prepared for a power outage if you have a maarine aquarium!

Power Outage Preparedness

Some aspects of this hobby are often overlooked until problems actually arise. Marine aquariums require a lot of time and dedication,
Read More about Power Outage Preparedness

In nature, Macroalgae can grow to an enormous size!

Macroalgae for Beginners

Macroalgae is a large type of algae that is mostly beneficial and is used mainly to fight nutrient levels and microalgae growth. It is
Read More about Macroalgae for Beginners

Quarantine and Dip Treatment Method

Anyone can agree that having a tank wiped out by disease is a terrible experience and having to treat a reef system for ich or marine
Read More about Quarantine and Dip Treatment Method

Common Saltwater Fish Diseases

Across all organisms on Earth, disease is a large factor in preventing the successful survival of creatures. Fish in the saltwater
Read More about Common Saltwater Fish Diseases

Aquarium Water Testing for Beginners

An idea that I have heard often within the reef community is that you are not caring for corals or fish, but rather you are caring for
Read More about Aquarium Water Testing for Beginners

Nitrate Management in Your Saltwater Aquarium

When setting up new aquariums, most people worry about and focus on ammonia and nitrate management. Everyone knows that cycling a tank
Read More about Nitrate Management in Your Saltwater Aquarium

Eliminating Detritus in the Refugium

Ever feel like no matter how much time you spend cleaning your tank, it can never really ever get clean? Detritus build-ups can be
Read More about Eliminating Detritus in the Refugium

Large Fish are major Waste Creators

Manipulating Nutrient Levels to Control Algal Growth

Ahhhh… A freshly set up and (just now) fully cycled marine aquarium.  Nutrient Free, No algae. No slime. Clean, shiny,
Read More about Manipulating Nutrient Levels to Control Algal Growth

a Cade Refugium / Sump

A Sump AND a Refugium?

Our aquarium systems grow over time. It’s almost inevitable. It’s well-nigh organic. And we surely all hope that as they grow, they get
Read More about A Sump AND a Refugium?

A Clean Start: The Benefits of Using Dry Base Rock

Considering that it serves as both aquascape material and biofilter medium, it’s safe to say that live rock is pretty important. We
Read More about A Clean Start: The Benefits of Using Dry Base Rock

A beautiful filefish in the wild.

The Anti-Aiptasia Trifecta: Decimating Glass Anemones with Peppermint Shrimp, Molly Millers and Aiptasia-Eating Filefish

A lot of us are pretty careful to avoid introducing pests like aiptasia when building and adding to a reef aquarium or refugium. This
Read More about The Anti-Aiptasia Trifecta: Decimating Glass Anemones with Peppermint Shrimp, Molly Millers and Aiptasia-Eating Filefish

A Yellow and Blue Tang in a Marine Aquarium

Cultivating Ogo and Sea Lettuce for Your Tangs

These days, it seems that most marine aquarists are reef aquarists. And reef aquaria almost always house one or more tangs. This should
Read More about Cultivating Ogo and Sea Lettuce for Your Tangs

A Falkland Island Phytoplankton Bloom

Phytoplankton

The first link in a food chain is always a primary producer, like phytoplankton (i.e. algae, plants, various types of bacteria). This
Read More about Phytoplankton

Phytoplankton, Macroalgae, or BOTH?

As marine aquarists, we might think of algae as being divided into three (maybe four) distinct categories: the benthic (i.e.
Read More about Phytoplankton, Macroalgae, or BOTH?

A Male Blue Mandarinfish

Feeding the Mandarinfish with a Mix of Live and Prepared Foods

For so many aquarists, the green mandarin fish (Synchiropus splendidus) is a must-have species. Its endearing personality, exquisite
Read More about Feeding the Mandarinfish with a Mix of Live and Prepared Foods

Copepods

Imagine for a second how food energy from grass, a primary producer, is transferred to a bluebird. The bluebirds don’t eat grass.
Read More about Copepods

Brine Shrimp: Live Food Fast

Prepared foods have their merits. Aside from the obvious (their convenience), they are consistent in quality, easily available and
Read More about Brine Shrimp: Live Food Fast

Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca): The Most Underappreciated Macroalgae?

The use of macroalgae in marine aquaria has steadily increased over the years. Ever since they have become more widespread in the
Read More about Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca): The Most Underappreciated Macroalgae?

A Beginners Guide to Mysis Shrimp

Just like any other pet or animal you care for, it is important to be sure that the inhabitants of your saltwater aquarium are getting
Read More about A Beginners Guide to Mysis Shrimp

Most often, a beautiful marine aquarium has a strong refugium!

A Beginner’s Guide to Setting up a Refugium

There are many benefits to building or creating a refugium in your saltwater aquarium. It allows for additional surface area for
Read More about A Beginner’s Guide to Setting up a Refugium

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