30 Things I Wish I Knew About The Saltwater Hobby When Starting Out

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In this video I will be going over my top 30 things i wish i knew about the hobby when starting out. If you have any questions please let me know and if you have anything to add to the list put it in the comment section below.
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[@FishOfHex]

Checkout My Website Fishofhex.com

[@maddawgzzzz]

what happend to this tank... it looks better than your new one.. was it a crash?

[@freakygoblin3068]

One to add. Take photos. Patience can be difficult, things are not growing it seems. Often if you can look at a photo taken not that long ago you will notice that things have grown, it's only because you see it regularly it seems it hasn't. If you miss the opportunity to take a snapshot it is lost.

[@EDKsurly]

Good list. Add: Go big from the beginning.

[@thomasbardenwerper9365]

All 30 points are VERY SOLID tips. Great job! Hope lots of new reefers watch, listen and PRACTICE your advice.

[@ezerasurfr]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with mollies in my reef. :-D

[@FishOfHex]

Yea i love them

[@mbaker1295]

You are so right about multiple tanks. I am about to shut down 5 tanks and keep 1 reef and 1 fresh.

[@FishOfHex]

F is for Family. Love that show

[@blackbeardAquatics]

Im literally about to do this too, i build bespoke tanks so i end up running more than i should in my house so im about to do this, imagine each tank with a large sump the same size as the tank juat two smallish tanks you can put so much more into 👌

[@HarrisonsFishVideos]

just found this channel and instantly my favourite !

[@FishOfHex]

Awesome! Always nice to hear that.

[@chrischenusa6323]

If you like anemones, have a separated tank, this is YES a great advice!

[@monster5608]

I'm watching this video 5 years later ( June 23, 2021) and I have to like it just because of number 10 LOL!

[@laforge44]

Thanks for this, very informative for a guy getting ready to start his own reef tank!!

[@FishOfHex]

No problem thanks for watching it was a little long but figured it would help out

[@saltcreeptv]

I appreciate the amount of thought put into this video. Good stuff!

[@Q22F]

Finally sw person who makes simple and very informative videos! Thanks so much. New sub and fan. Also, thanks for ur service!

[@FishOfHex]

Thank You and No Problem

[@BenOchart]

I'm a fresh water guy but really enjoyed this video. A lot of your points apply to both salt and fresh. Your comments on Lion and Clown fish were hilarious. Your reef is beautiful. Thanks.

[@FishOfHex]

Thank you come checkout the new 300 gallon

[@omarcadenas9]

Great movement on your water. Is like looking at waves crashing on your reef, well done.

[@DGH12]

Thanks for your time

[@ather300]

Thanks

[@rudy6222]

I’m switching from fresh to salt. Man you have a nice set up!!!!!!

[@louaibandr7570]

Nice tips.

[@ugotmauledd]

Been thinking about switching my 45g freshwater to saltwater for awhile now. This video helped me realize that I really don’t have the time and money for it. Thank you lol

[@johnmarkzimm]

Wow, at 19:37 in the video, the striped guy with the yellow on it's tail, looked amazing. And as I was scrolling around on the video looking for it, I noticed how much the crabs and other critters moved got around and fast.

[@DevManiac]

Great video, and beautiful tank! I've been going crazy on research and shopping preparing for my first saltwater system. It's crazy how much you need to learn, how much you don't even know that you don't know. Even as someone who has halfway followed the hobby for years and has freshwater tanks. So, I appreciate the tips. I love the mollies, don't see them too often in full saltwater. Finally, I have to tease you, you meant *too* on a few of those bullets. Knowledge man. ;-)

[@ericplude6956]

All of these are 100% spot on

[@chrischenusa6323]

I agree, Most of the clowns are bullies, damsels are often too and kill new smaller fishes. I like your tank!

[@crpaulino81]

Had to sub just cause of the Mollies. Haven't seen that in saltwater in ages.

[@FishOfHex]

Thank You, I love those little guys

[@ckohler1ck]

I find this video extremely helpful.

[@FishOfHex]

Glad i could help you out.

[@projectx6970]

Good Vid and lovely looking Tank! I'm just about to start out in this hobby having never owned a Tank of any kind in the past, I read a lot though and have been reading and planing a small build for quite a while now. Every now and then I get a little concerned with horror story's I read on Forums and think maybe I shouldn't get into Marine with no practical experience what so ever but I'm going to take the plunge and after watching your Video, the advice you've given is very much in the direction I was already planing so I think I'm ready. Only time will tell, good luck for the future of your Tank.

[@wolfrobots118]

Wow! Beautiful tank.

[@Grantygrantyb]

fantastic video. I can relate to the majority myself over the years. a power cut is my biggest concern. thanks .

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks Man

[@zepholmsted3573]

I am probably a lot a bit late but on Amazon you can get a nice UPS for 60 and it will fix all your power outage concerns

[@flyinbryan7151]

Outstanding video! This should be on the ‘must watch’ videos for all beginner reefers. Totally agree on Clown Fish, mean suckers! I also pulled out all anemones, worst creature for a tank.

[@AkbarMesso18]

Very useful video thanks 😀 2020

[@MsLila44]

I think only experts like you should be doing KZbin videos. Nice to hear the reality of owning a reef tank. It’s a pipe dream of mine if I win the lottery. I’ll hire the company near me that charges $600 a month to run everything and even feed and replace fish. After your description that sounds like a deal! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Also, is there a list of restaurants, maybe hotels in Irvine, Ca that have reef tanks. I’d love to support their businesses!

[@MikeLemming]

Good video bro. A lot of people are gonna pull a ton of stuff from this video! Good idea Trav!

[@mrsgalindo7]

Thank you for sharing great information. The waves are no joke those poor fish are struggling lol.

[@monagurl1973]

Thank you

[@paulcardoza9880]

I am a beginner and your videos are awesome

[@jesterscorner879]

Very nice. I agree that there are many things I would've done different knowing what I know now. Would've saved a ton of money too.

[@ramsey2334]

Awesome vid. As a beginner, a big thanks for sharing great advice!

[@longlivefreedom8306]

Thanks for the video !! I'm just getting I to this and it seems that it was good to watch this I will be following you and hoping to learn much more from you thank you again and hope to be successful with this new hobby !!!

[@matsteel2292]

Great vid mate very informative, thanks.

[@Singhka8]

Awesome advice

[@FishOfHex]

Glad i could help

[@sandravaldez995]

Good video. When I had my reef tank a few yrs ago, I could hardly wait to have the coralline algae. Then..... I couldn’t stop it. I had to scrape it off the front walls of tank just to get a good view. Also, ever had starfish? I had a choc chip star. So cool but they take over.

[@Barnacus]

Your tank looks great man. Bravo 👏🏻

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

Great tips i'm new and need to learn everything I have fresh water tank's

[@dragonshadow3707]

Hey bud another godd video with good info

[@joseCalderon1976]

Excellent informational video! Yup, I have a Maroon clownfish pair since 2006 and the female is pure evil!

[@vautop2]

Man I love your tank!!!

[@FishOfHex]

Thank for watching

[@danielnguyen148]

What's a good book to read? I have a 55g tank just waiting on a few more pieces before I'm able to start!

[@picklefish74]

the great thing with a refugium isn't just the removal, or the free tang food, if you have one that hangs in the main tank, it also gives you a corner that doesn't have direct light which is perfect for certain things, mushrooms love the indirect light.

[@wrekhavoc]

Nice video good information thanks

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks man

[@intox69]

Yea if I don't know the answer 100% I don't open my mouth, I wish more people had the same mindset. I'm looking into starting a saltwater tank so I'm researching a lot before hand, there's some good advice to be had in this video thanks.

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks and good luck please checkout my beginner guide playlist

[@deft1abc1]

Ragnarok tigobitties

[@damonbehnke5817]

I had a huge zebra eel I working on tank out of nowhere I felt his on my off hand but he realized it wasn't food and let go before biting down hard not a scratch on me thank God

[@metalman552]

Good tips man.. One almost needs a degree in marine biology to run a reef tank.. (science is awesome! :) )And you need $$$$$$. I'm upgrading to a 63 litre(16 gallon) tank from a 30 litre (8 gallon) wish I could afford to run a larger tank though so I could have a yellow tang . So yeah, 2nd tank: Buy Dry Rock and cure it! Buy premium sea salt (not cheap shit or water from ocean that has parasites, fuels/pollutants and different parameters) QUARANTINE EVERYTHING WET!! Drip accumulate for at least 2 hours And I'm gonna use the previous tank as the QT which I'm gonna need, the clownfish I bought and named Sushi a year a go has a lump on its right gill, been there since I bought him from the infested tank at the LFS . (lessoned learned) Not sure if it's an ich or cyst but I want it gone before he enters the new tank.. I think I'll research more into hypo salinity, seems to be effective but even less stressful for the fish and thus myself. I think I'll get a fish trap rather than catch him with a net to ease some stress. I should QT the hermit crab and Coral Banded Shrimp too yeah before they enter the new tank? Shit I'm gonna need to set up another tank.. bloody $$$. Good thing I dont have a social life haha In response to heating.. My heater blew and was stuck on 'on' overnight the temp was at around 34c I think that's 94F ? .. But the clownfish, shrimp and crab... All fine.. I have no corals, they would have bleached for sure though..

[@robertw9677]

Thanks i am considering a system so this helped ne

[@mynytdiver9617]

dang dude that tank is freakin epic

[@owenh1954]

Good list

[@christopherm.7310]

Love the mollies!

[@EIY_Kumar]

Question : was thinking of adding My first Acro frag, I wanted to start with Bali Green Slimer but the Shop owner said the Tri color Valida would be a better choice, It's Hardy and Cheaper. Question one, Can I introduce it as the first Acro ? Question two, if I place it on a rock that has a Montipora Digi growing on it already, can the Monti kill the Acro in Future or vice versa (the placement would be like 5-6 inch apart)

[@marekfoxtrot631]

You can also add to document everything your doing. Log sheets with parameters, budgets, expenses, things you did each day. It will be valuable information when you go back and can see how your tank develops over time.

[@FishOfHex]

Checkout my aquaticlog playlist

[@ricostrings72]

Great tips ...💯👍🏾

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks Man

[@Ryan-wo4rm]

Great channel! Just subscribed!

[@FishOfHex]

Thank You

[@davidsimms2806]

love my apex!

[@wilfred5211]

Point no.8 is the most important of all

[@McGD4]

Have 2 maroon clowns 40g breeder 1 big 1 juvenile and they r doing good so far. No tank mates, no corals yet. Waiting a while before adding anything else.

[@timgentry]

Good info.

[@Oscarin1467]

Cool videos man!! U just got a new sub

[@20greefer61]

Awsome tips

[@DerrekDives]

Just bought one and after being in my tank for 10 minutes, he found the cave where my 3" Sleeper Gold Head Goby stays in and ate him. Way to go Earl the Eel.

[@fpouer]

100% agree

[@stevemunn367]

Great video as always but does the eel ever catch any of the other fish? Learning lots from you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧

[@theblindreefer8718]

thanks u speak lot of sense is coraline algae good 4 your tank i have loads of it in ripples on the back glass and on my rock had my tank 5 years with 2 canisters no upgrading to a sump tank at last got about 50 corals now soft and lps 1 Monte Pora which has just come back to life after 3 months

[@FishOfHex]

Coralline algae i like to think of it as just another coral if you want it let it grow if not take it out. I personally just leave it on the back and bottom glass. Understand it uses up cal, alk just like hard corals.

[@anthonycorboy5122]

Had a 4 foot tank going for 7 years. Had a clown fish in there the whole time. If you keep things simple it's not hard to do. Don't over crowd the tank, easy.

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

Im just gonna get a damsel and a clown

[@9StickNate]

Great video!

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks for watching

[@sseeaahhaawwkkssrule975]

I have 2 "Nemo" clownfish and a Blue Damsel. I bought a can of Omega One flake food and the fish don't seem to like it very much. I have experience in keeping tropical fish and I usually buy Tetra flake food for the tropical fish. What brand would you recommend for saltwater fish?

[@BT-hk2me]

Jayson Hannah Pellets and frozen food. Flakes aren’t that good for tropical or marine.

[@shoe3727]

nice video

[@jorgetrevino6368]

Are those two large mollies in the tank?

[@Trisha1z]

Really useful vid - thanks! Also, one of your damsels is getting pretty badly bullied - those fish are relentless!

[@FishOfHex]

+Trish O'Neill They fight back same damsels for three years. Check out one of the new videos with more fish it's not as bad

[@MrHicker10]

Thanks for the videos, I have been taking notes! Im setting up my fist reef tank and this information is invaluable.

[@FishOfHex]

Thanks for watching glad you found it to be helpful. always goo to hear that.

[@markzurlo1787]

Awesome video,,

[@FishOfHex]

Thank you

[@Max-kd2gh]

What ratio would you suggest for a refugium (like how many gallons in refugium relative to display tank gallons)?

[@chrisd925]

Crazy flow, fish are struggling lol

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

You are totally wrong..its natural and good for the fish and corals. This is what most tanks should do.

[@zacmorris8919]

@@StanTheObserver-lo8rx Thank you for this. I am a noob and I thought I was torturing my fish lol

[@vnce932]

Yeah the fish are getting thrown lol

[@cheesehead4670]

My son and I are just starting out, and the problem we’re running into is all the conflicting information we’re coming across. One aquarist suggests one thing and the next will suggest the complete opposite. We can’t tell which way is up at this point.

[@StudioGhibletz]

honestly, you just gotta pick one guy or one book and do it the way they say then go from there. Theres many ways to do things in this hobby, so its best to pick one reliable source and work from that

[@SyrianSoaper]

Some of these things I question if you are only thinking of your size of tanks. in a 3 gal tank, these doom and gloom scenarios. how do they play out? ( i just bought books like an hour ago so forgive the question)

[@skylarhartung2498]

Hot shit what a beautiful tank

[@foreignflava9666]

Hey Travis i love your very educational vids man..gotta ? : I'm a new reefer n I'm very confused about two part dosing..should I run mag dosing along with alk and cal at the same time? Idk if my question made sense to you but I would appreciate your answer if you would please..thanks and keep up the good works man

[@theamjadjamousable]

any reefing books you couldn't do without at the beginning ?

[@cochisestar3120]

To stop a syphon when power goes out drill small wholes in return nozzle right below water level.

[@remixservice7]

your purple dotty back doesnt attack your shrimp or inverts ? crabs snails etc?

[@Alexander-do4oj]

do you know what to do if corals aren't opening like gsp and zoanthids tips??

[@StudioGhibletz]

it depends on a ton of factors. It could be anything from flow to water parameters. Sometimes it can take a little troubleshooting

[@darenbrown3527]

Also would you dose a 29 gallon or just do water changes?

[@deagle387]

Heyy I love your video. I'm setting up my first 125 gallon. I was leaning towards an ATI sunpower fixture with LED supplement just for pop because it sounds like the t5s produce the best results from reading the forums. Obviously you're doing fantastic without t5s so what LEDs do you use? Thanks again for the helpful video!

[@FishOfHex]

I just use the cheap Chinese led boxes

[@darenbrown3527]

What’s the best numbers for alk ? Salinity? Magnesium? And calcium for coral ?? In a 29 gallon tank.

[@redakumaproduction]

your water flow patern look so perfect.. wave maker !?

[@JosephKarthic]

Does salt water tank develop those white hard stains on the tank?

[@TheLingrush]

Is that a Sailfin Molly?

[@egomalego]

I've had my tank up for about 3 months now and only have some zoas and xenias. I've had a pretty bad dinoflagellate bloom and got dino x to see if that'll work. got any tips on how to kill off the dinos? I have a simple 20g long tank with a hob filter

[@FishOfHex]

Before you start adding anything i would attempt to find the nutrient source. when thats done go ahead and try a chemical just understand that if you have coral in the tank they might not like it.

[@egomalego]

got it thank you :)

[@fredmyers8366]

Do you have a video or can you make one on the tips tricks do's don't for a refugium. I am converting from Fish Only to Reef and about to add a SUMP and refugium, want to do it right the first time and not waste any money.

[@lunes-1]

31)😀We wish we knew is permanently expending💲💰hobby(appliances broke and need be replaced,improvements to go further,etc)

[@pauldeacon8764]

Hi! Loved the video, I found it really helpful.You know the shrimps in your tank! are they skunk cleaner shrimps please?? 🎅

[@darenbrown3527]

I’m new to this and I’m running a tidal 55 on my 29 gallon should I clean it out ?

[@lmteo09]

How’s it! Awesome video, thank you. Any suggestions on good literature for beginners? Wanting to start a reef tank but want to do it right and do some research first. Thanks!

[@FishOfHex]

Checkout my beginner guide playlist, over 100 videos in that to help.