Before you Dose

I in ever greater frustration watch people on this forum day in and day out kill their livestock through poor, improper, or inadequate research, and poor, outdated, or nonsensical treatments for naturally occurring problems.
So to you who just bought a bottle of Shiny Miracle Cure for what ails you consider the following.
1. What chemicals are in this product?
Good news it's natural. So is copper, and other heavy metals. Does it contain heavy metal? Are you sure? Have you asked? No really, have you? Maybe you'll end up with a dead Cleaning Crew because you didn't.
2. For the all natural super-organic chemicals that are in there, but aren't in your average reef, how are they going to come OUT of your system after treating? Are they going to stick around in your sand base for a year or three and cause problems later? Better yet, do they have a halflife where they break down into something nastier?
3. The last time you went to visit a reef (yes the ones in the ocean) did you run into God treating the reef with your new found cure-for-what-ails you?
4. Assuming you've gotten this far and havn't yet figured out that dumping unknown chemicals into your tank is a very stupid idea, is there a way to isolate the livestock or tank aspect you're treating from the DT and treat just it? Can you QT the livestock, and then tear down your QT tank completely, bleach it, and start it over when done?

Guys (and gals) the fish we keep were caught ten thousand miles away in farking Fiji (unless they're one of the few species that's aquacultured). They were trapped or netted in their natural environment. They were then put in holding tanks, shipped via boat or plane, landed here, trucked, and finally ended up at your supplier or LFS after an arduous and uncomfortable trip. You then bought them and they were netted again, stuffed in a shiny plastic bag, and brought home, or shipped via UPS or Fedex if they were bought from a supplier.

The least you can do is the bare minimum amount of research to ensure they survive to have some sort of life in the tank you're providing for them.

One more note, quit dunking salt water fish in fresh water. It's stressful.

 

/me takes his sandshark egg out of the fresh water copper tank

on a non SARCASTIC NOTE

i concur with the above statements.. ppl need to step up and be a bit more intelligent about attempting to keep a reef +K Tre

 

trelane,

i appreciate your view and i take it as that it is an opinion.

however that said if me or anyone else decided to use a magic fish oil that is my choice and i or anyone else should not be belittled for it.

i find it hard to believe that all these treatments will destroy a home tank. some of these have been around for years and if they were that harmful they wouldnt have stayed in circlulation.

as far as god treating a reef and i wont touch the religious end, that is not to be spoken of here, the natural reef is not nearly the same as a home aquarium for many many reasons and we all know this.

and now to the live stock that traveled so far to get in my tank... imho if i have done all in my power to give them a good home and they die so be it. i am not going to stress and anguish over the 10 dollar firefish i bought that got overstressed and became CBS food.

This as always is my opinion.

 

Apolgists are great, but in this case you're apologizing from the faith-based side instead of the science side. No, not all of them are bad, but a lot of them are, would you tell me which ones?

Are you sure your list is complete? Every ICH cure contains copper. I'm sure there's more you don't want to dump in your tank.

Cyanocides will sometimes kill urchins.

There are dozens of threads with morons keeping tangs in tanks less than half the size the fish requires to be healthy, then it gets ICH and the moron uses the treatment above and kills off his inverts.

I think you missed my religious allusion. There is NO ONE out dosing the reefs with these chemicals in your LFS. Though if you are having visions of the divine while you're out reef diving please share what you're smoking with the rest of us!

If you, as you assert are doing everything in your power, research, testing, and proper care for your fish, you will never experience the situations I'm describing. I for one never have. What I have said is directed at those who do not research, who do not ask, who kill lifestock out of apathy and ignorance, and snake oil cures. What I have said is also directed at the producers of those cures and the LFS that sell them who don't explain, or don't know what's in them.

This is an epidemic both on 3reef and elsewhere and I for one want to see it stopped before any more fish die.

I don't want anyone to leave the hobby, but I will say that if you're more offended than sean you need to take a look at your own practices. I for one spend hours a week reading and researching on a dozen or so sites. I've researched and provided ID's both here and to experienced aquarists private sites. I know, emperically that much of the information that is on here is wrong. I'm going to continue to push to correct it, and if you're recommending treatments that will harm fish (you fresh water dippers out there know who you are) I'm going to make you fameous.

 

I agree on the research part, thoroughly. Your post however, comes across quite hostile!

 

Let's just let this thread end here. Please. This is going in a direction that is nothing but bad. Nothing good will come of this. Thank you.

 

i think no matter how much you rant and rave, there will always be people who dont know, who havent been on forums yet or told to do research first, go into the fish store and listen to what the the employees there say and believe them even if it is wrong and they say you can put a lot of tangs in their tiny tanks. i'm not defending them by any means, but i think you might get a point across more if you just chill out and help those that do have these problems and come here for help because they couldnt get it elsewhere.

 

I am not sticking up for not a single person here. When you start to Belittle a person due to his/ her reef keepin practices regardless of what there are or are not doin only makes your self look a lil less professional.
You have to remember people here will take bits and pieces of information and comprise there own ideas wether it be right or wrong.. Along with that so many people do come here or other sites looking for INFORMATION not to be belittled or made funn. Expeacialy when they are man or womanly enuff to admit they screwed up...

And like always

Good luck..!!!