Times Are Tough

This thread will eather make me liked as a person or very disliked. But here it goes anyhow. I realy think that a lot of the advise here is great, but for every pro there is a con. I think some times if you want to give advise you need to think it through before you give it. Here is an example: newbie gets on to ask for help about topping off his tank and what kind of water can he use and so on. The first thing I see poasted is about going out to buy ro/di filter system. I think a lot of people are forgetting that times are tough and not everyone has the money to go out and buy a 2 or 3 hunbred dollors to shell out right off the bat. And that doesn't make a person not worthy of this hobby. Just like there is a thousand different ways to do something there is always a cheaper and safe alternitive way to do things. So thats all I am commenting on, if some one asks a question you dont always have to break the bank to answere it. Dont forget that newbies are beginners and beginners can sometimes be overwelmed costs and quit.

 

this happened to me only a year ago. i needed this and that or my tank would be POS. my tank is a little over POS but i dont have all the stuff im just now getting around to getting an RO/DI machine. i got a protein skimmer 8 months into the Reef tank. and bought water from the store, which is now making my corals grow slower, but still live. i have no sump or refugium. and use no carbon to cut down on costs.

 

dude filter guys like $150 shipped for 5 stage 75gpd what I have im 15 and pay for my own hobby imagine how hard it is for me just dont let it get to you and think positivly and take the good advise you can also get ro from a lfs

not trying to be rude at all dont take the wrong way

 

im not saying you should do what im doing long term by anymeans. but i made due with my reef tank spending only 2 dolars a week for a year. everything else was just a plus. it can be done, but dont expect the best tank. i have GHA in both of my tanks. and the nitrates to show for it. its not huge amounts of GHA but enough to be unpleasent.

 

im also 15, my parents dont have the money to help me on this. its all me baby lol

 

i use odyssea mh's and love them. i run a coralife skimmer and love it. quit using my ro unit and went back to using my tap and my tank is doing better than it ever has. our water is really good to start with and i do a weekly 10% water change. you can use common sense without breaking the bank. a brand name only goes so far. nothing is wrong with the big names but others will suffice just as well. so swampman kid you're still alright in my book.

 

ya know. so what. I don't see how I'm in a position to know any particular posters financial situation. I don't think it's right to assume everyone is broke. There may be other ways, but I'm going to give the advise I happen to find the best - whether it involves spending money or not isn't all that relevant to my answer. It may be to which answer, of the many, the poster chooses to act on however. And that's the whole point of a forum. The multitude of ideas.

I'll give my advise - it may be expensive, maybe not. Bunches of other folks will post their views. So what if the expensive choice happens to be first. Maybe poster isn't broke. Maybe poster is. Just respond with what you know. Leave it to the poster to decide if it's worth it (spending the money or taking the risk, etc.). We shouldn't be policing the responses. Thriving stony coral tanks (LPS and SPS) take money. Just how it is. Maybe poster wants to settle for one of the plethora of so-so tanks out there. Maybe not.

Frankly, this is an expensive hobby. Even if you do a lot of DIY and keep things on the cheaper side, it's still expensive. If times are so tough that the typical solutions are prohibitive, then poster should reconsider getting in the hobby. But that doesn't mean I should be so scared losing a potential fellow hobbyist that I somehow pretend like it's not expensive.

I don't agree with you. But that has nothing to do with whether or not I like you. I like you just fine

 

+2, Well said.

 

i agree with you and peredhil. its not our job to know there financial state. but if they give it, then we can help them better on what is possible for them financially. i know a friend on here has helped me out so much its just amazing. between giving me two free MH bulbs to sending me rock for a free i just pay shipping (55 lbs mind you). nad now selling me an RO/DI machine for 21 dollars wiht all new filters!?!? i plan on giving or selling cheap whatever i can to people of the hobby so i can better help those in need like my friend has helped me.

i wont disclose his or her name because i know they wouldnt want me too.

 

+3 my thoughts exactly