New site for newbies

[hummusx]

I'm setting up a site primarily to help brand new reefers find the answers to the most commonly asked questions. I'm talking the real basics, the same 25 questions that every single person asks when they first find ReefCentral. The plan is to have the question, a brief answer, and then links to a few of the best posts that go into more detail. I know that there's a search feature on ReefCentral, but speaking as someone that has used it very extensively, it can be quite difficult to find exactly what you are looking for, especially when you are new.

What I'd really like is suggestions on what the questions would be. If you're new, feel free to just list that burning question that you really want answered. If you're a recently-new-but-now-a-seasoned-expert :), feel free to either answer a question someone else has asked or list your own question(s) with or without answers and links to posts.

I'm not giving the URL for the new site yet since it's not ready to go and there's not much content up yet anyway.

[kscrimshaw]

Just to clarify, I am by far NOT a seasoned expert ;)

Check out the stickies on this and other forums. There are some great questions/answers and links. Some of my thoughts:

Stocking considerations and compatiability issues: "How many fish can I fit in my tank?" "Will a snowflake eel eat my shrimp?" "Can I put a tang in a 10gal nano?" Cleanup crew recommendations. Also a list of species NOT for beginners or new tanks (ie difficult corals, mandarins and starfish that need established tanks, etc).

Equipment evaluations/recommendations: I see so many questions about whether or not a skimmer is any good, what test kits to get. I'm thinking some sort of "out of 5 stars" rating system, like you see on a lot of chain store websites.

"What's this on my live rock?" ranging from common hitchhikers to macro and micro algae, along with whether or not they're good, and how to get rid of them.

[kscrimshaw]

Oh, and maybe a checklist of things to check if there's something wrong with the tank. For example, which tank parameters to check, aggression between fishes, water change frequency, water supply, lighting, etc.

[hummusx]

Good suggestions, thank you. I think on the equipment I want to stay away from actual ratings on specific equipment. I could definitely link to threads about various brands of skimmers, etc. I don't know, maybe have to roll around the 'ratings' thing.

Great idea on the 'which parameters to check', I'll add 'why' for those too. I also like the idea of some of the most common 'why can't I keep a mandarin' type questions.

[redspot321]

Lighting was my big hang up....

1. Do PC vs PC vs T5 vs VHO etc. Then once you cover lighting types, cover bulb selection. 6500k, 10000k, 20000k, actinic ati blue ect. If you could include pictures of tanks with different buld setups that would be great!

2. What corals require what lighting and additives like calcium and stuff.

3. Differences in substrate

4. differemces in LR from different location


Why not do a great job on a thread and see if you cant make it a sticky here?

[hummusx]

Threads are not a very good medium for delivering a largish amount of content. In particular, it is very difficult to find specific information in a thread (I think). Setting it up as a site of it's own gives me a lot more flexibility to cross reference information, allow easy indexing, etc.

Lighting definitely deserves a section of it's own - I'm going to have to get a lot of help on that though, as I'm definitely pretty weak in my knowledge of this area.

Thanks for the ideas.

[rickbirdman]

that would be great , i know that there are times were i want to search for an answer and the search is disabled. by adding a new site or even sticky would greatly help us Newb's on controling our tanks and NOT to follow what the LFS tells us :)

[kscrimshaw]

How about a "how do I know if my LFS is any good" section? :)

[hummusx]

Originally posted by kscrimshaw
How about a "how do I know if my LFS is any good" section? :)

Q: How do I know if my LFS is any good?
A: It's not.

Is that what you were thinking? I know, not every LFS offers bad advice; just having a little fun.

[javajaws]

I'd say don't shy away from making product recommendations...so long as you have done your homework and are taking multiple people's experiences into account, etc. The information has to be continually updated too.

The problem with many FAQ type documents is that they don't cover the stuff people are actually asking. 2 out of every 3 threads around here are people asking: where's the best place to buy live rock? What's the best skimmer? Etc. Until a credible source of this information can be established and published people will continue to post the same old repetitive questions. Most FAQ documents don't cover actual product recommendations...for whatever reason.

I've researched so many products at this point...I can read the title of most "what's the best x for y" threads in the equipment forum and predict the general response it'll get. If I just had time to bottle that info up into a living FAQ...

[hummusx]

Well the important thing with product recommendations is that I won't be posting what *I* think. If I did a section like that I would just have links to what other people said, and then come up with some sort of rating system where user's could submit their own rating of a piece of equipment. I'm surprised there isn't already something like this out there.

Of course, now we're starting to encounter 'scope creep.' The original vision for this was really pretty simple. It's not a business or anything, just something I figured a lot of people could benefit from and wouldn't be too difficult to pull together.

[javajaws]

Ahhh...scope creep...that's my middle name. :)

I agree that any product recommendations need to be presented in an "unbiased fashion". And having a "ratings" capability would be great...but much more work.

Anyway - don't bite off more than you can chew. Start small and grow from there. I'm just venting my disbelief like you that there isn't more canned info out there. When I have time I'll definitely start some stuff. I've already started a pump FAQ with specs and ratings for noise, heat, reliability, etc. I'll find a home for it when it's in a presentable state.

[jer77]

pics, pics, and more pics!

[hummusx]

Originally posted by jer77
pics, pics, and more pics!

I'd like to have a large section of pictures...although there are already a number of decent resources out there for this. A lot of the livestock stuff I think I'm going to push off for 'phase 2'. That's a whole beast of it's own.

[ming81]

I'm new here, but heres some questions I have
Which are filter feeders and if they aren't, what do they eat?
Which need high lighting?

[adickerson0]

I have brown stuff (datoms) in my tank!?!?!?!? HELP!!!!
No...it takes time, so suck it up.

This hobby is so expensive, I have $75 but I want SPS. What do I do?
Season Pass to the zoo.

Can I put a 300 gal in my 5th floor dorm room?
Sure...try it and post pics.

I was looking at my MH and now I can not see. Can you help?
Yes but Darwin loved reefs too much.

NEMO IS OS CUTE!!!!! I NEED TO GOTA HAVES ONE!!!!
And that poor fish needs to live.

I saw a skimmer on e-bay for $25. I think it is a Prizzum, is it any good?
Search the forums.

AHHH HELP SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!!!

WHY IOS NO ONE HELPING ME!!!!

MY MORISH IDOL IS GUNA DIE IF YOU DONT HELP!!!!
If you reply to your own post no one knows you need help.

My wife left me because I used our new house money to buy an aquarium but she did leave a nice tanning bed. Do you think this will work?
YES!!!

Cant I just puts my tank on a few concreat blocks? They hold my cars up!!!
Only if by "concreat" you mean "level", and if by blocks you mean "professional stand". Then yes, you can put your tank on a level professional stand.

[backstepper]

Being in the research stage of reefkeeping, I have questions about general setup. Looking through the current forum ?'s, I don't see many on "the most efficient way to filter a tank as a begginer is to..." or "mechanical filtration presents this problem..., sumps are used for...., protien skimmers are not needed if....", instead I see links to elaborate scientific research or thesis paper topics. I am not bringing these up to sound overwhelmed, but I would like to see a starting point of effecient reefkeeping and then after experience grows, so will the experimenting with elaborate systems.

I hope this helps with your link, as I stated I am in the research stage and am eager to see the results of your hard work.

[bertoni]

[welcome]

The beginner threads in the sticky notes at the top of the forum are as close as you're going to get. There's no consensus on the best way to do anything even for an "average" tank, and there are so many animals that the concept of an average tank is doubtful. That's one of the joys or horrors of this hobby, depending on your point of view.

[javajaws]

Originally posted by adickerson0
I have brown stuff (datoms) in my tank!?!?!?!? HELP!!!!
No...it takes time, so suck it up.

This hobby is so expensive, I have $75 but I want SPS. What do I do?
Season Pass to the zoo.

Can I put a 300 gal in my 5th floor dorm room?
Sure...try it and post pics.

I was looking at my MH and now I can not see. Can you help?
Yes but Darwin loved reefs too much.

NEMO IS OS CUTE!!!!! I NEED TO GOTA HAVES ONE!!!!
And that poor fish needs to live.

I saw a skimmer on e-bay for $25. I think it is a Prizzum, is it any good?
Search the forums.

AHHH HELP SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!!!

WHY IOS NO ONE HELPING ME!!!!

MY MORISH IDOL IS GUNA DIE IF YOU DONT HELP!!!!
If you reply to your own post no one knows you need help.

My wife left me because I used our new house money to buy an aquarium but she did leave a nice tanning bed. Do you think this will work?
YES!!!

Cant I just puts my tank on a few concreat blocks? They hold my cars up!!!
Only if by "concreat" you mean "level", and if by blocks you mean "professional stand". Then yes, you can put your tank on a level professional stand.

That's so funny it needs to be a top ten list in ReefKeeping mag.