Trying to increase my salty general knowledge

ScottoMacD

ScottoMacD

Charlie and Amanda's Daddy
Dec 21, 2001
676
0
0
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Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada
First off. Let me just explain. I am not nor can I ever see myself becoming a salt aquarium owner. I personally just am not a fan at all and the more time I spend on the salts at work the less I see myself heading that way. Tankbusters are my thing and always will be.

The reason for starting the post this way is because of the questions I am about to ask all you salty people to help me out with.

Basically this is the scoop. My salt knowledge is basic. Very basic. If not for work (Big Al's Montreal) my salt knowledge would be nill.

At work we are having a salty section problem. Not enough employees to help out in the Q&A aspect. Any boob can bag fish, but when it comes to questions because of the employee shortage ( 6 fresh, 1 salt with a couple of fresh with basics including myself) we are having one hard time keeping up. Frankly poor Chris (the salt guy) is way overloaded when he is there.

What I am hoping you all can help me with is to just post some really common salty facts that I can eventually put together and printout to give to the freshy employees so as to help out the salt section.

Now I'm not looking for long winded explainations. Just simple little blurbs like....

This fish <insert name here> is reef friendly
or
All tangs eat algae
or
2 flame angels will fight if put together
or
This fish <insert name here> cannot go with this fish <insert name here>
ETC....


Like I said I would really apperciate any help everyone can provide. I am hoping to make this a sticky (if I can figure out how to) so as to help everyone find it easily when you remember a common fact.

Thanks very much.
 
Good luck getting together a list of "absolutes".
In my limited experience I have found that the answer to almost any question in reefing is "it depends".
No two systems are identical, and the creatures don't always read the rule book.

Some dwarf angels are reef safe, some are not- it's up to the individual fish.

Some tangs are dedicated herbivores while many will eat more protein based fare.

See what I mean? Nearly any topic can be argued with truth on either side.

I would respectfully suggest that any retail shop keep on hand a decent library of reference books as well as a good assortment to sell. Employees should be encouraged to read during down time (and at home), and they should volunteer to look up stuff for the newbies. This sort of approach will encourage newbies to buy books, and will also help educate the help.

Sorry I can't be of any more help.
I've tried to think of some very basic immutable laws, but "it depends" always interjects itself.
Even "saltwater tanks should always be kept at 1.025 salinity" isn't an absolute- hyposalinity is very useful sometimes.

'Tis a complicated hobby :cool:
 
There are charts like this out there:

saltwatercompatability.gif


There are others like it, if you google around a little.

So that might help. But it is really hard to make hard and fast rules. I am sympathetic though. The first LPS I worked for had me selling kittens and guinea pigs, as well as being "the fish guy." I hated it, but read a lot and talked a lot with the customers and employees until I knew what I was doing. The best general book, in my opinion, is Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist. I'd suggest borrowing a copy and reading up on some basic principles and the common species you sell.
 
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