In the days Before the Internet (BI) it was easy. If you had a question or problem regarding your hobby all you had to do was call or visit your local pet store and ask the question. For better or for worse, talking to them was the only way to get a quick response to your questions. Oh how things have changed. In the days AI, answers are just a few mouse clicks away. Although at first blush this sounds like a great improvement, it brings along with it some side effects which can make it seem more frustrating than it's worth to the beginning hobbyist. I will try to relate to you some of the experiences I've had over the last few months.

Envision me as a reefkeeping beginner logging onto a IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel specializing in saltwater aquariums and asking the simple question; "I'm thinking of buying a 40 gallon breeder tank to start a reef aquarium, is this a good idea?". The answers, shot back at incredible speed, might look like this:

<bill-e> I'm thinking of buying a 40 gallon breeder tank to start a reef aquarium, is this a good idea?

<fishhead> NO!!! don't do that, start with at least a 100 gallon tank or you'll be sorry.

<acro> If I were you, I'd go with a 50 and 20 gal sump.

<minireef> I started with a 10 gallon tank and don't regret it.

<ick> listen to acro, he's smart

<bonehead><private> don't listen to any of them, they're all jerks, get a copy of CMA and read it

<platty> yea bill, a 40 is a great idea

<LR> NOT!!

<fishhead> Bill-e, I'm telling you 100 or larger or you're throwing your money away!!

Hmm, when I logged on I thought I knew what I wanted to do, now I'm more unsure about the tank selection than before. Maybe I'd better wait a bit and hang around on the IRC and try to figure out who really knows what is going on. Days go by and I realize that I am just not going to be able to ask any question and get a unanimous answer, or even a 75% majority. It seems that everybody has an opinion, does things a little differently, and it must be IRC etiquette not to ever agree with anybody else. I should go to my IRC log and cut and paste the answers I received to my "what salinity level should I maintain" question!

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a pretty intelligent person (actually I already knew that :) and the best this thing to do is read a lot and then ask the questions. As the answers come in, use your own intelligence to review all the information and arrive at your answer. If you really don't have a clue as to which answer is right, then simply tally up the answers and select the one which was given the most, or take the advise of the person who had provided good answers in the past. I've also discovered that while the Internet offers bleeding edge information, your LFS, if it's a good one like mine, Inland Reef Aquaria in Nashua NH, will have tried and true answers, even if the methods are a little dated. So don't be afraid to resort to the BI methods.

One last comment about the kind of information you will get from the online chat channels and message boards. Many of those who frequent them are devout hobbyists, some even fanatical. Their recommendations often times represent not only the bleeding edge, but the most expensive way to solve or avoid a problem. You really don't need that $400 skimmer on your 20 gallon reef - even though it does make excellent coffee :) And while you may never be able to start a reef tank for five dollars a gallon, you most certainly can do it for much less than the fifty dollars a gallon that most quote on the internet, but more on that later.

Happy Reefkeeping

PS. I ended up buying a 65 gallon glass tank.