Here is another good DBTC tip for newbies. Can't speak for everyone, but this is what gets my ire up the most.
Don't be shy in asking for a coral, but in the same context, do not ask for every DBTC offering that comes up. Also read the givers requirements and/or parameters.
I know it can be very exciting when you first see the glut of corals that can be available but I will say from my perspective, when I see the same people jumping on every single coral, they will be the last ones I ever "pick a number" from. FWIW, I do realize that from the early going it is going to be way more get then give, but try to make a real attempt to return even 1 coral as soon as you can. That track record will give people much more confidence in your ability to be able to keep some more difficult and/or desirable corals. Again from my perspective, if I have a fairly uncommon coral, my goal is to ensure its survival. Thus it is very likely I am going to be way more choosey with whom I give it to and I usually look for something that makes a person stand out from the rest (do I have firsthand knowledge of their ability to keep the coral, do they have a tank thread where I can see how their tank is doing and if it would be a good fit, have they sucessfully returned any corals at all, etc etc.). For more common stuff, I pretty much go on a first come first served basis.
