What made you want a REEF aquarium?

[Christine22780]

I have had fish since I was 7. When I was 23 I decided to do something different and do a saltwater fish only tank. I was guided by someone very knowledgeable and got started up right and easily. Almost 10 yrs later it's still going strong and pretty easily for me. I think I am ready to upgrade some more and have corals and anemones

 

[Hocky puck]

they are jus so peaceful to watch then you learn its a warground and it just become that much more interesting

 

[Justcindym]

I was given a green spotted puffer in a 2 and a half gallon tank from a friend. I moved him to a 10 gallon tank imediately thinking this would be good right! wrong he was doing fine until he just got sick... couldnt figure it out thought he was dying I was desparate to save him. went to LFS and the salesman gave me good advise on turning him brackish... well if a little is good then full on salt would be great right! here I am 2 years later with a 30 gallon tank for my puffer and a silver tipped shark and a 75 tank that is 2 1/2 months new! This will be my reef tank im so excited cant stop watching the fish. Absolutely love my 2 clowns (latest addition)

 

[Nautilus_STL]

I've been living in a rented house with no lawns to speak of and would like something other than myself to be living here. I had dogs growing up and freshwater fish when I was a kid. I have always been fasinated with saltwater fish, living in a very land locked city I guess does that. So I decided to make the jump and will be creating a salt water set up in the next 6 months or so.

 

[Clownfish25]

Hey everyone. I noticed the topic of this thread and would like to share with everyone a new blog site that is just starting up. Its called The Coral Reef Blog and it will have videos and how to's and more. Please check out this blog and let me know what you think. Please leave comments on the blog site. Thank you. The Coral Reef Talk

 

[Seahorse Lover 20]

Ive always wanted a salt tank! I love the ocean reefs and seahorses for along time. I just wanted a piece of the ocean for myself. I think almost everyone does. It is so entertaining and peaceful to watch. So colorful and awesome

 

[S3Reefer]

I got a reef aquarium... I wanted to do a reef because I did not have a huge tank in the which the big fish would have looked just as cool... If you know what I mean. I

 

[Psychocircus91]

I've always loved the ocean. Going to the beach, whale watching, going to the Baltimore National Aquarium, Discovery cove and sea world in Orlando, sitting in restaurants and seeing fish mounted on the walls, visiting a LPS that has marine fish. FINALLY, starting my first one in a few weeks. I will have a piece of the Ocean in my room.

 

[fort384]

50+ posts have been deleted from this thread. Please keep the thread on topic which is "What made you want a reef".

If you would like to ask questions about equipment/coral care/etc. please start a different thread.

 

[Softie Guy]

My bother's amazing gift for this great hobby

I was always more than amazed at my brother Brian's reef tanks years ago. He has an amazing gift for understanding the chemistry, biology, plumbing, mechanics, and especially the art of this great hobby. He can make a rectangular glass case of water, rock, and corals into a masterpiece! Better than any Rembrandt! He really has a gift from God. I wanted to get involved because of him. Too bad we live an hour's drive apart; otherwise, we could do this stuff together much more regularly.

 

[h8z2luze]

I started one before and had to move before I got it setup so I sold everything. My roomate has a 72G bow which in turn made me want one and I went out and got a 46G

 

[Gregcoyote]

I built this current reef when my son was just a couple of years old. He is just turning 23 in January. He showed little interest in it...frankly he ignored it as he grew up to my frustration. He moved to his own house a few years back and much to my surprise he built his own small reef. He has now built several nice ones for customers and friends. His expertise is on my level...all of a sudden. I found it remarkable and now enjoy talking reefs with my son.

 

[S3Reefer]

Very cool.

 

[Ody]

Was always into fresh water when no went to my lfs you always looked at the saltwater and said someday the fish were nicer more interesting and strange and now 6 years later here I am and I'm hooked only have a 50l tank and already looking to go bigger lol

 

[Mr. Crabs]

I became captivated by fish tanks when I was 8. I wondered into a fish store next to the store my mom was clothes shopping in. They had a bunch of tanks that were only lit by daylight with saltwater fish in them.

One tank in particular caught me. It had a baby Majestic Angel in it that seemed to be watching me watching him. The fish seemed "smart" and beyond what I thought a fish was--intelligent in a way. I watched the Majestic Angel swim around playing with my attention. I had my mom buy me a Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. I read it cover to cover over 100 times....wore it out in every way possible.

My dad bought me a 30 gallon fish tank set up later that year for Christmas. I started with fresh water fish because the cost of salt water fish was off putting to my dad; afterall he was my financier.

After 2 years of fiddling with cichlids (since they seemed to be the max amount of coloration a fresh water fish could be capable of achieving), I started mixing salt. All the mean while, the Majestic Angel that I had seen a few years prior was in the back of my mind. They weren't commonly found in dealer tanks in the early nineties, but eventually I would run into one with the memory rushing back to the forefront of my mind. It's kind of like a smell that takes you back to childhood, if you know what I mean.

Fast forward to age 21. I had had multiple fish and coral species and different sized tanks ranging from 10 gallons to 100. Now that I was making my own money and the idea of a $100 fish made sense to ME only, I bought one. He was about 3 inches in size with adult coloration. I was scared to death that I would undoubtably lose him since they were considered difficult fish to keep. I took an extra precaution. I dipped him in Methylene Blue using a 10 gallon tank and an airstone with heater. I don't know where I read it or what I was thinking, but I added the recommended amount of MB to the tank and low and behold the fish magically disappeared into the blue murk. I left him in there for a day and a night. I don't know why. Almost certain that I had screwed my Majestic Angel up, I decided to put him in the display tank. Not only did he live, but he ate and thrived. 6 months went by and I grew bored, so I sold the entire set up. I don't know why. Steady girl friend, work, fun, hormones, etc back burnered my interest in the hobby some how.

Another 14 years went by, but the Majestic Angel always stuck in my head as a signature fish for me. So I set up a tank specifically for one and a handful of other favorite fish, and here I am today. I raised a Majestic from a quarter sized juvi colored fish, to now 4 inches and color changed after over a year. Very happy to have the fish that started it all and I hope to have him for 20 years.

I think everyone has that spark of interest that starts it all. For some, it's an anemone and a clown fish, for others a trigger fish, but for me the Majestic Angel is a fish that stops me in my tracks wherever I am.....LFS, Aquarium, Youtube even.

I've had reef tanks and granted I love corals, but for some reason I have a fish personality that is somewhat of a purist. I like simple, as in a handful of healthy fish with lots of room, a healthy diet, quality live rock and time. To me, there's nothing like a tank with fish that have been kept happy for +7 years. I had that with an Asfur Angel and things really get interesting around year 5. The fish understands its environment, stress from the newness of tank life has dissipitated and there is a bond between fish and keeper that has formed.

Great hobby.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Your love of the animals is obviously deep. Have you considered learning to dive? If you like the angels in the tank, what till you see them in the wild.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Your love of the animals is obviously deep. Have you considered learning to dive? If you like the angels in the tank, what till you see them in the wild.

Diving i great. I love it! Its great to see fish in their natural habitat... But then kinda depressing when you hear about people keeping garibali in aquariums when you just swam with some 10-15 pound monsters the day before.

 

[mardaman]

My 90 gal fish/reef tank

Hey gang,

4 years ago I started with a 29 gal biocube and became hooked (get it hooked/ fish). Then this past October I bought a used 90 gal tank from my aquarium guy. For $250 I got the aquarium, stand and hood, sump and protein skimmer. It looked great in the store and I trusted it would be leak free and all the mechanicals would work well, cause he is the most awsome aquarium dude, a marine biologist, as well as is his father who also works there.
They delivered the tank and set it up since I wanted to make sure this was done right. Also I never had a tank this big. I wanted them to get me started/set-up, and then I wanted to keep it going, except for the weekly water testing which they are always happy to do. I only test the SG 3-4 times a week at home since that is pretty basic and easy to do.
Since it has been up and running I have found that this size tank is much more stable and is easier to maintain than my 29 Biocube (which I am going to make a Seahorse tank).
I have the water checked weekly at the store, and have not lost any critters except for the Orange Footed Turbo Snails, which my old arrow crab ate (he's such a meanie). So here is what I have going:

80 lb Live Sand
Live Rock (90 lbs),
Lights…Deep Blue Solar Extreme T5 H.O. Quad Light System

Six Line Wrasse, Firefish, Green Coris, Blue Chromis (3), Scooter Blennie,

Pajama Cardinal (aka Mike), Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty​

Nassarius Snails, Ceris Snails, Blue legged Hermit Crabs, Banded Coral Shrimp, Cleaner Shrimp, Pistol Shrimp, Sand Sifting Starfish (2), Arrow Crab,
Peppermint Shrimp (3), Cleaner Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Emerald Crabs (2), Pink Tile Starfish.

Duncan Coral, Mushrooms, Yellow Grogonia, Vietnam Zoa (large colony), Ultra Aussie Blasto

I named my Pajama Cardinal Mike, cause I got him from a coworker named Mike. He gave me, (yes gave me), 50 lb of the live rock since he was taking down his aquarium. He had not had any fish in the tank for 3 months so was not adding food. But when he went to take the rock out there was Mike swimming around, without being fed for 3 months, that is one tough guy, so I had to give him a name.

Thanks for reading my tale.....................mardaman

 

[Javed]

Hi I m jay this is my first time with saltwater reef tank . I want to know is there any problem if I use two live sand of different kind in one tank.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Hi I m jay this is my first time with saltwater reef tank . I want to know is there any problem if I use two live sand of different kind in one tank.

No problem as I can see.