WHAT MADE YOU WANT A REEF AQUARIUM?

[flatzboy]

Mine starts out with a ten gallon fresh water tank when I was about 8 and I can't remember what fish I had in it. The pump burned out and I guess we never noticed because we were not big into fish yet. All the fish died and we ended up throwing the tank out. A few years later my neighbor was showing me all his fish tanks hes got a 20 gallon eclipse with some clownfish and damsels a 40 gallon with the same, a 55 gallon with a lionfish and blueline grouper, and a 500 gallon with 3 little sharks about 18 inches. I decided I wanted a saltwater sish tank and it just so happens I found a 20 gallon in the garbage the same day. I took it home and cleaned it out very good and set it on a wooden lobster pot for a stand in my room. I bought a emperor biowheel and some crushed coral. I put some damsels in there to let it cycle and then took them out and and put a clownfish in it, a green mandrin goby, and a small yellow tang ( yes the tang is going in the 75 gallon once it cycles I have been asked that a million times he is only about 2 inches right know). Then I bought some live rock and some inverts to add. I have some coral in it right know and have just bought some better lighting a jebo 110w power compact with one daylight bulb and one actinic bulb and a cpr bak-pak 2r protein skimmer. Then we got a 75 gallon witch is still in progress in cycling it will be a reef tank. We also have a 10 gallon that we use as a hospital tank getting ready to put the clown fish in there becuase he has ick. And thats the end of my story up to today.

[Bearfan]

What made me want a reef tank? This website. I was a [acronym:0d95e63f9a="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:0d95e63f9a] only, then FF and RR converted me.

[MeekDoggyDogg]

Great Colors excelent hobby leads to many carrer opertunities in he future for me.

[malkore]

Well I had some [acronym:957813faa0="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:957813faa0] 'bowls' as alittle kid, with some guppies.
I got older and was given a small hex tank, just enough for a betta.
in my late teens I picked up a 10 and 20 gallon, but that was before the Internet was actually useful to hobbyists, so I didn't do things right, and had lots of failures.

last sept. I picked up a 29gallon setup for [acronym:957813faa0="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:957813faa0], adn did things the right way (ok, I didn't fishless cycle, but I did do daily water changes and lost no fish).
That tank quickly turned into a high light planted tank...and by January I purchased a 75gallon and transferred everything over. Between Sept and Jan, I picked up a 20gallon [acronym:957813faa0="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:957813faa0] for my wife, who gave up on it, so it's another of my planted tanks.

Now my planted tanks are stable and low maintenance...so I decided I was ready for the challenge of [acronym:957813faa0="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:957813faa0].
The fish are more vivid, the reef rocks look so natural and beautiful with the coralline algae...its a living work of art, like my other tanks.

I enjoy learning, and then doing...so [acronym:957813faa0="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:957813faa0] is very interesting to me.

[EL Diablo]

I've had [acronym:4f9277b710="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:4f9277b710] fish tanks since as far back as I can remember
I've had just about every [acronym:4f9277b710="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:4f9277b710] fish there is at one point or another
I have always been drawn to the beauty of [acronym:4f9277b710="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:4f9277b710] tanks and wanted one for many years. In time all good things come.

Now I finally own one

[gump3842k]

see how much fun it could be...ohh and going to the aquarium in myrtle beach

[Clown Monarch]

For me, watching an animal live in it's (albeit man-made) natural habitat is a thrill. I love the territoriality of fish, the incredible variety of life.

I have a friend who also has aquariums and sometimes complains that his fish are hiding behind objects in the tank - so he removes the objects. I don't understand this at all. My goal is to create a natural environment and if that means only seeing the critter once every couple weeks because he likes to hide - so be it.

[RocketSeason]

i like critters that hide. it means they are displaying natural behavior.

nice stories people they are really exciting

[rockkfish]

how lame am i... all these great stories, time for a bit of honesty...
my father owns a freshwater tank has for about 20 years... used to watch it in the dark with just the aquarium light on. moved out 14 years ago and didn't think anything of it. 2 years ago my husband buys a 10 [acronym:dd89eb0883="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:dd89eb0883] kit for our 4 kids and obsessive/compulsive that i am i took it over bought gouramis to add to the 4 neons he got. but then a week later i got 5 zebra danios and 5 tiger barbs, then i had to have snails, and lyretails mollies, plecos to combat the algae (what do u mean i'm exceeding the bioload? what the heck is a bioload anyway?), 2 convicts which decided to have babies (how could i be a mother again my husband had a vasectomy?) but no worries the Jack Dempsey i bought took care of most of all that . Shockingly enough he's still alive after a year who says he needs a 30 [acronym:dd89eb0883="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:dd89eb0883] tank. And then...

D I S N E Y -- "Mom can we get Nemo?" Finally! An excuse to expand my compulsions without killing any more freshwater fish. Now I get to see how good I am at killing saltwater fish :P just kidding... i love it, i'm learning alot and so are my kids. my 7 year old is always over there pointing out something i've missed. ****! he just found another "little feather duster" we adults call it aiptasia. let's see how long i can keep some peppermint shrimp alive.... Wish me L U C [acronym:dd89eb0883="Kelvin or Potassium, depending on context"]K[/acronym:dd89eb0883]!!!