dwayne.aycock
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hello everyone, after almost a 10 year lay off I am back to aquariums again. I started my first 20 gallon aquarium in college back in 1984. I learned the ropes like most of us with blissful ignorance and finally a learned scholar by 2001. I am a MAJ in the U.S Army initially coming into the military in 1989. I took a 9 year break in military service from 1991 until 1999. In 1997 I completed my PhD in Clinical Psychology, and came bak onto active duty just after 9-11. With the training and frequent moves required in military service, I simply was not able to make the many moves with Army gear, household goods, a Wife, 3 dogs, 2 cats and and a Parakeet named Steve shortly followed by my now 2 year old daughter...something had to give. As you may have imagined it was my fish hobby.
Well I am on one of my final assignments (6 years before retirement) I have rekindled my hobby.
I found a 75 gallon tank with wet dry filter, stand and lights for $100.00 from a guy who was going the opposite direction. We told stories and shook hands and I was back in the saddle again. I had wood work to do on the stand and after 2 weeks of wood work, the stand looked like new. The tank had previously been a salt tank, so I had lots of work to do to get it up and converted over to fresh water.
That brings me to where I am today. I set my 75 Gal up on 10 September with a 20 gal wet dry (floss, bio balls, 370 GPH power head and air stones in the sump) an Eheim canister pump with 4 stage filtration and 9W UV sterilization at 370 GPH, and finally a power head at 350 GPH pushing through 2 cartridge polishers/ scrubbers (50 microns) to a 36W external UV sterilizer which empties into a spray bar across the top of the tank. I am using LED lights X18 @ 10,000K as well as live plants (Amazon plants, swords, java moss, java fern, frog bit, dwarf lilly and X-mas tree ferns. I am building an Amazon biotype setup. My intended fish are Angles, corey's, neons, danios, hatchets and maybe guppies. My tank has been up and running for a few weeks and the live plants are dong well. As my tank is cycling, I have not added any fish but plan to add then slowly starting with the corey's after my water chemistry levels out ...you know that dreaded cycling.
Prior to now I had been in the hobby for 17 years and was pretty serious into the hobby. I was a fan of Discus and one day hope to get there again. A lot has changes since I have been away especially in the areas of science and equipment...WOW! From certain aspects I feel like I am starting all over again and I guess I am. Back in the day there were no valuable forums like this at your finger tips with so many levels of experience from novice to expert. I have already learned a lot from many of you. There are so many helpful and friendly people out there with so many tips, ideas, war stories...the list goes on and on. I am having fun and glad to be.......
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!
Dwayne Aycock
Well I am on one of my final assignments (6 years before retirement) I have rekindled my hobby.
I found a 75 gallon tank with wet dry filter, stand and lights for $100.00 from a guy who was going the opposite direction. We told stories and shook hands and I was back in the saddle again. I had wood work to do on the stand and after 2 weeks of wood work, the stand looked like new. The tank had previously been a salt tank, so I had lots of work to do to get it up and converted over to fresh water.
That brings me to where I am today. I set my 75 Gal up on 10 September with a 20 gal wet dry (floss, bio balls, 370 GPH power head and air stones in the sump) an Eheim canister pump with 4 stage filtration and 9W UV sterilization at 370 GPH, and finally a power head at 350 GPH pushing through 2 cartridge polishers/ scrubbers (50 microns) to a 36W external UV sterilizer which empties into a spray bar across the top of the tank. I am using LED lights X18 @ 10,000K as well as live plants (Amazon plants, swords, java moss, java fern, frog bit, dwarf lilly and X-mas tree ferns. I am building an Amazon biotype setup. My intended fish are Angles, corey's, neons, danios, hatchets and maybe guppies. My tank has been up and running for a few weeks and the live plants are dong well. As my tank is cycling, I have not added any fish but plan to add then slowly starting with the corey's after my water chemistry levels out ...you know that dreaded cycling.
Prior to now I had been in the hobby for 17 years and was pretty serious into the hobby. I was a fan of Discus and one day hope to get there again. A lot has changes since I have been away especially in the areas of science and equipment...WOW! From certain aspects I feel like I am starting all over again and I guess I am. Back in the day there were no valuable forums like this at your finger tips with so many levels of experience from novice to expert. I have already learned a lot from many of you. There are so many helpful and friendly people out there with so many tips, ideas, war stories...the list goes on and on. I am having fun and glad to be.......
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!
Dwayne Aycock
to AA!
