Dying Reef Biotope

saltjohnswharf said:
Hello,

Thanks to everyone that showed interest in this project. However, it has been cancelled. On April 2, 2011 my wife passed away in her sleep at the young age of 28. Since then my passion and finances to recreate a reef have disappeared. The system is currently setup inside a closet with electricity to keep the rock from dying. But other than that nothing is going on. In a few weeks I will likely list the whole system for sale on Craigslist.

Again, thank you for your interest. I wish I could report better news.



(Final Reefcentral Post)
Click to expand...

Very sorry to hear that. Don't discount the reef so quickly though, I went through a very depressing stage of my life a few years back with the help of a good hobby (freshwater fish at the time). It really helps to take your mind off things.
 
Hey saltjohnswharf- In Vietnamese we have this saying Chia buồn. It translates into "spread sadness".

"My imagination tells me it’s like splitting up the cloud of sadness into puzzle pieces and distributing them across the universe, until the pain no longer exists."

The reality of it is not so true. I can attest. I lost my dear Mom last September. and I actually started my reef in hopes to find some enjoyment. I'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully you can start a tank back up one day and enjoy the beauty of it again.
 
Well, as with many things in life, changes occur. I lost my wife, my will, my strength and my passion all in one day. My reef, as immature as it was, was not ready to be officially displayed. Rock was just finished seeding and water barely mature. I was forced to clean up a dirty fish room and setup the nano in a closet with electricity. The door shut I never look at it. I setup a 40 gallon ATO and left it. The reefkeeper was left with the task of controlling the lights, the heater and the fan. An MP10 was set to a hard pulse and all rock, sand, macro algae, snails and small SPS frags were left to an uncertain fate.

For two months the system ran unattended and completely neglected. Today I checked on it. The coral has spread out and is growing onto the glass, the algae has spread wildly under the metal halide light. The snails are chomping down mounds of algae and the whole thing looks very natural. Copepods swarm all over the coraline encrusted glass. I have to say I was brought back in. I am not prepared at the moment to complete the bioptope but as it was left for dead the natural ability to survive has overcome and the Dying Reef Biotope lives on.

100_2881.JPG





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Note that when first put into the aquarium it was 2" from the glass and is now growing on to the glass.

There are so many ways we can look at this post. I hope it inspires someone out there as it has inspired me. If you have not already please take a few minutes and read this thread from start to finish.

I shall begin work on this again very soon. For now the ATO has been topped off and the door shut for a little longer. As my composure returns the reef will find a well deserved place in my living room.

Thank you all for coming along my bumpy ride and a special thank you to all that offered condolences. I was very appreciative of that.
 
I'm terribly sorry you lost your wife. It's definitely one of life's ultimate tragedies. :( Hang in there.
 
My sincere condolences.

IME finding other interests may be therapeutic during difficult times. Doesn't have to be a reef tank, just anything that focuses your mind and energy. Never been through what you've been through, but in my life I've found challenging distractions helpful when I'm stressed.
 
First off, you have my sincere condolences on the loss of your wife. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers. I can't imagine what you are going through and the only advice I can give is to never lose hope and take it a day at a time.

As for the original purpose of this thread, I applaud your efforts. Both my wife and I dive so we are strong supporters of protecting reefs. It is unfortunate to see how many divers show complete disregard for their surroundings underwater. Many are new to the sport but that's no excuse and much of the blame can be laid at the feet of their instructors. Diving around coral reefs should only be done by those who respect them, appreciate them, and strive to maintain them.

Finally, I'm glad to see the tank renew your interest. At a time like this I think it would be beneficial to invest some time into a hobby you love. Please don't give up on it and please keep us up to date on your progress.

Again, thoughts and prayers are with you.....
 
ReREALIZING a dream

ReREALIZING a dream

Anyone still subscribed to this thread? Well if so, thank you. Some of you may remember this thread when I started it earlier last year. It was meant to convey a message about depleting reefs and how we, as hobbyists, can do a little to help with the problem.

This reef used all dry rocks and would later only include coral frags and tank bred fish. No wild specimens or impact to the reefs. Of course this is not a new concept.

As you may have already read, dramatic events in my life put this entire project in a state of hiatus and I scrapped the project to deal with other matters. It sat in a closet, with electricity and I just topped off an ATO. Just to keep the rocks from dying back. Later I got a little spirit back in me and I used my 18 gallon rimless and set up an aquarium in the living room using many of the nicer pieces of rocks from the dying tope. And as expected, I got the bug. It was not even a month later and I started working on the dying tope again. Bought all the plumbing and set it up. Today it is an over the top, vibrant reef full of life and beauty. So think of this post as a teaser. The official dying reef biotope thread link will be posted here soon. The entire transformation will be well documented and plenty of high quality photographs and high definition videos will be included. Looking forward to reacquainting myself with everyone. It has been a bumpy road, but a very fulfilling journey!
 
saltjohnswharf said:
Anyone still subscribed to this thread? Well if so, thank you. Some of you may remember this thread when I started it earlier last year. It was meant to convey a message about depleting reefs and how we, as hobbyists, can do a little to help with the problem.

This reef used all dry rocks and would later only include coral frags and tank bred fish. No wild specimens or impact to the reefs. Of course this is not a new concept.

As you may have already read, dramatic events in my life put this entire project in a state of hiatus and I scrapped the project to deal with other matters. It sat in a closet, with electricity and I just topped off an ATO. Just to keep the rocks from dying back. Later I got a little spirit back in me and I used my 18 gallon rimless and set up an aquarium in the living room using many of the nicer pieces of rocks from the dying tope. And as expected, I got the bug. It was not even a month later and I started working on the dying tope again. Bought all the plumbing and set it up. Today it is an over the top, vibrant reef full of life and beauty. So think of this post as a teaser. The official dying reef biotope thread link will be posted here soon. The entire transformation will be well documented and plenty of high quality photographs and high definition videos will be included. Looking forward to reacquainting myself with everyone. It has been a bumpy road, but a very fulfilling journey!
Click to expand...

Very cool dood, welcome back!! Don't wait too long on that teaser bit, pics sooner then later!! :)
 
Teaser continued

Teaser continued

Well a thought occurs to me. I will not be able to take the photographs I want until it is dark in the house and all but the aquarium light is off. So the actual thread will be constructed tomorrow with pictures I take tonight. But never the less here is a couple pictures to increase possible anticipation.

Remember the before?

mini-101_2762.JPG


Well here are two photos of it now!








mini-DSCN0721.JPG




mini-DSCN0709.JPG




Remember all this rock was pure WHITE in the curing tank. So there is proof that you cannot tell the difference between wild harvested and dry harvested. Except one thing, I have no aiptasia or other pests. And as far as copepods and other desirable inverts, I seeded them manually. They populated the rocks in a month and now are everywhere.
 
If anyone sees a picture they want in high resolution just shoot a PM. I will gladly email one to you. Photos are taken with a Nikon Coolpix P500 and at max resolution are 4000 X 3000 pixels (12 megapixels). This camera works very well to take pictures and 1080p video of the aquarium. Highly recommend this camera to a budget minded person who wants to take nice pictures of their aquarium.
 
Just read this thread, you have my deepest condolence. I'm glad you are able to give this hobby another chance. Looking forward to seeing progress of your build.
 
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