FLSharkvictim
New member
Hello everybody! I am going to be doing two different threads since I have had a 120 gallon Mixed reef tank up and running for over 19 years and have finally made the upgrade to a Custom Rimless SCA 150 but I will mention that ones it's completed but in the meantime, I want to do this thread for my current tank that's running which is my 120 mixed reef! Little info and background about me, I have been a keeping reef tanks for over 20 years now. I first started out with a 30 gallon in 1990 with an under gravel system as my filtration..lol boy those were the days...I mean the wet dry system was out of my league at the time and I believe they just had come out... My next saltwater tank was 55 gallon with wet-dry system with bio balls and mainly filled with Live rock and a couple of soft corals, Clown Fish and mainly tangs, triggers, etc etc. I was mostly self-taught up until I got a part-time Job @ a Local Reef Store. After working there for just a few months I was moved over to the saltwater department and gained a ton of experience for the next 3 years to come. I was testing the water and telling people what fish are reef safe and which ones were not, bagging up fish which helped me know my types of fish and which ones were reef safe and which ones were not. I read a lot of saltwater books and tried to educate myself as best I could. Another positive working at my LFS I GOT A ton of hands to experience with plumbing as well since we plumbed a lot of tanks at the fish store for our clients. Right before I moved on from the saltwater fish store I had around 10 clients where I was maintaining their tanks for them and cleaning them and doing monthly water changes for them. I have been an avid aquarium hobbyist that has spent almost the entirety of my life fully immersed in the aquarium industry. From working as an aquarium service technician in my local aquarium shop and getting a chance to maintain some of our client's tanks was a great hands-on experience... With that being said I took that experience with me and started my adventure into reef keeping and growing corals. I have always had a love & passion for the ocean and it's inhabitants since I was born and raised right on the water my entire life over in the Tampabay area. I have have had the privilege of diving on some of the most beautiful dive wrecks & reefs around the world and really getting a chance to view these corals in their natural environment so Instantly i was hooked and that's basically how it all started for me in this hobby! Also, I have a very strong connection with the ocean and the amazing creature that live down in the Abyss since the unthinkable happen to me @ Sebastian Inlet which only 12 shark attacks that happened in the State of FL and I was one of the 12... Anyways, I made CNN, & 5 newspapers the day after Thanksgiving from the attack that happens to me. The shark basically shot straight up and bite my right arm and mangled 3 out of my 5 fingers which were pretty tour up from the compression of the shark's bite.. I will never forget that moment of feeling a few thousand pounds of pressure coming down on your right hand and finger, it hurt like hell, let me tell you. Where I was attacked by a shark surfing on the east coast of FL in 1992 was in Melbourne, FL. I might not be here posting this thread right now if it was not for my best friend who was in the water with me at the time help me get back to shore and on our way to the hospital b.c I don't think i could have paddled back in by myself since were out 100 yrd.
Here are a few pictures of my right hand after i got released from the hospital and before they did 2 operations in order to remove the shark's teeth that will still be imbedded in my fingers. Long story short, I had to have 2 operations, and over 80 stitches in my fingers and right forearm. From the bite marks the shark was estimated to be around the 6 or 7 ft range which is a pretty big shark. Please see below for the original story that the St Pete times did on me and what all took place that day I almost lost my life due to an unprovoked shark attack. PLEASE REMEMBER, sharks can't see very good and all this shark that got me was doing was chumming through the water & made a mistake by attacking me, and as soon as the shark started to pull me under the water the shark knew what I was and wanted nothing to do with me after he clamped down on my right arm. My buddy that was out with me that day surfing yelled SHARKKKKK!!!! . All my documents can be found on the INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE - https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/
So now that you know how I came up with my screen name let's move on to my 120 mixed reef.
Here are a few pictures of my right hand after i got released from the hospital and before they did 2 operations in order to remove the shark's teeth that will still be imbedded in my fingers. Long story short, I had to have 2 operations, and over 80 stitches in my fingers and right forearm. From the bite marks the shark was estimated to be around the 6 or 7 ft range which is a pretty big shark. Please see below for the original story that the St Pete times did on me and what all took place that day I almost lost my life due to an unprovoked shark attack. PLEASE REMEMBER, sharks can't see very good and all this shark that got me was doing was chumming through the water & made a mistake by attacking me, and as soon as the shark started to pull me under the water the shark knew what I was and wanted nothing to do with me after he clamped down on my right arm. My buddy that was out with me that day surfing yelled SHARKKKKK!!!! . All my documents can be found on the INTERNATIONAL SHARK ATTACK FILE - https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/trends/
So now that you know how I came up with my screen name let's move on to my 120 mixed reef.
