Well, I guess my story is fairly typical... Guy likes aquariums... Guy gets reef tank... Guy gets addicted... Guy buys a 1000 gallon peninsula and knocks down walls to fit it in his house. Like I said, fairly typical.
I've always been attracted to the idea of owning a saltwater aquarium...one that looked like a living piece of artwork and wow'd all those who gazed upon it. The problem was that I had no reefing knowledge nor experience, and the endeavor seemed so daunting. I had already owned a 40 gallon freshwater community tank for a few years, and certainly enjoyed it, but somehow knew I'd venture into the reef world eventually. This was despite so many people describing its difficulty in setup and maintenance, not to mention the cost. I often admired beautiful tanks, especially the one owned by my good friend Rick. He'd set his up with a cool "low reef" rockscape, nice T-5's, and often added all sorts of sexy corals and fish. What was interesting to me was that even though he's one of the most meticulous guys I know, he would always seem to be faced with some sort of obstacle the hobby threw at him...nothing was ever super easy despite his successes. As much as one coral or fish would be thriving, another would inexplicably have issues. It seemed as though there was always room to improve and the hobby's challenges never ceased...and weirdly, this seemed really inviting to me. That said, I remained a spectator for a while longer. When the time came for Rick to upgrade to a brand spanking new 300 gallon system, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He gave me a fantastic deal on his "old" 210 gallon system, and encouraged me to jump into the saltwater game with both feet. I don't think he nor I had any idea what that would mean for me in the following two years. After a couple of months, I decided to set up the system. This is the point at which I met Peter Diaz from Great Ocean Aquariums. It was a chance encounter when I reached out to him to have the front panel of the tank polished. In not time at all, Peter was overhauling the entire system and decking it out with a custom glass sump, sleek plumbing, cool aquascape, and all the advice a novice reefer could ask for...I'm telling you, this guy is THE REEF TANK WHISPERER.
All was going great with the tank, and in short order, it was bursting with bright, beautiful corals and a handful of your standard entry-level fish. This isn't to say that I didn't experience my fair share of pitfalls, but I tried to use every experience, both positive and negative, as an opportunity to learn..and to always continue to improve like Rick. I was being fed with a fire hose of reef knowledge, to include hours on end on RC. No matter how much I read or learned, my thirst for reef knowledge remained unquenched, and that's when I knew things were going to get crazy soon.
Fast forward about 10 months, and I came across a tank that I simply fell in love with. It was/is a low-iron peninsula with external overflow and hefty dimensions. The display is 96" x 48" x 48"...it's big...957 gallons big to be exact. I couldn't believe I had the opportunity to purchase this tank, and can't thank Ian enough for his generosity and the deal he gave me. He told me the tanks origin was a lobby in some swanky South Beach hotel, and I assured him it would be going to a loving home. After Peter, Rick, Ian, and I loaded this almost 2500lb beast onto a flatbed, this adventure had officially begun.
This is the story (ongoing as I type this...with plenty of pictures), of my dream tank build. I want to thank my amazing wife Christy, who's support means the world to me (and a patient understanding spouse is a must in this hobby as we all know), my extremely talented friend Peter from GOA who's wizardry was instrumental from day one and without whom none of this would've possible or as much fun, Rick (who I blame almost entirely for my addiction and deflated checking account), my cousin Lester for countless hours of help with anything and everything, Ian for his generosity and confidence that I'd be able to get this tank up and running, Hector and the entire team at Hydra Aquatics International who've treated me like family and shared so much knowledge, and to everyone else who's supported me so far...and for putting up with my aquarium craziness. Also, thanks to those on this forum who take the time to dispense advice and well-wishes to their reefing brethren, and for spending some time with me on this thread...thank you, and enjoy!
I've always been attracted to the idea of owning a saltwater aquarium...one that looked like a living piece of artwork and wow'd all those who gazed upon it. The problem was that I had no reefing knowledge nor experience, and the endeavor seemed so daunting. I had already owned a 40 gallon freshwater community tank for a few years, and certainly enjoyed it, but somehow knew I'd venture into the reef world eventually. This was despite so many people describing its difficulty in setup and maintenance, not to mention the cost. I often admired beautiful tanks, especially the one owned by my good friend Rick. He'd set his up with a cool "low reef" rockscape, nice T-5's, and often added all sorts of sexy corals and fish. What was interesting to me was that even though he's one of the most meticulous guys I know, he would always seem to be faced with some sort of obstacle the hobby threw at him...nothing was ever super easy despite his successes. As much as one coral or fish would be thriving, another would inexplicably have issues. It seemed as though there was always room to improve and the hobby's challenges never ceased...and weirdly, this seemed really inviting to me. That said, I remained a spectator for a while longer. When the time came for Rick to upgrade to a brand spanking new 300 gallon system, he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He gave me a fantastic deal on his "old" 210 gallon system, and encouraged me to jump into the saltwater game with both feet. I don't think he nor I had any idea what that would mean for me in the following two years. After a couple of months, I decided to set up the system. This is the point at which I met Peter Diaz from Great Ocean Aquariums. It was a chance encounter when I reached out to him to have the front panel of the tank polished. In not time at all, Peter was overhauling the entire system and decking it out with a custom glass sump, sleek plumbing, cool aquascape, and all the advice a novice reefer could ask for...I'm telling you, this guy is THE REEF TANK WHISPERER.
All was going great with the tank, and in short order, it was bursting with bright, beautiful corals and a handful of your standard entry-level fish. This isn't to say that I didn't experience my fair share of pitfalls, but I tried to use every experience, both positive and negative, as an opportunity to learn..and to always continue to improve like Rick. I was being fed with a fire hose of reef knowledge, to include hours on end on RC. No matter how much I read or learned, my thirst for reef knowledge remained unquenched, and that's when I knew things were going to get crazy soon.
Fast forward about 10 months, and I came across a tank that I simply fell in love with. It was/is a low-iron peninsula with external overflow and hefty dimensions. The display is 96" x 48" x 48"...it's big...957 gallons big to be exact. I couldn't believe I had the opportunity to purchase this tank, and can't thank Ian enough for his generosity and the deal he gave me. He told me the tanks origin was a lobby in some swanky South Beach hotel, and I assured him it would be going to a loving home. After Peter, Rick, Ian, and I loaded this almost 2500lb beast onto a flatbed, this adventure had officially begun.
This is the story (ongoing as I type this...with plenty of pictures), of my dream tank build. I want to thank my amazing wife Christy, who's support means the world to me (and a patient understanding spouse is a must in this hobby as we all know), my extremely talented friend Peter from GOA who's wizardry was instrumental from day one and without whom none of this would've possible or as much fun, Rick (who I blame almost entirely for my addiction and deflated checking account), my cousin Lester for countless hours of help with anything and everything, Ian for his generosity and confidence that I'd be able to get this tank up and running, Hector and the entire team at Hydra Aquatics International who've treated me like family and shared so much knowledge, and to everyone else who's supported me so far...and for putting up with my aquarium craziness. Also, thanks to those on this forum who take the time to dispense advice and well-wishes to their reefing brethren, and for spending some time with me on this thread...thank you, and enjoy!
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