TechniTony
New member
I apologize in advance if you don't care for long stories, but I feel mine must be told. Richard has caused me failure in my original plans and now I must re-think all for my tank. My backstory is as follows. I have had a few different tanks throughout the years, my last endeavour was many years back and involved the best advice I could garner from the local pet stores. I purchased a 55 gallon tank, crushed coral, wet/dry, UG filter and a bunch of various fake plant and rocks. I started my system as told and dutifully bought a fish or so each week. The fish would last a day or so and die, so I would return to the pet store and buy another fish as planned. I noticed after a while that the fish would hide as I walked in to the pet store as if actually scared of my arrival. I couldn't even approach a Lobster tank in a restaraunt without the profound look a fear gripping each and every lobster well before selecting a meal. I was truly good at mass fish homicide. This worked very well for me until one day I could no longer enjoy my fish killing hobby and decided to shut down my salt hobby for good. I didn't quite understand why I was feeling a tad bit of guilt over my success but the fine folks at the store seemed happy to oblige and I was sure that they wouldn't mislead me.
Flash ahead to a few months ago, I now have 2 wonderful boys (1 & 3 yo) it was decided that a fish tank could be proffered in exchange for certain bathroom etiquette advancements. A wonderful system was now available on-line that would replace the upper bowl to your toilet and give the appearance of a fish tank in place. It was actually a clever hidden water compartment that would allow for a 2 gallon tank of fish. I figured that since my fish would end up there anyway, this was the perfect short cut. Well the cost of said system was a staggering $449, surely for this I could get back into the fish torturing business in a proper manner. Now that I had the power of the internet at my disposal I decided to investigate how others were fairing in this hobby. After much reading I stumbled onto Reef Central and noticed how miserably most people were doing, Fish were taking months to die if not longer. I decided to get back into the hobby and confirm my fears, for slightly more than the original $449 toilet tank budget I built up a 150 gallon system with these new fangled refugiums and skimmer. Somehow several thousand dollars went away in the same time interim but I will investigate that later. After some more reading I found to be near this shyster Richard and contacted him about filling my new tank O' death. Now the jist of my post is that obviously something is severely wrong. I have injected far more life into my tank than I ever managed to kill before and it simply won't die. I'm sure it to be a con because at this point there is no way I could return to him for my weekly re-stocking.
He met with me and handed me many cardboard boxes full of actual sand, Not a bit of crushed coral in sight, my pet store should be rolling over in their grave. Thingys are moving in the sand and rock and a fish actually hitchhiked with and is alive after ALMOST 3 WEEKS!!! I am of course quite confused because I even added a few more boxes of product from him this past weekend and it is also 100% alive.
I am struggling with this new feeling of accomplishment the best I can, it is all quite stunningly beautiful. The amount of life, quality and value is all too much. I will try to get pictures over the next few days to post about this abhoration of fish keeping but it is though a piece of the ocean has been removed and supplanted into my living room. I feel myself to be a better person, I may consider being nicer to my fellow man now. Richard should maybe be considered more of saint than a salesman, but I am too conflicted right now. As I come to terms with this development over the next few weeks I'll try to keep a log going here. Peace, Tony
Flash ahead to a few months ago, I now have 2 wonderful boys (1 & 3 yo) it was decided that a fish tank could be proffered in exchange for certain bathroom etiquette advancements. A wonderful system was now available on-line that would replace the upper bowl to your toilet and give the appearance of a fish tank in place. It was actually a clever hidden water compartment that would allow for a 2 gallon tank of fish. I figured that since my fish would end up there anyway, this was the perfect short cut. Well the cost of said system was a staggering $449, surely for this I could get back into the fish torturing business in a proper manner. Now that I had the power of the internet at my disposal I decided to investigate how others were fairing in this hobby. After much reading I stumbled onto Reef Central and noticed how miserably most people were doing, Fish were taking months to die if not longer. I decided to get back into the hobby and confirm my fears, for slightly more than the original $449 toilet tank budget I built up a 150 gallon system with these new fangled refugiums and skimmer. Somehow several thousand dollars went away in the same time interim but I will investigate that later. After some more reading I found to be near this shyster Richard and contacted him about filling my new tank O' death. Now the jist of my post is that obviously something is severely wrong. I have injected far more life into my tank than I ever managed to kill before and it simply won't die. I'm sure it to be a con because at this point there is no way I could return to him for my weekly re-stocking.
He met with me and handed me many cardboard boxes full of actual sand, Not a bit of crushed coral in sight, my pet store should be rolling over in their grave. Thingys are moving in the sand and rock and a fish actually hitchhiked with and is alive after ALMOST 3 WEEKS!!! I am of course quite confused because I even added a few more boxes of product from him this past weekend and it is also 100% alive.
I am struggling with this new feeling of accomplishment the best I can, it is all quite stunningly beautiful. The amount of life, quality and value is all too much. I will try to get pictures over the next few days to post about this abhoration of fish keeping but it is though a piece of the ocean has been removed and supplanted into my living room. I feel myself to be a better person, I may consider being nicer to my fellow man now. Richard should maybe be considered more of saint than a salesman, but I am too conflicted right now. As I come to terms with this development over the next few weeks I'll try to keep a log going here. Peace, Tony
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