Newbie Introduction Thread

[MUCHO REEF]

Hey Clem, welcome.

How do you like the 20k's?

The Shedd Aquarium was awesome wasn't it? The reef displays were great as well. I lived in Chicago for a spell, well, just outside, Maywood. Chicago is one of my favorite cities.

Again, welcome aboard and jump right in any time.

Mucho Reef

 

[skubie]

Well, I suppose I could toss my hat in here.

Names Paul, been in the reefing hobby for 8-9 years or so and boy has it had its ups and downs!

Started with a 29g and 120w PC lighting, a HOB skimmer and the knowledge from a couple of books, did I mention the canister filter? Yea...

About 8 months later I upgraded to a 46 gallon, same light (I did add a 150 MH eventually), same HOB skimmer (updated later), and same filter. Over the next few years this tank had both its ups and downs, nutrient spikes, low calc/alk, power-head falling off the side while away for a weekend and crashing the tank, you name it, it went wrong.

It was plain and simple for me a lack of knowledge.

One day I was standing there looking at the poor state of my 46g and said either "I tear you down now, or I learn what the heck I'm doing!" I went with it's time to learn what I'm doing.

I really started searching the internet at this point and that is when I discovered this sight and a local forum. I spent time on both but never registered. I read, and read and read, the forums were a wealth of knowledge, so much experience!

I upgraded my 46g to a 75g, sump, new better skimmer, lights, way more water flow, quality test kits, better salt, proper dousing, RO/DI unit, all around proper care for a reef tank.

The hobby became enjoyable at this point, I wasn't in a constant battle with my tank, I could properly maintain my tank and enjoy looking at it, not spend everyday trying to figure out what went wrong.

And now I'm at the point of a new upgrade! Moving in the next month and upgrading my 75 to a 180g! Oh boy!! I'm currently building my stand (using the DIY forum section here, I am no carpenter though!) and planning out my system. I will in the next few days be making a post about the equipment I have, my plans and ideas for the upgrade, and looking for some input and ideas for my build and move.

I figure I have rambled enough, so I will stop here

 

[zukharla]

Hello. Was asked to post here so here I go! I currently have the one marine tank. Did have up to 5 at one stage when I was full on into the fish hobby but just did not have the time to keep it up so downsized to one tank when we moved house. This tank has been running for about 6 years now and gone through one move and one total wipeout when we had a power outage on a very hot summers day while at work. Came home and everything was dead but one of my clowns. After about 2 years with fish only after losing all my corals, I have finally slowly started getting corals again.
I currently have in my tank 1 Copperband Butterfly, 1 Latezonatus Clown, 1 Navarchus Angelfish, 1 Harlequin Tuskfish and some random Snake Eel that was given to me a couple years back. In the refugium I have a pair of Banggai Cardinals. Plus an assortment of corals like Leathers, Bubble, Ancora, Zenia, Duncan, Helio, Cataphyllia and the like. Must be doing something right with the tanks because the corals are all growing like crazy. Only coral I've ever had picked at was a Lobo Brain by the Angel and he gave up after a day or two. Thinking about giving Zoas a try.
I would like to set up another tank eventually, probably a large Predator with a nice Picasso Trigger or something.

Here are a couple of not-so-great photos as my camera is very cheap! Most of the photos of the fish are from before I turned the tank into a reef.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hey, welcome Paul and zukharla, glad to have you both and thanks for sharing. Nice pics BTW.

Mucho

 

[skulboep]

Hi all,

My name is Erik, I'm a resident (read: broke and in-debt) physician in Evanston, Illinois. I've been a member of Reef Central for awhile now and am currently still in the "research" phase of planning a reef tank. I'm a freshwater and FOWLR convert who has been out of the aquaria loop for several years as medical school and constantly moving from apartment to apartment made it difficult to establish a bona fide tank. I am moving into a more permanent residence with my fiance this fall where I hope to put my research to work and finally start the long-awaited reef tank! I will be going the nano-reef route, and was initially 99% sold on the CADlights 22g until I learned about the highly acclaimed PicO Aquariums. In debating whether to go with a Manta Ray or Deep Blue, I learned that the company is closed for the season and reopen in the fall. Hopefully in this time the price of LEDs will come down: I'm not much of a DIYer and the new Aqua Illumination Sol Nano and NanoConcepts LED + T5 Hybrid lamp look awesome! In the meantime I'll buff up on more research and continue to get even more excited!

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Hello Erik, welcome, +1 on taking your time and doing some research, good luck.

Mooch

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Lots of new faces, any introductions?


Mucho

 

[Captainfester]

Hi my name is jack and I'm a addict..... Oh wrong place. I just added my first corals. 2 zoo a leather and a bird of paradise.

The zoos are fire and ice and another one I can't remember.

 

[jeffesaurusrex]

I'm Jeff, a security guard from IN with a newfound addiction.

I recently moved from a 5g eclipse self contained tank to a 75g glass with a 20g sump. I added a skimmer recently, a Marineland 100, I'm planning on getting a Reef Octopus 150 or an Avast CS1 soon because the Marineland isn't producing very much. My tank is kind of going through an ugly stage right now, the ammonia and nitrates are 0 and I have added the fish from my 5g (a single clown and a lawnmower blenny) and some snails and hermits, but I have some diatoms in the sump and display and what looks like cyano (first some red and now some bluish green) in the sump. Maybe putting a powerhead down there will help? I had my sump lighting at 24/7 for a while for chaeto but since the algae started down there I put it on the 12 hour period with my display lights. There's also some stuff with long hairs down there too. So it's kind of a mess right now, hope it clears up soon. I scoop all the cyano I can off the sand every day.

Anyway I am very fascinated by the relationship between a clownfish and a host anemone. If I get the tank set up the way I want it in the end it will have three or so nems, some zoas and some mushroom corals (this might be a dumb idea? I'm not sure if it will work that way) Maybe a clam, I'm not sure. Right now the only fish I have is the one clown and blenny as well as about 5 turbo snails and 12 or so blue leg hermits. This week I'm going to go and get another Ocellaris clown from the same place I got the first, so it is hopefully the same size, and a pair of Onyx black clowns (I'm not sure but I think they are Ocellaris too). So then I'd have two clown pairs, a black and an orange. Also planned on adding a Yellow Tang because it's one of my favorite saltwater fish, and some blue Chromis.

My very first corals were zoas, I got a small colony of 15-20 brown polyps on a piece of LR along with a mushroom. The mushroom I think died though, because it disappeared into the rock and I haven't seen it in a few days. The zoas seem to be doing great so far.

I think that's about it. I'm learning a LOT from the site by just sitting back and watching, reading and posting here and there when I have a question.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Welcome Captainfester and jeffesaurusrex.

The best advice I can give to anyone new at this is to read, search, read, ask question and be patient. There are a lot of great reefers here and willing to help. Again, welcome.


MUCHO REEF

 

[wet9500]

Elwood Here, Currently in the process of setting up a 20L nano, I've had 2 or 3 reefs in years past but most current one has been about 7-8 years ago. Looking to restart hobby and get my young son's intrested in this wonderful hobby.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

That's great Elwood, I'm sure junior will love it. How old is he?

Mucho Reef

 

[68whiskey]

Im matt, im a medic in the guard and a nursing student in Minnesota. My saltwater obssession started a few years ago with a 75gal fowlr, eventually i had to tear it down. It wasnt until recently that I started up the saltwater obssession, starting with a 29g which lasted 2 months until I upgraded to a 40gal Breeder which I love.

After upgrading to a 40gal breeder, I was still stuck with a fowlr but wanting to get my foot in the door and try keeping corals. After days of trying to figure out what light fixture was for me I went with a 156watt t5 and bought a zoa colony and a few mushrooms.

currently have a few hermits, a conch, onyx clownfish, 6 line wrasse and a few turbos, and of course my new corals which are doing great.

 

[wet9500]

One 3 y.o, and one that is 12

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Great introduction 68whiskey, sound like a great start. Don't be afraid to jump in with any questions or concerns. Lots of good help here.:wavehand:

Mucho

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Any zoanthid newbies here?

You'll meet a lot of good people this way....I know I did. 80 people lurking everyday.....so here's your chance. See page 1 of this thread.....please proceed

MUCHO REEF

 

[Atlantis1513]

I'm new to reef central

I'm new to reef central

Hi there. My name is Ashley I am 26 and I am a dog groomer at petco. My tanks name is Atlantis Labyrinth and has been set up since October 2014. I have had fresh water tanks for years. Finally after many conversations with my coworkers about me wanting a SW tank ending in I'm to scared my friend said he would sell me a 30 gal. set up, YAY :celeb3: . He gave me the tank with 15 lbs of live rock, a HOB filter, t5 lights, salt, and live sand . Another friend came over and helped me set it up. Now 6 months later I have 35 lbs of Live rock, two sets of full spectrum LED lights, a canister filter, and a protein skimmer . Atlantis Labyrinth is a reef tank so I have a mixture of mostly zoas / palythoa , mushrooms : ricordia yuma, discoma, and rhodactis and LPS : frog spawn and brain . Also a few soft corals and sps . I have a beautiful pair of snowflake oscellaris , a fire shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, an assortment of hermit crabs , and snails. Although my friends from petco have helped most of my learning came from youtube and reading blogs from people on reef central and reef 2 reef. Thanks all for your help.

BTW .... I would post pics but tab says please enter the url of your image. I don't understand, they are from my phone.

 

[Reef Junkie]

Hi Mucho!

 

[MUCHO REEF]

RJ.....what's going on....long time? How's the tank?

This is a reefer I met right here 7 or 8 years ago. See post #162.


Mooch

 

[Reef Junkie]

Reef is doing real well. A nice mis of SPS and softies.
Being an SPS dominated tank means my Zoas are not growing like weeds.
I'm currently growing out a similar Orange Envy paly. Big bright orange oral disk with bright yellow mouths. Real pretty. Of course, growing right next to them are my PPE's.
How about you?