coralreefdoc
New member
Concur with directly above, Paul, specifically Herbert R. Axelrod.
Fascinating freshwater/Amazonian researcher, however ...
Fascinating freshwater/Amazonian researcher, however ...
Reefkeeping History
- Thread starter Peter Eichler
- Start date
Very nice Peter!!!
1986 - I began my experiences in fish only, as this was the only thing readily available in this area, (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Had a 120 in my living room with sand bottom, a couple large aquaclears with carbon and mechanical sponges. There was some rock, though all had been bleached within an inch of it's life. Diatom filters were ran every other week, water changes the weeks in between.
Things were starting to change. We began getting rock with tons of stuff growing on it. This was the early 90's. There were brain, mushrooms, nems, leathers and many other corals. FAMA was our source for info. Couldn't have been more than 50 people locally that went reef from the get go. Right around 92, I met Anthony Calfo. He worked at a LFS. For the next three years, he took half of the extra money I had. Live rock was between 12 and 16 bucks a pound or more. Thing was, most of the life in our tanks came from it. Things began to move fairly quickly from there.
For the first few years, I didn't use a skimmer. I did use distilled water though. I really could have save a ton of money if I had bought a RO unit back then. I had an undergravel filter, still had the aquaclears. That was it. Oh yea, in my 120 there ended up being 200 pounds of very expensive rock. It wasn't great yet, but when ever anyone saw it, it was damn good.
About 93 or so, Calfo opened his own store. Maybe 3 miles from me. He began to get the rest of my money. If you lived in the Pittsburgh area at this time and you had green striped mushrooms, they came from my tank. LPS really began to take off. They were easy, (well except for that thing they called a flower pot. I gave up after two. I built my first skimmer in around 95. Air driven by a tetra luft pump. It wasn't bad, but I went ahead and blew 250 on the Red Sea Berlin. My wife almost killed me.
A bit later I got to meet the curator of the local zoo. Adey's scrubber system was being removed. I wanted to check it out before it went. I traded corals with the curator to get an in. Helped with some of the design of the filters on the new aquarium. It was really fun. Right around 2000, I inherited flat worms. It drove me insane. I figured it was time to get out for a bit. It lasted about 4 years. At this time my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She asked me to set a reef back up. I did, it's still here, so is she. I also found Reef Central. What a wonderful place. So much info!!!!!
1986 - I began my experiences in fish only, as this was the only thing readily available in this area, (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Had a 120 in my living room with sand bottom, a couple large aquaclears with carbon and mechanical sponges. There was some rock, though all had been bleached within an inch of it's life. Diatom filters were ran every other week, water changes the weeks in between.
Things were starting to change. We began getting rock with tons of stuff growing on it. This was the early 90's. There were brain, mushrooms, nems, leathers and many other corals. FAMA was our source for info. Couldn't have been more than 50 people locally that went reef from the get go. Right around 92, I met Anthony Calfo. He worked at a LFS. For the next three years, he took half of the extra money I had. Live rock was between 12 and 16 bucks a pound or more. Thing was, most of the life in our tanks came from it. Things began to move fairly quickly from there.
For the first few years, I didn't use a skimmer. I did use distilled water though. I really could have save a ton of money if I had bought a RO unit back then. I had an undergravel filter, still had the aquaclears. That was it. Oh yea, in my 120 there ended up being 200 pounds of very expensive rock. It wasn't great yet, but when ever anyone saw it, it was damn good.
About 93 or so, Calfo opened his own store. Maybe 3 miles from me. He began to get the rest of my money. If you lived in the Pittsburgh area at this time and you had green striped mushrooms, they came from my tank. LPS really began to take off. They were easy, (well except for that thing they called a flower pot. I gave up after two. I built my first skimmer in around 95. Air driven by a tetra luft pump. It wasn't bad, but I went ahead and blew 250 on the Red Sea Berlin. My wife almost killed me.
A bit later I got to meet the curator of the local zoo. Adey's scrubber system was being removed. I wanted to check it out before it went. I traded corals with the curator to get an in. Helped with some of the design of the filters on the new aquarium. It was really fun. Right around 2000, I inherited flat worms. It drove me insane. I figured it was time to get out for a bit. It lasted about 4 years. At this time my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. She asked me to set a reef back up. I did, it's still here, so is she. I also found Reef Central. What a wonderful place. So much info!!!!!
brandon429
Active member
Side branch of pico reefs:
1970s Thaler puddle is ~2 gallon tank keeping anemone and algae using natural seawater by Dr Ellen Thaler as told by D Knop in his article about tiny pico reefs in coral magazine 2003
Sprung writes about his 15 gallon 'nano' in the 90's
Mixed Sps Lps 'pico' reefs demonstrating the ability to produce stony corals for propagation using asw, less than 3 gallons, first photographed in 2001. If anyone can find pics older than 01, post away.
there very well may be some in German forums
People have put corals in small containers for years, probably as long as the hobby has been around, so to exclude the practice of killing animals slowly in small containers i like to use the phrase producing coral biomass to at least say something about the actual ecosystem.
1970s Thaler puddle is ~2 gallon tank keeping anemone and algae using natural seawater by Dr Ellen Thaler as told by D Knop in his article about tiny pico reefs in coral magazine 2003
Sprung writes about his 15 gallon 'nano' in the 90's
Mixed Sps Lps 'pico' reefs demonstrating the ability to produce stony corals for propagation using asw, less than 3 gallons, first photographed in 2001. If anyone can find pics older than 01, post away.
there very well may be some in German forums
People have put corals in small containers for years, probably as long as the hobby has been around, so to exclude the practice of killing animals slowly in small containers i like to use the phrase producing coral biomass to at least say something about the actual ecosystem.
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I still have my original copy of "Coral Fishes - their care and maintenance" by T. Ravensdale, published in 1967. Amongst many (now) strange practices it gives a plan for a home-made skimmer...very primitive, but I guess a primitive skimmer is better than no skimmer at all !!
Inside this book I discovered an invoice for Marine fish sent to me from Cairns in 1971.....auch things as "pomacentrus Imperator for $4.10 !!!
For the "freshies" out there, I also have a copy of Shirley Aquatics Manual of Aquarium Plants dated 1964....which was the definitive work for them at the time
I guess my age is showing !!!!
Inside this book I discovered an invoice for Marine fish sent to me from Cairns in 1971.....auch things as "pomacentrus Imperator for $4.10 !!!
For the "freshies" out there, I also have a copy of Shirley Aquatics Manual of Aquarium Plants dated 1964....which was the definitive work for them at the time
I guess my age is showing !!!!
Peter Eichler
New member
I believe someone wrote about Sprung's tank as early as the mid 80's. I believe the term back then was micro-reef. If I recall correctly, most of us in the hobby called our tanks mini reefs even if they were 100+ gallons. I bought a 15 gallon around 1987, and it was my 6th or 7th marine tank. I could have sworn Sprung was part of the inspiration for getting it, as it was not a common tank size. Sprung is also responsible for my wanting a C. resplendens for the last 25 or so years.
brandon429
Active member
thats cool. isnt it amazing that tiny reefs were outlawed save for the last ten yrs, infant science pico reefs are
it wasnt long ago on wet web media you could click once to get to an article that said they were unstable and short lived, which agreed most still are. but no exception was given, tiny reefs were coral killers and now it doesnt have to be like that with the support methods we discuss.
its really hard to separate them from field collection vials, ship board holding tanks etc where specimens are transported in small containers...for corals it at least says something when you keep the environment running long enough to harvest corals that weren't originally in the tank, its a convenient marker of success imo.
it wasnt long ago on wet web media you could click once to get to an article that said they were unstable and short lived, which agreed most still are. but no exception was given, tiny reefs were coral killers and now it doesnt have to be like that with the support methods we discuss.
its really hard to separate them from field collection vials, ship board holding tanks etc where specimens are transported in small containers...for corals it at least says something when you keep the environment running long enough to harvest corals that weren't originally in the tank, its a convenient marker of success imo.
buildinboats
Premium Member
I think Fishnet on Compuserve deserves a mention in the timeline.
Peter Eichler
New member
I was racking my brain trying to remember what is was called and couldn't get fishlink out of my head... Any idea what year fishnet first became available? I feel like it was '95...
I can recall seriously ruffling some feathers with my criticism of Thiel, Liquid Gold, KSM, and charging crazy amounts of money for .20 worth of ingredients for the things that actually were useful.
coralreefdoc
New member
Congratulations on the recent comeback, and subsequent new reef system, RJ 
Interesting story, as diving/collecting in the F. Keys was a favorite past time of mine as well ... Albeit, a much shorter drive for myself !
Interesting story, as diving/collecting in the F. Keys was a favorite past time of mine as well ... Albeit, a much shorter drive for myself !
The system would not let edit this:
"There was a collecting station/ fish shipper on, I seem to remember, Big Pine Key called Marie World. I used to sell some of collected specimens directly to them and buy bags and O2 for the trip back to Georgia."
The name of the collecting station was Marine World
It may have been on Little Torch Key or Big Pine. Since they modernized the bridge system things have changed mucho. Does anybody remember this place? I cannot remember the owners name for the life of me. I do remember they were very helpful, extremely patient and very kind to a young man with more enthusiasm & energy than common sense.
"There was a collecting station/ fish shipper on, I seem to remember, Big Pine Key called Marie World. I used to sell some of collected specimens directly to them and buy bags and O2 for the trip back to Georgia."
The name of the collecting station was Marine World
It may have been on Little Torch Key or Big Pine. Since they modernized the bridge system things have changed mucho. Does anybody remember this place? I cannot remember the owners name for the life of me. I do remember they were very helpful, extremely patient and very kind to a young man with more enthusiasm & energy than common sense.
NeilFox
New member
Excellent posts. I was lucky enough to live a couple miles from Dick Perrin's place. He strarted out with orchids then went into fish. He had all his stuff in a greenhouse with giant plywood tanks lined with pool liners. Really interesting place just to go hang out. Everything went into those ponds so you never knew what you would find.
Just one thing, you left out Herbert Axlerod! HaHa. Those were my first marine fish books...
Just one thing, you left out Herbert Axlerod! HaHa. Those were my first marine fish books...
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Paul B
Premium Member
Rjallen. first of all, nice to meet you. your life mirrors mine in many ways.
I also started diving in 1970 or so, my first dive was on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia while I was on R&R from Nam so we both have service experience. Then I came home and started diving although I have a boat and my own equipment, I never became an instructor as you did. But every week I dove here in NY for lobsters and of course when ever I saw something interesting, I would put it in my tank. Once a year we always went to a tropical location to dive as my wife also dives.
In the 80s or 90s I started an urchin collection business where I collected purple urchins in New York to sell to hobbiests.
I never got out of the hobby and so far I have had a tank of some kind since tghe early fiftees, but like you, I am also showing my age.
Again, nice to have you here.
paul
I also started diving in 1970 or so, my first dive was on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia while I was on R&R from Nam so we both have service experience. Then I came home and started diving although I have a boat and my own equipment, I never became an instructor as you did. But every week I dove here in NY for lobsters and of course when ever I saw something interesting, I would put it in my tank. Once a year we always went to a tropical location to dive as my wife also dives.
In the 80s or 90s I started an urchin collection business where I collected purple urchins in New York to sell to hobbiests.
I never got out of the hobby and so far I have had a tank of some kind since tghe early fiftees, but like you, I am also showing my age.
Again, nice to have you here.
paul
Like Paul, my diving began in the military. In the mid 70's I was stationed at KMCAS in Hawaii. A friend was into diving so I decided to give it a shot. I was toast afterwords. I was in the ocean pretty much the rest of my tour there. Also got to take a cruse to Australia. Did the GBR. Next was a WestPac. Did the Philippians. Never dived after coming back to the states.
I also enjoyed snorkeling more in Hawaii more than diving. You couldn't reach the depths but you could stay out all day. Hawaii has a lot of really small islands about a half a mile off coast. Get up at 6, hit the chow hall for some sos and be in the ocean at 7. Take a couple flasks of wine and snorkel out to a small 10 sq foot island and play till the sun began to set. I'm pretty sure that's what began my journey in reefing. Swim wid da fishes means something different to this Jersey boy than it did when when he was in his teens!!!!
I also enjoyed snorkeling more in Hawaii more than diving. You couldn't reach the depths but you could stay out all day. Hawaii has a lot of really small islands about a half a mile off coast. Get up at 6, hit the chow hall for some sos and be in the ocean at 7. Take a couple flasks of wine and snorkel out to a small 10 sq foot island and play till the sun began to set. I'm pretty sure that's what began my journey in reefing. Swim wid da fishes means something different to this Jersey boy than it did when when he was in his teens!!!!
Peter Eichler
New member
RJ, good to see you back in the hobby!
Very cool to read the personal stories. It would be great if everyone that has been in the hobby for a while made an entry on how they got into the hobby, or just fond memories from the earlier days of the hobby.
I'll post mine up later...
Very cool to read the personal stories. It would be great if everyone that has been in the hobby for a while made an entry on how they got into the hobby, or just fond memories from the earlier days of the hobby.
I'll post mine up later...
Though I didn't lead the glamous life like Jessie I can remember the first salt water fish tank I ever saw that wasn't at a public aquarium. It was a 180 with softies in a store around 1987. I wish I could remember all of the equipment but it was minimal such as a wet/dry sump.
It was stocked full of rock and I believe it was BB too.
I also remember the first nano tank I ever saw in person. It was John Tullock's at his store, Aquatic Specialists, sometime around 1999. This is the one that he wrote about in his book. He had sold the company by then but the store kept it next to the cash register.
I wonder what ever happened to it?
It was stocked full of rock and I believe it was BB too.
I also remember the first nano tank I ever saw in person. It was John Tullock's at his store, Aquatic Specialists, sometime around 1999. This is the one that he wrote about in his book. He had sold the company by then but the store kept it next to the cash register.
I wonder what ever happened to it?
brandon429
Active member
How big was that tank Kafuda
Hey Brandon.
This is all off the top of my head but I remember reading a passage from his book about it and from seeing it when at the store but it could not have been more than several gallons like sub 5.
Maybe.
Great now I have to find out. I think I know where his book is and I think I know how to contact him through a third party.
This is all off the top of my head but I remember reading a passage from his book about it and from seeing it when at the store but it could not have been more than several gallons like sub 5.
Maybe.
Great now I have to find out. I think I know where his book is and I think I know how to contact him through a third party.
