Tell me about your tank!

[vlangel]

I have been in marine aquaria about 25 years and have set up 4 different saltwater tanks. I learned more about the hobby and myself in the hobby with each one. Perhaps those of you who have been in the hobby longer have also gleaned knowledge that you have applied to your current tank. I would love for you to share and maybe help newer reefers think about some of that we learned the long way.

 

[vlangel]

I will start...
The tank I have now is my 4th tank (and easiest to care for) and it's an Aqueon 56 gallon column aquarium. I chose it originally as a seahorse tank so I needed the tall dimensions. It was also big enough to house 2-3 seahorses comfortably but not so big as to be burdensome to maintain. It has been running since Oct 2016.

It is in my living room as I have learned that a tank I see everyday gets more attention and I enjoy it more. It has a 30 gallon refugium and a 20 gallon sump plumbed into it from the basement. I make my water in a brute can next to the fuge and sump. There is a floor drain there so water changes are easy and fast and I have been very faithful about doing them...which is 5-10 gallons a week. Since I have a refugium I do not run skimmers, or reactors of any kind. I do not use filter socks but occasionally will add filter floss and carbon to polish the water.

Fish are my 1st love so the display tank is to showcase them. I typically have 10-12 fish. My aquascape is designed for them with lots of caves, overhangs and crooks for them to feel safe. However the tall dimensions allow for ample open water for swimming and negative space for an attractive appearance. The display has macro algae for nutrient uptake and soft coral which are more tolerant of nitrates/phosphates. Part of the display tank has a DSB and some of the rockscape is buried in the sand to promote denitrification. My nitrates run around 25ppm and phosphate are about .05ppm but this is what feeds my gracilaria and other macro algae. The system has no nuisance algae except a film that builds up on the glass that needs cleaned once a week. None of my fish are rare nor are my coral or macro algae special but all are flourishing and special in their own way. Basically I have a simple but active, healthy tank system that is low maintenance. Thanks for checking it out.


https://youtu.be/V6jktM-IjFQ

 

[Misled]

My turn. Been in saltwater about thirty years. Started with a 110 tank. Fish only with bleached out coral heads. Reef started a few years later with an upstart that worked at the LFS. Over the years I've had at least 15 to 20 tanks, sometimes more than one at a time. My favorite tank was most likely my 54 corner nem tank. There were four fish in it. A breeding pair of clowns and a breeding pair of pajama cardinals. At some point things went nuts. There was one RBTA I put in the tank in around December. By the next December, there were close to twenty. I was begging people to come get some, at no charge. I couldn't give them away fast enough.

One of my favorite tanks was your seahorse tank. It really amazed me. Probably one of the most beautiful tanks I've ever seen.

 

[Nano Chris]

I’ve had freshwater tanks all my life & in 2007 a co-worker got me into saltwater & that’s when I bought a 90 gallon reef tank & set it up. I would spend countless hours on ReefCentral researching & learning as much as I could. I ended up downgrading to a Rsm 130 (34 gallon) for about a year or so before getting out of the hobby in around 2011 & had been wanting to get back into it but didn’t until around march of last year. But I had kept my 34 gallon & I decided to set it back up & this time I’m in it for the long haul! This time I decided to get an apex (working on a complete automated system) & upgrading to a bigger tank hopefully by the end of this year. This hobby has taught me much respect for the ocean & life in general. Another reason why I got back into the hobby was because I am an addict in recovery & I wanted to pickup a positive hobby (sadly just as expensive ?) but it gives me something to look forward to each day & continue learning even when you think you learned everything you will find something else to learn ? Right now I have a rbta, pair of black & white clowns, exquisite fire fish & a diamond goby. I have a torch, some sps, giant feather duster, gorgonia, clam amongst some other things. I was a little rusty from being out of the hobby & some things have changed like from MH to LED & the prices! Omg the prices ? But it’s what makes me happy & something I love doing… The most important things I’ve learned is: This hobby can be as cheap or
as expensive as you want it to be. Research first don’t impulse buy & then try to figure out how to take care of it (even if you see a sale you have your phone on you & google is your friend research & see what it needs first so you don’t kill it &
not only end an animals life but no waste $$$) and lastly patience is a virtue!!! If something goes wrong & you have a loss, figure out why & learn from it if you can. I could go on & on but I’ll just let others chime in…

 

[pinnatus]

I started when I was 13 years old, with a 10-gallon tank and I kept a crab that we caught in New Jersey. I am now 61 and have always had a tank of some sort, after the 10 gallon, moved to 20 gallons, then 55, then 110, and now I have a 240. I have kept corals but prefer fish so now my 240 is fish only. I also have a 12 gallon with a few easy corals and clowns. My favorite fish are angels, butterflies and tangs, which are not all reef friendly, so fish-only is the best for me. Plus I am a lazy aquarist and I find corals to be too much bother. I had a Moorish Idol for 8 years, and he was my all time favorite fish.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Started circa 1992 currently have a 300g sps dominant tank. It's the longest running tank I've ever had, now that I'm retired from the Air Force I get to stay in one location for stints longer than 4 years.

 

[comfortracing]

Hey I am Chad and I have a reefing problem…

seriously though. I have had around 6 tanks and love saltwater and reefing. I got out of the hobby for 10 years and as of Christmas I am back in it full force.

the one thing that has amazed me is how fast and far the hobby changes. I mean the changes in knowledge and technology is astounding. I mean I have a reef tank fully run by computers and it lets me know when it needs something or something goes wrong. It texts me more than my wife! 10 years ago this would have all sounded like Star Wars to me.

The best advice is that you will NEVER know everything in this hobby and you never stop learning. Embrace the forums and clubs and soak it all in.

oh yeah and BE PATIENT and the most most most important when it comes to the money aspect, it is always best to ask for forgiveness than permission Ha Ha Ha !! As it will always cost 10 times more than you have budgeted.

 

[Avnerb]

I have started 15 years ago more or less with 10 gallon and mushroom and 2 clownfish

Currently running the Redsea 750xxl for 3.5 years, Redsea light, and Apex system
It is a mixed reef most of it LPS but some easy SPS digitata and monti
Fish : pair of platinum clownfish ,sixline, pair of cardinals

this days i am trying to deal with Aiptesia hundreds of them unfortunately no luck yet
not giving up yet will try some copperband and hopefully to get some berghia

 

[LisaP]

I set up my first reef tank in 1994 (5ft), I ran it for 8 years till we moved house (a disaster for the livestock). In the new house I naturally upgraded to a 7ft monster and ran that for 3 years, I also added a nano in the kitchen and a pico in the study, plus a shrimp breeding set up in the utility room. It was reefing out of control. Then hubby was made redundant and it all had to go. I stated at the time no more tanks for me ever again. However after 7 years the salty side called me back again. I set up a small 2ft tank and promised myself that would be enough. After 3 years I was planning an upgrade. :lolspin:

My current tank is 4ft and has been running for 2 years now. It's a fully mixed reef tank with a leaning towards NPS/filter feeders these days. I'd like to go full NPS but haven't quite got the courage, nor am willing to part with my light loving livestock at this time.

Over the years I've dealt with more than my fair share of pests, nothing has beaten me yet.

 

[Nanny Reefer]

Hi Everyone, I'm very new at saltwater reefing, just 14 months. This is my retirement hobby; very intensive hobby to start so late in life, but better late than never. All the research really stimulates me; I've always been a research kind of person. It's a huge learning experience. I've had my share of ups and downs this last year. The ups are fantastic and the downs are EXPENSIVE. I have a forty gallon breeder with no sump, so it's a lot of work and good housekeeping, but, I'm hooked and there's no going back. I especially love the corals. I'm a gardener and love to create a beautiful garden in my tank for the fish. I have a little blenny that's turned out to be a nipper; not too impressed. What to do, what to do? That's my story in a nutshell.

 

[Minhaj Qazi]

Hi Reefers. Glad to see so many Tanks. Im new Hobbiyst and i have just 1 tank which is currently Filled. Learnt aloy from ReefCentral specially Randys Chemistry Article setc.i also have a Youtube Channel.to Record my Reefing Activities". MQReef https://youtube.com/c/MQReef "Looking forward to listen more stories.

 

[vlangel]

My turn. Been in saltwater about thirty years. Started with a 110 tank. Fish only with bleached out coral heads. Reef started a few years later with an upstart that worked at the LFS. Over the years I've had at least 15 to 20 tanks, sometimes more than one at a time. My favorite tank was most likely my 54 corner nem tank. There were four fish in it. A breeding pair of clowns and a breeding pair of pajama cardinals. At some point things went nuts. There was one RBTA I put in the tank in around December. By the next December, there were close to twenty. I was begging people to come get some, at no charge. I couldn't give them away fast enough.

One of my favorite tanks was your seahorse tank. It really amazed me. Probably one of the most beautiful tanks I've ever seen.

Oh my goodness Jesse, thank you for the kind words about my seahorse tank.

 

[Bsilb]

Hello! I’m Brett. Just getting back into the hobby after not having a tank for 10 years.
It all stared about 20 years ago with my 15g tank trying to grow low light coral under some compact fluorescent light. Then stated working in a couple of the local reef shops in socal. After working in the shops for a while I quickly jumped into my 100g mixed reef tank. After about 5 years of growth and fun with that tank I broke it down because I moved. After moving to Portland Or. I didn’t know how stable my living situation would be so I never wanted to start another tank. Now that I’m somewhere and not thinking about moving for a while, I decided it was a good time to get back into it.
Starting small again I got a 20g tank. After all my slow planning and buying equipment a an about a week out from actually setting it up. Supper excited to be getting back into it!
These are a few photos of my old tank. I’ll be posting some new 20g tank shots as thing start

 

[Bsilb]

A couple small typos. Sorry! Fat fingers from a small phone

 

[vlangel]

Hello! I’m Brett. Just getting back into the hobby after not having a tank for 10 years.
It all stared about 20 years ago with my 15g tank trying to grow low light coral under some compact fluorescent light. Then stated working in a couple of the local reef shops in socal. After working in the shops for a while I quickly jumped into my 100g mixed reef tank. After about 5 years of growth and fun with that tank I broke it down because I moved. After moving to Portland Or. I didn’t know how stable my living situation would be so I never wanted to start another tank. Now that I’m somewhere and not thinking about moving for a while, I decided it was a good time to get back into it.
Starting small again I got a 20g tank. After all my slow planning and buying equipment a an about a week out from actually setting it up. Supper excited to be getting back into it!
These are a few photos of my old tank. I’ll be posting some new 20g tank shots as thing start

Good luck with the new tank. Your old tank was beautiful.

 

[Subsea]

I have been in marine aquaria about 25 years and have set up 4 different saltwater tanks. I learned more about the hobby and myself in the hobby with each one. Perhaps those of you who have been in the hobby longer have also gleaned knowledge that you have applied to your current tank. I would love for you to share and maybe help newer reefers think about some of that we learned the long way.

Dawn,
kudos to the theme of this thread. I especially like your extended system in your basement using algae refugium. and cryptic refugium. After 51 years of reefkeeping, I have found that I am a “Laissez faire” reefkeeper and emulate nature by using similar biochemistry of cryptic sponges to recycle inorganic & organic nutrients up the food chain by using the “microbial loop” to move carbon up the food chain.

This 55G aquarium was set up 10 months ago as an ornamental seaweed lagoon. It was set up with diver collected live sand & live rock. Two hidden cryptic refugiums in this system include reverse flow undergravel filter and hi-flow canister filters with seeded cryptic rubble from mature system.

 

[Misled]

Always love your stuff Patrick. Very nice!!!

 

[vlangel]

I agree with Jesse, your new tank is gorgeous!

 

[Subsea]

Because RC platform has enabled the process of posting pictures to my level of computer savvy, I will include pictures of 25yr mature reef tank. Initially this 75G tank was run for 20 yrs as a Jaubert plenum with an EcoSystem mud/macro refugium. Five years ago, I decreased sandbed from 6” to 2”, converted Jaubert plenum to oxidation chemistry and replaced macro with cryptic sponges to deal with DOC from macro algae.

Lights on 5 minutes.

 

[vlangel]

I like RC's new method of embedding pics too!

The longevity of your tank speaks for itself Patrick. Kudos to you for keeping your reef for such a long time and even in adjusting your methods as you learned of new concepts like the additions of sponges and such for macro based DOC removal.