macman7010
New member
Since there is misinformation out there leading the public to believe that the marine aquarium hobby is a severe detriment to natural ecosystems I wanted to have a discussion about how everyone got into the hobby, your current tank profile, and what you have learned from keeping a marine aquarium also noting tanks you have had in the past.
I'll start:
I got into marine aquariums as a progression from freshwater Discus aquariums around age 10. I started with a small clownfish tank and soon they were laying eggs. I then moved onto a 55 gallon tank fish only with live rock. In years to come this became a reef with all kinds of small fish species and various corals. I ended up as I was in college with a 150 gallon reef aquarium that I maintained for several years till I got a home. I now have two tanks a 50 gallon reef and a 10 gallon clownfish breeding tank and a 5 gallon fry tank.
Marine aquariums led me to scuba diving and writing for various aquarium publications. It then led me to become a dive master / instructor and coral reef biology science instructor for scuba divers. I am hoping my upcoming daughter will have the same love of the aquarium hobby and marine ecosystems as I have, though naturally she will have to make that choice on her own.
Tank Profiles:
50 gallon aquarium (curved glass)
85 pounds of artificial live rock
50 pounds of live sand
Salinity: 1.025-1.026
Temp: 73
Nitrates: 5 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Calcium: 380-400
Animals:
Various LPS corals to many to mention all
1 Rose Bubble tipped anemone
2 Maxima Clams
1 blue spotted jawfish
1 potter's angelfish
1 maroon clownfish
1 cleaner wrasse
Hermits, snails, sea cucumbers and crabs to many to mention
2 fire shrimp and a mater coral banded pair
Plants:
Cheato in refugium
Dragon's Tongue algae in tank and refugium
Several mangroves in refugium
Lighting:
Dual LED fixtures with mixed spectrum adjustment
Filtration:
Refugium
UV Sterilizer
Tunze Skimmer
Chemi-Pure Elite
Phos Ban
Purigen
Clownfish Tank:
10 gallon fluval tank
Aquaclear 200 filter
18 pounds of man made live rock
10 pounds of live sand
Plants:
Dragon's tongue algae in tank
Animals:
Various hermits and snails, to many to mention
2 Picasso Percula Clowns
Lighting:
Hydra Reef LED Lighting
I'll start:
I got into marine aquariums as a progression from freshwater Discus aquariums around age 10. I started with a small clownfish tank and soon they were laying eggs. I then moved onto a 55 gallon tank fish only with live rock. In years to come this became a reef with all kinds of small fish species and various corals. I ended up as I was in college with a 150 gallon reef aquarium that I maintained for several years till I got a home. I now have two tanks a 50 gallon reef and a 10 gallon clownfish breeding tank and a 5 gallon fry tank.
Marine aquariums led me to scuba diving and writing for various aquarium publications. It then led me to become a dive master / instructor and coral reef biology science instructor for scuba divers. I am hoping my upcoming daughter will have the same love of the aquarium hobby and marine ecosystems as I have, though naturally she will have to make that choice on her own.
Tank Profiles:
50 gallon aquarium (curved glass)
85 pounds of artificial live rock
50 pounds of live sand
Salinity: 1.025-1.026
Temp: 73
Nitrates: 5 ppm
Nitrite: 0
Calcium: 380-400
Animals:
Various LPS corals to many to mention all
1 Rose Bubble tipped anemone
2 Maxima Clams
1 blue spotted jawfish
1 potter's angelfish
1 maroon clownfish
1 cleaner wrasse
Hermits, snails, sea cucumbers and crabs to many to mention
2 fire shrimp and a mater coral banded pair
Plants:
Cheato in refugium
Dragon's Tongue algae in tank and refugium
Several mangroves in refugium
Lighting:
Dual LED fixtures with mixed spectrum adjustment
Filtration:
Refugium
UV Sterilizer
Tunze Skimmer
Chemi-Pure Elite
Phos Ban
Purigen
Clownfish Tank:
10 gallon fluval tank
Aquaclear 200 filter
18 pounds of man made live rock
10 pounds of live sand
Plants:
Dragon's tongue algae in tank
Animals:
Various hermits and snails, to many to mention
2 Picasso Percula Clowns
Lighting:
Hydra Reef LED Lighting