35 years ago we did what?!

[Liam's tank]

Boy times have changed! About 35 years ago my best friend set up a 55-gal saltwater tank. It was the first and only time one of us tried saltwater. We both had numerous freshwater systems. Back then we had no computers, cell phones... When one of his fish would die, he was instructed by the LFS to bury it in the sand bed, and this was supposed to greatly improve his tanks parameters. He had nothing but death and destruction in that darn tank for months until he finally gave up. Fast forward to about 8 months ago when I decided to set up my first ever saltwater system and wow what a difference 35 years makes! My tank is thriving, corals looking fantastic and there are more than enough recourses to answer any questions that may arise.
I have loved this hobby since my first tank at the age of 11, (a LONG time ago) and now more than ever with the insane complexities and amount of biodiversity in the small bit of the ocean sitting on my counter.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

My high school reef had a diy above tank sump full of hair curlers and plastic army figures ( diy bioballs),

I think the biggest improvement for the hobby has been cheap high quality peristaltic pumps and figuring out you don’t want to bottom out P or N

Skimmers / pumps/ lights while not as efficient as modern but imo were all better some things have went downhill

 

[KrisReef]

Thankfully most of the stuff I did 35 years ago I have improved upon but some things I don’t like to talk about since the statute of limitations doesn’t apply to all of it.

I am proud to say that I never buried the dead fish in my oyster shells, that may be the worst advice I’ve ever come across in the hobby?

I remember randomly dosing a product “KSM?” That was supposed to replace the important trace elements, never able to test for them and never concerned with Alk, Ca, just added a few drops of the elixir and doing weekly water changes and that was supposed to keep the tank running without any issues.