FLReefer101
Active Member
So I’ve been into reef keeping since early 2000. I started out with a 54 gallon system that was already setup and acquired it from my sister-in-law who passed away. It was a struggle but I was determined to learn the hobby and make it a beautiful system. I slowly learned the how to care for it and became addicted. The 54 gallon turned into my first 180 gallon.
This was my system after roughly 9 years and was thriving. I also had a 125 gallon fish only system and a 40 gallon clown fish system. I was at a point in my life were it seemed busier and my tanks began to show some signs of neglect. Instead of letting anything happen to it I found someone new to the hobby and sold my complete system for $1500.00. My electric bill decreased by $500.00 a month. I said I was done with this hobby because I couldn’t bare to loose coral or fish anymore, I think I was more frustrated and burned out.
So in 2010 I was tank free not one aquarium in my house and I think it took me a while to get used to the quietness I had now.
So there I was now 2020 and just had a small rimless 5 gallon planted tank I started for my wife (really for me). In April of 2020 a coworker said his mother had passed away and he was trying to re-home all of her animals. I believe she had several hundred spider monkeys and yes a 180 gallon reef tank. He asked if I knew anything about reef tanks because this one was not looking good due to running for a few months with not attention other than feeding the fish. I said I could look at it and give him my opinion on what to do to get it cleaned up. When I first seen the tank my first thought was omg this thing is a disaster. It was full of green hair algae, aiptasias and several other species of algae and bacteria growing.
I then decided to take on this tank and was going to save everything I could and make it a thriving system again.
I broke down the system and moved it to its new home. The stand was rotated and I’m actually surprised that it still was holding the tank up. I trashed the stand and started a new one on with short notice so I could at least get the tank going ASAP.
Little did I know how much the hobby has changed since I last was involved. The tank had LED lights and a sump that seemed thrown together without thought. I cleaned off all the algae I could possibly get and added new sand. The tank had aiptasia but my last memory of them they were easy to get rid of and once the system was healthy I would target them.
Well it was not working out the way I planned the equipment was not the greatest and the hair algae had returned in full force. The aiptasia had now spread from a handful to several thousands and overtaken my overflow.
I was determined that I was going to beat this and make the system great again!
After begging and sweet talking my wife I replaced all the equipment and had made arrangements for a LFS to home the fish.
I completely disassembled the system. I took all the rocks and put them in a couple of brute cans with RODI water and muriatic acid for three weeks. I then filed the tank completely with the same and let it sit until everything was completely cleaned a nothing was left living guaranteed. After rinsing everything over and over I then began cycling my rock with some pumps and good bacteria for 2 months. I then began putting the system back together with all new equipment.
I know this isn’t as nice as some of the builds on here but I’m happy with the out come. I just added my two clown fish after letting the tank cycle for 6 weeks with no lights. Wait a week and I will add a few more fish and continue this until I have all my fish back. I will the let it cycle for a few months with the fish and slowly add coral.
This is a very compressed explanation of my experience in the hobby. Moral of the story is once your a reef addict your always a reef addict “blood in blood out” some would say.
This was my system after roughly 9 years and was thriving. I also had a 125 gallon fish only system and a 40 gallon clown fish system. I was at a point in my life were it seemed busier and my tanks began to show some signs of neglect. Instead of letting anything happen to it I found someone new to the hobby and sold my complete system for $1500.00. My electric bill decreased by $500.00 a month. I said I was done with this hobby because I couldn’t bare to loose coral or fish anymore, I think I was more frustrated and burned out.
So in 2010 I was tank free not one aquarium in my house and I think it took me a while to get used to the quietness I had now.
So there I was now 2020 and just had a small rimless 5 gallon planted tank I started for my wife (really for me). In April of 2020 a coworker said his mother had passed away and he was trying to re-home all of her animals. I believe she had several hundred spider monkeys and yes a 180 gallon reef tank. He asked if I knew anything about reef tanks because this one was not looking good due to running for a few months with not attention other than feeding the fish. I said I could look at it and give him my opinion on what to do to get it cleaned up. When I first seen the tank my first thought was omg this thing is a disaster. It was full of green hair algae, aiptasias and several other species of algae and bacteria growing.
I then decided to take on this tank and was going to save everything I could and make it a thriving system again.
I broke down the system and moved it to its new home. The stand was rotated and I’m actually surprised that it still was holding the tank up. I trashed the stand and started a new one on with short notice so I could at least get the tank going ASAP.
Little did I know how much the hobby has changed since I last was involved. The tank had LED lights and a sump that seemed thrown together without thought. I cleaned off all the algae I could possibly get and added new sand. The tank had aiptasia but my last memory of them they were easy to get rid of and once the system was healthy I would target them.
Well it was not working out the way I planned the equipment was not the greatest and the hair algae had returned in full force. The aiptasia had now spread from a handful to several thousands and overtaken my overflow.
I was determined that I was going to beat this and make the system great again!
After begging and sweet talking my wife I replaced all the equipment and had made arrangements for a LFS to home the fish.
I completely disassembled the system. I took all the rocks and put them in a couple of brute cans with RODI water and muriatic acid for three weeks. I then filed the tank completely with the same and let it sit until everything was completely cleaned a nothing was left living guaranteed. After rinsing everything over and over I then began cycling my rock with some pumps and good bacteria for 2 months. I then began putting the system back together with all new equipment.
I know this isn’t as nice as some of the builds on here but I’m happy with the out come. I just added my two clown fish after letting the tank cycle for 6 weeks with no lights. Wait a week and I will add a few more fish and continue this until I have all my fish back. I will the let it cycle for a few months with the fish and slowly add coral.
This is a very compressed explanation of my experience in the hobby. Moral of the story is once your a reef addict your always a reef addict “blood in blood out” some would say.
I have no kids yet so maybe this will change when they pop along!
