Evolution of reef keeping.

[Aiptaisia anemone]

Hi, any old reefers here? I mean any people that keep reef tanks when it’s not cool? Like back in year 1900 (I’m dumb with numbers) ?. I’m really curious about the history of saltwater keeping, how it’s like back in the day, or how technology improve making the hobby easier, and what technology used in the hobby changes the most. Is it impossible to keep corals back in the day?. How is maintenance done back in the day? Do they actually use table salt? Is using table salt even possible? What are the most popular corals back in the day.

 

[Aiptaisia anemone]

Apologies with the wording. Im also bad with grammar.

 

[tigre44]

I started salt water in 1970. My first tk was a 16 gal tall I was told by the store that you had to have a tall tk because sw fish are at greater depths than freshwater. No testing or water changes I don’t even remember seeing test kits. Used fritzyme (sp) when the tank got cloudy. I think my filter was a hob aqua clear

 

[fish farmer]

This guy wrote a book on it...

Tank birthday, 47+ years

Thank you guys. (and, or girls) :) I truely hope everyone has a really great New Year with no Covid or any other illnesses.

www.reef2reef.com

My first SW tank was around 1981, 20 high, HOB aquaclear, UG filter, dolomite for substrate, tufa rock and bleached coral skeletons for decor. My local stores didn't have corals or live rock, but they had pretty much everything else, damsels, butteryflies, angels, tangs, octopus, stingrays, nurse sharks.

It wasn't until the late 1980's when I started to see reef tanks with live rock, lps, softies, metal halides, trickle filters. There WAS technology back then...over in Europe. I have a copy of Advanced Reef Keeping by Albert Thiel which was published in 1989 and is a very technical book about setting up a modern reef tank, much of the tech is still being used just more readily available.

 

[N.Sreefer]

@Paul B would be the man to talk to. That's his thread on the 47+ year old tank.

Even in the short time Ive been in the hobby lighting has changed alot I really didn't trust leds to grow coral for a long time. It was all MH and strip fluorescents. I started out with limestone in my tanks because I couldn't get rock locally. I still cycle by putting a table shrimp in the tank screw buying bottled bac. My saltwater came from the atlantic I'm right by the ocean. But ive only been on the salty side of the hobby since I was 16 (28 now) so not nearly as long as some of the OG reefers on here.