Hello R2R - abcha0s

Kraig · Dec 8, 2022

Welcome!

RichReef · Dec 8, 2022

Welcome!

Jeffcb · Dec 8, 2022

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Wrassenaround · Dec 9, 2022

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

ShepherdReefer · Dec 10, 2022

Hello, and welcome to the channel.

Rmckoy · Dec 10, 2022

abch0as said:
This is my introductory post!

Hello R2R Community!

My name is Brad and I am in Calgary, AB.

I've been around for a while. I'm heavily invested in this hobby. It is a passion and an obsession. It defines a part of who I am.

My tank is new. I shut down down last December and proceeded with a full rebuild. My display was dry for the first half of the year and finally saw water sometime in June. I started the cycle in July and the first fish went in late September. Something like that anyways. There are some nuances to the progression, but that's the simple version.

I'm in the ugly brown phase now. No worries though. There are a few things that need tweaking and I'm not concerned about coming out the other side of this. I am content to let the tank go through it's natural progression.

For my introduction, I will share two more things. My tank specs and why I love this hobby.

My reefing world

A sneak peak from about 3 months ago...

Display:
400G (8' x 3' x 27") + 200G sump with about 100G of water in it.
2/3 BB, 1/3 DSB - HNSA
Will be a mixed reef- one day...
GHL + Fauna Marin

Fish Room:
3x 100G+ Established Observation Tanks (Fish, Coral, Inverts)
1x 75G Hospital Tank
Multiple receiving and conditioning tanks that can be repurposed as auxiliary hospital tanks if needed.
I QT everything wet. My goals with QT are evolving.

Why I love this hobby

I wrote this for my son recently. It seems on point for introducing myself.

Why do I love my aquarium hobby? It's a good question.

Part of it is a legitimate addiction. There is an unhealthy aspect to it. It can sometimes consume me and at times I neglect other important things because of it. It's also crazy expensive. I have the money, but it's a bit selfish to spend that much on a hobby. That's the dark side.

The other side of that...

I love the engineering and the problem solving. The creativity that's needed put the pieces together. Understanding the technology, the automation and the gadgets.

I love the science behind it all. The water chemistry, marine biology, fish care, coral care. There is a limitless supply of information for me to learn.

I love the life. The fish, the coral, the inverts, the tiny copepods that I never see. More recently, I've been exploring with a microscope and there's a whole new level of life to see.

I love the complexity. At my level, this is not a hobby for the faint of heart. It is extremely complicated. Life really does find a way.

I love the elegance in a balanced eco-system. A biodome. A coral reef in the basement of our house in Alberta. That's a magnificent feat.

And I see beauty in it. Beauty in the life of the fish. Beauty in the coral. It is living art.

I love the challenge. The challenge to succeed. I've failed in this hobby far more than I've succeeded. But I get back up, learn from my mistakes, and keep trying. I don't let myself get discouraged. I hold on to the belief that I will find success. That I can achieve success. That I can build a wonder of the world. Others have done it. There are many that have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I want to be amongst them.

It is mostly a personal hobby. I like sharing it, but I do it for myself. It's an introvert's hobby for sure.

Hi brad and welcome … it’s nice to see other Canadian members .
this post would have been better suited for a build thread but also a great introduction .
Looking forward to seeing everything mature …

abch0as · Dec 10, 2022

Hi All,

Thanks for the warm welcome. I look forward to the conversations, the learning and the sharing.

More to follow...

Brad

Fishy888 · Dec 13, 2022

I know it’s a bit late but… hi and welcome to R2R! We’re glad you joined!

I agree with you, it really is an introvert’s hobby. I and no doubt many others love reefing for all the same reasons you do.