Hemmdog’s 90gal Seaciety and 40gal Vale of Shadows

[Hemmdog]

I started with a basic 10 gallon tank with those little blue and red neons that were ar every pet store. I probably had that tank for 2 years, but not the same fish. My dad was good about letting me figure out personal responsibility by my mistakes. In high school I got into African Cichlids. I thought they were the coolest freshwater fish. I used a fairly decent sized desktop with built in filter and light and built a cool rock structure that had plenty of hiding spots. My lfs always rotated the variety of cichlids, and I learned some of their difficult Latin names. Just after school I started working for the LFS and caught the saltwater bug. I bought a 12 gallon hex and stand, a cpr backpack skimmer, and a small power compact fixture in 99-00. I left the hobby in 03 when I went of to Wyotech and just recently got back in it. In fact I am still using all the same equipment except for the light fixture, and some kind soul has been retrofitting it to led for me. Though I will be upgrading to my 20long, I will still keep this equipment together and maybe use the tank for a dedicated system. Maybe zoas, maybe acans.

That’s amazing lol

 

[dantimdad]

What tanks have you all had throughout your life? Just curious, I feel like I’ve had a ton lol. I started when I was 5 with my first tank in my room and I’ve been hooked since. The tank was a 8g hex, I loved that tank so much, it had some gourami’s and Molly’s. I even remember the Molly’s bred in that tank. So cool seeing that so young. After that I had a 20g with the same fish. Then one of my brothers got a 75g African cichlid tank. That was so cool too the way he had it lit. Then personally I had a 35 in high school. Got out of the hobby awhile in college but got back in my last 2 years with a 10g tiger barb tank. Then 35g red bellied piranha tank that was a huge conversation starter.. lol. After college got a 55g planted fw German blue ram and cardinal tetra tank. Started working at a public aquarium then; so I didn’t really want to do maintenance when I got home, so I got out of the hobby. Then 2 years ago got into reefing and started with a 32 biocube, 8 months later added a 90 gal, now I replaced the biocube with a 40b bare bottom reef! I’ve been hooked for life!

There is no way of knowing. I have had as many as 104 at one time. (I bred clownfish).

I have had from a mason jar reef up to a 800+ gallon shark pool and everything in between.

I started with a 5 gallon planted freshwater when I was 5 (1973) got my first marine tank when I was 21 (1989). I have been keeping ponds since 94.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

My first tank was in the 1960's, 10 gallon with slate bottom and stainless steel frame, light cover and some black tar type sealent. Guppies, Swordtails and some Cory's. Corner box filter with fiberglass and carbon driven by an air pump!

 

[Hemmdog]

There is no way of knowing. I have had as many as 104 at one time. (I bred clownfish).

I have had from a mason jar reef up to a 800+ gallon shark pool and everything in between.

I started with a 5 gallon planted freshwater when I was 5 (1973) got my first marine tank when I was 21 (1989). I have been keeping ponds since 94.

Wow!!

 

[dantimdad]

My first tank was in the 1960's, 10 gallon with slate bottom and stainless steel frame, light cover and some black tar type sealent. Guppies, Swordtails and some Cory's. Corner box filter with fiberglass and carbon driven by an air pump!

I had the same type penn plax filter. When the Aqua King came out it was awesome! Then the XL-1 diatom filter was revolutionary.

 

[12gallonsofhex]

There is no way of knowing. I have had as many as 104 at one time. (I bred clownfish).

I have had from a mason jar reef up to a 800+ gallon shark pool and everything in between.

I started with a 5 gallon planted freshwater when I was 5 (1973) got my first marine tank when I was 21 (1989). I have been keeping ponds since 94.

104 tanks? Man, that does not sound enjoyable. I am a gearhead but after working on cars all day the last thing I want to do is work on my own. Did you still have hobby tanks while having a business in marine fish?

 

[Why-Me]

slate bottom??
Did you also have one of these birds too?

JK love you guys!

 

[Hemmdog]

slate bottom??
Did you also have one of these birds too?

JK love you guys!

Lol

 

[dantimdad]

104 tanks? Man, that does not sound enjoyable. I am a gearhead but after working on cars all day the last thing I want to do is work on my own. Did you still have hobby tanks while having a business in marine fish?

Yes, actually, I had two 137 gallon custom tanks end to end. One predator, one reef. We also had 36(?) gallon hex reef in the foyer. And, I worked a regular job and had a pico reef on my desk.

I set everything up to be as smooth as possible to run. The hex didn't have a sump. It used water from the big reef to change out it's water 50% each week. The hex was all softies.

I dripped kalk on the reef and supplemented iodine.

The shark pool got hand fed and I did a big water change every week on it.

At any one time I had about 500 gallons of salt water ready to go.

 

[Hemmdog]

Yes, actually, I had two 137 gallon custom tanks end to end. One predator, one reef. We also had 36(?) gallon hex reef in the foyer. And, I worked a regular job and had a pico reef on my desk.

I set everything up to be as smooth as possible to run. The hex didn't have a sump. It used water from the big reef to change out it's water 50% each week. The hex was all softies.

I dripped kalk on the reef and supplemented iodine.

The shark pool got hand fed and I did a big water change every week on it.

At any one time I had about 500 gallons of salt water ready to go.

500 gals ready to go!! That’s crazy! Haha, necessary but crazy!

 

[dantimdad]

I really wanted a thousand but ran out of room. LOL!

When you consider I had over 1800 gallons of 20 longs with breeding pairs alone, 500 was really not enough in an emergency.

 

[dantimdad]

the really wild part? I built every single tank except the hex, the pico and the shark pool. I blame Martin Moe.

 

[12gallonsofhex]

Wow, @dantimdad, I wish I had that kind of productivity!

 

[crusso1993]

I really wanted a thousand but ran out of room. LOL!

When you consider I had over 1800 gallons of 20 longs with breeding pairs alone, 500 was really not enough in an emergency.

I had a .5 gallon fish bowl.

 

[Hemmdog]

Skills!

 

[Hemmdog]

This is how I picture you when you say you have a shark pool @dantimdad lol

 

[dantimdad]

This is how I picture you when you say you have a shark pool @dantimdad lol

I cut one of them free from the egg sac if that counts. LoL

 

[Hemmdog]

I cut one of them free from the egg sac if that counts. LoL

Even better lol

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Kept my Nurse Shark in a 300 gallon Brute Stock tank! I had four of the tanks just for live rock curing!

 

[dantimdad]

I used kiddie pools for live rock.