Marterves
New Member
Hello All! I am new to this forum and thought I’d introduce myself as well as my tank. Here is a little background:
I also loved fish tanks, my dad had a freshwater tank when I little and I believe that’s where my love came from. My parents never allowed me to have a tank due to space restrictions so I always had a betta bowl or 2. About 18 months ago my boyfriend and I moved in together to a nice place with plenty of space! Not long after I purchase my first 65 and it started out as a brackish tank. While that was fun and all we really wanted more. My boyfriend bought a 29 biocube and that’s when I decided I wanted one of my own. My LFS had a great sale on tanks so I bought a 29 gallon moved all the brackish fish over and converted my 65 to marine. Things went well and for xmas my boyfriend bought me a 75 gallon display and 55 gallon sump! So excited we started planning it out right away.
The excitement took hold of both of us and mistakes were made. I had glass custom cut for baffels and overflow box but we used the wrong silicone. After everything was dry I started the process of switching everyone over. The next morning everyone was dead. I was heartbroken and ready to throw in the towel. I had to take a few days to figure out what I wanted to do, I just lost all that time and money and fish. Who knew you could get so attached to a fish?! I was determined not to give up and drained everything and spent a whole night with a bottle of vinegar and straight blade and removed every bit of silicone. I had thoroughly cleaned the rock to make sure there was no more contaminate and start on my cycling process, again.
After weeks of waiting and no alage bloom no nothing, about 8 weeks worth, which was odd, everything was testing good to go. And I got started on stocking. The fish were doing great but for some reason I could not keep my inverts alive. At first I thought it was because there wasn’t enough food. Then when that was ruled out I was stumped. Finally, thanks to help from other people on another forum I figured it out. Stupid me used brass fittings. Brass = copper. I was poisoning everything! Ahhhh! After replacing the fittings with nylon, running multiple poly filters, and cuprisorb copper read zero! And the true test was keeping a snail alive, and it did and is still living to this day!
After everything we went through, the frustration, and the pure hate for the hobby I am happy to say things are running well! Knock on wood!
Inhabitants:
Royal Gramma
Black Ice Clowns
Black Combtooth Blenny
Yellow Wrasse
Fire Fish
Diamond Goby
Skunk Shrimp
Green BTA
CUC
Equipment:
Gen 2 EcoTec Radion
Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer
Custom Overflow with BeanAnimal
Finnex Titanium Heater
MP40 and Hydor Korlia
Corals:
GSP
Pulsing Xenia
Kenya Tree
Paly
4 different types of Zoas
Hairy Mushroom
Devil's Hand Leather
Gold Mushrooms
Still have a ways to go as I would ideally like to be a mixed reef but taking it 1 slow step at a time! Here are some pictures of where it's at - these aren't the most recent.
I also loved fish tanks, my dad had a freshwater tank when I little and I believe that’s where my love came from. My parents never allowed me to have a tank due to space restrictions so I always had a betta bowl or 2. About 18 months ago my boyfriend and I moved in together to a nice place with plenty of space! Not long after I purchase my first 65 and it started out as a brackish tank. While that was fun and all we really wanted more. My boyfriend bought a 29 biocube and that’s when I decided I wanted one of my own. My LFS had a great sale on tanks so I bought a 29 gallon moved all the brackish fish over and converted my 65 to marine. Things went well and for xmas my boyfriend bought me a 75 gallon display and 55 gallon sump! So excited we started planning it out right away.
The excitement took hold of both of us and mistakes were made. I had glass custom cut for baffels and overflow box but we used the wrong silicone. After everything was dry I started the process of switching everyone over. The next morning everyone was dead. I was heartbroken and ready to throw in the towel. I had to take a few days to figure out what I wanted to do, I just lost all that time and money and fish. Who knew you could get so attached to a fish?! I was determined not to give up and drained everything and spent a whole night with a bottle of vinegar and straight blade and removed every bit of silicone. I had thoroughly cleaned the rock to make sure there was no more contaminate and start on my cycling process, again.
After weeks of waiting and no alage bloom no nothing, about 8 weeks worth, which was odd, everything was testing good to go. And I got started on stocking. The fish were doing great but for some reason I could not keep my inverts alive. At first I thought it was because there wasn’t enough food. Then when that was ruled out I was stumped. Finally, thanks to help from other people on another forum I figured it out. Stupid me used brass fittings. Brass = copper. I was poisoning everything! Ahhhh! After replacing the fittings with nylon, running multiple poly filters, and cuprisorb copper read zero! And the true test was keeping a snail alive, and it did and is still living to this day!
After everything we went through, the frustration, and the pure hate for the hobby I am happy to say things are running well! Knock on wood!
Inhabitants:
Royal Gramma
Black Ice Clowns
Black Combtooth Blenny
Yellow Wrasse
Fire Fish
Diamond Goby
Skunk Shrimp
Green BTA
CUC
Equipment:
Gen 2 EcoTec Radion
Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer
Custom Overflow with BeanAnimal
Finnex Titanium Heater
MP40 and Hydor Korlia
Corals:
GSP
Pulsing Xenia
Kenya Tree
Paly
4 different types of Zoas
Hairy Mushroom
Devil's Hand Leather
Gold Mushrooms
Still have a ways to go as I would ideally like to be a mixed reef but taking it 1 slow step at a time! Here are some pictures of where it's at - these aren't the most recent.
