Older reef aquariums

[Michael Darling]

Why is it i’ve looked all over the web to find anyone that has an older (years) successful reef tank that looks good and thriving? It seems to me all I’m finding are newer setups and ones that are just moving to bigger tanks. Take me to a reefer that’s had the same tank for years and watched it mature. I do understand how things evolve but I want to know that a tank can grow and be a success for years.

 

[JasonK84]

Check out @Paul B and his 48 year old Reef!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Not a great pix, but 10 years old

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Welcome to the group.

Ask questions and research and you will have one even longe if you want.

 

[Michael Darling]

Not a great pix, but 10 years old

 

[Michael Darling]

Nice looking tank. I still venture to say yours may not be the norm and few get this far. I know from my past experience life matters tend to factor into this subject as well as other factors. Keep the nice work up.

 

[Paul B]

I just moved it here from my old home of 40 years and I moved it there in about 1979.
This glass is a little bigger so I need a few more corals to fill it but it was 48 years old this month and nothing had died of disease in probably 38 or so years and I never quarantine. Not the nicest tank on here, but it is what it is.
(I think this picture is 6 months old and I had temporary lights on it. )




Th

This

This is it just before I moved it in my old home. It was there about 40 years. I built it in a wall and the glass was scratched so I bought a slightly larger tank for the new place. Everything was moved here in one day.

 

[Michael Darling]

That is really amazing and I’m sure a lot of work. It would be nice to know all the different stages over the years your tank went through such as tank crash and how many times you had to start over?

 

[Paul B]

After the initial few months, I never had a tank crash or had to start over.

It started i here in 1971.

Here is my tank thread from 2011 on here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-birthday-47-years.55423/

 

[jimk60]

I'm sure that older tanks are done with some regularity but personally I find that I have to tear my tank down every eight to ten years. I'm due now because I'm battling cyano and have a large infestation of some form of colonial hydroid that I can't get under control. I've bought new rock and am starting over. This is the third time so far.

 

[Michael Darling]

I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos and read many post so I’ve got a fair amount of information and your tank sounds more the normal but still on the longer side. It sounds like many reefers are running into life situations, tank crashes or just get tired of dealing with the time it takes to really maintain a tank. Money can become a major player as well. As far as I’m concerned I want to see the tank the person is talking about and know the facts as opposed to just a posting or pictures. I like real time information Im a very visual person as opposed to just post and the like. Anyway, great job for staying with your tank and I wish you many more years.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

This is awesome @Paul B . Right down to the white tee everyone wore in the 70’s. No mutton chops though?;Happy

 

[Thales]

Since 2002
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-home-tank.296635/
more here:
http://packedhead.net/home-reef/

 

[Paul B]

Michael, I think the same and like to see videos. There are a lot of videos of my tank on U Tube. This one is when I just moved here so it is a little sparce as the tank is larger than my old one that I moved. I was trying to get close ups of my fish. I don't keep the more common fish and go for the more unusual.


This one is about my feeder.


I love Janss pipefish


Circulation off etc.


Spawning

 

[Michael Darling]

Thanks for the show and tell always nice to view.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

There are definitely plenty of older setups around. I love to look at reef tanks that have been around a while.

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Reef tanks will run indefinitely without crashes or other adverse events as long as they're maintained; my 20g nano has been in business since 2004.

But, why do you ask?

 

[Richard baker]

Mine turns 9 years old this year

 

[andrewkw]

I'm not sure if my tank is older or not? I got it in 2006, a small portion of the live rock is from 2005. In 2013 or 2014 I upgraded to a larger tank. When I moved in 2016 the larger tank broke so I went back to this tank. I lost a good 50% of livestock in the move. I've had probably 3 major crashes. There are some old corals, and my oldest fish will be a teen this year, but some is significantly newer.

 

[CDavmd]

Here’s mine going on 13 years