Remember your very first reef tank?

[phytofish]

Looking back at my first reef tank a couple years ago, a 29 gallon from petco with a HOB filter, a $10 heater and two $8 powerheads from Amazon..

This tank had no business even keeping the hardiest of fish alive! I had no idea what I was doing! How did I grow coralline all over the rocks, walls, and all equipment?? How did my corals not die, much less grow and spread!? I used straight tap water several times, did water changes every other month or so, thought the aiptasia and flatworms looked cool in the tank.. I took my water to get checked at a store once and my salinity was pushing 1.030..

But looking back, it is still one of my very favorite tanks I've ever had!! It got me into the hobby and I haven't looked back yet.
Anyone else had an experience like this?? I'd love to hear it.

I looked back yesterday afternoon through my phone and looked at some old videos and pictures of it.. I decided to make a quick video dedicated to the old tank on imovie.. Check it out!

 

[theblackpearl]

70 gallon tall. Coralife HOB skimmer. Rena filstar canister filter. Coralife power compacts. Inline heater. No business being a reef tank

 

[phytofish]

70 gallon tall. Coralife HOB skimmer. Rena filstar canister filter. Coralife power compacts. Inline heater. No business being a reef tank

haha love it!

 

[andrewkw]

Here is my 15 gallon reef from 2006. Tank was started in 2005 with PC bulbs, first fill was tap water then I got I think a 2 stage RO then RO/DI. In the pic I upgraded to T5 and had some cool corals. Indo micromussa (acan) lords, before Australia even began exporting! I was ahead of the game..

I actually still have the red mushrooms which were my first ever coral. Circa 2005.

 

[Jason mack]

I'm a newbie really first tank was begin last year 100 litre .. no sump ,hob filter cheap lights , I was quite proud of it actually !

 

[happyhourhero]

2005
58 Gal HOB Skimmer with some PC Lights.

 

[phytofish]

Here is my 15 gallon reef from 2006. Tank was started in 2005 with PC bulbs, first fill was tap water then I got I think a 2 stage RO then RO/DI. In the pic I upgraded to T5 and had some cool corals. Indo micromussa (acan) lords, before Australia even began exporting! I was ahead of the game..

I actually still have the red mushrooms which were my first ever coral. Circa 2005.

That's amazing. Yeah you were way ahead of the game!

 

[ngoodermuth]

Here was my first tank:

It was upgraded to this column tank shortly after:

 

[phytofish]

Here was my first tank:

It was upgraded to this column tank shortly after:

Ok you guys were all supposed to agree that your first tanks struggled a little.. these are sweet!

 

[ngoodermuth]

Ok you guys were all supposed to agree that your first tanks struggled a little.. these are sweet!

My first one went deceivingly well, so did the upgrade- it was the third tank that I really struggled with, and the fourth [emoji15]

 

[Heliarc19]

My first was a 29g bio cube no skimmer, pic lights, didn't change water for at least the first year(bad advice and no research), crashed several times from stupid errors. Never tested anything except sg. Horrible way to learn but I now know a lot of things to avoid lol

 

[SmokeyGnar]

My first was a 55 bowfront filled with green hair algae haha no skimmer no filter I used to rely on a weekly water change and after two chromis died I was chasing nutrients until I took the tank down

 

[reeferfoxx]

My first build. Standard 20 gallon tall with aquamaxx hob-1.




I miss that tank... :(

 

[Heliarc19]

Uh...... lol dang that's a beautiful first...second.. third.... tank

My first build. Standard 20 gallon tall with aquamaxx hob-1.




I miss that tank... :([/QUOTE

 

[reeferfoxx]

Uh...... lol dang that's a beautiful first...second.. third.... tank

Thanks! It was cycled with live rock. Came with a bunch of pests actually. Back then we didn't have flucanozole and so bryopsis took over everything. Add that to aiptasia, bristleworms, monti eating nudis, pyramid snails, and zoa eating asterina stars, I tore it down. Should have held on to it for another 6 months...

 

[Test led]

I started my first reef tank in Lakeside, Arizona. It is about 180 miles outside of Phoenix. I bought a 20 gallon long aquarium, mail ordered a diy led kit from Rapid Led and started that bad boy up. Had an Aqua Clear hang on the back filter and a 25 watt heater. Had nothing but problems with that tank. With the nearest help three and a half hours away, I learned a lot what not to do. Like not using mountain tap water for top off. Or not trusting hydrometers for salt level.

 

[Tahoe61]

My 1st tank with a skimmer in 1996. I have been seriously been keeping SW tanks since 1987, sorry no polaroids. ;)

 

[Mark Gray]

I got to try and find some pictures that was before digital cameras

 

[Flippers4pups]

Bad picture. From 1993. 75 gallon softies. Hang on overflow, hang on CPR back pack skimmer, DIY T8 lighting..... basic "Berlin method" tank.

 

[Fritzhamer]

No pics (1992) but it was a 20 high with crushed coral, a reverse flow under gravel filter and a Skilter. A few damsels and a Percula clownfish.