What were you thinking when setting up your first reef tank?

[Reef Jedi]

What were you thinking when setting up your first reef tank? I’m curious what thoughts were going through your head? How much planning or non planning was involved? Were you scared or confidant? Was it a success?

What mistakes did you make as you look back now and think, “what was I thinking”?

 

[X-37B]

I was gifted a 55 hex tank. This was before I had any real interest in an aquarium.
I went to the lfs to look around and saw the reef systems and well that was 1989 and im still reefing, lol.
I traded the hex for a standard 55 with corner overflow. Picked up a 175 watt halide and a tank full of live rock and well Im still using live rock for starts.
I was thinking I want a system like that.
Today

 

[EricR]

I never planned to have a reef tank. At some point, mostly from seeing/reading posts on this site, just thought, "Hey,,, I wonder how some cheapie corals would do in here."

Posted this elsewhere recently but applies here so:
We kept moon jellyfish for about 2 years just because we accidentally ended up with a free jellyfish tank.
After last jellyfish evaporated, had the sideways cylinder of water and cycled media so figured what the heck -- threw in a chocolate chip star and a couple of snails.
After progression of tank transfers into the rectangular tank world and more water volume, just kind of ended up here.

P.S. Chocolate chip star was cool but eventually had to donate to LFS 'cause,,, well,,, that thing was "coocoo for zoas",,,, doh!

 

[Reef Jedi]

I never planned to have a reef tank. At some point, mostly from seeing/reading posts on this site, just thought, "Hey,,, I wonder how some cheapie corals would do in here."

Posted this elsewhere recently but applies here so:
We kept moon jellyfish for about 2 years just because we accidentally ended up with a free jellyfish tank.
After last jellyfish evaporated, had the sideways cylinder of water and cycled media so figured what the heck -- threw in a chocolate chip star and a couple of snails.
After progression of tank transfers into the rectangular tank world and more water volume, just kind of ended up here.

P.S. Chocolate chip star was cool but eventually had to donate to LFS 'cause,,, well,,, that thing was "coocoo for zoas",,,, doh!

I’ve always wanted a chocolate chip Because they look cool! I’ve never had one because they love to eat everything lol

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

 

[pythpyth]

Man… always had freshwater and with a buddy of mine I was looking to start a new fw project. Always had a salt dream but looked waaaaay to hard.

I saw a 55 gallon fw setup with a canister filter and thought “aaaah what could go wrong” I started with bad second hand stones.. Never got my parameters in check. Weird metals and high high phosphates. Threw away ALOT of corals… after like 3 months I went to a sump though (which brought more issues than the canister but alright) But I quit the setup after 14 months because it just seemed to get worse.

January I started a waterbox 35 gallon setup. And it is running amazing. I only use filter floss, UV at night and got a cryptic fuge. It is doing amazing, but I am now battling low nutrients whaha But got growth in all my LPS and even SPS.

But you just gotta go with the flow, pick one point to gain information from. And just start playing with it man, dont get beat down when stuff goes wrong. Yup it costs money, but when you succeed it is the best feeling ever. Your corals and fish tell you if stuff goes wrong. Dont try to cheap out on stuff as wavemakers (flow does ALOT) And get some decent lights and a good return rate filtration wise.

 

[Paul B]

When I started, there were no reef tanks, not even saltwater fish tanks. I had to go to a muddy beach at low tide and collect stuff. Eventually, I would find some interesting small fish and put them in my metal-framed tank with local rocks and seaweed.

Eventually, in 1971, saltwater fish became available in stores, and I bought the only fish available, blue devils.
That tank is still running (much bigger now), but those blue devils, after spawning many times, died after about 7 years.

There are no more blue devils in it, but there are about 40 other fish.

Here is the male over his nest of eggs circa 1972.



Here is that tank today.

 

[Ef4life]

 

[Reef Jedi]

When I started, there were no reef tanks, not even saltwater fish tanks. I had to go to a muddy beach at low tide and collect stuff. Eventually, I would find some interesting small fish and put them in my metal-framed tank with local rocks and seaweed.

Eventually, in 1971, saltwater fish became available in stores, and I bought the only fish available, blue devils.
That tank is still running (much bigger now), but those blue devils, after spawning many times, died after about 7 years.

There are no more blue devils in it, but there are about 40 other fish.

Here is the male over his nest of eggs circa 1972.



Here is that tank today.

This is actually super cool! It’s a really cool story and transformation over the years. What were you able to catch from the shore? I’ve never had good luck with that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I had to decide which hobby to pursue:

1. photography/build a darkroom on the basement

2. Reefing/ build a fish room in the basement

Dark rooms are a fading history at this point so I am happy with my decision.

 

[Paul B]

What were you able to catch from the shore? I’ve never had good luck with that.

Hermit crabs, dozens


Purple urchins. Hundreds of them.


Amphipods by the thousands


Blue claw crabs



Rock Crabs


Snails, millions


Horseshoe crabs




Tiny burrfish


Baby eels, puffers, big eye fish, racoon butterflies, lookdowns, baby flounders, minnows, fiddler crabs, and dozens of other fish and inverts.

 

[Subsea]

Paul,
Were you thinking of growing up the Crab to make linguini?

I was right behind you in 1972. After four years in Air Force with four 90 day tours in Cambodia, I needed a hobby to find sanity & peace. In September of 1972, I entered the Texas Maritime Academy and after a first semester technical elective of Chemical Oceanography, I established my first aquarium as a Galveston Bay bio type: grass shrimp & green mollies we’re collected from salt grass flats with peppermint shrimp and glass anemones collected from jetties in Gulf of Mexico. I used an undergravel filter with crushed up oyster shells purchased from chicken feed store. At the time, I didn’t have access to synthetic salt mixture and collected 55G of water on incoming tide.
I carried that 55G tank around for 10 years until a visitor asked me why I was growing Cyanobacteria.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Hermit crabs, dozens


Purple urchins. Hundreds of them.


Amphipods by the thousands


Blue claw crabs



Rock Crabs


Snails, millions


Horseshoe crabs




Tiny burrfish


Baby eels, puffers, big eye fish, racoon butterflies, lookdowns, baby flounders, minnows, fiddler crabs, and dozens of other fish and inverts.

Wow! That’s incredible! I was on the golf in Clearwater and the beach there was sandy and nice but never saw critters like this! So cool! It’s like a paradise lol

 

[Reef Jedi]

I had to decide which hobby to pursue:

1. photography/build a darkroom on the basement

2. Reefing/ build a fish room in the basement

Dark rooms are a fading history at this point so I am happy with my decision.

Interesting idea with the dark room! Do you still dabble in photography at all? My uncle was a professional photographer and it was so cool to see his dark room and the process behind it.

 

[Reef Jedi]

I was gifted a 55 hex tank. This was before I had any real interest in an aquarium.
I went to the lfs to look around and saw the reef systems and well that was 1989 and im still reefing, lol.
I traded the hex for a standard 55 with corner overflow. Picked up a 175 watt halide and a tank full of live rock and well Im still using live rock for starts.
I was thinking I want a system like that.
Today

My wife said if I lived alone this is what my living room would look like and she’s absolutely right haha

 

[BeanAnimal]

Chics dig fish nerds... Isn't that what everyone thought when they got started?

Look at @Paul B even the OLD timers thought that.

 

[Reef Jedi]

Chics dig fish nerds... Isn't that what everyone thought when they got started?

Look at @Paul B even the OLD timers thought that.

I don’t think anyone can argue with that haha

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Then…. “This seems like a fiscally responsible hobby.”

Planning? PLANing? We don’t need no stinkin planning!

Mistakes? Me ? NEVER! Ha…That would be a long list for sure

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Chics dig fish nerds... Isn't that what everyone thought when they got started?

Look at @Paul B even the OLD timers thought that.

Pretty sure we’re right up there on the list along with the likes of serial killers

 

[Reef Jedi]

Pretty sure we’re right up there on the list along with the likes of serial killers

American psycho style?