Who are we????????

[Doug1]

OK since Drew asked and its been a while, here we go again. Its an oppurtunity to introduce yourselves, note changes or fabricate new realities
My name is Doug and I have been moderating this BB since before it went to UBB format, along with a few other of the core group and mystery staff members.
I live in southern oregon and recently hit the half century mark. Wow come to think of it I have had SW tanks half my life. I work in the medical field and have been married to the same tolerent woman for over 30 yrs. I have a grown son and daughter and 3 grandkids
They live away from home so its the wife, 3 cats and the 75 reef

[DennisW]

Ok...I will go next I guess. These threads are always interesting!

My name is Dennis. I am 32 years old and live in Portland, Oregon. I work for a chain pharmacy as a pharmacy technician. I have been in this hobby for about 3 years. I dare call it a hobby. It seriously is a "lifestyle". I am coming up on my 10 year wedding aniversary. My wife Jennifer works in the dental field.

My tank is a 100gal Tenecor tank 48 x 24 x 20). I use to have a 125gal, 6' tank but I recently sold it. I felt that my liverock and lighting and livestock would look a whole lot better in a smaller tank. Trying to stock a larger tank is more expensive (as Alice is about to find out).

That about sums it up! Oh ya...we have a cat. Its name was Pete but after we got it fixed we changed it's name to Isabella.

Dennis

[Drew]

Thanks Doug! Hi everybody,

If you would have asked my a couple of years ago what fish I would have right now, I would have named some freshwater species (probably some type of Discus to sound like a big shot ) I had never dreamed of keeping saltwater. That is, until one day. I was browsing a fw website created by "DaFishDude", and somehow I ended up on the John Rice Homepage. He had every detail of his reef up on the net, and I spent countless hours reading and reading. I was hooked.
A few weeks later I converted my 45 South American cichlids to salt, and then the real fun began. I cannot remeber how exactly I came accross this board, but I am very happy that I did! The friendly people who contribute here have helped not only me, but many other reefers, and I'm happy to see the atomosphere has remained the same.
If there is one thing that I learned from reef keeping, (besides patience) it is biology. It seemed everything that was taught in my high school biology class I already knew. And now, going into sophmore year I have never wanted to learn about marine biology more!
It was not long ago that I was told about a group of Wisconsin reefers who were getting together to form a club. Well, I ended up attending the second meeting of the Wisconsin Reef Society, hosted by Phillstone (a beauty of a tank BTW ) I met some really great people there, of course that includes Scott (Wrasse Man), who generously supplied my tank with a seemingly never-ending supply of frags (thanks Scott, I owe you one )
That brings me to where I am right now. Well, I am currently seeking a job (It's hard to reef with no cash) at a LFS, and am working on my third saltwater tank, a 90 gal. Reefing can be frustrating (when Banggai swallows his eighth batch of eggs in a row) and upseting (when you don't turn the RO unit off, wake up to a wet floor), but I have never been involved with something so incredibly rewarding and facinating in all my life. My advice to all the other reefers out there, remember to turn your RO units off! Thanks for your help everyone. I appreciate it

Drew

[Alice]

As long as I'm still awake, I might as well jump in

I'm married to a musician (guitar player/singer) and we have two boys ages 11 and 10, and a daughter age 8. I work full time and then some for a property management company and part time at an LFS. My job there has become a family affair; the kids help unpack shipments, change filters, feed the fish, etc. and even my husband helps out now and then.

I have a great little 17 gallon nano on my desk at work and I even manage to get my work done (my boss reads this board, lol.) I'm also finishing up switching my 55 reef tank over to a 125 (I'm going to have a blast stocking it Dennis! )

I've been working with this board for almost two years and enjoy it immensely. Helping new folks in the hobby take care of the animals in their keeping is very important and satisfying to me.

~Alice

[Spanky]

Hi,
My name is Jerel and I'm a Marine Biologist/Pathobiologist. We live in the Florida Keys (Islamorada) and own Keys Aquaculture. I also raise softbill birds.

There, I feel so much better

Jerel

[ 07-12-2001: Message edited by: landescaper ]

I'm 51. maybe if I hide this, no one will see it.

[ 07-13-2001: Message edited by: landescaper ]

[FishDaddy]

Gee, Doug, I hope I can remember what I said last time we did this thread so I can get it right!!

I've been around The Reef Tank since its beginning when Brooke started her Beginner's Board way back in 1999. (Or was it '98?)
I live in the foothills of the beautiful Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. I work in the legal field and sailing is my other main hobby.

I have three children and two grandchildren. My youngest daughter, FishGirl, is the one who got me into aquaria and saltwater tanks back when she was 2. All our tanks actually belong to her. I'm merely her Finance and Supply assistant. At 8 years old, she is TRT's youngest official member. She wants to be a wildlife biologist with emphasis on marine life.

We have a 55 reef; 38 FOWLR which houses Spotty, a juvenile Chainlink Moray (Looks just like TRT's logo moray); Freshwater community tank and a Viquarium. FishGirl has a menagerie of other pets including a pair of Leopard Geckos; baby Raccoon; Chinchilla; Teddy Bear Hamsters; and an assortment of cats, dogs, and other critters. We will be upgrading to larger tanks, especially as Spotty grows.
Dick & FishGirl http://fishdaddy.homestead.com/index.html

[GaryG]

I am a CPA & CVA and partner in a local CPA firm in Middletown CT. www.ctcpas.com

I'm 47. My son (from first marriage who lives with us) starts college in the fall. My second (and last) wife of 7 years is a Speech Pathologist. We are both Scuba Divers (Dive Master level) and in fact we met on the old Prodigy Scuba bulliten board about 10 years ago. I was in CT and she was in San Francisco. We met fact to face the first time in Cozumel and the rest is history.

I had a 55 FO tank for about a year and a half that was set up by a guy who does it for a living. I thought all I would do is feed them once a day. But I got hooked and started reading and the more I knew the more I wanted to know. This spring I upgraded to a 150 with proper lighting and better equipment and have been slowly stocking it with live rock and coral.

I'm totally adicted. Last month I set up an Eclipse 10gal as an isolation tank. Just this morning I put together a 29gal Eclipse in my office. It is going to be a FOwLR. I just can't stop ! It's become on obsession (and a very costly one). Getting hooked on drugs might be cheaper! Somebody stop me before I set up another tank !!!!

[Flatlander]

Jerel

Hi, my name is Doug, also. I like this board, because with Fishdaddy & Doug, I dont feel old alone,

I spent 30 years in the far north, in Canada and because of a great union, , retired last year, although I certainly earned it. I now live in a resort community, further south in Manitoba, just 50 min. down the highway, from my daughter & her husband and my two precious grandaughters, that are now one of the main focus,s in our life. I also have two sons, one married,[ no children ], and the other whom remained in the north in the same industry and is a confirmed bachlour.
Been married 34 years on July 20th, to the same beautiful wife.

Have been keeping aquariums for about as long, reefs for about 11 years or so now. We also have a 12 year old minature weenie dog & a beautiful lab/doberman cross. The weenie,[male], protects the larger female, when other dogs are around,

[hamburglar]

Hi,

I am a computer consultant in New Bern, NC (45 minutes from the coast) I am 24 Years old and married.

I have had 10 gallon fresh water tanks as long as I can remember and I made a switch over to a 20 gallon SW about 5 years ago.

When I bought a house a couple of years ago, I setup a 70 gallon and I have been putting stuff in it ever since.

I am trying to get into coral propagation, but I know I need to wait a few more years and take in as much information as I can. I have been propagating easy stuff like star polyps and mushrooms.

I am into this all big time right now. I am setting up a 4 gallon Nano in the next week or so (whenever new rock comes in at LFS). I also have a good working relationship with a LFS, and I am going to help him setup a small greenhouse for some experimental sunlight propagation. I get to play for free !

[Spanky]

Dick,
That is a great GREAT picture!

Ok, since I can't be a stripper, I'll go back and edit that post. But Doug said we could >fabricate new realities<.
Jerel

[Doug1]

kEWL on good relationship with LFS, real reefers don't pay retail

[MRIGUY]

My name is John and I have been on the list since November I believe. I have never kept freshwater fish other than newts. I have had a reef for 10 years that has gone through several revisions over time. Although I did manage to keem the same CC bed for the last eight years. I'm 37 and currently the MRI manager and Director of Research for St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem, PA. I am married and have three kids aged 7,5,and 2. My wife and I are breaking ground on a new house on Monday and a Reef Room complete with sealed flooring and extra power is on the plan.

John

[derosier]

Hey everyone,

I don't have nearly the experience of most of the people here, but I've been doing salt water for about 4 years. I never had a tank before that, not even fresh water. Always wanted one, but my parents wouldn't let me; I had a mouse + a few cats and dogs, that should be enough right? My girlfriend at the time had a 12gal hex nano and with her support I got into this hobby.

Now I'm 25, single and on my 3rd tank, a 42 gal hex reef; first 2 were a 20 gal w/ eclipse FWLR+ a few softies, and a 10 gal brackish puffer.

I'm an embedded software engineer and write code for an automated lighting company. The lights are for theatre and concerts, the most visible use of our lights in on that Millionaire show, Grammys, and the Academy Awards. Just too cool of a job. Was worth the move from CA to TX (most of the time anyway). If you still don't know what I do check out www.vari-lite.com , look at the things on the site, and realize that "I make them wiggle and blink". Or well I give the lighting designers the ability to do make them do that...

- Steve

[Wrasse Man]

Why do I always log on after Jerel has edited his posts?

My name is Scott and I am a reefaholic.
I was keeping and breeding wild green discus(which aren't green ) when I kept seeing all the beautiful SW and reef tanks at my sorta-LFS, which is now closed.
With prodding from my wife ('those fish are prettier than yours') I took the dive and got rid of the discus and went to salt. It didn't take long to convert over to a reef. I wish I found this board before I started, but we all make mistakes.
My wife and I have a 7 month-old (8 on Saturday) named Jeremy who loves the tank! When we first brought him home we would put his basinette next to the tank and he would fall asleep looking at the fish. Even now, if he is fussy or cranky, I just take him to the tank and hold him up infront of it and he immediatly stops crying and starts laughing at the fish.
I moved to Chicago from Denver (followed a girl) got married 4 years later (same girl!) and now have Jeremy.
I wish I could tell you more, but my life as a CIA operative is classified.

Hey, if Jerel can be a stripper, I can be a spy!

[ 07-12-2001: Message edited by: Wrasse Man ]

[FishDaddy]

Thanks, Jerel,
FishGirl cut her first two teeth on a rubber knob on the extension to the tiller she's holding!
Dick