Weekly Discussion: Our First Tanks

[three90s&125sump]

I have no idea I had 6 tanks or so running at the same time. I tend to go in head first with out actually using my head.

[luvmylo]

oh goodness. First sorry bout ur crash Geoff! My first tank was a 55 gallon kit from petco inspired by the great movie "Finding Nemo" (still love the movie but after working in a fish store for the past 3 years I hate the name) Anyway, I had been thinking of doing a sw tank for my daughter because she loved the movie. Well my sweet and lovely wife decided she would surprise me with this great kit. It didn't come with substrate so I had to go the next day and buy some crushed coral. As soon as I got it up, I had to shoot into petco to buy my yellow tang, clown fish, royal gramma, and a couple of damsels all the next day. What is funny, all of those fish lived for about 6 months till I had to move and they didn't survive the move. That was 6 years ago. I thought people that were trying to sell me live rock were trying to rip me off=)

[three90s&125sump]

And I always tear my tanks down because I'm doing it wrong.

[Jnicho]

My very first tank was some 25 years ago, LOL! It was a 20-gallon “loaner” aquarium used to conduct a hermit crab behavior study when I was still in school. I lived in Stamford, CT at the time and simply went down to the local beach and came home with some sand, rock and a bunch of hermit crabs and built a tide-pool in a glass box. After the paper was written, I enjoyed keeping the critters so much that I kept the tank going for a while with various crabs, macro-algae’s, stars; pretty much whatever I could find in the tide pools at the local beach. That tank had no filtration other than sand and rock (who knew), not test kits, not even a hydrometer to check SG. Went to the beach every Saturday and filled a few gallon milk jugs to do a water change. All in all it was pretty successful considering the lack of knowledge and equipment.

[fox2589]

i started with a 10 gallon tank..added 2 clowns and a chocolate chip starfish within 8 days...1 pound of live rock LOL..almost zero flow(i was wondering what all the grey stuff was LOL)..used an aquaclear filter with all pads in it..topped off with mixed saltwater LOL..my idea of mixing water at the time was put 2 gallons in a bucket..mix with a spoon until i couldnt see floating salt..check with my innacurate hydrometer and put in tank..man was i way off..i was successful in the fact i had my clowns hosting my plastic anemone!!-drew

[mcashflash]

My first Saltwater tank is still my current tank. We've gone through some bumps in the road but have pretty much stabilized it. We've had it for a year now. It's a fish only live rock tank. I have pictures of it on my profile under aquarium.

[bb0029]

Mine was a 55 gallon tank. I used 55 gallons of tap water and some chemical to remove chlorine. I added a bunch of aragonite and about 50 lbs of live rock. I had 2 fluvals running a prism skinner that I just literally hung it on the back and plugged it up. I let it set for about a month and added 3 yellow tangs that all got lateral line disease eventually. I added some dominoes that did well and a bung of corals that I had no idea what to do with.

My kitchen pantry in the apartment looked like a meth lab with all the chemicals, my water was always bad. I had no idea what r/o water was. I eventually killed everything in the tank except the dominoes.

About 2 months into the project I knew I was doomed so I sold everything off that was still living and went back to breeding tiger oscars.

About 15 years later I found this site and I am still noobing it up with my 14g BC but now I got these forums to help me along the way.

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by bb0029

Mine was a 55 gallon tank. I used 55 gallons of tap water and some chemical to remove chlorine. I added a bunch of aragonite and about 50 lbs of live rock. I had 2 fluvals running a prism skinner that I just literally hung it on the back and plugged it up. I let it set for about a month and added 3 yellow tangs that all got lateral line disease eventually. I added some dominoes that did well and a bung of corals that I had no idea what to do with.

My kitchen pantry in the apartment looked like a meth lab with all the chemicals, my water was always bad. I had no idea what r/o water was. I eventually killed everything in the tank except the dominoes.

About 2 months into the project I knew I was doomed so I sold everything off that was still living and went back to breeding tiger oscars.

About 15 years later I found this site and I am still noobing it up with my 14g BC but now I got these forums to help me along the way.

meth lab i love it. i had the same problem some 25 years ago man it had to be 300 bucks worth of chemicals.

[Siberman]

Does the "4 adult dwarf seahorses (including one pregnant male so you actually get up to 30 seahorses! ) with their own aquarium , salt mix and food for $4.95" count ? That would be 1969.

Hey, my parents wouldn't let me go to Woodstock, ok ? .

Otherwise, I'd have to say a 25 gallon erectus tank with undergravel and crushed coral circa 1985-ish . Poor ponies.

[SoK]

my first and current tank, a 55g i bought off a guy on craigslist. came with the seaclone skimmer, play sand, a penguin mechanical filter, heater, and some oooold powerheads...

this was only back in march 09, can't believe i've only been in this for barely 6 months....

anyway, now i use rodi, built a sump, overflow, have coral, etc... i do feel like i'm doing upgrades on this thing every week...

i also now have a 3g picotope in my bedroom and i'm building a 125g in my office. its going very slow. everytime i make a decision to do something, it changes the next week....

anyway, now i have a 3g picotope reef in my room, 1 month in.

[Jacwil]

Wow...great stuff folks! I can't believe how totslly and completely hooked, addicted, tickled pink, WHATEVER, over starting this obssession. I'm only several weeks into starting my very first aquarium EVER, and am finding myself logged on to TRT almost 24/7. I can't believe my wife is still speaking to me Love the stories, help and support you've given me in just this week I've been a member. Thanks to all!

-Justin

BOY HAVE I BEEN BITTEN!

[joswald]

Some of you go back 25 year's that's when I had my frist tank, well more like 27 year's. Had it for two years,, 29gal underground filter with power heads, an a hob, live rock was pretty much unheard of and skimmer's were kind'a new if I remenber, I know forsure they were very exspenive. yellow tang, tomato clown a pink tip, a yellow tail damsel and two sea hourse, I remenber I would feed the sea house by sucking up brine shimp into a glass tube, then slowly releaseing them in front of the sea house.. Got to be when seen the tube they know it was dinner time,, So after all that time I just now started a new tank only been about 5 months. And man I am glad I found this site,

[Austintatious]

I am starting up my first SW tank now... I got a DEAL on a 250 G acrylic tank.

A coworker of my mother moved into a house with this monster in it.. the previous owner had spent 30k having it built in a trimmed out, lock stock and barrel. It was FW.

I was GIVEN the tank for my labor in removing it.

Sold the fish for 75.00
Sold two canister filters for 350.00
Selling the light for 150.00

I have spent:

120.00 for MH light
160.00 for T4 pump
150.00 on wood to trim it in
~200.00 on trial and error to finally get it plumed with a sump/overflow
100.00 on sand and LR
80.00 on a few vortec PHs
175.00 on a RO/DI unit with ATO
`

a few more bucks here and there. Overall I am in pretty cheap for what I have!

I am cycling the tank now... I don't have enough LR but I am just trying to seed the tank... I will eventually add my DIY rock and slowly build up stock.

Cant wait to see something swimming in this thing!