[VWD]

My 36 gallon tank is empty and I decided to set it up like I did when I first entered the hobby 50 years ago in 1972.
I am going with an under gravel filter, crushed coral. But now instead of deal decorated corals I will use some bleached rock from a tank I had years ago.
back in 1972 we cycled with damsels. After setting up and adding a seed from a tank from the local fish store. I will be seeding with a piece of dry rock I put in my reef tank sometime ago.
there are so many ways to set up a tank and this is about as simple as it gets.
I have the crushed coral ordered and can wait to spend a few hours rinsing. Lol
I’m going to start I think with just an air pump to work the under gravel filter. But do have some maxi jet pump if I feel the need for more flow though the filter.
I also want to stock like I did back then, large hermit crab. Damsels and once stable a star fish and shrimp.
lighting I have to figure out what I’m going to use.
here are the first few photos. I will update as thing move along

 

[Tinsnips]

I love this. Under gravel was king back then though I never thought about the marine application. I’ll be watching this one closely!

 

[Tinsnips]

Hit send too soon…

You should get great flow with risers that high I would think Vinnie.

 

[VWD]

They do work good, I used under gravel filters until early 80’s when I went to wet dry filtration.
we also lost things like anemones because we didn’t have a clue to what the role of lighting played.. mid 79’s I got turn in to live rock and increased lighting . Things change and reef tanks became the norm

 

[hackshobby]

This will bring flashes of nostalgia to a lot of people......BEST of LUCK Vinnie!
Hack

 

[jerryclunsford]

You will have to get a bigger house for the tanks soon.

 

[VWD]

This is one that I had the seahorses in before I moved them to the 75. Only one other tank I want and that’s one I can put some triggers and large angels. But I don’t see it happening anything soon.

 

[VWD]

Got the crushed coral, rinsed like crazy and still cloudy, lol. I hooked up the maxi jets. Now I home it clears. If not I will throw a mechanical filter to clear it. Once it clears I will add a seed from the reef tank.

 

[Doug1]

Yup, thats why I had a couple Diatom filters in my tool kit when I used to do aquarium setup and maint. I used to love Marine Bio Filters back in 70s, the thick white wavy plates , better than the flat slotted Penn Plax or whatever the little cheap under gravel filters wher. They had 1 inch plus risers and I would run lime block bubbles along with Silent Giant pumps

 

[VWD]

Yeah, wish I had a vortex now.

 

[VWD]

Tank cleared overnight. Digging the look of the crushed coral.

 

[VWD]

I think this is going to be an excellent tank , the live rock is something we didn’t use back in the day. So now the tank should really be just as stable as any other reef tank in my opinion.

 

[hackshobby]

NICE.....is this going to be for fish Vinnie, or sea horses?
Hack

 

[VWD]

It’s a fish and invert tank. I don’t really do inverts in my reef other then snails. So this will have them . I want a large hermit crab, starfish, shrimp and a few fish.

 

[VWD]

Tank is cycling for now, trying to decide on lighting. I have two kessils 160 tuna blues but would like some T5’s for it. Wouldn’t take much to light because it’s not going to really be a coral tank.

 

[jerryclunsford]

What lights would you have used back then?

 

[hackshobby]

GOOD POINT Jerry! When was 'back then' by the way........80's? I was using whatever came in them hoods the pet stores sold.....were probably t'12s back then?
Hack

 

[VWD]

Was t 12 aquarium lights. They looks purple I’d I remember right. Not going to find them. T5 be near enough. Sine things I’m not going to be able to match.

 

[hackshobby]

Yeah, I seem to remember a 'purple'ish' tint to my aquariums. Then again for the most part there was still 'box filters' in the corner, and a LOT of airstones to breath life into the water. FLOW wasn't a 'thing', and 'wet/dry....trickle filters' were popping up.....filled to the brim with floss and crushed coral as a buffer. LOTS of plexiglass and siliconing going on back then trying to come up with better filtration.

I remember having to ties bits of frozen clam on string so the decaying food wouldn't ruin the tank......heck, still used 'flake food' then too.

Yeah, now Ya got me going down memory lane with this.
Hack

 

[jerryclunsford]

That’s what it was for I believe. Going down memory lane.
My only saltwater tank was started around 8 years ago so can’t help much.