Your Fist Tank, What got you in the game.

[pnavarro170]

i saw this somewhere else, i am curious and wanted to share how i got into the hobby. Although this thread would be cool with pics id have to look for the pictures in a shoe box for my first 55 gallon.

it probably started about 7-8 years ago. (im 27 now) i never actually had a tank my entire life. dont think a goldfish in a bowl for a week or less counts. but i was working as a runner for a lawfirm and when i was delivering a package to a random office downtown the guy had a clean and sweet 75 gallon reef tank when you walk in. had xenia star polyps soft corals. but it was so clean and nicely maintained i was instantly struck. mind you ive never seen a saltwater fish tank before. well i found myself making excuses to go see this tank maybe once a week. finally started talking to the owner and asked questions. found out sam from the coral reef had done it back in the day. i mean were talking power compacts a regular remora skimmer and that was it. it was so well maintained and looked amazing. probably still does.

well after a few months i went by the coral reef when it was on lee trevino and just started asking questions. IVE NEVER HAD ANY AQUARIUM BEFORE IN MY LIFE. So im learning about freaking heaters for gods sake. haha. went to petsmart and decided on a 55 gallon tank in a box that came with most general stuff. and with a bit of advice. got salt in and live sand and a bit of live rock. then tried my hand at a blue background stick on or whatever that looked like crap. after trying different fish out. at least half of them died of course. cant remember why cuz i didnt test water or even have a skimmer. also some of them decided suicide was a better option than living in my tank. well i ended up selling that 55 with a couple fish in it to maybe help fund my next tank. this time i took my time asked more questions, did more research, and saved up money for a while. (im working and going to school at this time so money was not easy to waste) and a year or 2 later i decide to do a 120 reef tank. now i knew my stuff a bit better, and had great success, it was a mixed reef, lps, and mostly soft corals under t5 lighting and it thrived and dont think i ever lost a fish, that was like 5 years ago. sadly i ended up moving from that apt, and with not knowing where i was going i sold the thing. at a huge huge loss of course. which brings me to present day enough is enough, and i needed a tank so my 90 gallon is going up which im sure you have seen.

also id like to thank dennis for having patience with me, since ive been out of the game for so long, ive been learning alot still, and making sure my new baby takes off and works well, also equipment has come along way in 5 years.

sorry for the length of the story, hope to see some similar. thanks for reading.

i wish i had a pic of that horrendous 55 gallon, i could use a laugh, but here is my 120 reef midway thru the build that was like my first tank after learning a bit more.
http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq78/pnavarro170/n1059476860_30079461_2029.jpg

[nmnative]

This thread is a neat idea. Here's my story...

We went to Rocky Point Mexico and we thought it was a good idea to bring hermit crabs, brittle stars and snails back with us. I have a 20 gallon tank sitting around, so I got some salt and sand. That was back in 2004, I think. I still have the two brittle stars, I speak spanish to them :) My first fish was a clown and I still have him. I got tired of the 20 gallon and upgraded to a 75 gallon reef after about two years. I have taken the 75 gallon down and have a 30 gallon cube at work. I plan to set the 75 gallon back up as an aggressive fish only tank some day.

[deehz]

I have had fish tanks for quite some time. I always had fresh water aquariums since I was about 7 years old--mostly African Ciclids. Then I went to a friends house and his dad had the most gorgeous colorful fish that I had ever seen, a salt water tank. This was about when I was 13.

However, it was the old skool tank with the underground gravel system, aeration pumps, no protein skimmers, no fuges, very deep sand beds, etc (I think it was called and still is called the Berlin System). All of the clean up was done with massive water changes, a massive cleanup crew, and tons of live rock. It was just a labor of love. It was, I felt at the time, too much work. So I did my research and knew that I was very good w/the chemistry side of it. As well, back then, Phx had some pretty good LFS's and asked a ton of questions. Still, the technology had not caught up with the hobby. So no go.

Fast forward a decade or 2. I was still fascinated with the hobby and knew that I always wanted to get into it. My wife had always known that I wanted to get into it and encouraged me to do so. So I come home from work one day and to my surprise, she and boys surprised me with an early fathers day gift w/an RSM 130 AIO. Since, it has been a labor of love.

I will do what I can to try to educate others as well as myself and this wonderful hobby. That in reality, we all have a small echo system in the confines of our homes--living and thriving. So we should all do our part to be great stewards to our oceans that are dying right before our very eyes. Because, the very same friends that we have in our homes, are disappearing faster than we can ever imagine. After all, as far as we know it, this is the only earth we all have.

[puffin04]

My ex girlfriend got me started into saltwater. At first she was all about freshwater which i though was Gay. Then i started to read more about saltwater and got her a 75 gallon tank and stand for her birthday. I think i spend over a thousand dollars before it ever saw water. Sadly yo say the fish tank and stayed the the Girlfriend left. I still use the tank to this very day!!!! (as a refuge) :)

Steffen Sparks