My Confession

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:36 PM

Well, since you all have such wonderful tanks, and great stories to boot, I figured I'd let you all know how I started with SW.
I promised my wife that once we bought a home we'd get a fishtank (I'm thinking 1/2 gal betta bowl). So, in Sept '05 we bought our first house. Yeah us! My wife got to do the honors of moving EVERYTHING herself since I was out to sea at the time (US NAVY doesn't care if you're buying a house, when the boat leaves, you're on it). Some of my fellow sailors that were in port at the time helped her move the furniture, but by large it was her alone.

Time passed, as it always does, I came home, and a few months later was packing to leave again. She definatly was not letting me leave without a fish tank. So off to Mall-mart to get a betta. Loe and behold! Nothing there she likes! So off to PetLand (Like PetSmart, but smaller). No betta bowls there; however, they are having a huge sale on SW since they are trying to go FW only. Nearly $700 later I'm in the parking lot trying to get a 45 gal tank into my Honda Prelude. Some things just won't work. Fortunantly, the manager says he'll stay open for me to go home and get my pickup.
5 hours later I've got a 45gal tank, Fluval filter, 25 pounds of live sand, and a tank filled from my garden hose routed through the window.

Woodstock · 04-06-2007, 05:41 PM

Great introduction!! I'm the first to post too

...it took you THAT long to resize one pic?? LOL

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:42 PM

Be patient woody, I'm still going.

I hate getting into anything without knowing something about it, so the next day I went to the book store and picked up all three of the SW how-to books they had. All published by Barron's Educational Your first Marine Aquarium, Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium, and Saltwater Aquarium.
It's now I learn about the importance of Live rock. So off to PetLand I go. (this pic was a couple months after adding the rock)

Then I'm back out to sea with books in hand. Plenty of time to study on a submarine.

boozeman · 04-06-2007, 05:45 PM

ooohhhhh...looks like 45 gal. of pure potential !!!!

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:45 PM

When I get back to dry land 3 months later my tank is full of little algae trees (see above picture), so back to PetLand I go. They only have 2 SW tanks left, and one has a beautiful Lawnmower Blenny in it.

The "fish expert" swears they are great algae eaters.

sasquatch · 04-06-2007, 05:48 PM

Great Intro KB! keep it coming. Steve

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:51 PM

He was aptly named Husqvarna after being introduced to "Blenny Heaven." He just swam around as fast as he could taking bites out of every algae tree he could find. He was like a kid set loose in a chocolate store. Within 2 hours, all the trees were uprooted, and we was sitting on top of the one rock happy as a clam.
Well, PetLand didn't have anything left when we went back, so in search of a new SW store we went. Hidden way out on an island we found it... Ocean Wonders, boasting over 2,000 gallons of saltwater displays, and a huge selection of cured live rock.
http://www.ocean-wonders.net
at $8.99/lb we bought two.

and three yellow-tailed damsels too

After some consideration, they were named Damsel, Indis, and Tress

lcstorc · 04-06-2007, 05:53 PM

Great story. I can hardly wait for the updates.
That blenney is super cute.

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:56 PM

After closely monitoring all the parameters the the Water Chemistry... book said I should, I added more

and more LR

until reaching that magic number of 1lb/gal

KimPossible · 04-06-2007, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Hidden way out on an island we found it... Ocean Wonders, boasting over 2,000 gallons of saltwater displays, and a huge selection of cured live rock.

woohoo! glad you found a local fish store. Great thread! Kudos to your wife and some karma for your blenny

Great looking aquacaping!

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 05:58 PM

Along the way, I had to get a Coral

or maybe two

Woodstock · 04-06-2007, 05:59 PM

Nice scaping!

BigAl07 · 04-06-2007, 06:01 PM

*anxiously reading and waiting*

KodiakBear · 04-06-2007, 06:02 PM

Well, algae was getting to be a problem, so a bigger cleaning crew was next
Gusgus (named for the fat mouse in Cinderella)

Orion

and a dozen or so astrea, and turbo snails, with some blue-legged and scarlet hermit crabs thrown in the mix too

Woodstock · 04-06-2007, 06:03 PM

Hehe.. this is fun! Great chronicle!

04-06-2007, 05:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	My Confession Well, since you all have such wonderful tanks, and great stories to boot, I figured I'd let you all know how I started with SW. I promised my wife that once we bought a home we'd get a fishtank (I'm thinking 1/2 gal betta bowl). So, in Sept '05 we bought our first house. Yeah us! My wife got to do the honors of moving EVERYTHING herself since I was out to sea at the time (US NAVY doesn't care if you're buying a house, when the boat leaves, you're on it). Some of my fellow sailors that were in port at the time helped her move the furniture, but by large it was her alone. Time passed, as it always does, I came home, and a few months later was packing to leave again. She definatly was not letting me leave without a fish tank. So off to Mall-mart to get a betta. Loe and behold! Nothing there she likes! So off to PetLand (Like PetSmart, but smaller). No betta bowls there; however, they are having a huge sale on SW since they are trying to go FW only. Nearly $700 later I'm in the parking lot trying to get a 45 gal tank into my Honda Prelude. Some things just won't work. Fortunantly, the manager says he'll stay open for me to go home and get my pickup. 5 hours later I've got a 45gal tank, Fluval filter, 25 pounds of live sand, and a tank filled from my garden hose routed through the window. __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession

04-06-2007, 05:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 25,499 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Great introduction!! I'm the first to post too ...it took you THAT long to resize one pic?? LOL __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistance conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

04-06-2007, 05:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Be patient woody, I'm still going. I hate getting into anything without knowing something about it, so the next day I went to the book store and picked up all three of the SW how-to books they had. All published by Barron's Educational Your first Marine Aquarium, Water Chemistry for the Marine Aquarium, and Saltwater Aquarium. It's now I learn about the importance of Live rock. So off to PetLand I go. (this pic was a couple months after adding the rock) Then I'm back out to sea with books in hand. Plenty of time to study on a submarine. __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession Last edited by KodiakBear : 04-06-2007 at 08:08 PM.

04-06-2007, 05:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
boozeman The CodFather ~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: new york Posts: 8,802 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession ooohhhhh...looks like 45 gal. of pure potential !!!! __________________ ...and when I'm old and wise little things mean little to me like autumn winds they'll blow right through me and someday, in the mist of time when they ask you if you knew me remember that you were a friend of mine

04-06-2007, 05:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession When I get back to dry land 3 months later my tank is full of little algae trees (see above picture), so back to PetLand I go. They only have 2 SW tanks left, and one has a beautiful Lawnmower Blenny in it. The "fish expert" swears they are great algae eaters. __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession

04-06-2007, 05:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
sasquatch Brunt of all Jokes~ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the very farthest west coast of canada Posts: 8,981 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Great Intro KB! keep it coming. Steve

04-06-2007, 05:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession He was aptly named Husqvarna after being introduced to "Blenny Heaven." He just swam around as fast as he could taking bites out of every algae tree he could find. He was like a kid set loose in a chocolate store. Within 2 hours, all the trees were uprooted, and we was sitting on top of the one rock happy as a clam. Well, PetLand didn't have anything left when we went back, so in search of a new SW store we went. Hidden way out on an island we found it... Ocean Wonders, boasting over 2,000 gallons of saltwater displays, and a huge selection of cured live rock. http://www.ocean-wonders.net at $8.99/lb we bought two. and three yellow-tailed damsels too After some consideration, they were named Damsel, Indis, and Tress __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession

04-06-2007, 05:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 26,433 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Great story. I can hardly wait for the updates. That blenney is super cute. __________________ Peace LYNN Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Lynn's frag tank experiment A reef tank is like a race car. The faster you go the harder you crash.

04-06-2007, 05:56 PM	#9 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession After closely monitoring all the parameters the the Water Chemistry... book said I should, I added more and more LR until reaching that magic number of 1lb/gal __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession

04-06-2007, 05:58 PM	#11 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Along the way, I had to get a Coral or maybe two __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession

04-06-2007, 05:59 PM	#12 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 25,499 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Nice scaping! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistance conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

04-06-2007, 06:01 PM	#13 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,547 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession anxiously reading and waiting __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

04-06-2007, 06:02 PM	#14 (permalink)
KodiakBear Achilles Tang Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Woodbine, GA Posts: 831 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Well, algae was getting to be a problem, so a bigger cleaning crew was next Gusgus (named for the fat mouse in Cinderella) Orion and a dozen or so astrea, and turbo snails, with some blue-legged and scarlet hermit crabs thrown in the mix too __________________ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" --Isaiah 6:8 Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles him who ploughs his land and leaves it unsown. -- Gulistan You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire, once the flame begins to catch, the wind will blow it higher. -- Peter Gabriel My Confession Last edited by KodiakBear : 04-06-2007 at 07:41 PM.

04-06-2007, 06:03 PM	#15 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 25,499 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: My Confession Hehe.. this is fun! Great chronicle! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistance conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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