BigAl's 10g . . .

[BigAl07]

I thought I'd do a "catch up" chronicle of my first SW/Reef tank. It all started when I stopped by the LFS to pick up some "feeder fish" for my Rope Fish (FW critter). The LFS had just gotten a shipment of SW in and I was intrigued by the colors and variety that SW offered compared to my drab FW tanks.

More or less kidding I said, "If you could get me set-up with a SW tank for less than $200 I'll start today." He about jerked my ARM off trying to take my $$$ I was leaving the next morning to go out of town for work so I told him to get the "package" together and I'd be back in 4 days to pick it up and get started. This was the first week in January 2007.
I go out of town and to class and all I can think about is, "I'm going to have a SW tank... WOW!! I've reached the BIG LEAGUES now!" Little did I know I was back to Farm League with tanks. I picked up my:

10g AGA tank, Perfecto Hood w/single tube fluorescent light, Whisper 20 HOB filter, heater, 20lbs gravel, hydrometer, 10g box of salt mix, Basic Test kit and some instructions to follow for what the SG, temp should be.


I go home, prepare the water (tap water de-chlorinated per LFS) and started mixed SW. Then I added the sand to the tank, water to the sand and INSTANT SW tank. After 2 days (per LFS) I went back and picked up my 4 (Yes FOUR) Yellow Tailed Damsels "for cycling purposes". Added them to the tank and watched 1 die in 24/hours (but my water tests were all coming back PERFECT per LFS) and one more slowly die over the next couple of days. TWO did survive the process (lucky Me) and in a couple of weeks I went back to LFS who then allowed me to get: Fire Scallop, purple lobster, 2x peppermint shrimp, Banded shrimp and a yellow sea cucumber. Believe it or not most of these are STILL alive in my tank.

Each week I went back and added something to the tank "decor" wise. Started off with simple petrified coral's epoxied onto a base. Then I read something about Live Rock. Sounded cool so I went back and bought a 2lb piece of LR with some coralline and a mushroom on it. That was when I realized I wanted a REEF tank and not just FO or FOWLR.

I started researching corals and light. I realized that my Perfecto hood/light was not what I needed. I picked a corallife96w unit that was made for my tank and asked the LFS to order it for me. He insisted that I did NOT want that but that I wanted the 24W unit (which he happened to have IN stock). So I got it and a Frogspawn and went home happy (or so I thought).

I added my new Frogspawn and enjoyed it for a good while. Then I started wanting some of those more "flower like" corals that people called Zoas. So I added them but neither the Zoas nor my Frogspawn really seemed the THRIVE in my tank. I added a Refugium (great move) and then started reading about the light requirements for the corals I had. Even though they were "easy" corals they still required a bit more light than I had. I had made my mind up I was going to get more "illumination" on this tank so I was off to "Google" lights for my tank. I'm a "tinkerer" at heart and I love to "Mod" things. If "a" is just right for something then why not get a "B" and OVER-Do it just in case. I ordered a light made for a 24" tank even though my tank is only 20" long. I now had 130W of light which REALLY made my tank look SWEET! My corals took off and since then my tank has looked "Decent". I've had several boughts of algae and cyano but that's due to slow flow and feeding issues. Both of which I have now rectified (at least I think so). That algae is all but gone and cyano seems to be getting better week after week. It just doesn't go away nearly as quickly as it arrived.

so over the next few posts I'll try to show where my tank WAS and where it IS today (or last night).

[Woodstock]

Great story Allen I look forward to seeing the before and after pics

[BigAl07]

Here is my tank right after I added the shrimp and lobster...

[Craig Manoukian]

Cool start!

[michael_cb_125]

Awesome. And all this time I thought that you wave beed "reefin" for many years. You are a newbie just like me
Keep the chronicle up. I like seein the progress. I wish I had taken pics of my first tank. All Well.~Michael

[Witfull]

i got scared when Al said lemme whip out pics of my 10~

[framerguy]

Love it! It's amazing what we'll listen to when we don't know anything. My LFS did the same to me. Makes me want to open my own LFS and treat people right! Nice start to the cronicle.

[Cassette87]

Fun chronicle Looking forward to more pictures!

[mps9506]

You still going to Asheville Aquarium Al?
Just wondering if he has expanded yet because I may need to drive up to see how it looks

Otherwise I'm gonna and wait for more pictures

[BigAl07]

Yeah I go over there every couple of weeks or so. I may go over tomorrow to pick up some Reef Crystals.

Well it's ALMOST there but not open yet. I spoke with his wife last Sunday (picking up a new test kit) and she said the current ETO (Estimated time to Open) is December 1st. It's looking VERY sweet though.

[BigAl07]

Originally Posted by michael_cb_125

Awesome. And all this time I thought that you wave beed "reefin" for many years. You are a newbie just like me
Keep the chronicle up. I like seein the progress. I wish I had taken pics of my first tank. All Well.~Michael

Oh yeah just since January. But I'm a nerd and when I do something I do it ALL or nothing. I'd hate to admit how MANY hours I've spent online researching and reading books, magazines at night in bed. Then anyone who will give me the time of day I talk to them about Reefing and try to learn from their experiences. I'm obsessed with Reefing to the point of wanting to do it as some type of side business to try and help others to do it "Better". I would venture to say that because of my "freedom" in my job I have more total hours invested in my tanks (and now friends tanks) than some people who have been doing this for 5 years or so. I'm able to do/read/research/talk Reefing just about 24/7. Not bragging in the least. I have so MUCH to learn and experience but I do have a lot of time invested in it

Originally Posted by Witfull

i got scared when Al said lemme whip out pics of my 10~

Only in my dreams....

Originally Posted by framerguy

Love it! It's amazing what we'll listen to when we don't know anything. My LFS did the same to me. Makes me want to open my own LFS and treat people right! Nice start to the cronicle.

I hear ya buddy. I couldn't have said it better myself. If it weren't for the fact that I have an AMAZING job and work for an AMAZING company I would have already done that. The fact is I LOVE what I do and where I do it so I can't/wont even contemplate a job change but I would like to do something on the side. Maybe in a couple of years

[BigAl07]

So then I decided I needed a Moonlight. I bought a set of LED moonlights from Ebay and a starfish. I got a Starfish, Clown and a FireFish all within about 3 weeks (can you say RUSHING?).

[BigAl07]

More LR (it's a clam I think) and my fist real ZOAS.

[BigAl07]

This pic is VERY poor quality but it's the next in the series.... added MORE LR

[BigAl07]

Due to lack of "accurate" pictures I'm going to Fast Forward ahead to last night.

Here are a few pics I snapped last night showing my current tank status on the 10g


FTS with darkened room


Neon Goby (Piglette) hogging the camera shot


Hammer Coral up close


Torch Coral micro frag up close