It all started with the major ice storm power outtage we had this last January. :smow: I experienced what a lot of people experienced......dead fish. The power outtage lasted 4 weeks for me and I lost all of my fish in my 29gal bowfront FOWLR tank, and all but 3 out of 20 fish in my freshwater tank. My wife was very discouraged and told me that we shouldn't get anymore fish and just store the tanks.....luckily....I don't ALWAYS listen to my wife. :blah: lol. I decided to "rebuild" and try again. I had only started in the saltwater hobby 3 months prior to the power outtage, so I decided to do more research and take my time restarting. I learned I should have more live rock then I originally had, so I contacted Josh at Indoor Reef. He hooked me up with a lot of nice live rock, and a couple of large pieces that had corals already attached to it. He gave me some with green and purple mushrooms, and one with a large toadstool leather attached to it. That's where it all started.
After cycling my new tank and putting in the live rock, I knew absolutely nothing about corals. I just had one regular flourescent light that came with my 29gal bowfront but Josh reassured me that it would be sufficient for the softies. After a few days of setting things up, the toadstool leather just looked like a large brown flatulent...
and was far from impressive. Then.....it "bloomed" ......and all these cool little hairlike polyps popped out from the top and it swayed in the current like a lovely brown tree in my tank, and all of the mushrooms opened up and spread over the rocks. From that point on, I had to have more....and more....and more. Instantly ADDICTED. I researched more, ordered new lighting, and visited Josh a few more times and picked up a few more small corals. Did more research and decided I would upgrade my tank (because bigger is better) and setup a sump system. After a few EXPENSIVE trips to buy corals at Petco, I learned of REEF FRONTIERS from one of their employees and it has been all down hill from there.
I now have a 46gal bowfront that I've been steadily trying to add corals to, and constantly upgrading my equipment and lighting. After first setting up the 46gal I sprung a small leak in one of the seems at the base of the tank and leaked about 30 gallons of water onto my carpet.....my wife wasn't impressed. Took it all down again, cleaned up my mess and bought some more live and dead rock, fixed the leak and set everything up.....again. So about 4 months have gone by and I setup my "new" tank and I have since visited a few of my fellow Reef Frontiers members and picked up some great corals, even making some friends along the way that I can actually have "tank talk" with, without getting the normal "uh huh..yup...yeah that's nice...yup" :der: from people who don't necessarily show the same interests in this hobby like we all do. Everyone asks "have you put up pics"..."what does your tank look like", and now...I think I am finally ready to post some pics after many hours of re-scaping my rock work over, and over, and over again, and finally getting my algae issues under control. Thanks all for your advice and your help in feeding my addiction!! CHEERS!!
P.S. Sorry my phone doesn't take very good fishtank pictures....Thanks for checking out my thread!
Will
After cycling my new tank and putting in the live rock, I knew absolutely nothing about corals. I just had one regular flourescent light that came with my 29gal bowfront but Josh reassured me that it would be sufficient for the softies. After a few days of setting things up, the toadstool leather just looked like a large brown flatulent...
and was far from impressive. Then.....it "bloomed" ......and all these cool little hairlike polyps popped out from the top and it swayed in the current like a lovely brown tree in my tank, and all of the mushrooms opened up and spread over the rocks. From that point on, I had to have more....and more....and more. Instantly ADDICTED. I researched more, ordered new lighting, and visited Josh a few more times and picked up a few more small corals. Did more research and decided I would upgrade my tank (because bigger is better) and setup a sump system. After a few EXPENSIVE trips to buy corals at Petco, I learned of REEF FRONTIERS from one of their employees and it has been all down hill from there. I now have a 46gal bowfront that I've been steadily trying to add corals to, and constantly upgrading my equipment and lighting. After first setting up the 46gal I sprung a small leak in one of the seems at the base of the tank and leaked about 30 gallons of water onto my carpet.....my wife wasn't impressed. Took it all down again, cleaned up my mess and bought some more live and dead rock, fixed the leak and set everything up.....again. So about 4 months have gone by and I setup my "new" tank and I have since visited a few of my fellow Reef Frontiers members and picked up some great corals, even making some friends along the way that I can actually have "tank talk" with, without getting the normal "uh huh..yup...yeah that's nice...yup" :der: from people who don't necessarily show the same interests in this hobby like we all do. Everyone asks "have you put up pics"..."what does your tank look like", and now...I think I am finally ready to post some pics after many hours of re-scaping my rock work over, and over, and over again, and finally getting my algae issues under control. Thanks all for your advice and your help in feeding my addiction!! CHEERS!!
P.S. Sorry my phone doesn't take very good fishtank pictures....Thanks for checking out my thread!
Will
