The Joys of Reefkeeping

[jlehigh]

Keeping a thriving reef can be downright discouraging at times. Let's talk about the things you love about the hobby that keep you going!

Share some of your BIG and small triumphs, events, ocurrences, traits, discoveries, quirks related to this hobby.

If you cant resist spewing out a negative you need to list 10 more possitives to make up for it :badgrin:


I'll go first:

Ahhh the smell of freshly made change water..

Watching a textureless brown frag grow into a large purple tiped colony

The first time my cleaner shrimp rushed to my hands cleaning away

When my Maroon Clowns went straight into my RBTA

After months of planning and 30+hrs of plumbing turning on my closed loop for the first time and watching water come screaming out of the inlets

Watching my 85 yr old Grandma be mezzermized saying she could watch it all day

UPS and FedEx arriving at the same time both with reef deliveries

Listening to my wife resite back to me correctly how protein skimmers work

The first time my Majestic Angel ate because I placed an open steamer clam in front of his den

Overhearing my mom explain to my cousin a sump and biological filtration

Knowing where to find house guests when they are missing

I could go on but let's here yours!

 

[spongebob lover]

ohh boy that's gonna be a little bit hard for me, but let's try...

the first time i changed the water of the tank without any help .

when my anemone went from bleach to a beautiful sort of tan color

i was pretty exited when my cyano went away

UPS arriving with my light bulbs

i was very happy the time i put my powerheads in the tank i felt like i had the power hehe

doing my aquascaping and liking it

i was extremely exited when i saw my emerald crab eat caulerpa (i almost cried hehe )

 

[snobanker]

Ok

The day my wife bought me my 55 G FO tank for fathers day

The day I ran across Salsaman at work and he pointed the way to Reeffrontiers

PMing Mojo on RF and him inviting me to his house to "give" me my first Palys and zoas...which I still have

Finally getting an HOB skimmer to replace my POS skimmer

Changing out my NO lamp for VHO lighting

Watching my nitrates fall

Seeing all that Coraline algae grow

The day my wife bought me my 180 G (still wrapped in plastic months later )

The day I walked in and caught my 12 YO skillfully using my magnetic algae scraper.....and doing a good job

 

[Jay]

Ok I can do this.

Finally getting control of the hair algea.

Watching my Clown turn from a pathedic drab orange to a bright neon 65 watt glowing red color

Watching my first frags grow up.

Watching my Green Brittle star double then tripple in size and still going

Finally something to enjoy durring the commercials on TV

The look of the peoples jaws drop when they enter my fish room for the first time

<<<<<NOW FOR A FEW BAD ONES>>>>>

The first flood.........what a drag

ICK......need I say more?

Thanks everyone and may your favorite Frogspawn split many times this year


Jay

 

[mungus]

Seeing my new MRC1 skimmer producing skimmate for the first time this morning after months of frustration with a reefdevil.

Having my 2 year old daughter correctly point out everything in the tank to house guests.

Having UPS show up at the door with anything reef related.

Watching my first corals split.

The feeling of accomplishment when a large project is completed.

The addition of a new coral or fish to the tank.

 

[jedimike]

Seeing my first pod

Watching my foxface eat hair algae

Knowing that my flower pot is doing great when the typical outcome is not so good

Seeing a new maroon immediately host in my GBTA instead of my flower pot

Bads:

Knowing that you just spent $250 on crappy lighting

Seeing a $40 fish die because you didn't do your research

Watching my maroon kill a potential suitor

 

[Ed Hahn]

growing a coral from a frag(tort) the size of a BB.
getting a coral for free that pet shops says is dead and you actually keep it alive from small piece.
watching my Water clear up almost before my eyes with My Euro Reef Skimmer
Putting water into My IAP Tank after it was plumbed by friends..Fire away..
seeing the expression on my Nieces as they watch My fish swim in my kiddee pools while cleaning tank.
Dosing with Interceptor and not losing any crabs
Hearing from a friend that is offering to pick something up for you from previous trade out of town.
sharing a beer with people that enjoy the same hobby as you
watching my light double due to New Reflector
giving a friend that is in the hobby something I have extra of.
wheew.....

 

[Krish]

Well, for me...

I love spending money and getting new things for my tank.

I love the fact that everyone who comes to my house compliments the tank over my wifes decorations or rennovations.

You'll are going to hate me for this one...Going to the beach or in the boat and catching exactly what I want for my tank.

If I have any problems with a fish or don't want a particular one anymore I could just take it back to the beach (and not flush it like some people)

I enjoy just sitting infront of my tank and watching the fish swim around and eventually trust you enough to eat out of your hand. I don't have any fish right now and I still sit infront of my tank and my wife always asks me, "What the hell are you looking at or could possibly be thinking!"

I'll cut it short...So last, but not least, I have the pleasure of sharing my tank as well as other people's tank (especially the ones I'd never be able to afford like Mojo's (LOL))with other people who have the same interests as I do (all around the world) and are fanatics like me on RF. It's a great place to learn a lot and meet new people who have your back when you fall into a little trouble.

Great topic jlehigh!!!

 

[spongebob lover]

You'll are going to hate me for this one...Going to the beach or in the boat and catching exactly what I want for my tank.

If I have any problems with a fish or don't want a particular one anymore I could just take it back to the beach (and not flush it like some people)[/QUOTE

why do you always like to rub it on our faces ?

 

[Krish]

why do you always like to rub it on our faces ?

I guess it's probably because most of you live in the greatest and most powerful country in the world...The good ole US of A!

 

[Tangee]

My son (9 years old) will act as if his life is surely coming to an end if I drag him into just 1 more fish store... but the first thing he shows a new friend coming over is all the cool stuff living in the tank, and suddenly he's the resident expert on all the aquaria.

My 6 year old daughter and her friends chosing which fish they would be if they could be a fish

My RBTA finally has real B's!

The days when I don't flood my family room as I'm making new water and filling my top-offs are always happy. The timer is my friend when I remember to use it!

Mostly, all of the wonderful, friendly, helpful and generous people I've met through RF's!

 

[Wayupnorth]

Let see - there are so many and some are hard to actually put into words:

- The first time there was a question posted on a board that I actually knew the answer to and felt confident enough to answer
- The way I feel when I come home after a long hard day at work and look at my tank - it sooths my soul
- watching my live rock turn purple - really really purple - all over purple!!!
- my son telling me that he thinks my tank looks better than the person's tank that inspired me to try saltwater tanks in the first place
- realizing that I could be a smart a$$ on this board and nobody was going to get on my case
- finding myself talking to my fish when I couldn't sleep at 3 in the morning and actually feeling better for it.
- being anxious to return home from holidays so I could check on my tank
-watching my Mandarin fish get fat
-watching my Hippo Tang zoom up and down the tank and then splash me with water (I'm sure he was grinning)

Lots more but will leave that to someone else or for another day.

 

[spongebob lover]

My son (9 years old) will act as if his life is surely coming to an end if I drag him into just 1 more fish store... but the first thing he shows a new friend coming over is all the cool stuff living in the tank, and suddenly he's the resident expert on all the aquaria.

hey for you is your son, for me is my husband lol

 

[CarlaW]

Putting water in my 300 and not seeing any come out thru the seams.

Firing it up for the first time with vacuum in hand waiting for the flood, then putting the vacuum down, realising there is no need!!

Checking all your plumbing and not seeing a leak.

Watching the whole thing cycle in a month, and calling Kevin about every other day wondering what in the %$#@ is goin on.

Seeing the first blotch of coralline start on the back.

This has already been mentioned, watching my purple tang eat algae like it was a kid eating spaghetti

GREAT THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MikeS]

what keeps me in it?

not allowing a stupid glass box full of water, rocks and a few simple lifeforms get the best of me and beat me... :lol:


I love the challange....it's the evolution of the hobby I started many years ago...

I love the diversion...when the stress of everyday life gets to me, I can distract myself by working on my reef, or sharing with/learning from all the fine people in the online community....it helps me forget about my problems for a little while...

Mike

PS...if you all don't mind, I'm going to move this to the Water Fountain....

 

[MCSInc]

What a great subject...

Mine would be...

...owning my first blastomussa
...watching big mama heal after a major injury
...seeing big mama and little papa with fertile eggs
...watching my micro serpent stars spawn
...shoping and visiting with Nathan and Michael at the lfs in Mount Vernon
...being able to share something with a fellow reefer
...watching the customers that are drawn to watch the tanks
...watching the faces of customers when the shrimp clean their hands
...successfully introducing my sailfin tang
...seeing the growth on frags from the frag swap two years ago
...seeing my brown ugly burst out in blue tipped growth
...watching the micro serpent stars tug on my finger
...seeing the expression on customers faces when they realize that the only thing in that other tank is green stuff and "bugs" (refugium)
...successfully catching and removing carribian fire worms (12", 10" and 2x8")
...people ohhing and ahhwing over the size of my roses (they get up to 16" across)
...providing a suiting burial for geofrey (4" lawnmower blenny) when he died, I gave him to one of my rose anemones as a snack only to realize that now I get to watch him disolve a little at a time for the next month
...oh and watching my 10" engineer goby play with my clarkiis

 

[jlehigh]

Great contributions folks. I've ready every character

(Sound of Music flashback)
When the clown bites, when your mojanos sting and it makes you saaad. Just think of a few of your favorite things and you suddenly dont feel soooo baad

I already deeply regret this post

 

[Wayupnorth]

Oh man that dates you and all the rest of us that know exactly what you are talking about! Quit doing that. JK This is beginning to feel like a group hug in a 12 step program.

 

[Llarian]

My biggest triumph was leaving for a week and a half roadtrip with my now fully automated system running and coming back to find it in great shape and seeing how much things had changed and grew when I returned.

Its nice to feel that I can just sit back and enjoy the tank now, rather than worrying about it.

-Dylan

 

[spongebob lover]

Oh man that dates you and all the rest of us that know exactly what you are talking about! Quit doing that. JK This is beginning to feel like a group hug in a 12 step program.

:lol: :lol: