First Tank

[bigbugoutfitters]

First tank was a 55 with an undergravel filter, HOB skimmer, and used water straight from the bathtub. Had a yellow tang, lemon-peel angel, potters angel, domino damsels, chromis, snowflake eel, clowns, and a cleaner shrimp that was eaten by the eel. Who-da thunk the eel would like shrimp. 10 year old me had a lot of fun with that tank in the early 2000s. Wish i had a picture of it somewhere.

 

[Reefer Matt]

My first tank in 2005 was a 110 gallon 4 foot tank, so very tall. I had an Ebay special retrofit high bay 400w mh light fixture. I made my own rock using cured portland cement, as dry rock wasn't a thing then, and added a couple live rock pieces. It also had a crushed coral substrate.

I had a purple tang, yellow tang, niger trigger, domino damsel, and a few others. I had mostly softy corals with a few lps. The tank lasted until 2006 when I had to sell it all due to lack of work in my area. That was what sowed the seeds of reefing in me, and I was out of the hobby until 2018.

 

[vetteguy53081]

55 gallon Seaclear with overflow that drained into a series of glass trickle trays with dolomite gravel and a sump with more gravel chambers. A copy of George Smit's design in FAMA magazine. It worked like nothing I ever imagined! Was a difficult filter to maintain due to detritus build up. About 1986 ish.

I remember seaclear - wow

 

[JoJosReef]

Fluval Evo 13.5g. Iteratively upgraded while I learned how to waste money. Skimping less, nowadays. Statted with pair of occelaris clowns that are getting ready to upgrade to the 40g.

 

[Mark Goode]

My first saltwater tank was a 48x18x18 65 gallon, with an undergravel filter powered by two 'Whisper' air pumps (incidentally the loudest air pumps I've ever owned). I began to cycle it with a blue damsel and a humbug damsel (I know, but this was 1978).

It never finished cycling, my wife (the first one) hated it so much I had to sell everything after a couple of weeks.

 

[Dbichler]

54 corner in 2006

 

[Tcook]

Yea my 100 was a TruVu.
This is a piece of paper I found in an old reef book from around 1989-90.
Prices of a few aquariums back then. That was alot of money back then.
View attachment 3132384

$440 for a 240 gallon. Would love that now!

 

[vetteguy53081]

$440 for a 240 gallon. Would love that now!

No Dog Gone kidding !!!

 

[ReefGeezer]

Oh wow... My first marine tank was in the mid 70's. Maybe not a reef though. 20 gallon tank, undergravel filter, crushed coral gravel, and dead coral skeletons. I had two Percula Clowns and a short lived anemone. The fish lived a long time though. A buddy took the whoel thing off my hands when I went into the service and kept it for years.

My first "reef" was a 30 gallon in the late 80's while I was stationed in South Dakota. Live rock from who knows where and a new fangled air driven skimmer was the bomb back then. I even has some mushrooms, some leather corals, and a bubble coral. No special lighting though. The Bubble didn't last long. The rest did ok.

 

[paragrouper]

First tank was a 55 gallon I set up circa 1987. Standard under gravel fish only tank with a Picasso Trigger, Lionfish and a Panther Grouper—my mollie munching squad.

 

[Bret]

Around 2007
20l with DIY PVC overflow to a 10g sump with siliconed in acrylic baffles
Mag 5 return pump
Coralview 65 skimmer (never worked right)
T5s (without individual reflectors)
Wall type (wish I could still get those) hammer and bubble corals, Zoas, GSP and purple mushrooms did very well.

 

[revhtree]

75g reef ready corner overflow. Didn’t even know how to use that or set it up because I got it used. So I ran the tank just up to the overflow line! Ha!

 

[Troylee]

A complete In wall 220 lol… all diy including the tank

 

[dennis romano]

I set up my first saltwater tank around 1972. It was a ten gallon with real wood trim, held together with pin nails. The only substrate available was fine gravel for feeding to birds. Filtration was an inside box filter. Decoration was a coral skeleton and giant conch shell. On top was a clear plastic canopy and a metal incandescent strip light. Bags of salt were not available yet, so the owner of the store had a garbage can with the salt in it. She weighed out how much you needed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I set up my first saltwater tank around 1972. It was a ten gallon with real wood trim, held together with pin nails. The only substrate available was fine gravel for feeding to birds. Filtration was an inside box filter. Decoration was a coral skeleton and giant conch shell. On top was a clear plastic canopy and a metal incandescent strip light. Bags of salt were not available yet, so the owner of the store had a garbage can with the salt in it. She weighed out how much you needed.

I remember bulk salt and everyone had a conch shell- it was the few natural ocean items we could acquire

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

125 gallon with fine pink Fiji sand, dead corals and a boat load of fish with two of these filters, heater and stock hood with light. 1987-1990

 

[vetteguy53081]

125 gallon with fine pink Fiji sand, dead corals and a boat load of fish with two of these filters, heater and stock hood with light. 1987-1990

View attachment 3133080View attachment 3133081

Memories

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

The only thing we tested for back than was ..... oh yea NOTHING.

Floating glass hydrometer with thermometer included 1.021/ 77.8 F

NO ALGAE.... why the light was to weak to grow any.

Frozen romaine, once a month fresh shrimp and clams... oh yea and all the freeze dried shrimp you could eat.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The only thing we tested for back than was ..... oh yea NOTHING.

Floating glass hydrometer with thermometer included 1.021/ 77.8 F

NO ALGAE.... why the light was to weak to grow any.

Frozen romaine, once a month fresh shrimp and clams... oh yea and all the freeze dried shrimp you could eat.

Totally agree- Ich - Tetra Oomed and dechlorinator was all we really needed.
Freeze dried shrimp and bloodworms
Tap water and sea salt
No reactors or dosers- just mix the salt properly and wait for the glass tube to stay steady which also told you tank temperature

 

[EZKLR]

around '92 had a 10 gal with 4 HO bulbs, an undergravel filter and crushed coral. Had a maxima clam, elegance coral and a small red hawk