bjmartie
Active Member
So I always been into tanks from as early as I could remember. My dad had a fresh water 55 growing up. Fast forward to when I was 21, I got me my first own tank, was fresh water. Had a jack dempsey and two Oscars. I never did water checks, even had times when I was young and dumb and would just pour some beer into it for them to drink.. ( I was a dumb kid/young adult!). I then got rid of the tank after a year or so, due to me leaving for the Marines.
Fast forward to 2018, I get married and find me a wife that loves all things animals like me! She knows I want a tank and decides to buy me a 55g tank (freshwater) for xmas. Super excited and knew only fresh at the time, so I go back to fresh. This time, I'm smarter with it. I get again, 2 Oscars and parrot fish, with a catfish. I knew I had to much in the tank as they would get big and out grow it, but always knew I would upgrade to bigger.
I then had a buddy selling a 35gallon and I just haddd to get it! So I got it and set it up as freshwater flow tank for the wife. She would never clean or maintain it, but I could have it by saying it was hers! Just don't tell her!! After a few months, the same buddy that sold me the 35, decided to move and was giving me his 55g with his oscar! Gladly took it! Do then had two 55g and a 35, all fresh!
A year or so later, we decided to move. We broke down the 35g and gave it to my brother. Sold the 55g and we were just left with one 55g to move. Big requirement with our new home was a slab! Just so I didn't have to worry about putting a bigger tank on a foundation I would need to add support to. So we move and set bring the 55g along. A few months into our move, wife sees a 90g tank, with sump and complete set up for $400! Sold!!
Bought the tank that weekend and set it up the same day! The guy I bought it from was so helpful! He knew I was new to salt and explained everything to me and even offered to come help set it up. I figured I would need his help, but I figured it out pretty easily. While setting up the sump, I kept having leaks! No matter what I did, until I realized I didn't have a seal in... Added the seal and no leaks. Quickly added the water and salt as well as some live rock we got from the LFS. We let it cycle roughly 2 months. Then we added some fish. Added 4 clowns all at once. Then a little while later added a tang (since then died) and a royal gramma (also died). After adding in the fish, I realized I did not like the aqua scape. So I bought so flat rock and added it in right out the box. (HUGE MISTAKE!!!) After a day, notice spots on tang and gramma and both ended up dying. So I went out and bought me a 10g QT and moved all what I had left into the QT and ran my tank fallow while also working on my aqua scape. In the mean time, my brother gave me back the 35g. So I made it a salt water in out bedroom. Moved two of the clowns into it, due to them fighting in the QT and 90.
After running fallow for 45 days, I added my fish back. 2 clowns and coral beauty in to my 90. I then bought a paired goby and shrimp and added them into the 90. Since then added a clouded wrasse, midas blenny, brittle star, and lawnmower blenny. I did add a leopard wrasse over a month ago and haven't seen him since. (starting to loose faith he is alive!). Got 17 different corals in the tank, mostly zoas and polys, with two mushrooms. Tank seems to be thriving! Did quickly learn to not chase numbers and just let it be! Also quickly learned to turn my white lights down, as it's a new tank and didn't want alage all over the place!
I also forgot to mention earlier! While running the tank fallow with coral, I had a baddddd Dino problem! I added hydrogen peroxide for 3-4 days and after, the tank was immaculate! Looked brand new and haven't seen dino since!!
In my 35g, we got two clowns, another ywg and shrimp pair, yellow damsel (got free with a rock he was found in. Never would of bought him) and valetini puffer (he is my favorite!)
Currently waiting to see if my leopard ever comes out! Really losing hope he is still alive. Added pods roughly 4 times since I had my tank up and not seeing much anymore. About to add some more soon, incase he is coming out at night to eat them
First image is of the very first image after rocks and fish added.
Second is of when I bought the flat rock and first added it, which led to fish dying (lesson learned and it aqua scale also looked like crap!)
Third is currently! New aqua scape which I like a lot! (still think I should of left an open space in the middle with no rock. But not touching it!)
I did get me a BTA at like 4-5 months in, and it's doing great! (I know people suggest 6 months, but all my parameters were holding steady and decided to go for it!
Lessons learned thus far:
Don't chase numbers!
Don't add stuff unless needed!
Don't just add new rock into established tank!
Keep white light down for new tank!
Peroxide works for dino!
We are looking to move again within a year or so, depending on what the housing market does. We are looking to find more open space as well as a slab, for a much bigger tank! Not sure if we will get rid of the 90g or not, but dot the 35g. I want a 125g+, that was always my dream. Would buy it now, but don't have the space in our house currently.
Sorry if it's hard to read and all over the place. I type it up as I think about it and on mobile at work and don't have time to go back and adjust
Fast forward to 2018, I get married and find me a wife that loves all things animals like me! She knows I want a tank and decides to buy me a 55g tank (freshwater) for xmas. Super excited and knew only fresh at the time, so I go back to fresh. This time, I'm smarter with it. I get again, 2 Oscars and parrot fish, with a catfish. I knew I had to much in the tank as they would get big and out grow it, but always knew I would upgrade to bigger.
I then had a buddy selling a 35gallon and I just haddd to get it! So I got it and set it up as freshwater flow tank for the wife. She would never clean or maintain it, but I could have it by saying it was hers! Just don't tell her!! After a few months, the same buddy that sold me the 35, decided to move and was giving me his 55g with his oscar! Gladly took it! Do then had two 55g and a 35, all fresh!
A year or so later, we decided to move. We broke down the 35g and gave it to my brother. Sold the 55g and we were just left with one 55g to move. Big requirement with our new home was a slab! Just so I didn't have to worry about putting a bigger tank on a foundation I would need to add support to. So we move and set bring the 55g along. A few months into our move, wife sees a 90g tank, with sump and complete set up for $400! Sold!!
Bought the tank that weekend and set it up the same day! The guy I bought it from was so helpful! He knew I was new to salt and explained everything to me and even offered to come help set it up. I figured I would need his help, but I figured it out pretty easily. While setting up the sump, I kept having leaks! No matter what I did, until I realized I didn't have a seal in... Added the seal and no leaks. Quickly added the water and salt as well as some live rock we got from the LFS. We let it cycle roughly 2 months. Then we added some fish. Added 4 clowns all at once. Then a little while later added a tang (since then died) and a royal gramma (also died). After adding in the fish, I realized I did not like the aqua scape. So I bought so flat rock and added it in right out the box. (HUGE MISTAKE!!!) After a day, notice spots on tang and gramma and both ended up dying. So I went out and bought me a 10g QT and moved all what I had left into the QT and ran my tank fallow while also working on my aqua scape. In the mean time, my brother gave me back the 35g. So I made it a salt water in out bedroom. Moved two of the clowns into it, due to them fighting in the QT and 90.
After running fallow for 45 days, I added my fish back. 2 clowns and coral beauty in to my 90. I then bought a paired goby and shrimp and added them into the 90. Since then added a clouded wrasse, midas blenny, brittle star, and lawnmower blenny. I did add a leopard wrasse over a month ago and haven't seen him since. (starting to loose faith he is alive!). Got 17 different corals in the tank, mostly zoas and polys, with two mushrooms. Tank seems to be thriving! Did quickly learn to not chase numbers and just let it be! Also quickly learned to turn my white lights down, as it's a new tank and didn't want alage all over the place!
I also forgot to mention earlier! While running the tank fallow with coral, I had a baddddd Dino problem! I added hydrogen peroxide for 3-4 days and after, the tank was immaculate! Looked brand new and haven't seen dino since!!
In my 35g, we got two clowns, another ywg and shrimp pair, yellow damsel (got free with a rock he was found in. Never would of bought him) and valetini puffer (he is my favorite!)
Currently waiting to see if my leopard ever comes out! Really losing hope he is still alive. Added pods roughly 4 times since I had my tank up and not seeing much anymore. About to add some more soon, incase he is coming out at night to eat them
First image is of the very first image after rocks and fish added.
Second is of when I bought the flat rock and first added it, which led to fish dying (lesson learned and it aqua scale also looked like crap!)
Third is currently! New aqua scape which I like a lot! (still think I should of left an open space in the middle with no rock. But not touching it!)
I did get me a BTA at like 4-5 months in, and it's doing great! (I know people suggest 6 months, but all my parameters were holding steady and decided to go for it!
Lessons learned thus far:
Don't chase numbers!
Don't add stuff unless needed!
Don't just add new rock into established tank!
Keep white light down for new tank!
Peroxide works for dino!
We are looking to move again within a year or so, depending on what the housing market does. We are looking to find more open space as well as a slab, for a much bigger tank! Not sure if we will get rid of the 90g or not, but dot the 35g. I want a 125g+, that was always my dream. Would buy it now, but don't have the space in our house currently.
Sorry if it's hard to read and all over the place. I type it up as I think about it and on mobile at work and don't have time to go back and adjust
