I have seen some pretty amazing build threads on the forums. Being a new reefer (started my first tank in early April 2018) I didn't figure I would bring anything interesting to the mix with my humble biocube.
I never really introduced myself either. My name is Ryan. I was born in Kansas nowhere near the ocean. My father is a scientist and works in agricultural research. In order to squeeze two growing seasons into a single year they plant winter nurseries in Hawaii. My freshman year of high school I spent winter break on the west side of Molokai. Anyone who has been to Molokai knows that there isn't a lot to do. Oxymoronically it is also named the friendly island... not so much for a skinny white teenager. So after work every day I was pretty much on my own. I became friends with the security guard (Bo Kikukawa always loved his last name) at the condo we stayed in. I have loved fishing as long as I remember and he was an avid fisherman. One Friday night he asked if I could get off work early on Saturday. Since I worked every day during the break my father gave me the day off. Early that morning his Bo picked me up and we drove to the harbor to go fishing. We loaded up in his fathers john boat and set out from the harbor. I had a near drowning when I was 7. I was walking backward on the dock fishing for crappie. They were repairing a section of dock and had it pulled. I didn't realize it and stepped right off the end. This was in December and it was snowing. I had a full snow suit on and boots. I remember it so clearly. I didn't even kick, just looked through the greenish water. Luckily my dad (who swims like a fish) asked me a question and when I didn't answer saw my fishing poled floating in the water. He dove in and managed to pull my to the surface. Now back to Molokai many years later. I still have a fear and respect of water and my knuckles where white as this little john boat jumped the waves. This was my first experience with a reef. We drove out to the drop edge of the reef where it dropped to deeper water and fished with hand lines for papio (Ulua under 10 lbs). We filled the bottom of the boat. That day was one of the greatest in my life, the next day not so much... It was the only time in my life I have been sunburned. From the edge of my shorts to my knees were on fire for the rest of the trip while working in the field. The following year I shipped my fishing pole in advance. After work I would go stand on the rocks and with a piece of squid catch the most beautiful reef fish. I continued these annual trips for many years. My parents were transferred to Kauai and I followed. I met a girl and moved to Maui and spent several years there. Fast forward to 2008. I was working multiple jobs to just scrape by. My parents were transferred to Illinois so I followed them and received a scholarship to Millikin University school of nursing. I planned to move to Seattle upon graduation, but during school I met the most amazing woman in the world and married her. We had our son at the end of my sophomore year. I don't recommend a newborn baby while working night shift in nursing school. In fact if you can get away with it I don't even recommend working through nursing school. That is how I ended up back in the land locked midwest, but this is a build thread right.... well lets get on with it.
I never really introduced myself either. My name is Ryan. I was born in Kansas nowhere near the ocean. My father is a scientist and works in agricultural research. In order to squeeze two growing seasons into a single year they plant winter nurseries in Hawaii. My freshman year of high school I spent winter break on the west side of Molokai. Anyone who has been to Molokai knows that there isn't a lot to do. Oxymoronically it is also named the friendly island... not so much for a skinny white teenager. So after work every day I was pretty much on my own. I became friends with the security guard (Bo Kikukawa always loved his last name) at the condo we stayed in. I have loved fishing as long as I remember and he was an avid fisherman. One Friday night he asked if I could get off work early on Saturday. Since I worked every day during the break my father gave me the day off. Early that morning his Bo picked me up and we drove to the harbor to go fishing. We loaded up in his fathers john boat and set out from the harbor. I had a near drowning when I was 7. I was walking backward on the dock fishing for crappie. They were repairing a section of dock and had it pulled. I didn't realize it and stepped right off the end. This was in December and it was snowing. I had a full snow suit on and boots. I remember it so clearly. I didn't even kick, just looked through the greenish water. Luckily my dad (who swims like a fish) asked me a question and when I didn't answer saw my fishing poled floating in the water. He dove in and managed to pull my to the surface. Now back to Molokai many years later. I still have a fear and respect of water and my knuckles where white as this little john boat jumped the waves. This was my first experience with a reef. We drove out to the drop edge of the reef where it dropped to deeper water and fished with hand lines for papio (Ulua under 10 lbs). We filled the bottom of the boat. That day was one of the greatest in my life, the next day not so much... It was the only time in my life I have been sunburned. From the edge of my shorts to my knees were on fire for the rest of the trip while working in the field. The following year I shipped my fishing pole in advance. After work I would go stand on the rocks and with a piece of squid catch the most beautiful reef fish. I continued these annual trips for many years. My parents were transferred to Kauai and I followed. I met a girl and moved to Maui and spent several years there. Fast forward to 2008. I was working multiple jobs to just scrape by. My parents were transferred to Illinois so I followed them and received a scholarship to Millikin University school of nursing. I planned to move to Seattle upon graduation, but during school I met the most amazing woman in the world and married her. We had our son at the end of my sophomore year. I don't recommend a newborn baby while working night shift in nursing school. In fact if you can get away with it I don't even recommend working through nursing school. That is how I ended up back in the land locked midwest, but this is a build thread right.... well lets get on with it.
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