New to group, but not to Reefing

Hi. New to group. Have been in salt for many years, but can always learn something new. I am trying a new tank with most of it in NPS. Just starting out with it and anticipating a large delivery beginning of next week. I was surfing for How to grow Rotifers when I stumbled on Barbara's article- that is why I am here.

Bought land 6 years ago and have been doing the clearing, outbuildings, well, septic and critters. Now, it's time to go back to tanks. I have cut way back to 8 ( fresh, salt, reef and brackish ) and 2 quarantine tanks. I am becoming severely disabled and can no longer tend properly to monster tanks- so will now learn to be happy with doing better instead of bigger.

Hope to learn a lot here and help if I can- Chris

hey chris!! Welcome to reef-geeks cant wait to see more of your future plans

Chris!!!

Go ahead and ask any questions you have, we love to help almost as much as we love pics.

Speaking of which.....

Hi Chris!!! Welcome to the site!

Time to show off some of those tanks. We got to get some pics!

What's your plans for future tanks too?

Glad to have you join us!!! And looking forward to helping in any way I can

My youngest son told me that he was bringing me a digital camera as soon as he can. Late Christmas/Birthday present. I hope to see him in Feb. He is away at college, has a fiance and a life of his own. Of course, it'll take me half of a lifetime to learn HOW to use the dang thing and prolly longer to learn how to post 'em. I am likely the most Tech-'tarded person you will ever meet. I am as eager to share my tanks as any are to see them. Although, after such a long and neglectful period, I have relatively few of my established critter friends left. Starting over in many ways- but that can be exciting too!

I really look forward to getting to know you folks. Living in the sticks, I rarely see more than the feedstore guy- it gets lonely! Will be nice to share fish interests.

92- Corner Bowfront w/sump-Salt fish only- Peaceful Predator
75- Standard 4' Reef ( mixed )
56- Column Goldfish ( fin-puppies! )
55- Newly cycled Reef slated for NPS and eventually when mature- Seahorses
54- Corner BowFront w/sump- Community freshwater. Heavily planted.
45- Livebearer freshwater- planted
15- Brackish Greenspot Puffer
14- Nano growout salt
10- Salt Quarantine
5- Fresh Quarantine

Now that's a lot of tanks!!!

And I thought I was bad with 3.

I have given away and sold off 25-30 tanks from 2 1/2g to 280g in the last 6 years or so. Partner said we had an unofficial LFS with the electric bill to prove it. Just can't seem to cut back any lower- each tank is so different and I would miss any one of them terribly. I gave most away to area Primary schools- gotta infect the next generation of geeks after all!

Originally Posted by Lowtechgal

I have given away and sold off 25-30 tanks from 2 1/2g to 280g in the last 6 years or so. Partner said we had an unofficial LFS with the electric bill to prove it. Just can't seem to cut back any lower- each tank is so different and I would miss any one of them terribly. I gave most away to area Primary schools- gotta infect the next generation of geeks after all!

infect the next generation... hehehe, ur evil

Originally Posted by Pat B

Now that's a lot of tanks!!!

And I thought I was bad with 3.

No kidding! I have 3 as well and thought I was pushing it!

Can't wait to see pics

Well , then I guess I can be the poster child for " See honey- I DON'T have THAT many tanks!" <G>
Did a major water change & Maint on the 54 and the 56 both tonight- I gotta stop doing 2 in one day or I'm not gonna have this many tanks either! Whipped my butt. Tomorrow is the 92's turn. Partner is on vacation this week <EG> and will likely be glad to go back to work next week to avoid any more tank-time. Heheheheh <wheeze> Has to do all of the water haulin' for me. One day, when I grow up, I will get a Python drain/fill kit and a loooong hose to go with it. Until then, it's "Honey, ( you're ) HOOOME!!!!!

Dang......All those tanks and you don't even have to haul water, Yup I'm jealous.

You'd never know I wasn't haulin' the water myself from how I feel ! My computer power supply got fried in storm last night-so much for surge protectors. Using other half's laptop-yikes! I hate this thing. Got the 92 finished today and will be taking critters that have been 'seeding' my 55 NPS tank and put them back in their own house. I am sure that the dwarf Lionfish will not be amused....

Take care y'all-- Chris

I have a 55 gallon rubbermaid bucket on wheels that I roll around to do water changes. Welcome to the site Chris. I thought I was crazy with 4 tanks, but none of mine are as big as your collection. Could you maybe give us a life stock list to off set the delay of pics?

Hi Skywardview- nice to meet you!

Livestock? Let's see, nothing really flashy, mostly just the usual suspects. I love the mundane critters as much as any others and they're cheaper to boot.

92 corner bow front-- Is currently empty because it's inhabitants are 'seeding' my 55 for mostly NPS corals & a few fish, but I'll get back to that. It is the beginnings of a Predator tank. I only have 2 fish that will be returning to it at this point. A Dwarf Zebra Lionfish and a Flame Angel with a nasty disposition. I have a Volitans, a Scorpionfish and a Snowflake Eel already in my cart for next order.

75 standard mixed reef-- Cabbage Leathers, Flower Leather, Finger Leather, Neon Green Toadstool, a 6" "blurple" colored Maxima Clam with a few bright blue spots that has been around since a 2", Feather dusters, red scallop, Cocoa Worm - awesome 2 heads that are burgandy and gold, Green Star Polyps, Yellow Gonipora, Neon Green Gonipora, Neon Green Nepthia, Neon Orange Rock 'Nem, Green rock 'nem, A monster purple tip Condy that I suspect is on steroids- it is 11" high and about 9" wide now , Purple People Eater Palys, a lovely teal w/butter cream centered Paly, Evil Green Palys, Orange Hornet Zoas, Evil Eyes Zoas, Blue Sunset Zoas, 3 Favias- Paintball ( awesome!) Green Goblin and a Creamy yellow/pink guy I don't know the name of, Neon Orange dusted Chalice, Neon Orange Eyed Chalice, a common Blue Ricordia Florida, Frogspawn ( Neon tip ), Common Torch, a red tree sponge, an orange fan sponge, a Purple Feather Gorg, 2 common Sea Rods, 7 different frags of an LPS coral I can't for the life of me remember the name of, 4 Sea Cucumbers, 2 Red Brittle Stars, 3 Serpent Stars, Pencil Urchin, a plethora of crabs & snails- many species. A Pajama Cardinal, an Engineer Goby, Saddled Blenny, Yellow Head Jawfish, 2 yellow tail damsels that will be vacating that tank ( SOON! ), 3 converted black Mollies, a 3 1/2" Kole Tang, 5 of some 2" feeder fish- unidentified- that came in one by one as fry in batches of feeder shrimp and then began to breed like Minks--looks like Trout in miniature and now my head hurts from trying to think- I'll add any more I think of later.

It is not as impressive as it may sound to some of you- I'd say that over half of the corals are frags. I'd rather build it and watch it grow to maturity than as so many do that buy massive specimens for brag status. Not that it isn't fun to do once in a while mind you ( see below )! But it takes more and gives more back if you watch it grow from wee small and watch it flourish! Anybody with money can buy a show specimen, few can grow it to that size. Sorry if I sound like I am preachifyin' here- it's just a pet peeve of mine in the hobby.

On Wed, I am getting a Gorg shipment in that will bring my Purple Plume, Yellow whips, Orange Spiny, Yellow Feather, Black rods, and Coral Banded Shrimp as well as a bunch more snails to spread betwix tanks. These will go into the 75 as well. But my real excitement is that I am getting my first 2 NPS Gorgs ( Yellow Finger ) that will go into the 55 to join the Fat Headed Dendros, Bi-colored Blenny and Clarkii Clown. This is my first large ( for me anyways ) order in many, many years and I can't do justice to sharing how wound up I am! I have to go slooow on the 55 since I am very new to NPS and need to find the balance between enough food for them and water parameters.

I'll go over other tanks at another time. It's 6 A.M. on the farm!

Originally Posted by Lowtechgal

I'd say that over half of the corals are frags. I'd rather build it and watch it grow to maturity than as so many do that buy massive specimens for brag status. Not that it isn't fun to do once in a while mind you ( see below )! But it takes more and gives more back if you watch it grow from wee small and watch it flourish! Anybody with money can buy a show specimen, few can grow it to that size.

There have been times I have bought "colonies" if they were for a really good price from another reefer, but any colonies I have now came from small frags, and it's so gratifying to watch them grow from what they were to what they are!

When you get a camera to take pics, I would love to see a close-up of those teal zoas with the buttercream center - I have never heard of a zoa with these colors and it sounds beautiful!!

Thanks for giving us a run-down!

The 7 frags I couldn't think of the name of are Acans. I forgot my Pom Pom Pulsing Xenia and my yella/gold waving Xenias altogether. The Teal w/ butter centers are Palys, not Zoas- it would be gorgeous in a Zoa though!

Thanks for listening to my long blatherings about my tanks you guys. I want to take pics & share my own excitement, just can't right now. I guess doing the "list" helped me in that regard. The tank isn't a show-quality looking one YET, but when everybody grows up and out, I am thinking it'll look pretty dang decent. But the important part is, that it speaks to my soul, gives me something to do that feels worthwhile and with all of the young'uns grown & gone ( we raised 3 blood sons and helped to raise 9 other boys ) the house feels AWFULLY empty. Guess I'll fill it with salt/fresh water critters. At least they are better behaved, eat less ( ! ) and you pretty much always know where they are & what they're doin'! Out here in the sticks, there aren't many fish-folk to share with for sure. So, groups like this is where I get to do that and I am grateful for it.

My adopted sister Sam had a stroke yesterday ( the 2nd in 10 days and our Momma is in hospital for a heart attack ) and I stayed up all night and it helped calm me down to write that list and focus on something pleasant. I know y'all don't know me personally, and I hope you don't find me rude to speak of such things. It just seems that I am the "Go to Guy" for all things medical and emergency and even strong people can't be strong ALL of the time. So- thanks for listening.

Anyways- TOMORROW is Gorg Day on the farm! Gotta rearrange the whole tank and I know I'll fiddle with it for hours. I'll get to find out if the reality is as good as the picture in my head.

Thanks to all- Chris- the Lowtechgal

sounds like you got a nice collect of coral and fish. I hope your family gets to feeling better.

Thank you. Update on shipment is now Thursday. Storms set them back a bit and they asked if I was cool with waiting. I am. I suppose that anticipation is half the fun of this hobby anyways.

I put them in the photo album thingie. Barb- you are a wonder girl! You gave instructions that even I, the most Tech-'Tarded can follow!
Disclaimer- These are not great pics folks, but the best I have until I learn how to do better. I didn't see anything saying I couldn't, so I put in a few farm pics in a separate album. Hope that's OK.