Reefkeeping Overview

I always thought it would be pretty cool to have a saltwater tank, but considered it too difficult, figuring it would take a lot of hard work and patience to have a happy salty environment.

Well, about two and a half years ago I found a great deal ($100!) for a 29 gallon BioCube - an all-in-one system that came with tank, lights, pumps, sand, rocks, a couple snails/hermit crabs, a few corals and an urchin. It had been neglected for a while, was low on water, and the sand was extremely dirty.

I was so nervous those first few months! When I got my first fish (two clownfish I named Lenny and Squiggy) I was so concerned about their happiness and well being, I gazed at the tank for hours making sure they looked ok and like they enjoyed their new home. I made sure to clean the tank every week, and siphoned the sand diligently to help get it (and keep it) clean.

As it turns out, it's not terribly hard to take care of saltwater tanks. One a week I change out 20-50% of the water. Once or twice a week I scrape the glass, and every couple days I feed my fish. So, after a year of getting used to the routine, I decided that one tank wasn't enough, and got a second tank I turned into a lazy "biotope" - filling it almost exclusively with Rock Flower Anemones. Such beauties! 

Another year went by and it was time to move. I traded out the BioCube for a shallow 25 gallon tank, and got a smaller tank for the RFA's. The new tanks have been moved a few months now, and after a bit of an adjusting period, everything has settled in. 

Of course, it does take a bit of work. I have lost a few fish and corals along the way, but that comes with the hobby. I admit, I am taking animals out of their natural habitat, and putting them into a glass cube to live out their lives - so not everything will survive. But in general my tanks are rather healthy!