Am I mad or this is normal for new reefers?

marioensf · 02/19/2008, 12:36 AM

I need to clear some space at home and found that my fish related stuff is way too much, I have accumulated so much that I'm surprised; I knew I had a lot but double that A LOT LOT.

When I started I was given a 75Gal Truvu with stand and wet/dry and canopy for free ($100 so the gentleman selling it to me would take his wife to a nice dinner).

I took it to my brothers place and well, he used it. Ok with me, I had no space at home.
Decided to buy myself one, an Eclipse unit (later totally modified)
I wanted a bigger one but for a smaller space so I bought a 54 AGA Corner unit w/overflow and set it aside, then a 46BF, then I thought I didn't so I bought another 46BF, had a 72 Oceanic and an AGA 72 also reef ready, couple of plexis 50 to 65 4footers and smaller ones, Have an Oceanic 37 Cube that I've worked on for a long time and ended up listing it for sale.
Bought my Giesemann and sold them, too big for the 46BF
I can start my own store !!

I just don't know when I acquired so much...

Happy Reefing !!

RyanMcLaughlin · 02/19/2008, 12:47 AM

Well since im only 15 I cant buy that many tanks and keep setting them up but if I had the money to that sounds pretty normal to me. Looks like you got a nice supply of sumps and refugiums for your next tanks.

LovinDaReef · 02/19/2008, 12:49 AM

That happened to me about 6 years ago. I had a 125, 100, and a 20 in my living room. A 150 was in the hallway, a 1 gallon guppy tank in the kitchen. 30, 30, and 60 gallon in the bedroom. Sometimes in this hobby, if you think you have space you'll get a tank.

marioensf · 02/19/2008, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RyanMcLaughlin
Well since im only 15 I cant buy that many tanks and keep setting them up but if I had the money to that sounds pretty normal to me. Looks like you got a nice supply of sumps and refugiums for your next tanks.

You are right !!
lots of sumps, want to buy one? lol

Just a piece of advise, you're 15 so don't waste your money on cheap, whenever you can, get the best you can afford and if you can't well, get it any way, good quality equipment is worth every penny.

And when you get married, mark your territory (put a fishtank wherever there is space) lol

RyanMcLaughlin · 02/19/2008, 01:16 AM

Thanks for the advice. Yea I didnt skimp. I got the best I could. I am just very diligent about looking for good deals on things. It took almost 3 months to get the money to start my tank but it was worth it. Craigslist is my friend. I got 140lbs of rock and 200lbs of sand for only 250 bucks.

epstein · 02/19/2008, 08:06 AM

Your totally normal.......I started warming the wife up to the idea of in a few yrs upgrading to a 120 gal tank in the wall of our kitchen. Needless to say shes not happy.......And lets not forget the back ups to the back ups now have several heaters ...2 skimmers ...2 themometers....lol you get the idea.....

Brian

Aquarist007 · 02/19/2008, 08:12 AM

trust me --keep every thing --you will find a use for it
I started with a bioballs trickle filter under the cabinet and within six months of being on this site

phenom5 · 02/19/2008, 09:47 AM

I'd be happy to help out, just send one of the 72 RR's & the 50 my way...I'd be glad to take those off your hands.

gearbox-xl · 02/19/2008, 10:40 AM

Seeing that basement setup sure does make me want an inwall with a fishroom behind it. Nice work area.

Pulp Fishin · 02/19/2008, 11:30 AM

Your not mad, some people stay at one tank but a lot seem to move to 2 or more tanks. I currently have a 135g, 65g diamond corner tank, 20g tall and a 4th QT tank.

I hope your wife doesn't think your crazy. Mine loves the fish so she encourages me to get more whenI find room for them.

Aquarist007 · 02/19/2008, 11:34 AM

You will find as you get interested in more fish that you need the extra tanks to support them.
eg I have a tank set up for butterfly fish because I can't let them loose on my corals in the main tank.

Be on the look out for used tanks with live rock etc--I piced up a thirty with 60 lbs of live rock for 150 dollars

Aquarist007 · 02/19/2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pulp Fishin
Your not mad, some people stay at one tank but a lot seem to move to 2 or more tanks. I currently have a 135g, 65g diamond corner tank, 20g tall and a 4th QT tank.

I hope your wife doesn't think your crazy. Mine loves the fish so she encourages me to get more whenI find room for them.

Yes he is, and we all are

The key to a successful marriage in the reef hobby is to
have your wife fall in love with a naso tang in a 100gal tank--easier to convince to upgrade

When you go to your happy place(LFS) everything you bring back costs around 20 bucks--the operant word being around

ACBlinky · 02/19/2008, 12:45 PM

Normal, normal, normal. I've had multiple tanks for years -- at one point it was up to five, and we pared it down, but still have a 90g w/ 30g sump, 30g nano reef, and a 21g that's currently housing mollies (reef snax). I have a small two-door cabinet to house all the supplements, foods, grabbing tongs, gloves, filter socks, floss, carbon, medications, etc. etc. etc. and the space under the 30g is also full. There are unused light fixtures and three Rubbermaid bins FULL of pumps, heaters, airpumps, airline, and misc. odds and ends in the same closet -- the clothing is secondary, it's mostly a 'fish junk' storage space

02/19/2008, 12:36 AM	#1
marioensf Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 2,502	Am I mad or this is normal for new reefers? I need to clear some space at home and found that my fish related stuff is way too much, I have accumulated so much that I'm surprised; I knew I had a lot but double that A LOT LOT. When I started I was given a 75Gal Truvu with stand and wet/dry and canopy for free ($100 so the gentleman selling it to me would take his wife to a nice dinner). I took it to my brothers place and well, he used it. Ok with me, I had no space at home. Decided to buy myself one, an Eclipse unit (later totally modified) I wanted a bigger one but for a smaller space so I bought a 54 AGA Corner unit w/overflow and set it aside, then a 46BF, then I thought I didn't so I bought another 46BF, had a 72 Oceanic and an AGA 72 also reef ready, couple of plexis 50 to 65 4footers and smaller ones, Have an Oceanic 37 Cube that I've worked on for a long time and ended up listing it for sale. Bought my Giesemann and sold them, too big for the 46BF I can start my own store !! I just don't know when I acquired so much... Happy Reefing !!

02/19/2008, 08:06 AM	#6
epstein Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NYC transplant now in CT Posts: 1,501	Your totally normal.......I started warming the wife up to the idea of in a few yrs upgrading to a 120 gal tank in the wall of our kitchen. Needless to say shes not happy.......And lets not forget the back ups to the back ups now have several heaters ...2 skimmers ...2 themometers....lol you get the idea..... Brian __________________ I'd Rather be a failure at something I love , Than a sucess at something I hate . George Burns Current Tank Info: 150 DD Cube / 100 Gal Sump(basement) 30gal cube frag tank plumb Panworld 250ps return/ Reef Octopus SRO3000 Skimmer/ Bubble Magus Doser/Lumenmax reflector with 400 watt Radium bulb Ice Cap Ballast Apex Controller 2 MP40wes 2 gyre 150

02/19/2008, 08:12 AM	#7
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	trust me --keep every thing --you will find a use for it I started with a bioballs trickle filter under the cabinet and within six months of being on this site __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

02/19/2008, 09:47 AM	#8
phenom5 Unregistered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,096	I'd be happy to help out, just send one of the 72 RR's & the 50 my way...I'd be glad to take those off your hands. __________________ Rob Current Tank Info: DSA 155 Pro \| ATI Sunpower \| ATB 840 v2 \| Apex \| Wav

02/19/2008, 10:40 AM	#9
gearbox-xl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 83	Seeing that basement setup sure does make me want an inwall with a fishroom behind it. Nice work area. __________________ Ammonia 0 Nitrate 0 Nitrite 0 Phos 0 Cal 500 PH 8.3 SG 1.025 KH 9.5 Current Tank Info: 72 gal Bowfront, 3" sandbed, 80 lbs LR, 15g Fuge, ASM G1 Skimmer, 2 250w Mh 14K, 2 54w T5 atnics, Closed loop Cir w/ Oceans Motions 4way and dart, HK 3, QO 3000 return.

02/19/2008, 12:47 AM	#2
RyanMcLaughlin Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Anaheim Posts: 982	Well since im only 15 I cant buy that many tanks and keep setting them up but if I had the money to that sounds pretty normal to me. Looks like you got a nice supply of sumps and refugiums for your next tanks.

02/19/2008, 12:49 AM	#3
LovinDaReef Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 267	That happened to me about 6 years ago. I had a 125, 100, and a 20 in my living room. A 150 was in the hallway, a 1 gallon guppy tank in the kitchen. 30, 30, and 60 gallon in the bedroom. Sometimes in this hobby, if you think you have space you'll get a tank.

02/19/2008, 01:16 AM	#5
RyanMcLaughlin Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Anaheim Posts: 982	Thanks for the advice. Yea I didnt skimp. I got the best I could. I am just very diligent about looking for good deals on things. It took almost 3 months to get the money to start my tank but it was worth it. Craigslist is my friend. I got 140lbs of rock and 200lbs of sand for only 250 bucks.

02/19/2008, 11:30 AM	#10
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Your not mad, some people stay at one tank but a lot seem to move to 2 or more tanks. I currently have a 135g, 65g diamond corner tank, 20g tall and a 4th QT tank. I hope your wife doesn't think your crazy. Mine loves the fish so she encourages me to get more whenI find room for them. __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

02/19/2008, 11:34 AM	#11
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	You will find as you get interested in more fish that you need the extra tanks to support them. eg I have a tank set up for butterfly fish because I can't let them loose on my corals in the main tank. Be on the look out for used tanks with live rock etc--I piced up a thirty with 60 lbs of live rock for 150 dollars __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

02/19/2008, 12:45 PM	#13
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Normal, normal, normal. I've had multiple tanks for years -- at one point it was up to five, and we pared it down, but still have a 90g w/ 30g sump, 30g nano reef, and a 21g that's currently housing mollies (reef snax). I have a small two-door cabinet to house all the supplements, foods, grabbing tongs, gloves, filter socks, floss, carbon, medications, etc. etc. etc. and the space under the 30g is also full. There are unused light fixtures and three Rubbermaid bins FULL of pumps, heaters, airpumps, airline, and misc. odds and ends in the same closet -- the clothing is secondary, it's mostly a 'fish junk' storage space __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.