Paul Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I just realized that we have been hanging around the forum for the past few weeks and never really introduced ourselves. I am not usually so forgetfull, but I did take a week off this month for R&R. In other words, I have slept this month. We hang around here and on Reef Sanctuary. Here's the hello note we posted there, with a couple edits to bring it up to date. -Paul & Karen Raulerson -------------------------------------------- Well, I reached my 50th birthday near the end of last year - and realized I was spending way too much time and attention on work, and not nearly enough with my wife and family. And I had promised myself I would setup a tank or two "a few months" after we moved here to Texas from Pennsylvania. (We gave away all out tanks when we moved down here.) Problem is - that was 10 years ago! We have been keeping fish since we were kids - including successfully keeping saltwater fish as far back as the early 1970's. I remember hauling salt water in glass five gallon jugs, and stashing it in my dad's garage for weeks to let it settle. It was a miracle when my mother acquired a bunch of 5 gallon plastic buckets, with lids. And another miracle it was when undergravel filters came along! Joy! Seems really out of date with today's tech of course, but my dad and I built plywood tanks and did a lot things back then that I remember with great happiness. Stories are available - if anyone is interested I will post them. It was our great good fortune to have been born and raised in north Florida, with easy access to the sea, and easy access to Marine Biologists who were willing to talk to kids. We were regular visitors at Marineland, just a few miles down the coast. They apparently recognized the eagerness in Karen and I to learn *everything* about the sea and the critters that live in it. Anyway, we decided we wanted to start a small marine tank again but were not enthused by memories of how complex the plumbing can be for wet dry filters and such. Imagine our amazement to discover the nano-reef tanks that abound today! We have ordered one of the Cadlight 22 gallon tanks, and are starting to plan how we intend to stock it. Central Texas is not north Florida, nor even the Philadelphia area, and the selection around here seems a little limited. We have found a couple really nice looking stores - Aquatech in Austin in particular seems like a well run store with lots of healthy animals. We would sure welcome advice on what corals would be good choices. Karen is determined to have a nice like Perc clown in the tank though, so that may limit the choices a bit. It would be nice to give a little Perc an anemone of it's own for a home, but I have to go look up what kinds are compatible, and what kinds might survive in a small nano tank. And it looks like we will be setting up both a 55gallon and a small BioCube as well. Long story, but it is amazing how plans change around here. It really looks like the technology of marine tanks, in particular reef keeping, has advanced in leaps and bounds since the last time I looked. It is almost trivially easy to get a tank today that many would have killed for just 10 or 15 years ago. Anyways, just wanted to say hello, introduce myself. We hope to meet a bunch of you at the meeting in April, and invite both suggestions and discussions on just about any subject. Yours, -Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooks Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Welcome! Looking forward to getting to know you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjohn Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Welcome to the group. It is nice to see someone who remembers the "old days". I have had marine tanks off and on for 30 years. So much we didn't know back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Welcome! The clown won't really limit you on corals, but an anemone might. They can sometimes tend to wander and sting your corals. The other limit you may have is the lighting in a nano. Most that I have seen come with PC lights. Under those you will have a hard time with any SPS except maybe some montipora. I know a lot of people have been modding nanos with metal halides or T5 fixtures and I think some are even starting to come with them. So that maybe something to look into. Let us know if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks- it is great to be meeting people in the local reef community. The nano tank we ordered will have four 24inch 24w T5 tubes lighting it; two 10K and two actinic, each tube with individual reflectors. It pumps out a lot of light, and unless I have mis-measured the spectra, it should should feed the needs of just about any light loving critter, including most SPS corals. And have the benefit of keeping down the heat too. Light is a bugaboo though; we picked up a used 55 gallon tank for my youngest son (thank you D&R!), who then promptly saw one of the little Biocubes and decided he would much rather have one of those. We are looking at picking up one of the used ones for sale here, along with a small MH light to go over it. I understand Karen has plans for the 55 now, though I have not been "let in" on exactly what those plans might be. I am quite afraid - she saw a Dog Faced Puffer at AquaTek about a week ago, and spent quite some time cooing and baby talking it... She might have a FOWLr plan in mind... <grin> -Paul Welcome! The clown won't really limit you on corals, but an anemone might. They can sometimes tend to wander and sting your corals. The other limit you may have is the lighting in a nano. Most that I have seen come with PC lights. Under those you will have a hard time with any SPS except maybe some montipora. I know a lot of people have been modding nanos with metal halides or T5 fixtures and I think some are even starting to come with them. So that maybe something to look into. Let us know if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+dapettit Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Welcome to the forum Paul. Can't wait to see pics. WE LOVE PICS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.