Christopher Marks Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 I’d like to wish the Nano-Reef.com Community a very happy 15th birthday today! Fifteen years! It feels strange just writing it, that is literally half of my life. Fifteen years ago I started this website and forum to share my ideas about the possibilities of keeping small saltwater reef aquariums, just a fifteen year old kid myself, and from this seed an incredible community has grown. My first hand built 7.5 gallon all in one nano reef aquarium prototype, January 2001. I never could have imagined back then just how many lives this website would touch, how many people it would bring together from all over the world, all with a shared passion for aquarium keeping. I am continually blown away by the incredible members of this community, so much care and love and passion goes into this hobby, not just into aquariums, but into helping others as well. The nano reef community welcomes people of all ages and walks of life, fostering an environment of education as well as friendship. I’ve personally been touched by countless friendships through these forums, and I’ve been witness to so many more. I want to thank each and every one of your for all of your contributions to this community over all these years. It’s your commitment and dedication to this hobby that has helped push it forward with continuous innovation. Nano reef keepers are the rambunctious ones, the ones who won’t take no for an answer, pushing the bounds of reef keeping while breaking down conventions all along the way. We’ve come so far but there’s still so much yet to explore! In the past year we've grown to be 78,631 members strong with over 5.2 million posts in our forums. I have some exciting new changes in store this year for the website, finally, I know! I hope to have a preview to share with everyone soon so stay tuned. Keep being awesome my friends! Here's to another 15 years of nano reef keeping! On 4/21/2015 at 8:37 PM, Christopher Marks said: I'd like to wish the Nano-Reef.com Community a happy 14th birthday! Today on our 14th anniversary, our community stands strong with 75,606 members. Our collective database of knowledge continues to grow larger with over 4.9 million posts to date, and we will surpass 5 million posts later this year! Our community continues to flourish thanks to all the contributions of our incredible members, I'm so happy that so many of you call Nano-Reef.com your home! Cheers to another great year! To celebrate, share one of your favorite Nano-Reef.com memories from the past fourteen years. As always, here's a look back at our last 13 birthdays: On 4/21/2014 at 6:27 PM, Christopher Marks said: Watch out world, Nano-Reef.com is a teenager! Happy 13th birthday everyone! Where did the time go? Today our community reaches another milestone, thirteen years as the #1 source for nano reef aquarium information! Together we share this amazing hobby with the world and empower thousands of people worldwide to keep their very own window into the ocean. Over the past year we have grown 72,556 members strong with over 4.6 million posts on our forum. Every day we help bring new hobbyists into the fold and steer them towards success! I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your contributions, your advice, photographs, guidance, humor and wit. Whether you're new to the community or have been with us since the beginning, you're the ones who make Nano-Reef.com such a great place! I am continually amazed by the generosity of fellow hobbyists and I'm so happy to see so many great friendships formed, no matter the geographical bounds. I'm honored to be a part of such a great community! It's going to be another great year, I can't wait to see what's in store! As is tradition, here's a look back at our past anniversaries. Share your own favorite Nano-Reef.com memories with everyone the comments below! On 4/21/2013 at 8:29 PM, Christopher Marks said: Happy 12th Birthday Nano-Reef.com! Our great community continues to grow strong with 68,397 members and over 4.2 million posts on our forum. The community has seen a lot of change in the past year with our brand new website was rolled out on December 23rd. Many thanks for everyone's support and patience during the transition and continued work to further develop the site. Our new community site is paving the way for our future, Nano-Reef.com continues to be a leader in innovative website design. With great sadness, this past year we lost a dear friend to the community, Jeremai. He contributed so much to the community with his guidance, articles, wit, and wisdom. His work and contributions will live on, Jeremai's articles and hobbyist guides will be republished over the coming year on Nano-Reef.com. You're the ones who make Nano-Reef.com all that it is today, thank you all for what you bring the community! We've grown into an amazing and quirky family over all these years, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Lets continue to grow together, welcome new hobbyists into our community, and always learn from each other. Have a fun memory from your time on Nano-Reef.com? Share it with us all below. Cheers to another year! Once again, here's a look back at our past birthdays: On 4/21/2012 at 3:08 PM, Christopher Marks said: Happy 11th Birthday Nano-Reef.com! It's been another great year for our community, the nano reef keeping hobby is stronger than ever. This past year we've grown to 63,043 members and are nearing nearly 4 million posts on our forum. I've said it every year and it still holds true, Nano-Reef.com is the sum of all of its community members, you're the ones who make this such a fun and exciting place to spend time with our fellow hobbyists. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and volunteered to this community over the past eleven years, all of your advice, photographs, experiences, and comments provide so much help and inspiration to others. You're the best! Share a little memory about something interesting, inspiring, or fun you've experienced on Nano-Reef.com. As always, here's a look back at our past birthdays: On 4/21/2011 at 2:01 PM, Christopher Marks said: Ten years ago today I launched my very first website, Nano-Reef.com, a humble informational website hoping to share some insight into keeping small reef aquariums. I never dreamed it would have come so far, and I'm deeply honored to have met so many wonderful people in building this great community together. I've witnessed nano reef keeping transform from a small group of hobbyists 'crazy' enough to attempt to keep 5 gallon reef aquariums, to a vibrant community of knowledge and experience 56,620 members strong, backed by the entire aquarium industry. We're a community based around innovation, and that's never been more true than today. Hobbyists continue to pioneer new methodology and push technology in our equipment. Recent innovations in LED lighting found their first applications in nano reef keeping, providing all new opportunities for hobbyists. Lets continue to carry that momentum forward! This awesome community is truly the sum of its parts, and I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to the site over these past 10 years. I appreciate all the support and time given to help out our fellow hobbyists and push this hobby forward. Here's to another 10 great years! But what's a birthday without presents? Submit your entry into our birthday gift giveaway. And as always, a look back at our past anniversaries: On 4/21/2010 at 11:47 AM, Christopher Marks said: Happy 9th Anniversary Nano-Reef.com! We had another great year, our niche in the hobby continues to see tremendous growth. The nano reef concept has reached more people than ever before as the hobby and industry alike have embraced it. Our community has reached 49,916 members and we're nearing our 3 millionth post. As always, thank you to all of our dedicated members, contributors, and volunteers, you're the heart of this community! Don't forget to submit your entry to our Birthday Prize Giveaway! Here's a look back at our past 8 years: Christopher Marks said: Happy 8th Anniversary Nano-Reef.com! Hard to believe it's already been eight years since the launch of Nano-Reef.com, isn't it? Over the past year the community has grown 41,900 members strong, and the forum saw its two millionth post. Thank you to all of our dedicated fans, contributors, and volunteers for helping make Nano-Reef.com the awesome site it is today! You are the soul of this site! I hope you like our new site design! (Hold Shift and click the "Refresh" button on your browser if you're having trouble viewing it.) Don't forget to enter in our Birthday Prize Giveaway! As is tradition, here's a look at our past seven anniversaries: Christopher Marks said: Happy birthday to us! Today marks Nano-Reef.com's 7th Anniversary! It's been a busy past year, and the community continues to grow faster than ever, with 34,182 members now signed up. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our awesome members that have made Nano-Reef.com the great site it is today! Needless to say the community wouldn't be anything without the contributions and support from our dedicated members and moderators. Thanks for seven amazing years! Here's a look back at our past 6 anniversaries: P.S. Check out our Birthday Prize Giveaway! Christopher Marks said: I can't believe it's been 6 years since I started Nano-Reef.com! You know what they say though, time flies when you're having fun! In the past year we passed a million posts on the forums, and there are now 26,762 members signed up. This community wouldn't be anything today without all of our great members that keep the forums such a great place to visit. I want to thank all the people who have contributed to the site over the years, especially all the moderators who have given so much of their time watching over the site. As always, here's a look at the past 5 anniversaries: Christopher Marks said: Today is Nano-Reef.com's 5th Anniversary, and it's been a great 5 years! The nano reef keeping hobby has grown tremendously in just the last year alone. We're now at 19,751 members and going strong. I think we can safely say that nano reefs have finally been accepted as a part of the hobby. I believe we have a really great group of members here, and I want to thank everyone for making Nano-Reef.com such a great place to learn and have fun! For tradition, here's a look from the past four years: Christopher Marks said: Happy 4th Anniversary Nano-Reef.com! Another great year has passed and we're now at 14,121 members. The popularity of nano reef keeping is at an all time high, and the nano-reef.com community is growing faster than ever. Thank you all for being a part of Nano-Reef.com! In keeping with tradition, here's a look at the last three years: Christopher Marks said: It's been three great years together with everyone! We're now over 8000 members strong, and growing by well over 100 more each week. Thanks to all our members, old a new, for making Nano-Reef.com all that it is today! Here's a peek back into the past two years: Christopher Marks said: Hey, we made it another year! Happy Birthday Nano-Reef.com! Just to give perspective on how much Nano-Reef.com has grown in the past year, here's a quote from last year: Christopher Marks said: One year ago this day, I started nano-reef.com in hopes of bringing together the nano reef keeping community, and teaching those with interest an easy way to keep one. I never would have dreamed it would grow so fast, 1158 members this morning, and help so many. 3422 members later, here we are at year two. Things sure have changed since Nano-Reef.com was first born. Nano Reefs are being discovered and created by more people than ever before. For all those who said it couldn't done; look at us now! Thank you all for being part of this great community. I still believe there's something special about this group! Link to comment
Alexraptor Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Wooo! Glad to have been a part of the journey!!! Link to comment
D Z Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 So awesome Chris. Keep up the great work. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Wow! Fantastic! Congratulations Chris. You do an amazing job maintaining this site and the wealth of information within. Thank you sincerely for all your hard work! Link to comment
ReefWeeds Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 This is a great post! I especially love how you quoted all the other birthday messages. 15 years is amazing and you being 15 and starting this is pretty amazing in itself Link to comment
pgrVII Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Thanks for all your hard work Chris and congrats! Happy Birthday Nano Reef!! Link to comment
Oceanbox Designs Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Happy Birthday Nano Reef! Especially thank you Chris for giving me the opportunity to share a part of my dream and contribution to this hobby Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 15 years...awesome! Even more awesome is that you started Nano-Reef when you were only 15 yourself! "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step..." So, let's keep on, keep'in on Link to comment
Gooburz Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Would not be where I am today with me reef without this site! Such a plethora of knowledge and good people. Link to comment
Rory282 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 First thing to check in the morning, last thing to check in the evening. Thank you nano-reef, thank you Chris. Greetings from Belgium. Link to comment
Pinner Reef Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Thank you Chris, and to all the other members of this site... Without you guys I'd never have gotten into reefkeeping and it's been one of the most gratifying hobbies I've ever had. Hell, I don't even have a tank atm but I still like hanging out with you guys! Link to comment
ulver982 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 I learned so much on this site! Thanks for keeping it alive! Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Have learned a ton through this site and wouldn't know half the shit I do about reef keeping if it weren't for the great people on this site! Link to comment
steviejitsu Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Wow, I did not know you started this when you were 15! That is impressive! Congrats!! Link to comment
Astinus Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Wow, I did not know you started this when you were 15! That is impressive! Congrats!! Chris! I can not Thank you enough for this wonderful Forum/Site. W/out it, many might still be floundering and wondering. And, I think it is amazing and awesome that, at 15, U had the Insight and u stuck with it. Now look at it! A Main stay for many of us! You have sponsors and "Premium" Members (I will become 1 sometime). I'll bet u never thought that was possible. I am Glad to be a learning member here, and at some point, I will be able to pass on knowledge that I have learned because of NR and it's Members! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NR!!! Link to comment
gulfsurfer101 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Happy birthday to us! Who is the oldest active profile on here? Link to comment
tdannhauser30 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Chris you are the man!!!! go buy yourself a new frag to celebrate, happy birthday nanoreef!!!!!! Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Happy birthday NR!!! . Many thanks to you Chris, without this site I would have killed everything in my tank so many times! And a big thanks to all the members who provide amazing insight into the hobby . This forum is fantastic Link to comment
ScubaPooch Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Happy Birthday Nano Reef! I'm a long time lurker but only recently signed up. I've learned an incredible amount of knowledge from this site and made my jump into reef keeping successfully for the past 2 years because of it. Incredible work and vision! Link to comment
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