Unofficial Pico Methodology Contest

[c_k_kuehne]

Dont feel to bad MB I was born in 85. Not much before you.

 

Damn I graduated high school in 82

[cuog]

hahaha i was born in 89 you old men you lol

Don't worry, I was born in '90

[Growerguy]

Wowsers.. Im in the middle I guess.. I was born in '82.

[brandon429]

Weetabix7 93 was when I graduated high school and I had never even seen a real reef until 96 I am blown away you have been keeping coral that long. it used to just seem impossible to me so I never tried until 2001 thats cool of you neat history.

[hemi]

Weetabix7 93 was when I graduated high school and I had never even seen a real reef until 96 I am blown away you have been keeping coral that long. it used to just seem impossible to me so I never tried until 2001 thats cool of you neat history.

So wierd,I am class of 93 and started my first reef in 01

[Weetabix7]

Weetabix7 93 was when I graduated high school and I had never even seen a real reef until 96 I am blown away you have been keeping coral that long. it used to just seem impossible to me so I never tried until 2001 thats cool of you neat history.

 

Yeah, I was doing Nano's before they were cool.

Of course the LFS tried to tell me to get the biggest tank possible for stability, but 38g was the biggest I could afford.

When it turned out even a 38g was too expensive for me to stock, I set up a 10g.

There was a lot less information available then, so I used to pester every LFS employee that remotely seemed like they knew anything about Reefing.

I'd follow them around asking tons of questions.

They probably got nervous when they saw me coming!!!

I read everything I could get my hands on.

By the time I got the 10g I actually had a much better understanding of the biology and principles behind stable Reefkeeping than just about anyone I met in an LFS.

That was actually before PC lighting was available!

I remember reading about PC lighting and the fact that it would be available soon and getting so excited about that!

It's been a long, interesting ride.

[rickjg]

Yeah, I was doing Nano's before they were cool.

Of course the LFS tried to tell me to get the biggest tank possible for stability, but 38g was the biggest I could afford.

When it turned out even a 38g was too expensive for me to stock, I set up a 10g.

There was a lot less information available then, so I used to pester every LFS employee that remotely seemed like they knew anything about Reefing.

I'd follow them around asking tons of questions.

They probably got nervous when they saw me coming!!!

I read everything I could get my hands on.

By the time I got the 10g I actually had a much better understanding of the biology and principles behind stable Reefkeeping than just about anyone I met in an LFS.

That was actually before PC lighting was available!

I remember reading about PC lighting and the fact that it would be available soon and getting so excited about that!

It's been a long, interesting ride.

That's some pretty interesting history

 

My 1st nano-reef (& 1st SW tank) was a 12-gallon acrylic cube w/ 65w lighting (2 28-watt daylight quad PC's & 1 9-watt "blue" PC) setup from 97 to 00. I had wanted to setup a mini-reef (that was before anyone had thought to call them nano-reefs) for a long time. Like Weetabix7 said, when they came out with compact fluorescent lighting in the mid 90's it was finally realistic to have a nano sized reef tank.

I used a VCR camcorder to film my tanks back then (African Cichlids and the mini-reef). I happened upon the tape a couple of years ago, so I took pictures of my TV with my digital camera to get the pictures on the link below.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...c=77773&hl=

 

-Rick

[Weetabix7]

That's some pretty interesting history

 

My 1st nano-reef (& 1st SW tank) was a 12-gallon acrylic cube w/ 65w lighting (2 28-watt daylight quad PC's & 1 9-watt "blue" PC) setup from 97 to 00. I had wanted to setup a mini-reef (that was before anyone had thought to call them nano-reefs) for a long time. Like Weetabix7 said, when they came out with compact fluorescent lighting in the mid 90's it was finally realistic to have a nano sized reef tank.

I used a VCR camcorder to film my tanks back then (African Cichlids and the mini-reef). I happened upon the tape a couple of years ago, so I took pictures of my TV with my digital camera to get the pictures on the link below.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...c=77773&hl=

 

-Rick

 

Cool link, thanks for sharing it.

I love the Octopus story.

I worked at an LFS in S. Florida in the Mid '90's and the guy who owned the SW section of the store picked up a baby Octopus from the wholesaler for me cause he knew I'd like it.

It was probably the size of a half dollar with it's legs spread out all the way.

It was so cool.

I kept it in a 1g plastic food container and fed it blue leg crabs.

[Deep Thief]

Yea, I remember in the early 90's, the name of the game was wet/dry's and the best lighting was 5500K metal halides. If you added flourescents they were standard T12's and if you had the money, the choice of HO, or VHO's. Usually it was take a shop light from the hardware store and gut it to get the ballast and tombstones. Then, the absolute best thing since sliced bread was 6500K MH bulbs. Those were the sh*t!!!

 

My first reef was a 40B before the 40B existed (or was popular). I made one with 3/8" plate, and used smoke colored plate glass on the rear. I had a 70w, 6500K pendant MH with a barebottom and no filter. Live rock only. I even had coral frags, They were mistakes from the store I worked at, but they were frags non-the-less. As I think back on it, that store was on the cutting edge of life then.

 

Damn you all are bringing back some memories. Days gone by. Those were the times. A time in my life when I had no worries, No kids or responsibilites.

[Weetabix7]

Yea, I remember in the early 90's, the name of the game was wet/dry's and the best lighting was 5500K metal halides. If you added flourescents they were standard T12's and if you had the money, the choice of HO, or VHO's. Usually it was take a shop light from the hardware store and gut it to get the ballast and tombstones. Then, the absolute best thing since sliced bread was 6500K MH bulbs. Those were the sh*t!!!

 

My first reef was a 40B before the 40B existed (or was popular). I made one with 3/8" plate, and used smoke colored plate glass on the rear. I had a 70w, 6500K pendant MH with a barebottom and no filter. Live rock only. I even had coral frags, They were mistakes from the store I worked at, but they were frags non-the-less. As I think back on it, that store was on the cutting edge of life then.

 

Damn you all are bringing back some memories. Days gone by. Those were the times. A time in my life when I had no worries, No kids or responsibilites.

 

I remember all of that, even down to the times before kids!!!

It's really fun rehashing this stuff with ppl who remember it.

Hope we're not getting this thread off track too much, but I'm certainly enjoying it.

Reminiscences of the Reef Dinosaurs!!!

[c_k_kuehne]

I was fortunate and lived in MD. There was a large LFS that did mail order out of magazines and had a good Salt section.

 

My 1st SW tank was a 29g w/ sandstone rock and some Damsels. I immediately started building my own 85g custom reef. I got fresh cut 1/2" plate glass and built the entire setup from the ground up. My 1st LR purchase was Hawaiian LR just before they banned LR taking from HI.

 

Along the way I had a mail order LR business with advertisements in the back of Marine Fish Monthly and a 800 number. Of course this was before there was even www. Back then it was just e-mail and news feeds and e-mail took 12 hours or more to get from the east coast to the west coast. I helped collect the 1st batch of LR. It came out of the FL keys back when that was legal.

 

There was a bunch of other adventures along the way. Some big tanks and some small. It's been a long but fun road of reef keeping. It is an addiction because every time I put it down, a little while latter I'm building another reef.

[Deep Thief]

I happened upon the tape a couple of years ago, so I took pictures of my TV with my digital camera to get the pictures on the link below.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...c=77773&hl=

 

-Rick

 

You are going to make me go and get my camera. I too have a vcr tape that I found of my tank from then. I was watching it a couple of weeks ago. The biggest problem with my tank was the massive outbreak of bubble algae it had. I had this gorgeous half dollar sized purple tang. I want another one of those, soon. I just can't seem to find one that small. I am patient.

[Deep Thief]

Hope we're not getting this thread off track too much, but I'm certainly enjoying it.

 

Off track, na, there is no track here. Isn't this what its all about. Talking and sharing with others. Enjoying the hobby that can bring us these great memories. Cheers, Mark

[Weetabix7]

It's gonna be pretty interesting seeing what a bunch of Reef Dinosaurs can come up with in the area of Pico Methodology!

[c_k_kuehne]

It's gonna be pretty interesting seeing what a bunch of Reef Dinosaurs can come up with in the area of Pico Methodology!

 

Reef Dinosaur is sure better then being call an Old Man

[Weetabix7]

Reef Dinosaur is sure better then being call an Old Man

 

I'm not exactly a Spring Chicken either.

 

Hearing your Reefing background was pretty cool, that's really neat that you were able to sell LR so far back.

Gives you some neat experience, I'm actually a little jealous!

[Deep Thief]

It's gonna be pretty interesting seeing what a bunch of Reef Dinosaurs can come up with in the area of Pico Methodology!

 

I'm goin old school baby! The only thing I am adding to this tank that I didn't do back in the day, I am adding a refugium in the sump. I am thinking that it will help stabilize a smaller tank. That is the hope anyway. Well maybe not quite too old school now that I think about it more. I am thinking about going led's on this one also. Ok, nevermind on the old school comment. I am going New school baby! Mark

[rickjg]

Reef Dinosaur is sure better then being call an Old Man

 

I prefer Dirty Old Man and yeah I'm gonna be one till I'm a DEAD OLD MAN!"

 

-Rick

[c_k_kuehne]

Here's a couple of pics from 92. The boat getting ready to leave in the FL keys and then the return trip back to the dock. Yes that's me way back then sitting in the boat.

 

You can't get any LR fresher then that.

 

 

[c_k_kuehne]

Should I seal the fan ??

 

I bought a 40mm fan to go up into the hood of my build and blow air down on the water. In the spring before the A/C turns on I can have the fan running to keep the temp down. Sitting above the motor is a tiny pc board open to the environment.

 

Should I use silicone and attempt to seal that space off ??

Will high humidity air getting in there hurt anything ??

Am I worrying to much ??

 

 

I don't expect there to be any direct water getting in there just high humidity air.

 

[Deep Thief]

I probably would, if the fan goes out, are you really going to try and fix it? NOT, you are going to throw it away and go buy another. Especially since you probably only paid like 10-15 bucks for the thing. Its not worth fixing, seal it up. Can't hurt. YMMV, Mark

[Growerguy]

Hah I love hearing all your stories. This should be an interesting contest to say the least!

[cuog]

I wouldn't worry about sealing the fan, those things will run underwater. The circuitry is almost completely sealed and it uses induction to actually spin the fan so there's no brushes to deal with getting dirty/wet.

[c_k_kuehne]

I wouldn't worry about sealing the fan, those things will run underwater. The circuitry is almost completely sealed and it uses induction to actually spin the fan so there's no brushes to deal with getting dirty/wet.

 

Kewl that's what I wanted to hear as sealing it up would have ben a PITA

[Deep Thief]

OK Travis, Here is my offical tank thread link. Not much to look at now, all in due time.

 

Methodology contest winner link

 

 

OK Weets, its your turn now. Along with everyone else. If I can get this junk up, surely you all can come up with something.