Aquariums are great for PTSD

mrdaly

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Hey there,
My name is Brian and I am an Army veteran of Iraqi Freedom. I was a signal guy. My HV was hit by an RPG. 13 years later and I still have some issues relaxing sometimes.

My Aquarium, specifically a larger glass cylinder Aquarium, had been on my bucket list for years. My lovely wife helped make this happen.
Rarely a day goes by that I don’t tell my wife how much I appreciate this Aquarium.

It’s in AquaVim 165 gallon three-quarter round, glass Aquarium. It is a challenge to maintain due to how deep it is and the creativity involved in reaching the bottom with various PVC creations and zip ties etc. Also, the cabinet underneath is a little bit awkward for all The filtration equipment. With some creativity, I’ve managed to make it work fairly well.

I have a UV sterilizer, combined with a filter sock and a small pump. This pump is right next to the main return pump. Due to the cramped conditions under the cabinet, I was not able to place a filter sock in the logical place. It was just too hard to get to. , After trying several bypass PVC monsters on the main overflow, I decided to go ahead with some passive filtering. It doesn’t catch everything but it catches a lot. And the PVC return for that sock is made of several elbows that allow me to turn it for easy removal. I keep the sock over the Refugium, to give it a little more flow. Those softies like to drop babies and I am happy to put them in the downstairs until they grab something.

I had to go with a protein skimmer that had a base that was less than 5 inches square. I would prefer something much larger for the aquarium, but something is better than nothing. Had to build stilts for it, in order to be able to properly tune it in.

I have an adjustable pump for the main filtration, that allows me to dial it just down enough to not sound like a flushing toilet, lol. I’ve played with every dursa combination I could think of up top, but due to space challenges underneath in the sump I was unable to really modify that too much. I’ve seen some pretty cool designs. They just won’t fit.

I like the science behind their aquarium, but I lack the discipline and the skills to keep the water at parameters that would work for most stony corals. Nitrates stay a bit high. Soft corals work for me. :-)
I do love them. I’ve had fish Aquariums my whole life, and this is the first attempt at corals and reef keeping. IMG_9810.jpeg IMG_9816.jpeg IMG_9814.jpeg
 

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Interesting. My tank failures have created a huge amount of stress over the years and think for different reasons I sometimes experience stress worrying about my tank> Clearly not the same trama that has impacted our services personnel but we can all enjoy the calming effects that aquariums are famous for.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!
American GIF by MOODMAN
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Welcome to Reef2Reef and thank you for your service!

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Thank you for your service. Awesome tank!!!

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Nice (reef) tank, 6th Cav scout crew chief myself. Maybe we should find a way to have the VA fund our tanks as therapy, lol. I agree completely with the happiness they can provide.

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Welcome! Great job with the tank and creating solutions to the obstacles you have faced with it. Most importantly THANK YOU for your service.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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