First Tank

PhishMonger84 · May 2, 2023

dennis romano said:
I set up my first saltwater tank around 1972. It was a ten gallon with real wood trim, held together with pin nails. The only substrate available was fine gravel for feeding to birds. Filtration was an inside box filter. Decoration was a coral skeleton and giant conch shell. On top was a clear plastic canopy and a metal incandescent strip light. Bags of salt were not available yet, so the owner of the store had a garbage can with the salt in it. She weighed out how much you needed.

sorry, I'm stuck on "fine gravel for feeding to birds" I've got to know, why were you feeding birds gravel?

vetteguy53081 · May 2, 2023

PhishMonger84 said:
sorry, I'm stuck on "fine gravel for feeding to birds" I've got to know, why were you feeding birds gravel?

It was the option for sand at the time OR very chalky Dolomite

Zach B · May 2, 2023

Nanocube, aio, no idea what lights back then. 2004

dennis romano · May 3, 2023

PhishMonger84 said:
sorry, I'm stuck on "fine gravel for feeding to birds" I've got to know, why were you feeding birds gravel?

Parakeets need the gravel to digest their food. The gravel grinds the food in their "stomach". It's small, only about 1/16 of an inch.

PhishMonger84 · May 3, 2023

dennis romano said:
Parakeets need the gravel to digest their food. The gravel grinds the food in their "stomach". It's small, only about 1/16 of an inch.

Thanks for explanation, with little to no bird husbandry knowledge I was concerned

DIYreefer · May 3, 2023

Mine was a 75g with under gravel filtration. I used dechlorinated tap water and had a variety of fish. I started with damsels, which eventually got eaten by a lionfish. This was in '97. Good times!

RZGreef · May 3, 2023

My first was a 10 gallon All-Glass back in the early '90s. It was freshwater, and had an under gravel filter. I just used tap water, and added in conditioner/dechlorinator each time I did a water change. As a student with very limited funds I just kept the cheapest fish I could get at the time. If memory serves, a bunch of tetras and loaches that I could get for under $1 ea. The tank, filter, gravel, heater, water conditioner and some random supplies (food, net, etc) were like under $35, I think total. The stand was my night table next to my bed. Past me would have a heart attack over what I've put into my reef so far.

Lowell Lemon · May 3, 2023

First freshwater tank was I the early 60's and was stainless steel frame with a black sealant, with guppies and sword tails. Incandescent light that heated the water and fiberglass for filter media.

vetteguy53081 · May 3, 2023

Lowell Lemon said:
First freshwater tank was I the early 60's and was stainless steel frame with a black sealant, with guppies and sword tails. Incandescent light that heated the water and fiberglass for filter media.

Oh - had some of those tanks with the slate bottom

nuxx · May 3, 2023

55 gallon on a passthrough between the living and dining rooms.

Two cheap powerheads and a canister filter. Added a cheap HOB skimmer.

Used the LED lights built into the 55 gallon kit cover.

Pretty bad IMO...

Sythero · May 3, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
What was the size of your first saltwater aquarium and how was it equipped?

Mine was a 10 gallon tank with a hang on power filter, under gravel filter with dolomite and each corner of under gravel filter had MJ 250 powerhead on it and a glass top with a compact fluorescent light and stocked with a mix of damsels (3 stripe, domino, blue devil and yellowtail blue ( They were 4 for $5)
Floating hydrometer and no RODI but tap water with penn plax water conditioner and nice scenic background on the back glass.

My first tank was a monstrosity, I wanted a saltwater aquarium for my 10th Birthday and this was back when the guy at the fish store basically told you everything you needed.

15-Gallon with a Fluval 204 Canister and heater.
Stocked was a Tomato Clown that I had for about 7 years.
My main memories are of an algae-filled tank with salt creep everywhere.

I didn't even use live rock, I believe the tank was just a Large Sunken-ship, fake plastic plants, and a fake anemone.

vetteguy53081 · May 3, 2023

Sythero said:
My first tank was a monstrosity, I wanted a saltwater aquarium for my 10th Birthday and this was back when the guy at the fish store basically told you everything you needed.

15-Gallon with a Fluval 204 Canister and heater.
Stocked was a Tomato Clown that I had for about 7 years.
My main memories are of an algae-filled tank with salt creep everywhere.

I didn't even use live rock, I believe the tank was just a Large Sunken-ship, fake plastic plants, and a fake anemone.

How times have changed. Salt creep was a norm and we also had a ship and a conch shell we called algae sea grass

Rubymoon286 · May 3, 2023

FOWLR - I had a 40 gallon with a marine land hob filter.

Reef - 10 gallon display with a 10 gallon sump, skimmer, filter sock, and a gen 1 noopsyche

C_AWOL · May 3, 2023

30g tank with a rena xp3 canister filter, 2 hydor koralia 3?(the 1400gph ones), lee counter current protein skimmer (the old wooden airstone ones) that was later changed to a deltec mrc600(or something with an M) Hob skimmer which ended up being one of my most regretted purchases to this day in the hobby.

Feels so weird now to think about the fact that I used to use pc and vho lights on my reef back then

Norcoreefer · May 26, 2023

My first was a 55 gal

mfinn · May 27, 2023

Lowell Lemon said:
First freshwater tank was I the early 60's and was stainless steel frame with a black sealant, with guppies and sword tails. Incandescent light that heated the water and fiberglass for filter media.

Same here. If I remember right I got a 10 or 15 gallon tank for my birthday in 1962.
My first salty tank came in 1985. A flatback hex, 35 gallons. ( I think that's what they called it.)

Rmckoy · May 27, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
What was the size of your first saltwater aquarium and how was it equipped?

Mine was a 10 gallon tank with a hang on power filter, under gravel filter with dolomite and each corner of under gravel filter had MJ 250 powerhead on it and a glass top with a compact fluorescent light and stocked with a mix of damsels (3 stripe, domino, blue devil and yellowtail blue ( They were 4 for $5)
Floating hydrometer and no RODI but tap water with penn plax water conditioner and nice scenic background on the back glass.

First tank . In the early 90’s was a 30 gal cube from a lfs clearing out their display tanks .

Had a stand pipe in the middle .
cycled with yellow tail damsels and a acclimated black Molly .
A few weeks later I added a yellow tang , a pair of true perc clownfish and an anemone

secret_reefer337 · May 27, 2023

75 gal FOWLR, hang on back air driven protein skimmer, air bubble wand and pink and white fluorescent tube. This was back in the early 90’s while I am still in my home country. Even though I could easily get or buy sea water, the marine biologist owner of the store I frequent to suggest to use a synthetic salt, and my brand back then is “Sera”.