Tangle
New Member
Hey guys! I'm Heather and my experience with reef tanks is practically nonexistent but I have always wanted to build one ever since I visited the TN Aquarium when I was a child. When we moved to GA I missed being so close to the aquarium so after I got my first job I decided to spend my first paycheck on a 30gal freshwater tank to test the waters, so to speak.
The tank was up and running and I remember being so excited, even though there was nothing in there except for rocks and water. The day I visited my lfs was a sad day. It is the only one for miles and when I saw the fish they had in stock I was devastated! In almost every tank there were dead fish floating around and the ones that were still swimming seemed sluggish and sickly. When I saw a group of Black Moors, one in particular caught my eye. He was practically stationary towards the bottom of the tank, one of his definitive bubble-eyes deflated. I immediately found a sales clerk and stated "I'm saving that one."
By the time I got home I had dubbed my new friend "Mad-Eye" (I am a Harry Potter geek at heart) and introduced him to his new home. Mad-Eye unfortunately had fin rot so he had to be treated but after we survived the stress he seemed to be thriving in his new home. I loved that little guy. Unfortunately, a year later I was out of town when Hurricane Katrina passed through GA and the electricity went out for four days. Mad-Eye did not make it.
I gave up my tank, packed everything and passed it along to a younger cousin who seemed interested. Losing Mad-Eye made me feel like a failure. It wasn't until recently when I visited the ATL GA Aquarium with family that I felt that familiar tug to try again. So I have been doing research like crazy because it has been years since I've set up a tank and this forum has helped A LOT with that. I'm also taking the process slow, not only because I'm still saving up money, but also because I want to do it right.
My next step is to find a semi-local store who do not abuse their fish so I can get acquainted with staff and start looking for the perfect aquarium for me. Again, I am in no hurry so you probably won't see any build threads from me for awhile. I just wanted to introduce myself and share my story on how I fell in love with this hobby.
The tank was up and running and I remember being so excited, even though there was nothing in there except for rocks and water. The day I visited my lfs was a sad day. It is the only one for miles and when I saw the fish they had in stock I was devastated! In almost every tank there were dead fish floating around and the ones that were still swimming seemed sluggish and sickly. When I saw a group of Black Moors, one in particular caught my eye. He was practically stationary towards the bottom of the tank, one of his definitive bubble-eyes deflated. I immediately found a sales clerk and stated "I'm saving that one."
By the time I got home I had dubbed my new friend "Mad-Eye" (I am a Harry Potter geek at heart) and introduced him to his new home. Mad-Eye unfortunately had fin rot so he had to be treated but after we survived the stress he seemed to be thriving in his new home. I loved that little guy. Unfortunately, a year later I was out of town when Hurricane Katrina passed through GA and the electricity went out for four days. Mad-Eye did not make it.
I gave up my tank, packed everything and passed it along to a younger cousin who seemed interested. Losing Mad-Eye made me feel like a failure. It wasn't until recently when I visited the ATL GA Aquarium with family that I felt that familiar tug to try again. So I have been doing research like crazy because it has been years since I've set up a tank and this forum has helped A LOT with that. I'm also taking the process slow, not only because I'm still saving up money, but also because I want to do it right.
My next step is to find a semi-local store who do not abuse their fish so I can get acquainted with staff and start looking for the perfect aquarium for me. Again, I am in no hurry so you probably won't see any build threads from me for awhile. I just wanted to introduce myself and share my story on how I fell in love with this hobby.
