Okay, MACNA wins.
I decided, long before they sealed the door on my flight home, that I'm going to start a new reef. I know, that's not all that unusual...Reefers have been doing it for years- going to the geeked-out coral fest that is MACNA for 3 days, then running out the door with visions of their next tank and all the cool stuff dancing in their head. Heck, I've done that before over the years.
But this time, it's different.
Let's be honest. For three plus years, my head (and the rest of me, LOL) has been firmly entrenched in a "livestock bubble" at Unique Corals. It's been all about getting everyone excited about cool corals and stuff...building a brand that reefers can turn to for corals and real reefing stuff. I think we're there, with much room for improvement...but we're well on the way. And now, with my freshwater site, Tannin Aquatics, starting to gain traction, it's getting real interesting!
I've built a lot of business related stuff over the past few years...But I always had some longing to get another reef going. I was just making excuses NOT to do it. Really. I WAS busy, but I'm a reefer...
During that time, my personal reef keeping work has been more or less on a self-imposed "hiatus", if you will. I'd sometimes go days in a row without even getting my hands wet! No excuse for that. Yeah, I guess you can say I have 16,000 gallons of saltwater and use that as a "resume item", but the reality was, I wasn't doing much with my personal home reef keeping, and that's kind of a bummer. A lot of cool stuff has happened in the years since I last built a reef tank from the ground up, and I can't wait to get in on it!
It's my turn now!
I've spoken dozens upon dozens of times around the world in just the time since we got underway at UC...Like, no letup from my pre-UC days speaking and traveling schedule...Crazy! It's been fun- and I am excited about doing a lot more this year (calendar is filling fast!). But what I was doing was just kinda using all of that 24/7 reef keeping "peripheral work" as an excuse not to maintain my personal reef.
Bad.
Done with that.
I'm realizing that all it took was a few days with some friends to get me re-activiated, if you will- ready to rock back into the reef keeping world on a more personal level.
So what you're going to see from me in the coming months is a bunch of stuff related to my planning, building, and managing this new reef. From my point of view. It's not going to be a shill-like, patronizing "tag-on-Facebook- every brand of gear I use to get free stuff" type of journey, as is becoming common with reef 'celebrities" these days (OK, I was told that I have been one for the last 10 years, and I suppose it's sort of true. People do recognize me and read and listen to me. Weird, trust me-but true.).
Nope, I'm going to discuss my ideas- get your advice...Share my thinking and rationales for my choices. Make it more of a journey, and less of a "look at the money I'm spending" thing. I'm going to create a modest reef tank that reflects MY views on reef keeping, equipped with the products that I like and feel will do the best job for me. Yes, I have access to some crazy stuff, but my decisions will not be based on what I can get. They'll be based upon what I think I need. I will give props to manufacturers that deserve it, and share frustrations about products that, well- frustrate me!
I'll be real. "Everyman's reefer", if you will. The old dog learning some new tricks...or perhaps, the old dog re-engaging.
I might make some decisions that will perplex you, if you follow me- like possibly embracing automation to some extent...stuff like that. Because the goal will be to have fun- but to push myself as a reefer. To grow. Not just to set up another tank in a long "career" of reef tanks. Rather, I want to set up a tank that fits my lifestyle, interests- and most important- serves the animals that I intend to keep.
Besides, if I do this publicly, you know that I'll actually follow through on it!
Guarantees:
*I will make a dozen changes in the "plans" before they get underway.
*This will not be some exotic, huge, dream system.
*I'll ask for advice when I need it.
*I will definitely screw stuff up.
*I will push myself far out of my comfort zone.
*I will share- good and bad- stuff that happens. From my typical weird perspective.
*I will laugh at my foibles.
*I will have fun.
* You might, too.
It just seems like the right time for this...Never felt more right, actually. I feel a bit more invigorated, engaged, and far more interested in doing it than I have in years.
That's a good thing.
This much I already know:
The aquarium itself will be glass (New for me 'cause I've been an acrylic guy for decades). It will be rimless. It will be no more than 60-75 U.S. gallons. It will be thoughtfully equipped; assembled for ease of operation and maintenance. It will have to fit into the vibe of the room it will be located in. It will aquascaped thoughtfully and minimalistically.
That's like all I know right now, LOL
I have some ideas about what kind of concept I might do, scribbled on my airline napkin:
-Just a great old-fashioned "SPS" tank with a limited number of species
-Deepwater Acros
-An all Acropora millepora tank
-A marine paludarium (hello, Palau!)
-A lagoon "open sand" biotope
-All soft corals
-An Assessor-based biotope (like craggy overhangs and such)
One of the above...Just need to get down to thinking more about what way to go, but that ge's you into the mindset I have. Perhaps you've entertained similar ideas?
Tank will have the capability of creating wicked flow and light, which can be controlled depending on which way I decide to go. Modularity and adaptability are a must.
Future installments will follow the process further- hopefully, more of a discussion than just me listing stuff I'm gonna do...I'd like to see other people who are planning tanks right now kind of come along for the ride...Renew my stoke- renew my faith in reef culture here!
Looking forward to this as we kick off "Reef Season!"
If we're not careful, we all might learn something from this (What I do not know yet...LOL).
Glad to have you aboard.
Stay engaged. Stay tuned.
Stay Wet!
Scott Fellman
Unique Corals
