The Introduction Room (Wisco Reefers)

Zach B · Feb 21, 2022

Hello everyone and Hello to our new members! I know we have had a thread like this before but I wanted to start fresh. This thread will be for anyone who wants to introduce themselves & especially for our new members. I would like all to participate if possible please. We can let others know our experience, goals, etc. Let's all please be respectful & give all a warm welcome

I will start with me... #wiscoreefers

Zach B · Feb 21, 2022

Hey all, my name is Zach Brown & I am one of the leaders of the Wisco Reefers. I live in Slinger, WI with my wife and 2 children. I have been in this hobby for over 17 years. I keep a 150g display and a 75g display. My goal is to keep a healthy mixed reef in my 150 & an anemone tank with a good selection of fish in my 75. I love to educate myself & help others with this hobby every day that I can. It is an absolute passion of mine as I was born in Ireland by the ocean and grew up in California by the ocean. I hope to help us grow as a group and to help us be more successful in reefing together. I thank you all for being a part of our awesome group

#wiscoreefers

Sincerely
Zach Brown

cwerner · Feb 21, 2022

You grew up in Ireland and California and ended up in Slinger? Oof.

JK.

Hello everyone, my name is CJ and I've been a Sconnie my whole life. I'm married with two young children and currently live in the Beaver Dam area. I've been into aquariums basically my whole life, but only about the last year have I been into reef aquariums. I'm running an IM 50 gallon AIO that is about 4 months and a couple weeks old. I'm hopping for it to be a full mixed reef with mainly LPS with maybe a couple SPS. My dream tank someday would probably a 120 gallon display with a basement sump.... Possibly plumbed into a basement frag tank as well.

My other hobbies include video games, hunting, and ice fishing.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 21, 2022

Hi - vetteguy53081 here.
Been reefing 37+ years, former Pet store owner and several courses in marine biology not to mention attending Monthly seminars with leading speakers and manufacturers.
have had many types and sizes of setups and looking forward to setting up the 1500g. Im sure once thats up, I will still want bigger !
Those who dont know where I live, I live on R2R. . LoL but Sheboygan area and soon to Doral Florida. Work and life keeps me busy as does my GF if shes ever home.

Reef-junky · Feb 21, 2022

Hey guys,

Names Rick. Start with a 29 tall all in one. Couldn’t afford to keep it going because of college cost at the time. Got a 55 with two fish for free but the tank was full of problems that I didn’t have the experience to fix and it really wasn’t what I wanted got rid of that and started building a 75 gallon custom set up. Got a lot of the stuff but not quite all of it. We ended up buying a house before I could complete the tank and unfortunately I now have a ton of house projects so the tank is on hold till who knows when. We are going to completely redo the basement which is where the tank will live. Right now I have it completely gutted and don’t know when I will be able to start work on it. I need all new windows and there is a leak down there somewhere that needs to be found and fixed. I have a pool that I am building a deck for which will be the project that money goes into as soon as it gets warm out. The main deck is almost done. I also would like to build an outdoor kitchen/tiki bar for my smoker. Going to try to help Zack get things going. Hopefully we get get people to participate in things. My love for the ocean came from bodyboarding in California.

A broke mans backyard DIY build/paradise

The deck on the house had a tree that died going through it. I cut the tree below the deck and put 5 new boards. It badly needed to be painted so we are in the process of doing that now. The deck is 16’ 10” x 15’ 103/4” I built my wife a raised flower bed that I need to finish that is full...

www.reef2reef.com

TaylorP78 · Feb 22, 2022

Hello everyone!

My name is Taylor Pinkowski, I just turned 20 and I live in Waukesha Wisconsin. I am studying marine biology and business in college. I also work have worked at the fish store called “Best Fish” in Milwaukee. I have been officially reefing for a little over a year, but prior to ever getting my first tank I did at least 300 hours worth of research to learn as much as I could about reef chemistry, the mechanics and maintenance necessary to keep and grow vibrant corals. I don’t know why exactly but I’ve always been drawn to the ocean ever since I was a kid, even just water in general. I also on the swim and dive team in high school just because I loved being in water lol. But I went on a scuba trip to Florida with the Boy Scouts and I got to see actual reefs up close, which really kicked my interest into high gear. Within 2 days of coming home from that I already had bought my first saltwater tank, which happens to be my main tank right now. It is a 20g waterbox cube stocked with some basic fish, clowns, chromis, and a blenny. My real passion is honestly the corals tho, I have over 100 frags in that 20g tank lol. Much bigger things coming soon tho!! I am completely and utterly fascinated and obsessed with the natural phenomenon that we call a reef tank. I want to spend the rest of my life in this hobby and would like to make a life out of it if I could. I work a lot but I always love to help anyone out in any way I can, so if anyone has any questions, requests or inquiries for the store, or ever just wants to meet up and talk, please feel free to message me!

other hobbies/interests: fishing, scuba, camping, hockey, soccer, video games, and hiking

Viperdragon · Feb 22, 2022

Hey everybody.

My name is Jeremiah. I grew up in rual IL and had a reef tank about 15 years that I always had problem and could never get anything to grow just always did ok. I moved to Wisconsin 3 years ago. I have always been good at doing research and passing on the knowledge that I learn for any hobby that I do. Just over a year ago my wife a daughter talked me into setting up another tank. They didn't have to try very hard. Lol. So we set up a 75 gallon mixed reef that is doing well. In the next year or so we are probably going to upgrade to a 150 or slightly bigger as they want more fish and get fish that we shouldn't have in a 75. I love tangs and would love to have a tang gang. I love what Zach is doing for the club and I hope we grow and become a great club for everyone to join.

adittam · Feb 22, 2022

Hi everyone - I'm Matt, and live in Monona (basically Madison) with my wife and two kids. I am pretty new to reefing, after having kept FW fish most of my life. I started out with a 46g sumpless setup about 11 months ago, and upgraded that to a 80g lagoon display tank about 4 months ago. I've got a nice mix of fish and various different types of corals, with my softies and BTA thriving and my LPS and SPS having ups and downs. In my professional life, I've been working as an ER nurse at UW for about 5 years now, and prior to that, my first career was working in a lab as a chemist. When I've got free time, I love photography, skiing, hiking, and trading corals!

Build Thread - 80 gallon shallow lagoon mixed reef - upgrade time!

So anyone who's seen my first build thread or read any of my several posts about planning this upgrade may already know this, but while this is my second reef tank, it's my first one with a sump, so the learning curve has been steep this time around as well. I've been planning this upgrade...

www.reef2reef.com

Weasel1960 · Feb 23, 2022

Hi. My name is Randy, originally from Manitowoc, now live in a log cabin style home in 10 acres of maple woods near Monticello. married, 3 daughters all grown and 4 grand kids. Getting back into the hobby after being away for 30+ years. A lot has changed, been learning a lot here on R2R and hope to have my build up and running by Christmas this year.

littlebeard · Feb 24, 2022

Hi Reef Club,

My name is Paul. I started my journey in reefing roughly 15+ years ago when I lived in the south Florida area. At the job I was working, someone had a disused custom made 150 that was gathering dust. This became my first tank which initially consisted of everything I collected from the ocean(water/fish). As my knowledge grew so did my tank, I began to frequent many of the south florida lfs and this soon became a every weekend diversion. I stepped into the world of corals and couldn't turn back.

Fast forward, about 9 months before the global thing happened I decided to uproot my family as I tired of big city living and move to the madison area(little outside and to the south). Seeing that my 150 wasn't in the best shape I decided to not tote it 1400 miles. After settling in, I got a 125 with the desire to grow corals specifically those sticks. It's been a rough journey, and I feel like I'm new to the hobby again. I'm struggling to keep my corals.... fish are doing great though! I miss my old live rock and nearly free sea water.

gem.nut85 · Dec 11, 2022

Nice to have a good local club again! I'm Ben Live outside sun prairie and have done saltwater for 20 yrs with a break for about 6 years due to being broke after divorce lol. I ended up taking down my 46G bowfont which if someone wants it's on my porch but is a spring cleanout project! I got back in 2 years ago after the tech jump when prices went down and caught me a Red Sea Max nano for a great deal. My issue has always been my well water and got my spectrapure RODI but still have to get it installed in my basement. Until then it's buckets or distilled. I know exactly what I will put into it fish wise but have a love for SPS and zoas and hope to get that going soon. I'm 37 and live with my 3 best friends in the house I grew up in and am pretty low key and roll with life kinda guy. Hopefully we can actually do meet ups on day like the MARS group long ago.
At the moment I am mid upgrade with my tank and swapped it's power pump to the mighty jet nano DC and love it, I have my ATO canister ready but need a tunze ATO yet and the skimmer will be changed out from stock which is micro bubbles like crazy for a tunze doc comline 9001 skimmer which will stabilize. Now to find someone to help me hook up the rodi unit! LOL

Bob Escher · Jan 10, 2023

Hi all. Just discovered the group.
I have been in the hobby since 2012; started with a JBJ AIO 45 gallon that I converted to have a sump which was a trigger systems 18 gal cube. Mixed tank
And at any given time ten fish. I just converted to a IM internal 50 gal. ( we live in a 2nd story condo and there is no room for anything bigger.) it has a fiji cube 24 sump.
Transferred everything over from the old one. Went well but due to the move lost a bunch Acans ( misplaced the rocks) but rebuilding

Dbichler · Jan 10, 2023

My names Dominic been reefing since 2006 grew up on lake 5 in Colgate now live in Menomonee Falls. Started with a 54 corner then deployed with the USAF and sold that tank. Got home bought a 29 biocube to hold me over until I could find a deal on a big tank. Found my current 210 for a steal and have had it up and running for 4 years so far.

Weasel1960 · Jan 10, 2023

Welcome to the club @Bob Escher and @Dbichler

Viperdragon · Jan 11, 2023

Welcome @Bob Escher and @Dbichler

Rageb1t · Mar 16, 2023

Hello,

My name is Brian, and I live in Mukwonago, 30 miles southwest of Milwaukee. I had freshwater tanks growing up and love the fish-keeping hobby. In my late 20s, I changed to saltwater and struggled through the hobby for about 7 years. I started with an All Glass 55-gallon with compact fluorescent light. My tank was ok, but I did not have the knowledge to maintain the tank properly. When I moved from West Allis to Mukwonago, I downsized to a 29 Biocube. I kept 2 gobies and 2 clowns with a bunch of soft corals. I kept the tank for a few years, then kids happened. I decided to leave the hobby and shut down the tank (maybe 2013). In 2020, I talked my wife into letting me get another tank. So I got the Biocube 32. I kept it stock for about 1.5 years and then modified it. I removed the tank lid, added an AI Prime HD, Aquamaxx HOB skimmer, and a polycarbonate cover.

[WDT]Kyuss · Jun 2, 2023

Hello all, I just found this forum today and joined the WIscoReefers website today as well!

My name is Josh I was born in Waukesha and moved to the Driftless Region when I was about 6 years old. I live in La Crosse and I am the head nerd herder at Organic Valley. I have two teens, two devil cats, and a new Cade 1200 S2 that I fired up in October of 2022. I have been reefing for about 16 years now. I started with 12-gallon nanocube, then jumped to a 40-tall, then a 75, then a 90, and then a 300-gallon. I was an active member of LARK (La Crosse Area Reef Keepers) for years but it has pretty much dissolved now

My wife and I separated five years ago so I took down the 300 when I moved out. I started up a small 30-gallon at my office just to keep the salt in my blood. Last October on a whim I purchased that Cade 1200S2 and now I am all the way back in and just starting to stock corals. Of course, I am already thinking when I sell this house and buy a new one I will go all in again with a 300-gallon or so. But for now, the Cade keeps me busy and happy! I am looking forward to attending frag swaps again!!