Post your "fish resume"

[jcrim]

Just wondering what type of experience the people here have had. Don't feel bad if your working on your first aquarium, but I'm just wondering who is a marine biologist and who is a true newbie. Also curious about peoples' areas of expertise.
For me, I've maintained salt water tanks for almost 20 years... mostly aggressives. My first saltwater tank was a 20 gallon with an undergravel filter and two powerheads (my how filtration technology has advanced, huh). I've had a lot of eels, puffers and triggers as well as small sharks and stingrays. Never tried a true reef. Worked at the LFS throughout high school... about 15 years ago.

Most people here talk like they are experts, lets see what you've actually done...

 

[kickedoff2]

Have had a saltwater aggresive tank for 3 years and counting with a nitrate always at 0 (i didn't think that was a big deal but somone was like WHOA YOU KEPT A TANK FOR 3 YEARS WITH 0 NITRATES!!!) lol and it has a big bio-load too. I have also "running" a nanocube right now with a leathercoral that has tripled and size and 3 mushrooms that have multiplied to 18 mushrooms. I am also in the process of starting my first all-out reeftank!! It is cycled and ready for fish, I'm just letting it stabalize a bit more and then its off to get a pair of clownfish! Also, my LFS has offered me a job many times, but the boss is a jerk, so I say no thanks lol

 

[bang guy]

I've never kept a fish-only.
I've never kept aggresives.
I started my first real nano earlier this year.
26 years of keeping reefs.
My area of expertise would be system interactions and inverts in general (bugs).

 

[sw65galma]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
I've never kept a fish-only.
I've never kept aggresives.
I started my first real nano earlier this year.
26 years of keeping reefs.
My area of expertise would be system interactions and inverts in general (bugs).
I think you forgot...clowns...as i've heard you know a thing or 2 about them

 

[sw65galma]

I'm Craig 3years of SW and about 15yrs FW.
I have 7 Tanks, All Deep Sand Beds
15 nano
29 FO
46 Hex FOWLR
54 Corner Bow (new going to be reef)
65 is now my fuge
180 FW Oscars, pacu, dempseys, will turn to SW agressive soon.
300 FOWLR (soon to be reef)
My Specialties are sea Stars (2nd to Ophuira) and Tangs, working on being and Idol expert.

 

[darth tang]

Been at the hobby for 3-4 years now. I have two SW tanks and a third about to be set up.
Have no reef experience as this is a bit intimidating to me. lol
Both tanks were FOWLR.
Now one is aggressive and the other is my seahorse tank. I would say I understand and no more about the seahorses than any other fish species.
I also keep starfish, but will not keep the linkias.

 

[dogstar]

Im down low on the scale between marine biologist and true newbe.
3.5 years with reefs.
First reef was 120g glass w/ canisters. worked but knowing what I know now I dont know how I managed.
A year later and after learning much more, built my 180g acrylic and fuge.
I keep softies, LPS, anemonies, tangs and community fish.
Not an expert but I try to learn first and talk later.
I dont know what I dont know but I know theres a lot to know. haha
I do know I love this hobby....

 

[yas2903]

me to

 

[squidd]

Most people here talk like they are experts, lets see what you've actually done...
Here's my resume...Never mind how long...

Kind of reminds me of work...As a supervisor, I sometimes have to deal with the "Old Timers"...You know, the ones that have "Been around the Block a Time or Two"...
I'm like "What...You got Lost...? Kept going in circles...???"
Or "Don't tell ME how to do my job..I've been doing it 25 YEARS...!!!"
"Yeah, well, Sorry to say, for 25 years...You've been doing it WRONG..!!!"

They hate it when I'm right...

 

[speg]

I am a true newbie.. I spose i'll be the one with the least experience to actually come foward and admit it lol.
I have been reefing for 6........... months
I got into saltwater because I could FINALLY afford it.. i've wanted a saltwater fish tank forever.. i've had freshwater tanks for about 10 years and i've always been successful with them.. and till lately its all been about $$ and my lack of it.. I got my tax return money and went straight to the fish store and got a tank. I had no clue what I was getting into.. had no idea the knowledge you really needed to be successful in this hobby.. once I learned that you needed to know a thing or two about what you were doing.. I did nonstop research every chance I could.. lying to my gf saying I had to work when I really was trying to learn about the hobby.. days I called in sick for work I was on the web or reading a book about fish or studying my fish tank and going to fish stores and watching fish behaviors.. reading peoples experiences with the same fish as someone else and having completely different results was amazing to me.
I dont have much experience at all, but I try to answer questions here about things I actually know. If I do not know a question that someone has asked I simply do not answer or reply. I am trying to use my knowledge and my mistakes to help people out, and learn a lot as im doing so.
I have probably learned at least 50% of what I know about saltwater from this site.. reading other peoples problems and solutions. Probably 40% of what I know has come from my own tanks. I watch my fish/corals and test things on them (safely of course) to make sure what I am doing is right. The last 10% probably comes from books/magazines that I have purchased. Sadly fish books are very expensive so I only own two... but two great ones
So there you go.. the truth is out there =c)

 

[kimc]

I too am a newbie... In the past I kept freshwater fish w/success. About 1 1/2 years ago a girl was hired where I worked and she brought in a NanoCube. I was amazed!! and it seemed like it was something I could do. After watching her and learning a few things I decided I would give it a try. And somehow I stumbled upon this site!! Thank goodness, this site has been a lifesaver!! I have learned sooo much for all of you!! Well, last May I upgraded to a 90 gal and am absolutely in love!! I just can't get enough and hopefully will be able to enjoy my little piece of the reef for many, many years to come!!

 

[guyute]

I'll chime in just incase people enjoy reading this stuff

I'm a lot like Speg- spending entire days not working but reading these boards. Though unlike Speg, I haven't actually started my tank yet. hehe.
I've had FW tanks pretty much all of my 31 years. My dad started me young. About 6 years ago I got bored with standard FW and went to Cichlids. That taught me a whole lot about water chemistry, I learned to mix my own concoction of different salts & stuff to get my PH and hardness where I wanted. In the 6 years that I've had Cichlids, I've lost 2.
I got a 125g about 3 years ago during an LFS annual sale. Had it with the intention of doing a breeding group of large cichlids. But, after checking with a contractor and an engineer, they didn't believe my floor would support the weight... so it sat until we moved. We built a house on a slab :yes:
Once I realized I'd finally be able to set it up, I started thinking "well, if I'm ever going to go Salt, an empty 125 to start is a pretty good reason."
5 months later, I'm still a month or so away from putting water in. lol.
I knew this was going to be expensive... in both money, and the amount of time it'd take to learn...but, I really had NO idea!

But I figured I've waited this long to fill this sucker, no sense racing to the finish line.
So shortly I'll finally be able to say I'm a reefer, thanks to all the extremely helpful and knowledgeable people here that came before me. thanks!

 

[nomad]

I've been into FW since I was about 8 yrs old, helping my father raise various fish and apple snails for the LFS market out of our home.
As I got older I always wanted a SW tank, but all the reading I did about them said that you had to live by the ocean so that you could get water for the tank. Never having lived by the ocean, I never got the opportunity to live by the ocean so I never had a SW tank. I continued with FW tanks -- African Lake cichlids, a very large clown knifefish, a large arrowana. Then in the mid-80's I found out differently, but a lack of money

kept me from going SW. Then on the eve of moving the arrowana into a 1,000 gallon pond it wen floor surfing and died overnight of cerebral hemorrhage, I guess our talking about the move in front of it scared it to death. So I took my fresh water stuff, including a UG, washed it all real good with salt, put crushed coral on top, cycled a 55 with a couple of blue devil damsels (ended up with a pair), and then added about 120 pounds of live rock (after the cycle) and some Caulerpa and started what ended up being a successful tank.
Yes, I know I've rambled on longer than any probably wanted to read that's why I just stopped myself. Anyway, I now just have a 12 gal Eclipse with 96 watts of mixed 10,000 K and blue actinic that I've just started placing soft corals in.

 

[haze123]

I dont think I be hired for the job lol

 

[killergoby]

Total time in the hobby 7 years.
1st tank- 10 gallon viaquarium
Then a - 10 gallon aquarium
Then a - 20 gallon African Cichlid tank
Then a - 75 gallon African Cichlid tank
With a - 20 gallon Discus tank
Then a - 10 gallon Nano Reef
With a - 29 gallon FOWLR
Currently a
75 gallon FOWLR
29 gallon Nano Reef

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by Squidd
Here's my resume...Never mind how long...

Kind of reminds me of work...As a supervisor, I sometimes have to deal with the "Old Timers"...You know, the ones that have "Been around the Block a Time or Two"...
I'm like "What...You got Lost...? Kept going in circles...???"
Or "Don't tell ME how to do my job..I've been doing it 25 YEARS...!!!"
"Yeah, well, Sorry to say, for 25 years...You've been doing it WRONG..!!!"

They hate it when I'm right...

You are awesome. Ha!
Oh, andso is the tank

 

[hot883]

Name's Barry, been in sw off and on for 17 years. Claim to fame 7 tanks all at once all with CC and while living in Hawaii. Had triggers, humuhumu nukunuku, apaua'a, several eels, sea horses, Oscars and even an 23" Arrowana. True claim to fame is surviving 20 years in the USMC, Ha! Just started back up with a 55 3-4 months ago. Love the advice and comraderie on here. I appreciate all that helped and all that contributed with pictures.

 

[mr.p]

I'm a newbie =) but I don't try and act like an expert. If giving or trying to give advice to someone makes me sound like an expert then so what. I'm a newbie but I know saltwater fish will be in my life for the rest of my life. Even if I don't have a tank I know I would still read about it visit my LFs etc.

 

[killergoby]

Originally Posted by Mr.P
I'm a newbie =) but I don't try and act like an expert. If giving or trying to give advice to someone makes me sound like an expert then so what. I'm a newbie but I know saltwater fish will be in my life for the rest of my life. Even if I don't have a tank I know I would still read about it visit my LFs etc.

Always remain teachable. We all have something more to learn.

 

[angelsrock]

i have 4 years of experience in fowlr, some reef, aggressive, community. i have a hard on for angels as you can probably tell. i work at a lfs part time while i go to college. i also volunteer at the local aquarium.