Evolution of SW Tanks

Casey8 · #1 04-18-2012, 12:54 AM

I was born with fish and dogs. My father had a nice big pond with lots of different kinds of fish in his back yard. I started feeding his fish when I was 5 years old. He bought me my first fresh water fish tank when I was 13 years old. In 1993, I bought my very first saltwater fish tank and quit doing fresh water from there. Until 2003, I converted from a fish only tank to a LPS and softies tank. In 2008, thanks to Tom R - one of the members here -sold me a dozen of sps frags from his tank, and I got a tiny free frag from untamed, I got addicted with sps corals from that time until now. Living a whole life with fish and corals later on, people may think I have a lot of experiences ... but I am actually the most terrible reef keeper

The reason is ... I don't really care about corals very much ... I only like fish

Snaz · #2 04-18-2012, 01:33 AM

In mid eighties I was working in the fish department of the LFS and at that time the only saltwater tanks were bleached coral and under-gravel bio filters. One day the boss arrived with a bag of blue "bio-balls" and a plexiglas drip filter. The first in Ontario as far as we knew.. Within two years were we the goto source for these new technologies. Soon myself and two others from the fish department quit, drove to Key Largo, rented a trailer and began harvesting and shipping LR back to Canada. Good times.

subman · #3 04-18-2012, 02:08 AM

When I was in high school (over 15 yrs ago) I worked at PJ's pets and they were the only store in Edmonton that had saltwater anything. I remember hooking up the spraybar over the giant bin of bio-balls and thought this is the best filter ever!! I believe the LR was by special order only and you had to pay first.

I think one of the biggest improvements has been transportation of livestock. We were lucky to get damsels or a few tangs on the order sheet it was usually 1/2 page.

Snaz · #4 04-18-2012, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subman

When I was in high school (over 15 yrs ago) I worked at PJ's pets and they were the only store in Edmonton that had saltwater anything. I remember hooking up the spraybar over the giant bin of bio-balls and thought this is the best filter ever!! I believe the LR was by special order only and you had to pay first.

I think one of the biggest improvements has been transportation of livestock. We were lucky to get damsels or a few tangs on the order sheet it was usually 1/2 page.

PJ's Pets alumni as well, see above post. Steeles and Yonge in Toronto.

NorthernCoral · #5 04-18-2012, 02:38 AM

Not that I was even around, but my dad has kept saltwater for probably 30+ years. First with seahorses and then getting a 100g saltwatertank in the late 80's with a wet/dry filter and liverock which he ordered from an lfs and picked up at the airport direct from florida. The rock was very live from what I am told with sponges and what not. He had anenomes, clownfish, tangs, gobies even a queen angel but took it down shortly after I was born and went on a saltwater hiatus.

blacknife · #6 04-18-2012, 04:52 AM

I have only kept salt for 5 years or so, but fresh since grade 7(1988 i think), started with a tank from a garage sale and whatever fish i could get with my meager allowance and flyer route.

I would bicycle to Hole in the Wall in Calgary at lease once a week, even in minus 30, oogle at all the salt fish and the shark pool in the back, I don't remember prices but i remember my dad cringing any time I tried to talk him into letting me do salt.