Hello! My husband and I just moved about four months ago from Phoenix, Arizona to Aurora, Colorado and now to our house in Littleton as of last month. I was raised in Hawaii and Florida by US Navy submariner and a chronic beach addict. No kidding, mom flunked out of college because she'd rather be surfing. In short, I bleed water, primarily salt, but my house was a 5 minute walk to the St. Johns River so freshwater is near and dear. I had never lived more than 15 minutes from the ocean... Until true love came and stole me to nasty Arizona.
I met my husband online. We got engaged, I moved to Phoenix with him and then it hit me, without my water and my horses, I have no idea what to do with myself. In college, my school was located on a peninsula in Boca Ciego Bay and every day after class I went kayaking and fishing. Sometimes I'd go to the beach, other days I'd be out on a boat with friends. Without the bitter salt spray in my face or the pulsing power of horse flesh beneath me, I felt like I had lost a portion of myself.
During a family crisis, I returned to Florida for three months to take care of my family. It was there I watched "Tanked" (snicker if you like but it got me interested lol). I had never thought of keeping a tank before past my little betta growing up. So I started researching. I called my husband, who had given me limits on the animals I could keep. I'd have noah's ark if I could and I'm already "maxxed" at two greyhounds and a deaf cat (but the cat was there before he was so I don't think the cat should count. lol). I thought I'd be in for a battle with a ten gallon nano tank. Surprisingly, he was supportive and when I got home, he announced he thought we should do a 20 gallon long. So I said, Okay!
That was our first tank two years ago. While it took the edge off, I was still miserable in phoenix. I love fishing and being outdoors, but it's difficult to do when the nearest lake is 40 minutes to the north and the gauge is reading 120 degrees. I wanted to go home to Florida. Husband hates Florida, so we started looking else where. He suggested Colorado. I'm not a fan of snow, but I agreed we could take a trip. I didn't want to go back to the stupid desert after that. I wanted my lawn back, my water back, my fishing back. My ability to go from the car to the store without melting.
A year later, we moved! The long back story is because my love of the water is bound with both my involvement in the hobby and my push to move to Colorado.
But we have yet to re-establish the 20. In fact, we've gone smaller than a 20, smaller than a 10 and smaller than a 5.
My current tank is a sort of experiment for now. It is an all stock, straight out of the box Aqueon Evolve 4 gallon. I was going to do a whole bunch of upgrades with lighting and the pump. But while cycling stock, I decided to see what it can do for now. It's an all softie tank and so far the zoas and rics are loving it. I have a Green Clown Goby named Meraxes. The tank is about four months old. Eventually, the top will be a ric garden with sexy shrimp. The bottom will be a zoa garden. Aside from the sexies, I'm also planning on adding a pom pom shrimp and I think that will probably do it unless I find someother interesting invert to add.
View attachment 15407
Current FTS color balance sucks so you can't really see anything.
View attachment 15408
Meraxes the goby.
View attachment 15409
View attachment 15410
View attachment 15411
In the future, I plan on doing a 2.5 to 5 gallon dwarf seahorse tank. At the moment, I travel to much and trust too little to rely on someone to watch that kind of tank. But I'm pregnant with our first baby, so I'm sure I won't travel as much and then I may start the tank. As for other tanks, we have thought of a 40 breeder. My husband really loves the dimensions, and in the future, using the breeder as a sump for our ultimate goal tank. Husband wants to max at 90. I want at least 120. But that's in the distant future since this is a very expensive hobby where coral is concerned. lol
Sorry for the long post. haha. My main build thread is at http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/323861-the-narrow-sea-aqueon-evolve-4/ But I will make a build thread here as well. I'm looking forward to meeting other reefers in the area!
-lkoechle
I met my husband online. We got engaged, I moved to Phoenix with him and then it hit me, without my water and my horses, I have no idea what to do with myself. In college, my school was located on a peninsula in Boca Ciego Bay and every day after class I went kayaking and fishing. Sometimes I'd go to the beach, other days I'd be out on a boat with friends. Without the bitter salt spray in my face or the pulsing power of horse flesh beneath me, I felt like I had lost a portion of myself.
During a family crisis, I returned to Florida for three months to take care of my family. It was there I watched "Tanked" (snicker if you like but it got me interested lol). I had never thought of keeping a tank before past my little betta growing up. So I started researching. I called my husband, who had given me limits on the animals I could keep. I'd have noah's ark if I could and I'm already "maxxed" at two greyhounds and a deaf cat (but the cat was there before he was so I don't think the cat should count. lol). I thought I'd be in for a battle with a ten gallon nano tank. Surprisingly, he was supportive and when I got home, he announced he thought we should do a 20 gallon long. So I said, Okay!
That was our first tank two years ago. While it took the edge off, I was still miserable in phoenix. I love fishing and being outdoors, but it's difficult to do when the nearest lake is 40 minutes to the north and the gauge is reading 120 degrees. I wanted to go home to Florida. Husband hates Florida, so we started looking else where. He suggested Colorado. I'm not a fan of snow, but I agreed we could take a trip. I didn't want to go back to the stupid desert after that. I wanted my lawn back, my water back, my fishing back. My ability to go from the car to the store without melting.
A year later, we moved! The long back story is because my love of the water is bound with both my involvement in the hobby and my push to move to Colorado.
But we have yet to re-establish the 20. In fact, we've gone smaller than a 20, smaller than a 10 and smaller than a 5.
My current tank is a sort of experiment for now. It is an all stock, straight out of the box Aqueon Evolve 4 gallon. I was going to do a whole bunch of upgrades with lighting and the pump. But while cycling stock, I decided to see what it can do for now. It's an all softie tank and so far the zoas and rics are loving it. I have a Green Clown Goby named Meraxes. The tank is about four months old. Eventually, the top will be a ric garden with sexy shrimp. The bottom will be a zoa garden. Aside from the sexies, I'm also planning on adding a pom pom shrimp and I think that will probably do it unless I find someother interesting invert to add.
View attachment 15407
Current FTS color balance sucks so you can't really see anything.
View attachment 15408
Meraxes the goby.
View attachment 15409
View attachment 15410
View attachment 15411
In the future, I plan on doing a 2.5 to 5 gallon dwarf seahorse tank. At the moment, I travel to much and trust too little to rely on someone to watch that kind of tank. But I'm pregnant with our first baby, so I'm sure I won't travel as much and then I may start the tank. As for other tanks, we have thought of a 40 breeder. My husband really loves the dimensions, and in the future, using the breeder as a sump for our ultimate goal tank. Husband wants to max at 90. I want at least 120. But that's in the distant future since this is a very expensive hobby where coral is concerned. lol
Sorry for the long post. haha. My main build thread is at http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/323861-the-narrow-sea-aqueon-evolve-4/ But I will make a build thread here as well. I'm looking forward to meeting other reefers in the area!
-lkoechle
