11/3/2012  EDIT:  For personal reasons, I no longer have my reef tank, but I am keeping this site up as a source of information for those interested in reefkeeping.

This site is dedicated to my saltwater reef tank.  For those of you who have visited melloreef.com before, you may notice quite a few changes - and not just the design of the site itself.  The biggest change you will notice is that I no longer have the 55-gallon TruVu aquarium filled with critters and corals flourishing beautifully in my little piece of the ocean.   As luck would have it, mine ran out, and my entire tank was destroyed by some indestructible algae.  I had tried everything to save the tank and its inhabitants:  replacing the fluorescent bulbs; siphoning the algae from all surfaces; weekly water changes; nothing stopped it from overtaking every inch of the tank - corals and all.  I lost everything I had enjoyed for almost three years in just a few short months.

After a couple of months of feeling sorry for myself and all the livestock I lost, I purchased a new tank.  Instead of acrylic, I decided on a glass 55-gallon Aquarium.  I chose glass because I now know how easily the acrylic gets scratched, and I chose the same capacity so I could use my existing oak canopy and stand.  I have made some major changes in my maintenance routine, as well as equipment setup.  I am hoping these changes will better my success for this tank and its inhabitants.  On the following pages of this site, I will share my experiences as a reefer and the things I have learned from those experiences.

As I have said before, I am constantly surprised by what goes on under the bright lights of the canopy, and more surprised by what goes on when the lights go out!  I believe being a "reefer" is a never-ending learning experience.  Read all the books you want, ask all the questions of fellow reefers you want, and you will still never know it all and everyone's experiences are different.  As with everything in life, everyone has an opinion.  I cannot think of a more fascinating hobby than reef keeping.  There's always something to see, something to learn about.  All sorts of wonders -- big and small.

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This page was last updated on 10/03/18.