[Acme1234]

Hello all!

Just getting back to marine aquaria after a 30 year hiatus. I kind of got away from it when (in the 1970s) it was apparent that most home aquariums were death sentences for whatever happened to be unfortunate enough to find there way into my tank. It was Robert PL Straughn (may he RIP) and undergravel filters with activated carbon and cured coral skeletons which eventually would wind up being algae fields... I did manage to keep things (fish) alive for years at a time, but nothing ever "thrived."

Most heartbreaking was my experience with anenomes. Even worse, now that I'm aware of their longevity in the wild and their importance to their reef environment.

So very much has changed. Things actually survive and thive now. Coral propgation (and just husbandry) has become commonplace. Lighting. It seems that collection with dynamite and cyanide is on the wane. At last I could maybe keep the tridacnids I've cherished my entire life!

However, at the moment I don't have space (or a permanent enough lifestyle) to allow me my own aquarium, so I volunteer at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific (I like to call their main reef display (~4K gallons), "my tank")!

I'm happy to be here and have enjoyed reading many threads (and have learned very much). I thought it was time to end the lurking and say hello!

- Joe