Member Spotlight on harpua2002

Hi everyone! I want to start by letting you all know how much I appreciate being nominated for a member spotlight. My name is Marcie and I've been keeping fish for about 6 and a half years. It all started for me with a trip to a chain pet store and an impulse buy of a 1 gallon tank and a pretty yellow betta. I didn't know anything about cycling, so I just set the tank up and put the fish in it. Before too long, it was clear that my betta would be happier in a larger tank, so I jumped on a 10 gallon kit from Walmart when I got the chance. I upgraded my betta's tank but still didn't understand anything about cycling. It's a wonder that the little guy was able to live for a couple of years! When a friend gave me a 27 gallon hexagon tank, I was hooked. I started researching, trying to learn about everything I was doing wrong, and trying to understand how I could be a better fish keeper. Before long, my 2 tanks turned into 3, then 4, then 5. You know how it goes! I got a job at a LFS and was put in charge of the freshwater section, and it was so much fun to keep up on maintenance, order new fish, and get all the new shipments. It was then that I started learning more about saltwater fish and corals. After many months of research, I finally started my first saltwater tank almost 3 years ago and it's been such an enjoyable experience for me. Plus, I was able to meet my husband through this hobby- we met on another aquarium forum. When I moved in with him we rehomed some of our fish and combined the ones that were compatible into larger tanks. Now we're up to 8 tanks!

5.5 gallon, set up October 2009. Aquaclear 20 filter, Hydor 75W heater, Eco Complete plant substrate with natural gravel, 20W PC lighting
Fish: 1 male halfmoon betta, 2 pygmy hatchets, 5 ghost shrimp
Plants: corkscrew val, anubias, java fern, crypts, frogbit, riccia

8 gallon JBJ Nano 180, set up May 2009. JBJ built-in filtration and 11W PC lighting, Marineland Stealth 50W heater, pool filter sand
Fish: 2 dwarf puffers, 2 bumblebee gobies
Plants: corkscrew val, crypts (several varieties)

75 gallon, upgraded May 2007. Rena XP2 and Aquaclear 110 filters, Rena and Jager 150W heaters, 130W PC lighting, natural colored gravel
Fish: Jack Dempsey, blood parrot cichlid, gold severum, 4 botia modesta, rainbow shark, striped raphael catfish

75 gallon, started November 2009. 2 Rena XP2 filters, Jager 250W heater, 192W PC lighting, aragonite sand and gravel substrate
Fish: 7 julidochromis ornatus, proven pair of neolamprologus pulcher "daffodil" and many babies, 5 cyprichromis leptosoma "tri-color", 14 lepidiolamprologus hecqui
Plants: water sprite and frogbit

120 gallon, upgraded March 2009. 2 Rena XP3 filters, 2 Jager 250W heaters, 260W PC lighting, pool filter sand
Fish: 2 Rotkeil severums, festivum, 6 columbian tetras, 6 diamond tetras, 5 snakeskin barbs, tiger pleco, clown pleco, 2 true SAEs, 12 loaches (schistura mahnerti, botia robusta, botia lochata)
Plants: lots of crypts, java fern, needle leaf java fern, lily, Amazon sword

30 gallon Oceanic cube reef, started November 2009. 25 lbs. live rock, 150W MH lighting.
Fish: pearly jawfish, half black angel, black saddle clown
Corals: none yet

50 gallon reef and 20 gallon sump, started November 2008, upgraded July 2009. 70+ lbs. live rock, 6x 39W HO T5 lighting, Coralife Super Skimmer 125, aragonite sand.
Fish/Inverts: ORA misbar percula clown, blue dartfish, bicolor blenny, tangaroa goby, blue leg hermits, astrea snails, bumblebee snails, nassarius snails, tube anemone, fire shrimp, pistol shrimp
Corals: 15 varieties of zoas/palys, scolymia, turbinaria, ricordea and other mushrooms, psammocora, blue clove polyps, acanthastrea, lobophyllia, candy cane, favia, frogspawn

My husband and I have started to work on our biggest project yet- turning our garage into a fishroom. We have plans to set up numerous 10, 20, and 50 gallon aquariums, plus a 100 gallon frag tank, once we get plumbing and electrical work done. Our hope is that we can start breeding enough fish to get a business going some day.

I'd like to thank my husband Len for being my partner in this fascinating hobby. We learn from each other every day and continue to try to challenge ourselves. He is my greatest enabler and I wouldn't have it any other way. Also, thanks to my Fishlore friends- I've really enjoyed the dialogue and debate, guys.

List of Fish Lore Member Spotlights