My first aquarium was started back in 1990 as a ‘fish only’, marine system, following a visit to the Caribbean. Once hooked there was no going back!  The last aquarium (above) was created in 1997. It was larger, more sophisticated, and was now a ‘Reef’ system with various invertebrates, corals and a small collection of fish.

This transition from no knowledge to marine reef keeper was not without its problems. Getting the conditions just right for all the animals and maintaining this small ecosystem has proved difficult (and expensive!), but the results are well worth the effort.

The aquarium had pride of place in the lounge and has kept all the family enthralled as well as providing extensive education to my two boys. The mixture of fish, corals, shrimps, crabs, star fish, and snails are always on the move. They are often much better entertainment than the TV and are fascinating to watch. Activity changes from day to night and feeding time is always energetic. It is a ‘magnet’ to everyone who visits, often meaning that I have to talk to the side of peoples heads as they can not take their eyes off the ever changing aquarium reefscape.

In the linked pages you will find some photos of the aquarium and its inhabitants, and for those who like the technicalities, some diagrams of the tank set up and tables of the key statistics.