Tell us about yourself:

My name is Jon Rivera. Im From the Pocono's Eastern Pa, Im 25, Im a welder, fabricator and in the middle of a house move.

How did you get involved in the saltwater hobby?

I went down south to see my girlfriends older brother graduate from the USMC, and we went to Mertyl Beach. I went to ripley's believe it or not aquarium, where they had a picture perfect like 10 foot deep bow face reef tank... it was like a wall of LR..... if i knew what I knew at that time I would have seen a lot more aptaisia, but i knew the tank was killer... well anyway.. that sat with me for a few days while I was down there near base.... and on the way home, with cas in the Rv i was talking about the tank, and how I would want one, and knowing that they were hard to keep... and bla bla bla,, she was like ya sure..... well anyway.. I was also talking about this lottery ticket I had got on the way down (while geting gas and a 40 in Va) (they dont sell beer in gas stations around here) so I was like "cool ill get a ticket and a beer... well I won 10g, after tax's and paying off shool I desided I could start a small tank... (that was my 30)

Tell us about your tank

30g aga, 2x150watt HQI Sunpod, Aqua C Remora skimmer.. Mag 7 return pump. Cs90 overflow with aqua lifter, 2 heaters one is a jager 150, the other a stealth 100watt. 2 tunzes 6020 nano's.

10g sump lit with one 10k and one 14k nova t5 strip lights

45lbs of live rock, 20 lbs of live sand, reef keeper 2, controlling heaters and fans for cooling.

Stocked with assorted shrooms, and zoa's ... millipora, acropora, montipora, kenya trees, toadstool leather, one larger clam.... one smaller clam, assorted recordia's, Gsp's, Ysp's, brown brittle star, 2 scarlet hermits, about 20-30 snails (cerith, astrea, nassarius, trochus, and one bumble bee), one sexy shrimp

Ocilarus clown (false) hosting in a GTA

2 green cromies and 1 scooter blenny

Lights run 9 hours a day.

hmmm and I've been fighting bryopsis for a long long time....

How did you become involved with Reef Frontiers?

Before I bought my tank (well got my tank from a friends dad) I started searching for places online to get info... I think first it might have been another forum ... then a ban from RC for asking if I could have like a hostal tank.... (but i said battle tank) guess i didnt explain it good enough... anyway.. I stumbled on here, and was hooked ever since

What is your reef keeping philosophy?

My philosophy is deep.... while in one hand i feel like im helping the world, on the other I feel like we're all destroying the oceans... as far as reefkeeping goes... simple and slow. If you think you're going fast.... you're gonna crash. If you think you're going slow... you can go slower.. nothing happens fast, there is no rush. except for Top Offs. (and maybe cleaning).

What is your dream tank?

Would be a 200+ shallow tank.. in the middle of a room (black square stand) 360degree view, overflow I guess in the middle coverd by rock work... tunzes in the rock work and also in the out side corners. 4x400 or maybe more (haven't researched that yet) plumbed to the basement. Large lagoon style setup... little like a beach tank (much sand) mangroove trees and other tropical trees grown large in large rubber maid's. Controllers and all kinds of extra goodies...

Do you have any advice for others?

My advice would be to try to sift through the one sided opinion's and old school habit's offered.... read as much as you can here, ask questions, and look for pictures... pictures are the key.....