Frankie’s Reef

njreefkeeper

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This is a bitter sweet build thread for me. If you’re lucky enough, you get to meet some interesting people in this hobby. Luckier still if you can be close friends.

In the pre-dawn hours of 11/30/22, my friend and fellow hobbyist Frankie suffered a fatal heart attack. A life long fitness enthusiast, he’d always work out before work as a union carpenter in Philadelphia. Making friends wherever he went, one just so happened to be the gym owner who’d given him a key so he could work out before the gym opened each morning. Tragically, nobody was there to help in his final moments. His love for life was only surpassed by his love for family and friends. And the Philadelphia Eagles. Like many of us, we chatted often about all things reef; me the SPS enthusiast and he more the mixed reef type. He’d just broken down a 75 gallon tank the previous year (that was thriving) so that he could upgrade to the largest aquarium he could fit through the door of his south Philadelphia row home. We’re reefers. That’s what we do. But him seeing that reef aquarium mature would never come to pass. Try as she did, his wife diligently tried to keep the tank going. Through many phone calls and some visits, I attempted to walk her through things, but keeping a reef tank is hard enough for a hobbyist let alone a grieving spouse and mother with a lot on her plate. Reluctantly, I slowly helped break the aquarium down. A few months back she’d mentioned she was moving and the sight of the tank declining was too much to bear. I simply didn’t have room in my systems for his fish at the time (which I’ve since rehomed) and many of the corals looked worse for wear.

I inherited his aquarium. Bittersweet. Yesterday I picked it up and drove it the 60 miles back home in my pickup. It’s an SCA 60x24x24 150 gallon eurobraced peninsula with external overflow. I have the space in my finished basement where it can sit opposite my in wall SPS tank and get the attention it deserves. I’m not a young man anymore, and fortunately old enough to remember the reefer’s code of banking your corals with a friend. I can’t think of a better way to honor that code and the bond with a close friend than to steward his reef aquarium through the coming years. I’m setting it up as close as possible to the way he left it; and left us. I think he’d have liked that.

He was my friend. I miss him.

EA45D9AD-17DD-4A73-8251-9BEB68B0D59D.jpeg
 

shakacuz

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my condolences! so unfortunate that you and your friend(and his family) had to go through this. good on you as a friend to take on the legacy in sake of his name. this is why i love this hobby. always brings people together rather than apart. this reef will be great! will love to follow the journey.
 

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This is a bitter sweet build thread for me. If you’re lucky enough, you get to meet some interesting people in this hobby. Luckier still if you can be close friends.

In the pre-dawn hours of 11/30/22, my friend and fellow hobbyist Frankie suffered a fatal heart attack. A life long fitness enthusiast, he’d always work out before work as a union carpenter in Philadelphia. Making friends wherever he went, one just so happened to be the gym owner who’d given him a key so he could work out before the gym opened each morning. Tragically, nobody was there to help in his final moments. His love for life was only surpassed by his love for family and friends. And the Philadelphia Eagles. Like many of us, we chatted often about all things reef; me the SPS enthusiast and he more the mixed reef type. He’d just broken down a 75 gallon tank the previous year (that was thriving) so that he could upgrade to the largest aquarium he could fit through the door of his south Philadelphia row home. We’re reefers. That’s what we do. But him seeing that reef aquarium mature would never come to pass. Try as she did, his wife diligently tried to keep the tank going. Through many phone calls and some visits, I attempted to walk her through things, but keeping a reef tank is hard enough for a hobbyist let alone a grieving spouse and mother with a lot on her plate. Reluctantly, I slowly helped break the aquarium down. A few months back she’d mentioned she was moving and the sight of the tank declining was too much to bear. I simply didn’t have room in my systems for his fish at the time (which I’ve since rehomed) and many of the corals looked worse for wear.

I inherited his aquarium. Bittersweet. Yesterday I picked it up and drove it the 60 miles back home in my pickup. It’s an SCA 60x24x24 150 gallon eurobraced peninsula with external overflow. I have the space in my finished basement where it can sit opposite my in wall SPS tank and get the attention it deserves. I’m not a young man anymore, and fortunately old enough to remember the reefer’s code of banking your corals with a friend. I can’t think of a better way to honor that code and the bond with a close friend than to steward his reef aquarium through the coming years. I’m setting it up as close as possible to the way he left it; and left us. I think he’d have liked that.

He was my friend. I miss him.

EA45D9AD-17DD-4A73-8251-9BEB68B0D59D.jpeg

Cheers to Frankie, he sounds like a great friend and have some fun revitalizing his old tank! This will be a heck of a build!
 

Cthulukelele

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This is a bitter sweet build thread for me. If you’re lucky enough, you get to meet some interesting people in this hobby. Luckier still if you can be close friends.

In the pre-dawn hours of 11/30/22, my friend and fellow hobbyist Frankie suffered a fatal heart attack. A life long fitness enthusiast, he’d always work out before work as a union carpenter in Philadelphia. Making friends wherever he went, one just so happened to be the gym owner who’d given him a key so he could work out before the gym opened each morning. Tragically, nobody was there to help in his final moments. His love for life was only surpassed by his love for family and friends. And the Philadelphia Eagles. Like many of us, we chatted often about all things reef; me the SPS enthusiast and he more the mixed reef type. He’d just broken down a 75 gallon tank the previous year (that was thriving) so that he could upgrade to the largest aquarium he could fit through the door of his south Philadelphia row home. We’re reefers. That’s what we do. But him seeing that reef aquarium mature would never come to pass. Try as she did, his wife diligently tried to keep the tank going. Through many phone calls and some visits, I attempted to walk her through things, but keeping a reef tank is hard enough for a hobbyist let alone a grieving spouse and mother with a lot on her plate. Reluctantly, I slowly helped break the aquarium down. A few months back she’d mentioned she was moving and the sight of the tank declining was too much to bear. I simply didn’t have room in my systems for his fish at the time (which I’ve since rehomed) and many of the corals looked worse for wear.

I inherited his aquarium. Bittersweet. Yesterday I picked it up and drove it the 60 miles back home in my pickup. It’s an SCA 60x24x24 150 gallon eurobraced peninsula with external overflow. I have the space in my finished basement where it can sit opposite my in wall SPS tank and get the attention it deserves. I’m not a young man anymore, and fortunately old enough to remember the reefer’s code of banking your corals with a friend. I can’t think of a better way to honor that code and the bond with a close friend than to steward his reef aquarium through the coming years. I’m setting it up as close as possible to the way he left it; and left us. I think he’d have liked that.

He was my friend. I miss him.

EA45D9AD-17DD-4A73-8251-9BEB68B0D59D.jpeg

I hope you are able to work through this in your own time. Grieving is such a complicated process. This is a beautiful sentiment. I only hope I make enough of an impact on some folks in the world that they want to carry on my legacy in a similarly thoughtful way. Good on you. Can't wait to follow the build
 
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njreefkeeper

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Thank you everyone. Right now my next step is to get some movers to get it out of my truck and into the basement. It’s a pretty far haul from the driveway and the stairs to the basement have a landing that turns so I’d much rather pay some young strong guys for peace of mind. I’m working on the stand now. Just finished my cut list and will be assembling it tomorrow when I have some more time.
 

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njreefkeeper

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I built the frame for the stand over the weekend. Movers come Wednesday to get the aquarium from my truck and into the basement. At least it’s moving along.
 

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Gumbies R Us

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I built the frame for the stand over the weekend. Movers come Wednesday to get the aquarium from my truck and into the basement. At least it’s moving along.
Nice looking stand!
 

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This is a bitter sweet build thread for me. If you’re lucky enough, you get to meet some interesting people in this hobby. Luckier still if you can be close friends.

In the pre-dawn hours of 11/30/22, my friend and fellow hobbyist Frankie suffered a fatal heart attack. A life long fitness enthusiast, he’d always work out before work as a union carpenter in Philadelphia. Making friends wherever he went, one just so happened to be the gym owner who’d given him a key so he could work out before the gym opened each morning. Tragically, nobody was there to help in his final moments. His love for life was only surpassed by his love for family and friends. And the Philadelphia Eagles. Like many of us, we chatted often about all things reef; me the SPS enthusiast and he more the mixed reef type. He’d just broken down a 75 gallon tank the previous year (that was thriving) so that he could upgrade to the largest aquarium he could fit through the door of his south Philadelphia row home. We’re reefers. That’s what we do. But him seeing that reef aquarium mature would never come to pass. Try as she did, his wife diligently tried to keep the tank going. Through many phone calls and some visits, I attempted to walk her through things, but keeping a reef tank is hard enough for a hobbyist let alone a grieving spouse and mother with a lot on her plate. Reluctantly, I slowly helped break the aquarium down. A few months back she’d mentioned she was moving and the sight of the tank declining was too much to bear. I simply didn’t have room in my systems for his fish at the time (which I’ve since rehomed) and many of the corals looked worse for wear.

I inherited his aquarium. Bittersweet. Yesterday I picked it up and drove it the 60 miles back home in my pickup. It’s an SCA 60x24x24 150 gallon eurobraced peninsula with external overflow. I have the space in my finished basement where it can sit opposite my in wall SPS tank and get the attention it deserves. I’m not a young man anymore, and fortunately old enough to remember the reefer’s code of banking your corals with a friend. I can’t think of a better way to honor that code and the bond with a close friend than to steward his reef aquarium through the coming years. I’m setting it up as close as possible to the way he left it; and left us. I think he’d have liked that.

He was my friend. I miss him.

EA45D9AD-17DD-4A73-8251-9BEB68B0D59D.jpeg
So sorry for your loss he sounds like he was an amazing friend. I hope putting the tank together will help ease your grief and help you think of only good memories.
 
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njreefkeeper

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Jumping the gun a little bit but wanted to ask a few who may have a peninsula tank. The tank will be a mixed reef…will have two mp40’s on the one side. Don’t won’t to have powerheads on the short viewing side. I’m pretty much a bare bottom guy but wanted to have this tank set up as much as I can to how Frankie reefed. He always kept sand beds, used miracle mud and was a t5 and reefbrite guy. I’ll be using a 60” ATI 4 bulb fixture with reefbrite XHO’s. Should have great coverage and led pop.

So, what sand would you all recommend that won’t get blown around so much on the far side of the tank? Was thinking to even go with crushed coral even though I really don’t like the look of it and wanted to put a few burrowing wrasses in the tank.
 

Calmwaters

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Jumping the gun a little bit but wanted to ask a few who may have a peninsula tank. The tank will be a mixed reef…will have two mp40’s on the one side. Don’t won’t to have powerheads on the short viewing side. I’m pretty much a bare bottom guy but wanted to have this tank set up as much as I can to how Frankie reefed. He always kept sand beds, used miracle mud and was a t5 and reefbrite guy. I’ll be using a 60” ATI 4 bulb fixture with reefbrite XHO’s. Should have great coverage and led pop.

So, what sand would you all recommend that won’t get blown around so much on the far side of the tank? Was thinking to even go with crushed coral even though I really don’t like the look of it and wanted to put a few burrowing wrasses in the tank.
Caribsea fuji pink is a good one
 

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