Well firstly, this is me. all 11stone of me. Hence the lack of sharks in the Diving picture. They thought I was a bit too bony and shot off somewhere else for a more substantial meal..........

Yes, yes I know, big tough biker an all that, but its quite the opposite really, as it is with most bikers. I've lost track of the number of people in the marine world that are also mad motorcycle fanatics.

( my other pastimes apart from being a nice polite citizen, is causing havoc of the noisy kind...Sorry about the trousers, I don't know what came over me but in my defence that photo was taken for a well known biker publication back in the 90's.)

I suppose in a way its two complete opposites, One is shear adrenalin, the other total relaxation. And personally, I can think of no better way of spending my free time (apart from with Emma that is,,,,yes dear you do come first!!!!) than pottering about on the tank, and watching the world within.............. I've been a mad follower of all things aquatic since I could walk.

I Was bitten by the fishy bug, ooooh way back in the early 70s  ( I was born in 1969) when my father kept a marine fish only system, comprising of some pretty impressive large fish, including the ubiquitous lionfish, a grouper, and among others a rather large Moray Eel...that was a bit prone to escaping....Well from the first day this tank was set into our living room wall I was smitten......Hours and hours were spent watching that tank. It was at this time I also saw the darker side of the hobby, in the way of that never ending quest for a bigger tank......hence one extremely 'large' burst tank, a floating carpet, and an irate mother who to this day still amazes me that she new such words....However that was in the days of weak glass, steel frames and putty, and a distinct lack of patience on the part of my father.....a lesson I still remember today......cheers dad...

After several years break it was in my early teens I got back into the wet pass-time with a FO system comprising of the usual UGF and at that time the fairly 'gimmicky' skimmer (If we only knew then, what we know now) and a varied assortment of that all essential power filter, masses of filter media, and copious water changes just to get rid of all the poo from a rather large Blue Ring Angel that I'd grown from juvenile colouring... and a species tank holding an extremely bad tempered 'Undulatus' trigger.

Well as we've all learned over the years, 'and I especially'. Times change, and with that comes knowledge,,,,,and boy have things changed ,,,if somebody had told me back then to leave my sand bed alone, get rid of the under-tray and lift tubes, stop siphoning it every few days, and to get some of that pink algae encrusted LR in there, id have looked at them as though they were mad.

It wasn't until the late eighties/early nineties that I finally made the transition to a full reef set-up, and to this day I haven't looked back. I would always confess, that 'yes' I've made mistakes, and yes they were the usual ones that everybody makes, but in reality I feel I learned a great deal from them, and consider myself a better hobbyist for doing so. I certainly don't condone ignorance on the part of any keeper when knowledge is so freely available these days in the form of some fantastic literature and the web, but also because we are now able to glean information and ideas so easily from some of the longest standing, and most respected people in this hobby today by simply pressing a few key's and logging on to a reefers BB.........ah, technology, see, its not all bad....

My working background has come in quite handy in respect to the hobby, with several years as a works engineer doing one offs,  product development, and jigging designs for solid and sheet steel, plus quite a few years working as a hydraulics engineer and welder for British Nuclear fuels. these two careers have stood me in good stead when it comes to the engineering principles around tank design, load tolerances and plumbing issues. not to mention looking at equipment design issues and DIY from a differing but educated angle.

Probably my largest leaps though, have come through associations with other passionate hobbyists. I cant thank these people enough for the contributions they have made to my ongoing successes and growth of experience. The list is extensive so I'll not bore you with a long list of names. But I will say to these guys, you know who you are, your already well respected within the hobby so I don't need to blow any more smoke up your backsides, suffice to say a heartfelt thanks.

Living down here in sunny Hampshire (UK) there is one group of people I will make special mention of, and that's the MGTG club. (The 'Marine Get Together Group') with whom I've shared not only some stunning frags and other livestock, but also some splendid evenings dining on good food, in excellent company, talking like nutters about all things reef related. Its clubs such as this that help you along the way to becoming a successful aquarist and remind you of what's possible within these little glass boxes we all keep. Its only from looking at others tanks that you can truly compare your successes and glean 1st hand experience of the fact that there is no one set way to achieving a stunning result. In that respect I'm happy to lay claim that 'in my opinion' these guys posses some of the most stunning and successful reefs I've seen in the UK hobby today. Part of the reason for that in my opinion is simply co-operation and the sharing of ideas. If your interested in joining a club, then simply log onto one of the many UK bulletin boards and have a scout of the club sections to see if there is a club near you.

Talking of Bulletin boards. They used to represent one of my other vices. I have a deep seated ability to ramble (as if you haven't noticed) so spent a not to inconsiderable amount of time nattering with other hobbyists on many boards in various parts of the world, but my main haunt for those of you who may wish to look through some 7 yrs worth of ramblings was the 'Ultimatereef' bulletin board based here in the UK. Just hunt me down under the user name 'Simon Garratt' and I'm sure you will have more than enough info to keep you happy.

In this respect though, I'll offer a word of warning. In that the information you take from these places should be treated with the caution it deserves. There are allot of people on bulletin boards of varying experience, so never take a single opinion as gospel. (hell, don't even take my opinion as gospel). .Bulletin boards are there for people to talk, pass on ideas, and get answers from people generally in the know...Even still, don't just accept what you hear as a definitive answer, this hobby isn't that black and white, and its quite often that people will copy or quote texts and references that they have no actual experience of, nor in-depth understanding of. It's rarely intended maliciously, but its no good if the information provided is out of date or comes from an inaccurate source...so discuss and question things until your hearts content. Its that questioning of what we 'think' we know, that drives us forward...me included.

Finally, if your after even more reading. then you'll also find various ramblings of mine in a publication called 'Ultra Marine Magazine' which brings together some very experienced reef aquarists, biologists and trade people under a superb all singing and dancing reefing publication..

Anyway. Welcome to Reef-Eden. Have a good look around, take your time, and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll help as quickly as I can.

Many thanks for visiting.

Simon.......