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So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:14 pm
by Amphiprion
As the name implies, how did you start out or what got your attention?

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 5:19 pm
by Amphiprion
I'll start.

I have always been fascinated with the ocean, reefs, and all the associated life.. I looked at countless books, videos, Nat'l geographic, etc. since before I can remember. However, I do remember wanting a tank when I was about 5 years old. Then, after a lot of saved allowance, I got my first tank when I was 8, starting with saltwater. I have had at least one ever since. So, I guess there was no one thing that got me started, but just the combined experiences with sealife in person and media. Here I am today double-majoring in marine sciences and pre-veterinary studies, so I guess you could say I still like it!

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:18 pm
by NM354
I started with fresh water when my roommate convinced me to go half in on a 75 gallon. Once it got home I was hooked. A few moths later I started a 20 gallon reef tank. Now with a lot of money gone I am where I am today.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:32 pm
by Redfish
I too have been hooked on marine life for a long time. I have a minor in a section of marine biology.

I worked for Sea World in Orlando for two years in the early 80s behind the scenes in the marine mammals area. I was completely fascinated by their attempts at tropical marine fish and reef settings at that time. I was told that it would be impossible to keep these type of marine fishes in a private setting.

In 1987, in Seattle, I just happened to go into a fish store run by an elderly Japanese couple. Immediately inside the door was a 200 gallon marine fish display with a large clown trigger, a large blue face angel, a regal angel and many large tangs. I was hooked. They convinced me, rightly so, that these fish were easily kept with the correct techniques.

I started my first marine tank in 1987. I have had one of some size all but about a total of three years since then.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:06 pm
by megelBeagle
I friend of mine was moving and had a saltwater setup he wanted to get rid of. I'd kept freshwater tanks for about 8 years at the time and stayed away from saltwater out of fear of expense and high maintenance requirements. It was cheap. I can't remember how much but less than a hundred. I knew nothing about keeping saltwater and had no friends to guide me. So it began...
A thirty-three long with a little air pump driven skimmer and an Emporer 170 hang-on. Oh, and a single 40 watt power-glo. :shock: :shock: :shock:
Well, I had no idea how grossly inadequate that set up was. But I'm glad I bought it, since once I start something there is no backing down. Many hours and many dollars later I have a reef tank I am proud of. I don't see that guy anymore, the one I got that tank from. But I'm sure he'd be surpised to see what he started. I have, in turn, passed the reef fever on to others :twisted: I can't be the only broke one in the bunch.

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:25 pm
by sb1227
I guess my story is the odd one. :) When I lived in TN, a bunch of years ago I had a huge garden to keep me busy. Then I came here and had no way to garden. I guess it was the lost puppy look but some friends got me a couple of fish in a little bitty tank....which turned into a 30 gal planted tank, which turned into a 37 planted, which turned into a 90 Gal planted. Then they had to challenge me to try a reef tank and thousands of dollars later here I am. A happy aquarium junkie. They chuckle about it.

You really cant take an obsessive personality and set them on a course like this.......without seeing similar results. :P

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:47 pm
by GermanShepherdGirl
Growing up I almost always had a freshwater tank. Started out with a 5 gallon...then a 10...then when I was in high school my parents bought me a 20 gallon (I thought that was huge at the time). I eventually got bored with it and tore it down a year or so after high school.

Then when I started the job I'm at now 4 years ago I decided my desk needed some fish. My mom bought me one of those betas in the vase with plant for Easter that I put on my desk....the fish one day decided to commit suicide. Then for Christmas that year a lady at work got me 2 goldfish in a bowl. I decided the fish needed a better tank than the bowl so I got them a 5 gallon hex.

Every time I ever went to B&B to buy fish or supplies I loved to go drool over all the pretty saltwater fish and wish the freshwater fish were as pretty. So a year ago for Christmas when I was making my Christmas list to give my parents I put a saltwater tank on the list.....not thinking I'd acutally get it. Well I did (a 75 gallon)...and so started the obsession. I swore I'd only do fish and not corals....thinking they were too complicated. Then Karen gave me a few corals one day when I went to buy some live rock from her....and so started the coral obsession.

Now I want a bigger one....at least 150 gallons. If I came across one at a really good deal I'll get it....until then I'll save up.

But it's hard to save for a tank when I've spent several thousand dollars just this year on training for my dog to get titled!!!!! :shock: She better have several litters of puppies to pay me back for all the money I've spent on her training and titles! Anyone interrested in buying a German Shepherd puppy? :D We'll be having a litter later this year (if all goes well). If so let me know!!!

Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:36 am
by Scott
A strange desire to spend too much money on things that die for absolutely no reason or have a need to get out of the box full of water that is keeping them alive. Oh, and the excitement of having 100 gallons of water in a glass box with big heavy rocks stacked as if done by a two year old in the same room with kids that like to throw, hit, swing and sling heavy things all suspended several feet above my hardwood floors.Then there is the bragging rights that I have more light above a 7.5 square foot area that in all the rest of the house (and probably the neighbors).

Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:04 am
by Amyjoe
My bird died and we went to replace her and came home with stuff for a salt tank instead.

Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2006 3:41 pm
by Brandon
Ok Scott you win.. that is absolutely hillarious! It just shows how crazy we are.

Re: So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:41 pm
by Amphiprion
An old thread, I realize, but I wanted to bump it to hear from some of our newer members. So, let's hear it :mrgreen:

Re: So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:29 am
by Crustman
As a marine biologist, I always kept aquaria. Back in the 80's I used undergravel filters and coquina gravel. We just had weak flourescent bulbs. Surprisingly I kept an African anemone alive along with a Clownfish, Lionfish and others. Worked for a company called AquaZoo in Jacksonville, Fl while going to a Community College. Serviced the aquarium of the widow of Lynerd Skynerds Ronnie Van Zant. Spent my paycheck on the new fish that I picked up at the airport. Bought Flagfin angel, and other fish that I could never keep very long Even had an octopus living with a moray eel in a 29 gallon tank in my room. Never looked at water chemistry and just had floating hydrometers in the tanks. We had magnetic impellar driven filters with siphon tubes going into our tanks. The years passed and I got my Master's degree in Biology and now work as an environmental consultant. I found a 75 gallon tank that was being sold in Louisiana after Katrina and bought this and filled it with rare African cichlids that I bought from Ebay. Kept a monster tank 120 gallon with a Silver Aro, Gar African Knives and exotic loricarids. Saw my reef tank on Craigslist and drove to Atlanta on a Sunday to move it. Had huge tubs in my truck that once when stopping suddenly dumped salt water in my glovebox. Set it up and at 2:00am Monday morning was still mixing up saltwater with a garden hose. Somehow the corals and fish survived but the corals were mostly softies and leathers. Starting hanging out at Progressive Marine and B and B and followed advice of many and Reef Central Forum to learn about reef aquaria.

Re: So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:49 am
by lwready
Scuba diving. The fish on the rocks at St. Andrews Park in Panama City were my first "must haves". Then I dove in the BVI and saw live coral...effectively Heroin for a OCD personality. After ten years and several fist full's of dollars I now have a 75 gallon with a wonderful aiptasia collection. (Frags available for free!!!)

I have on order 6 Breeder Berghia Nudibranchs to eat aiptasia. My goby is normally under rock at night but probably will become nocturnal as he develops a taste for Berghia. Previously he has dined on cleaner crabs and snails.

Some people have condos at the beach, some have red sports cars, some have mistresses (politicians mostly it seems like), but I have a 75 gallon reef tank. I wouldn't trade with any of them.

Re: So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 12:40 am
by Amphiprion
lwready wrote:I have on order 6 Breeder Berghia Nudibranchs to eat aiptasia.
You may quickly become my new best friend. If you manage to get a few more individuals out of the breeders, let me know and I'd be glad to buy some from you. I'd have to make some changes as far as pumps/powerheads are concerned, but nothing too major.

Re: So, what got YOU into the hobby?

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 8:43 am
by lwready
If they work OR if they breed, I'll trade you for seagrass and/or macroalgae!