How/Why Did you get into the reefing hobby? And ewhere are you at now?

[delta]

I will post how I got into the hobby a little later. But I throw where I am at now out there. I am finally back to being able to do some more with my reef and get more active. Sucks being hurt and not being able to do what you used to be able to do. I started my reef build years ago but got hurt and couldn't finished it. My tank is healthy But my sump room and display tank hood never got finished.

Just a little on what I posted this. I find I do not know a lot of newer members as I haven't been able to make meeting for the last few years. I think it would be a nice way to get to know one another and help in giving advice as we would all have a bit more back ground on one another.

 

[this is me]

Good to hear you're back to be more involved in the hobby.
I got into the hobby after watching "Nemo". I know...I know...
But found out Nemo is actually not what I'm going after. It's his surrounding that is more interesting. I'm still a huge fan of anemones after SPS. Now acros and fish are like crack to me.

 

[mchartier]

I got into the hobby because my wife wanted a fish tank. I was keeping poison dart frogs at the time. I switched from those to a reef tank. She, the kids and I enjoy the tank more than we did the frogs.

 

[nemodan]

I had fish tanks since I can remember. I was a few years Old when my parents built the first one for me to enjoy.... since then (more than 50 years ago) I have been having fish tanks. In the last 20 years I moved to marine fish, then soft corals, LPS and now I am trying, for the first time, to have an almost full SPS tank, with many acros.

Daniel

 

[Jeff.:P]

I started nearly ten years ago with a freshwater tank that held a rescued crawfish with guppies for food. The guppies spawned several times and crayfish ate them, then I progressed to a planted tank. I had multiple planted tanks over 4-5 years, and that got relatively easy. The natural progression was saltwater, so I started with a used 55g with oak stand and Metal halides. After the 55g I had a 40 gallon breeder but then took break for a year. I know have 20g all in one SPS dominant which I love! The 20g is relativity easy for maintenance, cost and fun to growout.

 

[reef87]

dear: to whom this may concern!
I started the in home saltwater fish hobby in 2009. The saltwater part was not new to me just the hobby part.
I was a fisherman with my dad for almost 10 years in my early hood life back when I was still living in my homeland. I grew up from a place where I had fresh seafood (crabs, lobster, clams, fish...) for breakfast, lunch and dinner everday all year round.
anyways,
So one day (in 2009), I went to Petco (in the US) was just trying to get a baby tiny turtle and a tank for my 4 years old son (at the time) as a birthday gift.
and instead of going home with a turtle tank, i went home that day with a 29g saltwater tank.
For the next year or a year+ half. I did not know anyone (not even a LFS) beside Petco and Petsmart.
I started with a 29g tank and have gone thru quite a few upgrades and downgrade thru the years since.
I've learned so much about the hobby and I am still learning every day as we speak.

the only advices that I would say is don't try to go big if you don't think you can afford the expenses.
The expenses in this hobby and the so called unsuccessful setup can worn you out pretty quickly.
Setup something that you feel comfortable handling it and hope someday to enjoy it .
There are a lot of resources available online today. if there is something that you wasnt sure, google it, research and read about it.
any setup can be a good successful tank as long that you give it enough times. the tank needs a lot of time to look good.

Today i am still in the hobby because I found that it's a very challenging hobby, fun, learning alot about ocean's lives. Thanks to this hobby, I have known quite a few good friends now. i am really enjoying it and I hope to continue to be in the hobby as long that I still have a job no job then no for this hobby for sure.

the end

 

[daves-reef]

I started with a metal frame tank with guppies and mollies. Then the salter bug hit me in the me in mid 80 with a 70 gallon fish only. It was the clown trigger and porcupine buffer that caught my eye. That was converted to my first reef with normal output lights in the early 90. Green star, mushrooms etc. Haven't stopped yet but I have had my challenges.

 

[Platehead]

My older son gave my younger son the contents of his reef tank when he moved about 5 years ago for his 13th birthday.

Now the younger one is heading off to college to study marine biology.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I had a little FW tank for years but really got into aquariums in college. Found a deal on a FOWLR setup in the classifieds, and took home a 45g tall w/ LR and a firefish. Left that setup at my parents' house after college, and the livestock that I'd added dwindled to just a percula clown. Then when they sold the house about 3 years ago I brought the clown / rock with me hastily downgraded into a 20L. It was pretty packed with about 45-50lbs LR in a 20g tank . Got all the stuff together to go up into a 40B done properly w/ sump and actual good equipment. At that point, I switched it over to a softie reef.

I've always been more about the fish and still am, but enjoy watching the easy stuff grow in my tank (mostly zoas & rics) and adding those splashes of color. The tank isn't perfect but it works for me and the fish and most of my corals grow (slowly). When I'm not renting and/or have more space, my dream reef will be a 125g or 180g

 

[reefstarter]

I started keeping freshwater fish when I was 14 had a good bunch of chiclids bred them and everything , got bored and broke down my tank 4 years ago . just before I had my PE . then I was in a slump . kinda feeling sorry for my self . And my wife suggested I start a saltwater tank , cause I had always wanted one . little did I know how much I would learn and enjoy it I really had no idea what I was getting in to but jumped right in and started a full blown reef tank Now I have the bug bad and have a pair of 210s in my basement . This hobby has filled the gap in my life and gave me motivation again . I have met some great people through BRS doing it too I don't see myself stopping any time soon

 

[jselzler1]

Best Friend dog (also spent time on the islands) was dying of cancer and I needed a new pet in life, but not one to get so damn attached.

Spent 3 years in the Marshall Islands with >150 dives in crystal clear, 80F, SPS dominated reefs and was missing the ocean. Figured what the heck, let's bring the reef home.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[fishmommy]

Freshwater planted tank nut for 20 years, noob to reefing as of 18 or so months ago. Still struggling with some things but committed for sure.

 

[William]

I've wanted a saltwater tank since I can remember but knew I didn't have the time for it. My 2 year old saw finding Nemo and asked me if we could get a Nemo & "anen on me" We moved into our new house last year and had our second boy. I knew I'd be home a lot more and wanted to grant my son's wish (secretly my desire too). I'm hooked now and can't see myself not having at least one tank for the foreseeable future.

 

[JohnK]

I was working at a LFS (across rt9 from Tropic Isle) where we only sold fresh water but could order anything. I decided to use my employee discount and start a fish tank so I started reading and researching. Fairly quickly I decided that saltwater fish appealed to me a lot more than the freshwater fish we sold. More reading, researching and asking questions.... Finally set up my custom RR (before you could buy a RR tank) 90 gal with mixed fish and mostly lava rock. There was no internet that I was aware of, and the "Berlin Method" was more rumor than anything common. Mid 1995 I filled that first tank, I remember staring at the empty tank cycling with a damsel the day I heard that Jerry Garcia had died Eventually that domino Damsel grew to the size of a baseball and I traded it back to a LFS.....

A few yrs, and too many fish lost later I began to notice all sorts of worms and interesting things starting to inhabit my rocks and gravel. I fairly blindly tried a few mushroom rocks and an atlantic anemone or two, then a servant star that actually survived for a long time. One day I bumped into a stranger at a Petco and he told me about FlyingFishExpress. Not long later I discovered "The Reef Aquarium" vol 1, and then vol 2. About the same time, as I was reading about this mysterious thing called "fragging" and trading frags, I bumped into Greg Hiller delivering some frags to TI. I approached him in the most shady way possible, whispering "can I buy frags from you?" and handing him my business card. He laughed and told me to check out the BRS on Reef Central. I think that was around 2000, 2001 I went to my first BRS meeting at Coral Reef Aquarium and the rest is a blur......

 

[mnavick]

Have had freshwater since I can remember.....55g with Slate bottom!!
Fast forward to moving out of parents place and set-up my 1st SW in 2000 when Petco had a "buy tank, get stand free". Another 55g, Damsels, fake coral, some cheap circular skimmer and what not.......alongside sunny glass door (as in sun 10hrs a day!!!!). EPIC fail.
Current somewhat set-up started in 2003 with so many mistakes, loss of fish etc. etc..
Came across a lady at Petco (when they employed talent) who mentioned BRS.
Been flourishing since

Think John K, at the time was jimmyj7090, explained how I was doing it all wrong.

 

[ebattistoni]

I always wanted fish but moved around too much. In 2008 I bought a house and a friend and her kids moved in with us in 09. We thought it would be cool to have a tank for the kids to learn about science. I bought a 29 gal with a stand for 80bucks and went to then LFS not knowing a thing. The about 600 bucks later (oy) I had an eshoppes trickle filter and a protein skimmer. A pile of live rocks and a bag of sand and god knows what else. Explaining to my better half I spent 200 on 30 pounds of rock was fun. For the first couple years my better half referred to my poor tank as a slot machine. And we are still married. I set it up and fell in love with the hobby. I since moved back home to Mass and set up a 55 mixed reef. Thanks to this club I got into corals and continue to learn something new everyday.


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[aresangel]

My wife has had a goldfish tank for several years and I wanted stuff with more color and movement. I started a cichlid tank about two years ago to have fun with active fish. Two years ago a co-worker of mine started a touch tank and passed away from a heart attack. His wife brought back the tank with a horseshoe crab in it. Unfortunately because it was the only thing in the tank and I really didn't know what I was doing so it also died. To keep his memory in my classroom I started a coral tank and it failed. I re-started the tank last January and the bug bit me and now I have stocked the 25 gallon tank and am starting a 72 bowfront for my home. I love the challenge and knowledge I am getting from the tank. I have learned a lot about water chemistry which was new to me.

 

[wpeterson]

When my now-wife and I first moved in together, she wanted to start a saltwater tank (since I'm allergic to anything cute & furry). We got a beginner 29 gallon tank and quickly got hooked, from a sad FOWLR into a bright mixed reef over a year or two. We eventually got a second AIO reef tank to protect LPS from crabs/shrimp in our main tank. One year ago, we had to relocate to the bay area for a job and broke down our first two nano tanks (which was a sad situation).

Knowing how much we both love the hobby, we built a better system from the ground up out here - a 90 gallon (36x24x24) DSA, with a 30 gallon trigger systems sump and it's been amazing. It's awesome to build a bigger system with all the right equipment the first time (after being cheap and starting small, having to replace/upgrade everything multiple times).

We also decided to invest in a controller and automate everything, which has made our lives a lot easier. We were able to leave the tank running for 16 days on it's own without too much trouble, which would have been unthinkable in our nanos.

You can check out more info on our tank journal here: http://bareefers.org/forum/threads/hornberson-reef-dsa-90-gallon-mixed-reef.17765

We're lucky to have a nice club out here (Bay Area Reefers), but I miss Boston and the club back home.

 

[delta]

So how I got hooked. I had fish tanks when i was kid and had read many a SeaScope flyer from the LFS. the stories from LFSs in my area was how hard saltwater was and the one near me didn;t have anything spectacular to draw me to Saltwater at the time. Fast forward to the late 80s I was with a friend and she brought me over to visit her friend. As I was walking up the driveway I saw a glowing blue light coming from the window. That sparked my curiosity I had to know what it was. When I walked into the house I saw my first 120gal reef tank. it was impressive I was fascinated with the glow and shimmer lines of the Metal halides. So I guess you could say I abandoned my friend and spent the next hour and a half talking to the girls dad. I was in awe of this tank. And that is when I started looking at salt water. Looking back on that tank it was riddled with cyano and hair algae. But I had not a clue I thought it was awesome. But my start was tough for the first few months as the LFS was less than helpful with information about how to run a saltwater tank. But then I was at the mall one day in the pet store and took a look in the back of the store as I saw they had some freshwater tank. To my surprise they had a whole wall of saltwater tank and on that wall were a few reef tanks. I was in heaven. I immediately had to have a reef. I started hap haphazardly and bought what I wanted on impulse. It was a rocky road. After a few months of showing up every Friday with my check to buy new stuff the guy running the saltwater dept ( he rented from the petstore) pulled me aside and asked me about my system and tried to set me straight on how to run the tank correctly. It took a few months of him walking away from me, as I wasn't listening to him, for me to get the hint he was right and I needed to listen and learn what I had no clue about. He was spot on and always pointed me in the right direction. Kinda of why in 2004 when I stumbled upon the BRS I saw the value of the group. While I got here due a skimmer I wanted, it was the information bank that kept me here. But Back when I started no one kept SPS and LPS were scarce Elegance corals were rick solid and everything was mail order. Trading coral frags was a huge revelation

As far as where I am know my tank is not finished a long string of health issues and what not that stopped me in my tracks. Luckily my wife is a very capable reefkeeper and was able to keep things going when I was not able to. Today the tank is doing well some of my corals are just way over grown but healthy none the less. Tank hood and sump room never got finished. After admitting I needed to deal with a few health issues I am finally doing 150% better and have been working on the tank again. Mostly getting things back in order and replacing things that were not functions as they should.

 

[this is me]

Hey Greg,
Since you're 150% better now, you can come and help me plumb the new tank!