Curiosity kills the cat, what makes people want to start a reef tank?

[Sealion]

Good morning everyone, I had a freshwater tank growing up, 10 gallons, went to a fish show and had my first experience with bidding on an upside down catfish. Didn’t win, but I did finally get one they were just starting to get into the LFS where I lived. Fast forward to now. We had a freshwater 27 gallons tank, doing great. We stopped in to check out the LFS (liquid kingdom) to see what they had, not knowing it was saltwater only. Well they weren’t super busy so Tom told me that getting a Biocube tank would be easy, just not cheap. So that was 3 years ago, now we have 5 saltwater tanks, 1 freshwater, and a saltwater ‘laboratory’ for our water needs. I enjoy the tanks, because I love building things and seeing the fish and corals grow and thrive. Testing the water adding as needed supplements to keep everyone happy. I’ve upgraded as we go along finding out what is helping make it easier to take care of the tanks. We enjoy watching the ‘big tank’ as it’s called, right next to the TV.

 

[Sealion]

 

[Mikedawg]

When I was a kid some time ago, the fish lady at our Woolworth's department store sold me a zebra danio and a swordtail for my goldfish bowl and tried to convince me they would produce babies. She piqued my interest, and I began reading everything I could find at the library about fish - and continue to do. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to get an egg scatterer and a live bearer to mate!
Great hobby and my grandkids have their own tank I'm pleased to say.

 

[Sarah24!]

What? Not my fault ! ;Joyful
p.s. Miss Sarah, Please be careful eating cereal while perusing the forums. I knocked over a whole beer into/all over my key board once. The lights on it kinda flickered & that was it I was at the
Best Buy next day shopping for another .

You know lol it is lol and I would rather liquidfy my keyboard then have a lucky charms marshmallow either stuck in my nose, and you can’t get it out and it drains marshmallow flavored mucus down ones said throat. Plus the fact when one laughs lol it’s not just the marshmallow that goes every where either. They should put a warning sign on the box don’t eat while laughing, marshmallows may become lodged in nasal cavity. Some side affects will be that you twitch and talk funny for hours on end.

 

[Bpb]

It’s a progressive disease. Started with a betta bowl and zero experience. Now have an sps dominant reef. 11 years later

 

[mitch91175]

When growing up, my Dad had a lot of aquariums going. We would go to the local fish guys house and get stuff from him all the time. He never did saltwater, but had some really nice freshwater fish. I got in to freshwater when I started then shortly after switched over to saltwater because of all of the variety that it has to offer.

 

[Mark Gray]

My dad got my started with fish guppy's we set up a salt water tank fish only when I was 10. I got coral when I was like 25 I think. I had 7 tanks running at one time, then had some family issues and got out sold everything. Then 2 years ago big mistake lol I went Scuba diving in Thailand, the reefs looked so good I had to do it again, so I set up a 55, well I had a stand left so now I have ordered a tank and will set up a 90 soon.

 

[Dfloydvt]

For me it was friends I met when I got back into the hobby about 4 years ago. I started with a Fowlr tank with triggers and puffers. When that cracked I toke a break for awhile. I got a 120 about 8 months later and decided to start doing coral here and there just to see what I could do. As I got more comfortable worked way up to some sps. Since the upgrade to 250 and better equipment started adding more. The challenge of keeping a beautiful living ocean in your house makes it all worth it

 

[Dave Dumanski]

I've always been fascinated with animal but ocean life was always my favorite. I always went for the odd pet lol started with piranha, a black scorpion, red tail boa and finally saltwater. Started with a 30 long fish only tank with a lionfish and failed miserably by killing the entire tank. Then when i worked at a lfs i bought a 100 gallon again fish only which did very well and even hatched a shark egg in but then join the military and step away from the hobby for 10 years. Now been back in the hobby for about 5 years started with fish only but started slowly moving to coral for the past 3 years and showing no signs of slowing

 

[Tiger-Paws]

My reef tank is the best PTSD therapy I could ask for, it is an unparalleled technical challenge which consumes a great deal of my time in research and work on the tank to provide the best, healthiest environment for the numerous and diverse creatures in my small piece of the Ocean.


I rarely have time to simply sit and ponder the things I have seen and done over a 35 year military combat career.


The tank really helps to keep the demons locked away.

 

[Katrina71]

My son! It's all his fault. Mommy please? Please please please!!!

 

[Reeferon]

Staring at an aquarium provides a form of self-soothing that I think many of us find very gratifying.

I have a thought that some people may get into the hobby because of of an easily accessible form of self soothing that they may need to recover from the effects of trauma. (ie. PTSD, symptoms lingering from a trauma history, or just watching the news as of lately) Staring at an aquarium could teach a person to disengage and relax when they may have difficulty doing so, and this behavior could serve as a model to teach someone the skills to cope with elevated stress/anxiety levels

I would love to see more reef aquariums in social service programs, classrooms with students from high trauma neighborhoods, and any other settings where people are struggling to cope with the effects of trauma. Just my $0.02. I've kept reef tanks for 15 years and have thought this for some time now. I figured this would be a good thread to share my thoughts.

... I hope I didn't hijack the direction of the thread too much.

 

[Kavo11]

I've watched my brother keep freshwater fish for many years and I could never understand why he spends so much time with his tanks as I think they're ugly to be blunt lol. Anyways, he convinced me to ride along to the LFS so he could get feeders in December 2017. While there, I walked the aisles and found the saltwater section. I was instantly in love with the bright colored fish and my mind was blown when I found the coral section. I never thought you could legally have coral until then! I asked my brother why he bothered with the boring freshwater stuff instead of marine. He laughed and said "because its way too difficult and even experienced fish keepers have trouble with them". From that moment, it was my mission to start a reef tank with no fish knowledge, let alone coral knowledge at all. I found BRStv, glued myself to it for a month or two before buying my first tank, a Red Sea Reefer 250. The tank is still young, it was just filled on Valentine's day, but both my fish and coral are thriving so far (knock on wood). Call me childish, but I like to think my brother is secretly jealous inside

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello all,

Sorry I normally keep up and lol and acknowledge everyone’s post because, I think everyone that has posted is special and their reason is unique and special. I so promise to touch on all of them. Was called into work and working a 24 hour shift lol well, when you get home you just kinda pass out.

But to touch a on a few, I have found that this is the most relaxing thing I have come across. I have seen and glad it helps those with ptsd and other stress related issues. There is something calming and soothing that just lol like @Tiger-Paws said “ keeps the demons locked away”. By the way so glad that works for you and also thank you.

@Reeferon I totally agree with you on this and it should be incorporated into areas where there is more stress. Lots of hospitals and Doctors offices have been installing them.

@Katrina71 lol hmmmmm sure we all know you want them Just like when I go grocery shopping, I get lucky charms for my niece and nephews, but in secret their allllll mine .

@Dave Dumanski, I’m glad your a lifer when it comes to this hobby. We would all miss you if you didn’t keep coming back, but was exciting to read your experience.

@Dfloydvt lol yes keeping a 240 gallon ocean in your living room is quite a challenge and fun and relaxing. I have found larger tanks, although easier to maintain, cost a pretty penny more, but so worth not maybe ordering pizza, or clothes shopping. I love my mini ocean in my house.

If I have left a few out soon super sorry I promise I’ll get ya but keep them coming I love this thread. It makes just so much more warm and friendly.

Sincerely
Sarah

 

[itisjp]

Sitting back and watching it grow out... it’s very relaxing and an escape from reality. That’s my draw!

 

[Pivitol]

For me it started about 5 years ago, my step son had gone to the fair with his dad and won 2 goldfish. We had them in a glass bowl for a couple of days and my wife says we need an aquarium so she goes and buys a 1.5 qt (yes quarts) desktop tank. All the while I'm in the back ground "that's gonna be a green mess in a month" nay sayer. A few months later the tank springs a leak and they are flopping around for God knows how long my wife saves them and back into the bowl they go. I get to talking to friend at work who's father owned a landscape company that specialized in Japanese gardens and Koi ponds he tells me I have a bunch of tanks you can have, so I get a 20,30,and 55 gal. My wife sets up the 20 on a sofa table and does the "usual" setup multi-color gravel spongebob garb fake plants and some Petco specials for fish danios, tetras, and plattys. Next thing I know I find myself watching this tank instead of tv. Next thing I know I'm ordering stuff to set up the 30 and stocked it with a few cichlids... fast forward to today we have 2 55gal, a 29bowfront, a 60cube freshwater and a 40gal observation and a 200gal saltwater.
All of this because of 2 goldfish.

 

[Jermey Clark]

I got my start from a local pet store. I was was between jobs and needed a income. So I started with a local pet store. When I saw all the beautiful fish that wasn’t normal freshwater I started asking questions. Read books as well. I didn’t have the internet available to me at times so live and learned. A couple of months later I bought my first set up 30 gallons. Then a 55 gallon set up a couple of months after that. This was back 2001-2003. Moved a couple times and sold the 55 and kept the 30. Then I gave it to my brother to maintain but the tanked crashed. It wasn’t until 2006-10 that’s when I got another one started up a 30 gal again and then a 70 gal corner bow front. About about in 08 traded it for a 65 gal with 30 gal wet dry system. When I was getting interested in corals. Was going lfs looking at corals wanting to recreate the reef, but that when the economy was going bad and I had to sell it for money to feed the family. Then here recently in 2018 I started another build that I’m currently working on. I want my kids to learn about the eco system for a reef. That’s what we are doing is recreating what happens in a reef system. Also I’m relearning what I have forgotten and learning new things getting back into a taking care of a saltwater aquarium and then turning it into a reef tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Its having a piece of the ocean in your home, the colors afforded by both fish and coral and the compliments you get when others see your system.
Many thing sharks and rays when you mention 'Marine Tank" until they see the eye popping candy and view you as a chemist doing what they view is the impossible- " isn't this hard" ???

 

[Twolabs443]

Craigslist...oh and a lifelong love of nature, our oceans and animals. I remember growing up and watching Nature programs on PBS. The ones about our oceans always fascinated me most. The entire hobby also provides so many wonderful and varied experiences and interactions, from our own tanks to reading and participating in discussions on forums like R2R or at LFS and shows. Falling down the rabbit hole that is Reef keeping has been a exciting and wonderful experience. Working on and watching my tanks helps relieve me of the stresses of daily life, and put away my thoughts and worries about the crazy world we live in and just watch the daily changes in the tiny little world I’ve created and am caretaker of.

 

[Wicky48]

I started in freshwater, did really good with plants because I used distilled water and medium fish load. The saltwater tanks I got into when I started working in a fish store and they had two saltwater aquariums, with 3 other tanks holding Cromis. There definitely was not the variety of livestock back then there is now. My first real animal after a fish was a feather duster and I had no idea how to take care of it, was like a lot that got into the hobby, the excitement overweighs common sense. Since then I won't buy anything unless I can provide what it needs and studying it to see if its compatible with tank mates. I think it is my interest in the saltwater ecosystem inside the tank which is much more complex then freshwater and when you see a goal obtained you really know it comes from hard work, reading and asking questions. Like Coralline Algae, took a while to get good growth and its all about water quality, light factor and supplementation and finding that balance. Its a great hobby that can take a life to understand.