Poll: How Long you been in the Hobby?

[cincyfishguy]

I’m almost 35 and have had a tank for 17+ years. Still love it!

 

[marvelousone]

I am 48. I got my first aquarium when I was 10 for Christmas. It was freshwater with guppies and tetras. I bought my first saltwater tank back in 1995. wow that's been a long time. It was a 29 show tank. Then in 2004 bought a 75 gal and now have a 180.

 

[Saltdaddy]

I have had a tank running for as long as I can remember. Been in saltwater for 11 years. I am 40. First sw tank was a 100gal. The got a 150. Now up to 250. Always want bigger and better.

 

[edc_aquarium]

I’m 15 and I’ve been in this hobby for about a year

 

[3lusive]

35 yrs old

Been in hobby for 14 years

 

[Scott Campbell]

My father bought me a 5 gallon, metal frame tank when I was about 4 or 5 years old back in the mid 60's. I think my first fish were swordtails. Fifty plus years later I still remember that tank clear as day. Have been enchanted with fish and aquariums ever since.

My parents were crazy enough to let me set up my first saltwater tank when I was 15 in 1976. My first saltwater fish was an Orbic Batfish. Which became extremely large in the 100 gallon tank and was a particularly inappropriate fish to keep in retrospect. My wife and I set up our current tank in the late 80's and it has been running continuously since. Six of my corals are now roughly 30 years old and have somehow managed to survive my erratic care, many lengthy power outages and multiple equipment failures.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

46. First salt tank at 20.

 

[Victoria M]

44, fresh water most of my life and saltwater since 2006.

 

[CNDReef]

40m and I started my first reef tank in 04 but had been in freshwater planted tanks since 98

 

[draquariums]

41, been keeping aquariums for 36 years currently starting a reef tank back up after an 12 year break to focus on kids. I have a number of freshwater running but got the sw itch bad

 

[Fudsey]

52 Started with a 29 Fresh tank back in 88. Added a 10 gal salt in 89 with seahorses. Upped the 29 to a 45 in 92 and turned to a salt tank a year later. Kept it till it started leaking in 99 and got a 72BF. Kept that up until a year ago when the cross member cracked. Moved everyone into a 40B and started a 90 in Sept of 17. First reef tank, others were FOWLRs

 

[gfox]

57 and converted to salt in ‘87. Anyone remember Metaframe?

Yes, I had a 15 gallon used one back in 1966

 

[gfox]

I am 63.First FW when i was 12.SW fish in the early 90's and my first reef in 2005 that was a 18 gallon high.From there to a 60 cube to present day DSA rimless 105.

 

[Hella_Reef]

Turn 27 in couple weeks. little over 3 years

 

[tony'stank]

I’m 70. I have had tanks since I was 12 y/o. I set up my first saltwater reef tank in 1986

 

[tony'stank]

My first fresh water tank was a Metaframe with tar as the sealant

 

[NY_Caveman]

Age 47

1975-1990
Various freshwater aquariums with my dad and then on my own. Also had several reptiles and a cat.

1990-1997
55 gallon saltwater reef. Worked in a pet store in college for two years during this time and added two smaller saltwater, fish only tanks to my collection. I moved the 55 gallon twice. Also had several reptiles and an awesome ferret.

1997-2005
Moved out west for three years, then back to NY. It was the only period in my life I had no pets whatsoever. Got married in 2005.

2005-Present
Had a nice freshwater planted tank. This tank recently sprung a leak and was taken down. I currently have a small planted tank with only a Betta fish. In August 2017 I began planning my return to reefing with a JBJ Rimless 30 gallon. I have all of the equipment and will fill the tank in about two months once we finish remodeling our kitchen. I cannot wait.

 

[radiata]

I've had saltwater tanks since before the days of glass tanks that were held together with silicone. When I started, back in 1970, you had a choice of building your own acrylic tank or buying a metal-framed-slate-bottom tank and coating all the metal with epoxy- so I made myself an acrylic 20g high...

 

[Fin]

I am 63. Growing older, but not up. In 1983, I rescued a couple of gold fish (feeders) from our back yard pond to save what was left of them from the neighborhood cats. Within a month, after re-homing the goldfish, I had my first saltwater tank - an Oceanic 58. Been in the hobby ever since, except for two brief periods following selling everything off and proclaiming I would never do this again. Non-stop now since 2005.

 

[Jeff_Toronto]

47 and a total of 23 days in the hobby