Why reef keeping?

[Rob77]

I have an addictive personality, I have to have SOMETHING that I am into. I used to be a heavy heavy drinker. Kicked the regiment and shifted my focus into work, but needed something else. Bought a simple tank, which evolved into the love of the hobby today. Very rewarding seeing corals and fish thrive. Like the challenges the hobby gives at times also.

That is Awesome!

 

[Rob77]

Also as most of you know I'm a teacher and this is our first full week of school. Through the last two days we went over classroom policy and what not that is appropriate in the classroom.
Today we went over a get to know me exercise where we say who we are and what we do for fun, 5 favorite foods, I think you guys get where I'm going.
So I gave an example for the classroom and told them I like keeping a reef tank as a hobby. One student raised their hand and ask what's so great about keeping a tank for Nemo. I told him it's an amazing hobby to not only learn about an eco system but to control something and make it thrive. I told them how I love watching things grow and see how other species adapt to hard times. I continued to develop a more in depth conversation with my 7th grade class then I intended however it got me thinking.

Why did you guys get and stay in this hobby?

wow you got a deep thread going here ! very cool

 

[Rob77]

For me it was my dad ,my dad had and still has freshwater so growing up I had it too, My dad was and is also very very much into bonsai......... so for me this is a love of the ocean and the fish and the coral and the patience learning the art of bonsai ,,,,,, because like karate kid this is my little ocean instead of little tree !!!!!LOL ............ most of all this passion came from my dad to me in many ways

 

[Cherub]

Today we went over a get to know me exercise where we say who we are and what we do for fun, 5 favorite foods, I think you guys get where I'm going.

man you are an introverts nightmare. I hated teachers like you. I've had jobs that do this too and it made me want to walk out. ugh

 

[Amoo]

PTSD and the ocean has always been my relief space. I don't live near the beach anymore so I keep the beach in a box.

 

[savetheocean]

The ocean is my favorite place to be.. I always loved being near it or in it. One day I decided to bring a little bit back with me.

 

[Don Lidtke]

I am a geek who does details and a life long learner. With retiring last year from 30+ years of data centers, computers, network storage units and backup systems, I needed something new to challenge me and to learn.

I remembered my saltwater tank from 25 years ago and thought about a reef tank. Now I feel like a kid in a candy store with all of the details and equipment to learn.

Moving to a new state and a new house has made it easier because the house had to have room for a reef tank.

Oh ya, programming several Apex system!

REEF2REEF has been amazing place for learning. You folks are incredible!

 

[azbigjohn]

I love to just look at the tank and corals; it is an incredible stress reliever for me. I also enjoy the "tracking" and maintenance aspect of it, as I am not very detailed oriented in my day to day, and this forces me to be, so it is like exercising a muscle to make it grow.

Or, as my wife says, I enjoy being broke!

 

[Rob77]

I love to just look at the tank and corals; it is an incredible stress reliever for me. I also enjoy the "tracking" and maintenance aspect of it, as I am not very detailed oriented in my day to day, and this forces me to be, so it is like exercising a muscle to make it grow.

Or, as my wife says, I enjoy being broke!

haha I enjoy tracking the packages ! Im with on the wife haha

 

[Scrappy RN]

Great question--I had to think a little to answer, lol! So two main reasons:

First and most importantly, getting the reef tank up and running was my present to myself after my marriage of 21 years ended suddenly and unexpectedly. It's a way to take my mind off of my sadness and focus on creating something beautiful and relaxing. It's a calming presence in my home for myself and my children and guests. It's also been a way to meet other people and not hide my head in the sand feeling sorry for myself. In short, it's been a life-saver!

Second, I am a nerd at heart and easily bored with things I can excel at quickly. I've loved the relaxation of freshwater tank keeping several times over the years but eventually got bored with them. So the saltwater reef itch seems to have the potential to keep my attention for years!! It's the best challenge and is kind of like nursing-- there will never come a time where I know everything about the art and science of the hobby, it isn't easy, and it's so rewarding in the end!

Oh and one more reason...I enjoy torturing my cats with the live food demonstration...lol

 

[Jason mack]

After diving and snorkeling on the reef in Egypt I fell in love with it and wanted my own reef in my house ...it relaxes me, I love learning about all the corals and fish !

 

[krash7172]

I've always kept aquariums as well. Even if it was only a small fresh tank. Done 3 ponds. I'm a bit OCD. I had a small green house at my previous home with about 200 plants including nearly 100 orchids. Messed with aquaponics for a while too. Where I live now doesn't have room for all of that and my wife and I are scuba divers. We live in the midwest and talked about a reef tank for years. We started in April. I find myself spending at least an hour per day looking at or maintaining things. I love it. I don't have children and my plants/fish have given me that nurturing satisfaction.

 

[OREGONIC]

I have several reasons why i love my hobby. First I enjoy a challenge, and learning. If I get to a point with a hobby where it no longer becomes challenging or I master it I get bored. I also work an extremely stressful job, nothing calms me down better then sitting in front of my tank even when theres an issue. Working with my hands is and being able to see my creations is very rewarding. Math and science are extremely interesting. It is the most stressful, challenging, beautiful, therapeutic hobby ever.

 

[GoPitt88]

I used to golf 2 or 3 times per week, had a 6 handicap, and was my favorite thing to do. Then 9 years ago, got married with 2 step kids. Now, I golf 2 or 3 times per YEAR! Haha! I needed a hobby and loved to watch the show "Tanked". I thought that would be something I could do, so I bought a setup a 55 gallon fresh water tank. After 3 years or so of that, I was bored with that and needed a new challenge, so 2 years ago, I converted to saltwater, and LOVE IT! It's amazing to watch things grow and thrive. I learn something new every day, and now knowing how much it takes to have a successful tank, it's a hobby to be respected! I absolutely love it! Better than Golf [emoji16]

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Three years ago my wife talked me into taking a free 15 gallon tank from a friend "for the kids"...

 

[fishybizzness]

I was a full time commercial fisherman for more than 20 years and part time on weekends with my father since I can remember. I always loved the ocean as I live in the Virgin islands and a beach is never more than 10 minutes away. I changed careers about 10 years ago and now work for the federal government. My wife, who works at the local marine park as a diver has always tried to get me to go snorkeling. If it didn't involve a speargun I usually wasn't too interested. With my current job I don't get to go swimming very often with the long hours. I finally set up an aquarium and I am totally addicted!! I can't believe how much small creatures I have not noticed all these years!! I love my fish but the inverts are definitely my favorites! I have a 55 gal and am already pricing a 150... I now look forward to going snorkeling any chance I get.. my wife loves the fact that I'm finally understanding what she's been trying to get me to see all these years.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Great discussion! Great answers!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I am OBSESSED with the ocean. As a kid I wanted to be like Jaques Cousteau. Here are a few of my favorite quotes of his...

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."

"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free."

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

Apologies, as this reply wound up being way longer than I intended, but once I started, I kind of wanted to chase the stream of consciousness to completion...

I've always just been drawn the ocean. As a small kid, one of my earliest memories is going to the NY Museum of Natural History; I still remember being (kind of terrified) in the blue whale room and wanting my dad to pick me up so that I could see the sharks around the perimeter. That got me super interested in the ocean and sort of got cemented when the first picture I remember my dad drawing for me was the sperm whale/giant squid encounter. I replicated that picture an untold number of times as a kid...

Without much supervision as a young kid, I spent a lot of time just reading at the library. I gravitated to books about animals and wildlife. Saturday mornings, I'd get up early and watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I remember the first time seeing the orcas in south america beaching to catch seals and I was enthralled.

Fast forward to my pre-teen years and I had gotten my first aquarium; 10 gallon from Petland Discounts. That very quickly led to a 20 gallon with oscars & firemouths. Around that time I got my first book on saltwater aquariums, which i read & reread dozens of times. I remember being enthralled with the hobby at this point; I'd ride my bike for MILES all around to visit any LFS I could find.

At some point the oscars got big, of course, and I graduated to a 55 gallon. Had that tank mostly through high school. Eventually they bred, which was cool, but wound up having to get rid of the tank and fish to go to college. Original intention was to go into marine biology, but didn't really do a great job making that happen (my university didn't even offer as a major). After a couple of years undeclared, decided to get a degree in marketing (which I have very few regrets about).

Started working at the local Petland Discounts in college, worked up to assistant manager (partially by maintaining the most profitable marine fish section in the company). Got my first saltwater tank at that time; another 55 gallon that I started because I wanted a pair of ocellaris clowns (had that tank up and running through several homes/iterations for almost a decade). After a couple of years, got sick of slinging hamsters and needed more time to finish school, so transitioned over to an amazing, dedicated aquarium store. Worked there for many years, and worked up to management there. Even after starting my career, continued working there a few days a week for a long time.

Got married, had a kid, got sick of winters and moved to Florida. Got another 'real job' and found another LFS where I could work nights/weekends. After a little bit, started another small reef tank for my son. That tank lived through several iterations and upgrades, eventually moving up to a 54 gallon corner that I shut down about 7 years ago. I'm only just coming back to the hobby now (literally this month) and picking up what I've missed in that time. Surprisingly, not that much and there's a remarkable amount of latin nomenclature still buried that I thought long forgotten...

So, why reef keeping? I guess I was just enamored with the ocean as a kid. That transitioned from interest to hobby to work and carried through the start of my career and most of my life. As an adult, reef keeping sort of just scratches all of my itches. Beyond the constant experimenting and learning, there's all of the plumbing/carpentry handiwork that I don't really get to use otherwise. I also love gardening & landscaping, which has its part to play too. In the end though, I think it's just the lifelong pull of the ocean that is bringing me back...

 

[ubasu]

I got in it because I asked my wife for a dog. She got me a fish tank (as a joke i think) But I take things to the extreme.

I stay in because I love the beauty and science of it. There are so many different things to do in the hobby and soooo much to learn.