How long have you been in the hobby?

SDguy · Mar 10, 2012

Too long, and I still get things wrong :bigsmile:

Tahoe Reefer · Mar 10, 2012

I saw my first hermit crab in person about 10-11 years ago and ran out and bought The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by R. Fernner and haven't looked back! To this day I'm still amazed at the creatures found in the reef tank.

creefer · Mar 10, 2012

Only about 18 months this time. In 1991 I had my first SW tank but it was FO. I'm pretty well addicted at this point and find myself amazed at the life in my little closed system.

TRIGGERFISH · Mar 10, 2012

I started in 1990 - reefs pretty much did not exist then - fish only. I got out when the kids started need my salt budget as it was called then, I guess around 1997 or so. Been out ever since....but am looking at getting back in with a 29 g BioCube HTI. Still thinking about it - hard. The thing that I use to hate then and is what is making me hesitant no were partial water changes. I hated doing them. I was hoping that by now they would be a thing of the past, but it does not look like it. At least with a 29 I would not be doing much of one.

steamer51 · Mar 11, 2012

I chose 5-8 years since I have only been "reefkeeping" since I set up my 55 in 2006. Back in the 1980's I was another one with a few tanks with undergravel and HOB filters, crushed coral substrate and coral skeletons for decoration. Kept a few fish, crabs, shrimp and even an anemone for a little while until it died since we didn't know how much light they require back then. I did freshwater of all types off and on since the 1960's until my reef.

ritter6788 · Mar 11, 2012

Coming up on 4 years for me. Got started after a heater stuck on and killed my 7 year old oscars in my FW tank.

redemer123 · Mar 11, 2012

Im a senior in highschool and i've been going strong since august of 2010, gotta say im probably the only reefer in my school. To bad college only allows 15g of water in the dorms. im gonna miss my 120. On the bright side as soon as im out of college ill probably have my job so im already planning a big tank in the up coming years

SunnyX · Mar 11, 2012

17+ years now. I started my first reef at the age of 13.

Thank you,
Sonny

falconerr · Mar 11, 2012

18+ years started my first fowler tank when i was 16 and then transitioned to full blown reef tanks.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC

Bluejawtrigger · Mar 11, 2012

I've been in it for about 18years. First 8 in freshwater, the lady three with corals. And I'm an addict.

allabout · Mar 11, 2012

I've had tanks off and on since I was about 15 but got out of it when I went to college. Got married, got a 55 gallon tank, set it up about as wrong as you could do it and kept it running for the past 8 years or so. Just recently actually started researching things and trying to do it right in the past few years. Good to have resources like this site to help with that!

CTMarinelife · Apr 4, 2012

21 years of salt.

REEFKEEPER10 · Apr 4, 2012

8 years freshwater and 7 year saltwater.

Cyber-Burn · Apr 4, 2012

I had freshwater systems for most of my childhood, but only got into salt in 03. Still have the same tank, fish, most all of my original corals. Most of the things in my reef are older than my kids :smile:

Connie · Apr 5, 2012

I've had FW off and on my whole life. My parents had one and it was just natural for me to have a tank. The FW got boring and was no longer a challenge. I've had a 90g reef tank a little over two years now and to me, it is just now maturing ane becoming less of a guessing game. People don't realize how much research, money and attention is REQUIRED to be successful in this hobby. All my friends say "ooh, that's the coolest thing I've ever seen..I want one." I am quick to tell them leave it alone unless you are willing to study, study, study first, and then go slow. When I tell them that, they back off...lol. Maybe I've saved a few lives! My hubby loves the aquarium too, but he has pretty much stopped helping me with anything but water changes. He says everytime he tries to do something, I tell him how he should be doing it....well, I did the research, he didn't.....so it's all mine..:xd: MMMwwwaaahahaha!

dsmhero · Apr 5, 2012

It is pretty amazing how long some of you have been doing saltwater!

revhtree · Apr 5, 2012

Only 8 years for me.

swannyson7 · Apr 5, 2012

First freshwater tank in 87' and first saltwater FOWLR in 98'. Converted to a reef tank in 02' and haven't looked back....

Hat39406 · Apr 5, 2012

20 years reefkeeping.

rkrolak1 · Apr 5, 2012

I've had freshwater tanks for 30 plus years and when I retired in 2001 started looking at getting into saltwater. After visiting several shops and reading a couple of books that I got at library dove into it and now have my son into as well. I have 3-29 gal systems with varying degrees of corals(these are my grow-frag tanks),a 14 gal quarantine tank and a 75 show tank. My son has a 125 setup which houses alot of my larger pieces from my grow tanks. I absolutely love the hobby although I have had my share of losses over the years(tank meltdowns-twice from heaters stuck on.)I now replace my heaters every 18 months whether they need it or not and haven't had that problem again.