How long have you been in this hobby?

skimmerman · Jan 31, 2023

30 years three custom built tanks. Lots of mistakes and learning.

bpbonds · Jan 31, 2023

Since 2004 it's been a great learning experience!

absltzer0 · Jan 31, 2023

20+ years. Started with freshwater when I was little. I was hanging out with a friend in the early 2000s that had a 20 long reef tank. I was instantly obsessed. Stared at that tank every time I was there. Turned out to be a pretty bad reefkeeper bubble algae and aptasia everywhere, but a very nice colonies of Rhodactis and Caulastraea. I started reading everything I could about it. Convinced him to let me help him clean it up. Within a few months my brother and I filled my parents basement with tanks and I was working at the LFS. It eventually took me to Maui for a few years where I spent all my free time in the water. Still obsessed all these years later. Only time I haven't had a tank was 2 of the years I was married to a narcissist I still learn or observe something new every day.

dennis romano · Jan 31, 2023

First freshwater tank in 1968 bought at Modells in Lodi, NJ. First saltwater tank in 1972. The salt tank was one of the first silicone (not tar) manufactured. The frame was real wood held together with pin nails that rusted. Substrate was natural gravel mixed with bird gravel for feeding pet birds. You couldn't buy bags of salt. The shop owners weighed out bags from a bulk bag. Filtration was a box filter followed by a undergravel filter.

CNDReef · Jan 31, 2023

18 years this year

Cthulukelele · Jan 31, 2023

I know it's not long compared to this forum, but I'm a chronic "next new thing" person, and I'm coming up on 4 1/2 years with no end in sight. Hoping to make it to being one of the 30+ year people eventually!

HudsonReefer2.0 · Jan 31, 2023

20 years w short breaks between moves and a total loss w Sandy. Compared to what others lost during that event really not significant but a loss of life nonetheless.

atoll · Jan 31, 2023

Subsea said:
You are an “old school” dinosaur. I have 51 years with @PaulB reefing for 6 months longer than I even though I am his senior by 6 months.

You're not wrong.

fish farmer · Jan 31, 2023

I've been playing with fish since 1980.

Dabbled with fresh and salt for 12 years. Entered professional fish culture for 30 years. I've had one or two saltwater or freshwater tanks for the past 23 years.

So around 43 years.

rgulrich · Jan 31, 2023

Since the mid 60's with freshwater, then early to mid 70's with marine fish and inverts. Coral in the early 80's (Mediterranean cool-water) then late 80's South Pacific warm water coral. This last reef I started 16 years ago and moved once...hope to not move it again.
Cheers,
Ray

ReefGeezer · Jan 31, 2023

My first marine tank was in the mid 70's. It was a 20 gallon with a UG filter with crushed coral, two Percula Clowns, and some fake looking decorations. Reef tanks became a thing for me in the late 80's but really didn't get going until the early 90's when live rock and corals became easier to get. I've had some sort of reef tank ever since. So, 45+ years... thus the username.

907_Reefer · Jan 31, 2023

We ran 1 tank for a few years 10-12 years ago. Second tank now online, running for 9 months (with a house move in between). Both 55gs. So, 3 years of tanks with 10 years of loathing in between

2013:

2023:

nuxx · Jan 31, 2023

Probably right around 10 years.

Rusty_L_Shackleford · Jan 31, 2023

Abour 23 years. Although i moved back to fw tanks for 8 years when i moved to hawaii. But im in SC now and my wife got me a tank for christmas, finally got fish in it a few weeks ago.

hoffmeyerz · Jan 31, 2023

About three years total but only about half of that actually knowing what I'm doing!!
Started with a used 29gal in 2020 and thought "hey let's do saltwater...how hard can it be". After a ton of bad advise from different lfs around me I found r2r, learned a ton and started to build my current 75gal that's been running strong a good 15 months

Cincyreefer513 · Jan 31, 2023

About 19 years total. The past just over a year has been salt and fresh. Strictly fresh before.
I started with a 10 gallon on my 7th birthday and had fish until I joined the military at 20. I had to take several years off because of that and then apartment life. I've been back in the game since 2017.

Rmckoy · Jan 31, 2023

My first saltwater was mid 90’s
At that time selection was very slim . And knowledge from most lfs at the time was limited other than the same know it alls we still have in a few stores now .

that system didn’t go well so I switched back to freshwater for many years. .
in 2006 my daughter was born and I started collecting equipment as I have always wanted to do a salt water setup again .
A few Years later we were walking around the aquarium in Toronto Canada and my daughter asked if we can have nemo
The next day we went to the lfs and bought salt mix

I’ve had one running since