Most difficult, time consuming, expensive, addicting & deadly pet...why?

[Brian W]

I've been trying to find another pet that is more difficult, time consuming, expensive, addicting and as deadly as this one that we call reefing...and cannot think of anything.

People call it a hobby but technically we are keeping live animals/inverts so is it really a hobby? We never call our Dogs, Cats, etc a "hobby"...

So what brings me to this topic is one of my good friends' son asked me to set him up an aquarium. He is 12. I explained to him just the basics of keeping a freshwater aquarium alive and sent him a few videos to watch. I have not heard back from him in 2 days now. I know he probably just assumed you add water, decorations and fish to an aquarium and that's it...this got me thinking. What do we love about this pet so much? What ticks in our brain that makes us want this responsibility?

For me I love the challenge and unlimited possibilities this pet allows me to enjoy. The tech involved, the amazing colors, the comradery, the science behind it, the diy aspect...etc. However I'm not too crazy about the deadly aspect of it. Risk vs award theory comes in to play at some point I assume as well.

What is that "tick" for you?

 

[Jon Fishman]

I have been in contact with a big cat breeder..... I’m not in the market for the ‘bigger’ of the big cats, but I assure you, it is quite expensive, and I don’t consider reefing “deadly”. You must be doing it differently!

 

[Zos4me]

For me it is my sanity. I listen to air tools and noise all day. I come home sit in front of my tank and watch and relax. A shrimp i havnt seen in a month came out the other night and i was thrilled. Simple things LOL

 

[Brian W]

I have been in contact with a big cat breeder..... I’m not in the market for the ‘bigger’ of the big cats, but I assure you, it is quite expensive, and I don’t consider reefing “deadly”. You must be doing it differently!

I can definitely see a large cat breeder being in the same class as this reefing pet...


I should rephrase it to potentially deadly. For 1 we are talking about electricity and water, then potential paly toxin poisoning, parasites, etc...

 

[DMG Reef]

I have been in contact with a big cat breeder..... I’m not in the market for the ‘bigger’ of the big cats, but I assure you, it is quite expensive, and I don’t consider reefing “deadly”. You must be doing it differently!

Most of us don't think about it much, but the deadly aspect is probably us playing around with electricity and saltwater. I reefed for 5 years before finally getting a GFCI outlet, thanks to a post on R2R. ;Cat

 

[DEWreefing]

Dogs could be a hobby as well my parents use to breed and show cocker spaniels. I believe when these pets become more then just pets is when you advance and invest in these pets to the next extreme. Invest meaning time money more and more until your pot committed. I have keep fish as pets it was not a hobby for me. Then I got into corals that's when it became a hobby for me.

 

[halvenator]

I do it because I find it interesting and there is always more that I can learn.

It is also pretty cool having something that causes anyone that comes in my home to just stop and stare for 5 minutes.

I enjoy seeing others get a little bit of enjoyment out of it!

 

[MixedFruitBasket]

People call it a hobby but technically we are keeping live animals/inverts so is it really a hobby? We never call our Dogs, Cats, etc a "hobby"...

Actually there are those of us who do or have called dogs and cats a hobby. If you compete in any facet of animal husbandry, be it confirmation to obedience to agility to hunt work, it's your hobby. Your dogs are your hobby or in the case of cats and cat shows, that's a hobby too.
It's just pet people (those who just have dogs/cats as companions) don't use that terminology.

 

[nezw0001]

Horses...nuff said.

 

[Brian W]

Horses...nuff said.

True!