!!!! WHY OH WHY !!!!

dricc · Jan 10, 2017

Broadfield said:
It started when I was 6 years old and it gets weird...

My uncle opened up a unique pet store that sold mostly fresh water fish. But he also sold various birds... typical stuff, but also a lot of parrots and even toucans. Strangely enough he even had spider monkeys. My mother worked there as a professional dog groomer... so in the summer, I would go in virtually every day and hang out from 9-5. I would help my uncle with everything and learned the craft quickly... I was drawn to the fish side of it. I continued to go in there every summer until I was 10 years old. At that age, I knew enough that regular customers started to value you my opinion. My uncle would pay me here and there and give me free fish and supplies. Then the summer after my 5th grade year(1985), my uncle got caught by the FBI growing mass amounts of marijuana hidden in Illinois corn fields. It was valued at over $2 million back then.... so it was a lot. Now with nobody to run the pet store, my grandpa turned to me to run it until he could get someone in there that wasn't 11 years old lol. I ran it for about a month that summer, under my grandpa's guidance, and did pretty well.... we kept it afloat! I didn't think anything unusual about it at the time. But now looking back, I can't imagine what some customer's thought about an 11 year old making this place go, handling the register and their money, knowing everything there is to know about freshwater etc. And I have been hooked on fish ever since!

dricc · Jan 10, 2017

That's awesome!

ReeferMaddness843 · Jan 10, 2017

Had an out of the house music production gig (not a job, just the love of it). Was taking a break with a new addition to the family and needed something to fill my time I could get him involved in. Had freshwater for a while and after a major crash in my cichlids tank I decided to give salt a shot. Never looked back. Lol

sureal00 · Jan 10, 2017

I started my first saltwater tank in late 2011.I had freshwater tanks for 15 years prior.When ever I saw saltwater tanks i was amazed at the colors of the fish and corals.My friend started his tank in 2011 and then I started mine also and ventured into corals.

Lowell Lemon · Jan 10, 2017

My father brought home a 15 gallon glass tank with stainless steel trim in about 1965 with Guppies and Swordtails. I was hooked. I kept a tank of some kind running until 1986 when George Smit wrote a series of articles on Dutch Mini Reef aquariums along with directions on how to build your own. I built a 55 gallon Reef and had good success until the stand started to swell from water damage (particle board from All Glass). By that time George had a company called Mini Reef in Chicago. I was one of their first distributors and covered three states in the Pacific Northwest. George's company eventually went out of business and he was deported. Soon I was making my own filters and acrylic aquariums because it was so hard to get both the quality and price I needed to survive in the industry. For a while I provided fish and inverts to several small stores in the area as well. The rest is history as they say. Now I am back and interested after years in the housing industry making Corian and Zodiaq counters for homes and businesses. Maybe a small speciality store with internet sales in the future. Who knows. Love the hobby and the people.

Elementalj · Jan 10, 2017

I had a dream. A dream of spending my life working at the research station on pigeon key. Circumstances on the other hand piled reality against a biology degree so I chose a natural talent in its place. The aquarium hobby in every way keeps me connected to that dream.

Jack Eskay · Jan 10, 2017

I've always had a joy for fish and kept freshwater tanks until I was about 12. I then stopped for a few years and then decided when I was 14 that I wanted to try saltwater and have a pair of clownfish... like everyone else lol. That then escalated into tons of research and many upgrades over the last two years leading me to a 70 gallon reef tank. So I guess I would say I got into the hobby off of enjoyment of fish(also a trip to the Baltimore aquarium that also got me hooked)

BrettMallette · Jan 10, 2017

Im now 29 and cant remember a time when there wasnt a fish tank in the house. My great aunt had a big goldfish pond and we would winter the goldfish at our house in stock troughs in the basment. And every spring id get to pick whichever fish i grew most attached to. When she passed we kept most of the fish. When they got old and passed away in the mid 90s i transitioned to your typical tropical aquarium full of tetras and barbs. Everytime i went into the LFS the big saltwater FOWLR would always catch my eye. So in 96 i setup my first saltwater tank with a hob skimmer and penguin biowheel. It was a 50 and not knowing what i was doing i purchased a Niger Trigger as my first fish. Surprisingly enough the big guy survived until 2001. Since then have had a mix of reefs and fish only over the years.

govolsguy31 · Jan 10, 2017

There was always a freshwater tank in our house growing up. My dad was big into it. I can still remember the Oscar that must've weighed 5 pounds and a pleco that was a foot long. We had that tank setup 10 different ways as I grew up. However, I always loved the colors and "texture" saltwater tanks had that we didn't with our freshwater fish. Up until recently, I was always intimidated by saltwater. In freshwater, you keep your pH at 7.0, do a 20% water change once a month, mix in a little Balance Plus every once in a while, and change the carbon when you think about it. Easy Peasy. We still have two freshwater tanks in our den that require about 10 minutes of maintenance a week.

Talk of sumps, dosing, reactors, skimmers, 100 parameters to keep in line, all that seemed like a ton of work and very expensive. I'm a project kinda guy and we just finished out our basement into an in-law suite. I needed something to do, as that had been my "project" for nearly a year. I decided to jump in a few months ago. I quickly found this site and made several friends on here in about 10 minutes, one that I talk to nearly every day now. This hobby isn't nearly as bad or complicated (it is expensive, though LOL) as the outside world might perceive it. I can't imagine doing this without this exact forum. The knowledge folks have on this board is unbelievable.

My wife is addicted now, too, and I usually come home from work to her staring at the tank and being excited about a new hitch-hiker she just saw. Now, my dad is talking of doing a tank, my best friend is working on finding a tank and we're already looking for a nano for my wife. This hobby is my stress-relief... and the source of my stress all bundled into one beautiful mess. HAHA.

Tautog · Jan 10, 2017

I'm half fish, and always wanted a saltwater tank big enough to swim in. I grew up in Fire Island as a water rat, surfing, diving, lifeguarding, fishing, and my parents pulled me from the water everyday. I collected stuff all the time. Our home was on the ocean, and it was always a dream to swim and feed the fish. After 30 + years of owning a tank, off and on, I'm still intrigued. Still act like a kid in a candy store. Still worry that I know nothing about this hobby. Now, I'm in with a reef tank and a local cold water tank. It's an incredible hobby, always seeing something new, and learning something new.

Briguy350 · Jan 10, 2017

ever since i was a kid i always loved the ocean and tropical places (blue water and palm trees), living in the midwest with cold winters this was kind of a get away or a way to bring that feeling home. so in high school (15 years ago) i bought myself a tank and started reefing. a couple of breaks here and there in my 20's as i moved around. but when i bought my first house i got a used 75g and built my own sump and i still love it. had a few different setups since then and im always looking forward to my next bigger and better build!

Humblefish · Jan 10, 2017

I do this simply because I wouldn't know what to do with myself without it.

ELwirePros · Jan 10, 2017

Pure stupidity ans self loathing I suppose. Oh, and apparently, when I started, I must have had wayyyy too much money...

RamsReef · Jan 10, 2017

Humblefish said:
I do this simply because I wouldn't know what to do with myself without it.

Hang out on a forum in the Fish Disease Threads where you belong? :O

tom reilly · Jan 10, 2017

Diesel said:
Simple question I would think............. that can bring up some interesting stories

WHY OH WHY you got in this hobby?
With many new members and of course the diehard members can answer this as well.
Is it because of your neighbor or work, maybe your life partner or boy/girl friend or perhaps your dog?
Can it be because this AMAZING site R2R or is it you local forum group/FB?

WHY OH WHY you got in this hobby..............

Always had fresh. Saw a reef tank at ifs and had to have corals.