WHEN AND WHY

[blood_hound]

Hi everyone just wanted to know on what has made everybody here start on this hobby?

I will start.. I started on this hobby when I was still living in the Philippines when I was 12 yrs old after my first scuba diving with my grandfather. I first have a 120G Fish only tank at fisrt I was not really interasted in reef keeping b'coz I was able to go diving 2 to 3 times a year until I move here in canada 2years ago. I was not able to go back in the philippine and I misses the reef so much that is why i start on keeping a reef tank.

The only thing that I hate on having this hobby here in Canada is the cost. I spend 4 times more on my 3 tank than My 2 larg tanks in the Philippines and the cost for diving in the reef in the philippines. But no regrets bcoz everything is worth every dollar that i spend.

How about you guys WhEN and WHY?

[meltdownaverted]

I started keeping reptiles three years back, and was constantly trying to find something new to put in the cage. I got discouraged after a few months when I realized there was nothing more I could do to the cage. Then one day while passing though Calgary my friend wanted to stop at a hobby shop that just happened to be beside Wai's. I say that you could create an entire ecosystem in your home and I was hooked. less than two years later I'm now working on my third tank. Most people that know what I've spent think I'm crazy, but I look at it this way; I spent almost as much on my motorbike, but I spend waaaaaaaay more time with the reef.

[Delphinus]

First of all I notice this is your 2nd post so let me say, Welcome to Canreef!

When and how did I get bitten by the bug... That's hard to answer. I've always had a love of the oceans and the things that live in water. Further, I think there's an element of "the grass is always greener on the other side" and having lived in Calgary all my life, I've always looked to the oceans (and warmer climes) with some kind of envy. And of course there is the geek factor..

I started my first reef tank in January 1998 just to see how I would like keeping a tank. And let me just say it's been downhill ever since.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

I got the bug as a toddler in Penang, Malaysia.

My father had a large fish tank (or at least it seemed huge to my young eyes) and I used to walk around with a small dip net catching common guppies and wild bettas and such out of the ditches & puddles along the side of the roads. (Too bad we can't do that now, eh)

After we moved to Vancouver, I didn't have a tank until my parents went on vacation back to Malaysia & I used part of our food money that they left for us to buy a 5 gallon set up & about 30 fish (hmmmm, the lfs owner who sold me the tank & the fish at the same time told me I could keep that many in a 5 gallon... ). The first sign that this would become a life-long addiction (choosing fish over food). Luckily my dad came home, took one look at my waaay over-stocked tank & bought me a 33g. That was when I was 8.

In the 80s, I worked for a local petshop chain & ended up with 9 tanks, including 33g & 108g Marine systems, all crammed into my mom's laundry room. Needless to say, our clothes took a long time to dry in that humid environment. In those days, there were no protein skimmers, live rock, etc. Total KISS (Keep It Simple & Stupid) systems in the 80s, which is one of the main reasons my tanks are still KISS.

That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

Anthony

[Invigor]

worked at a store that sold marine fish..was enough for me

[Ryan]

FW got too easy enjot a challenge plus SW tanks are always changing and the fish are nicer too.

[danny zubot]

For me Fw was also becoming a bit boring. Even though my African's had tonnes of personality I needed so expand to something a lot more challenging. I dove in with a 29 gallon bow front and a book that I read only half ass. I made lots of mistakes and still do, but I'm working on my 3rd tank in almost 3 years and I love it. I agree with Tony as a life long Calgarian, we feel we're missing something here on the prairies so we turn to the unknown of the sea to fill the void.

That book still isn't read because I found Canreef a much more interesting resource for information.

Welcome to Canreef!

[OCDP]

For me it's a bit of everything. Mostly, my love for the ocean.... such a mysterious place. I've always enjoyed marine life, it's just pleasing to the eye... or as I like to simply call it "eye candy" creative , huh?

It all is just so fasinating to me.... let's not forget though, the fish themselves .... the colors, the personality, everything... is such a total conrast to FW.

I have always had a thing for the ocean.... so I thought, forget the FW tank... it's time to get me a reef. It was definitely one of the best choices I've made in setting it up... but also one of the worst choices when talking money spent!

I like nothing more, than at the end of my day... to stare into that 20g tank in my bedroom.. with the actinic lighting just glowing up the room... I just like to sit, and stare. And then about 10 minutes later, come time to sleep... my mind has been somehow put to ease, and I just crash.

It's more than just a reef.... it clears my mind, helps me sleep, etc..... haha

[wayner]

As far as keeping a Reef in your home, I got bit bad reading the first article in FAMA, It was years ago, I think it was by a fellow named George Smith, first time I ever heard the words Trickle Fiiter, Live Rock, etc., he went on to describe how we could keep corals, starfish, etc., in the home aquarium, It was all over then.

[whaase]

After seeing Jon's tank (Canadian Man) I was hooked. I guess that would be 2 years ago or so.

Walter