How many times have you "gotten" out of the hobby (salt or fresh)?

[kwirky]

How many times have you "gotten" out of the hobby? You can comment on why you have "gotten out" at the various points if you'd like.

Myself I left the freshwater hobby once just after high school because we moved and my 108g tank was smashed...

then about 5 months ago I left the reef hobby because I didn't have the time to maintain a 120g reef aquarium to the quality I wanted.

back again now with a simple 24g tank

[mark]

Once.

Had a FW then they shipped me to the Arctic so shut it down. Dry for about 15 years then started up again with SW 5 years ago.

[banditpowdercoat]

Once for me too. WHen we moved to our new home, never set the FW back up. Acctually gave the tank to my buddy, they ran goldfish till they died. Found out why, they never cleaned the tank, took me 4 days to clean the tank out

[Delphinus]

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead.

[untamed]

Never quit once. I started with a FOWLR SW tank...that was about 15 yrs ago. Now, I'm 1 year into my 2nd tank. I believe this one to be my last.

I never had a real FW tank. (Well....I recall having turtles when I was like 5 years old)

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead.

Ditto on that.

[Patrick1]

I think I have walked about a dozen times now from this hobby. I find it funny that it is such an expensive, time consuming. At times it makes you feel like pulling your hair out. And yet sitting infront of these glowing peices of live art at the end of a long day, lowers my stress level to nothing.

[Snappy]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead.

Tony you're a riot!!!

[EmilyB]

I have got out of the FW hobby twice now. I used to have about eight cichlid tanks, got into SW and got rid of them all. Then just recently I set up a FW that lasted a few months until it bored me so badly I resented it using power so it's gone also.

Still in SW after 10 years, will be until the last oldtimer dies, then I don't know.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

A few times. I ran fw from when I was 8 years old till 3rd year UBC. Stopped because between school, gf, & working in the summer, no time & no $$.

First live seahorses in 81' till 83' (died when no more live brine shrimp for 6 weeks).

Ran sw FOWLR from 84' till 88' and stopped because of school. Real KISS setups with no skimmer, crushed coral, undergravel filters & HOB Whisper2 filters. No problem keeping a 108g with a Snowflake moray, Smooth Horn shark, Passer King angel, & even a Moorish Idol (beginner's luck). Also had a 33g with a 14" handfed Volitan Lion which stung me when I was not looking.

No fish tanks for a decade or so.

Then I worked on fish farms feeding up to 3.5 million salmon smolts so didn't want any fish tanks. Started up again in 2001 when I moved back to Vancouver. Been keeping fw & sw ever since.

First reef tank the same week (2002) I took Irene to see Finding Nemo. Countless $$ & trips to the LFS later, I'm up to 500+g of sw & 65g cube fw goldfish tank.

Anthony