We have it....but why?

[Megatrev62]

Not sure where to ask this one.Was at a friends house tonight who keeps multiple tanks. He had company that were non fish keepers. Anyway they admired his tanks and loved the saltwater. They asked why do we keep fish? and why are you so involved in the hobby. I said we have "the bug" and continued on with how I got involved and how I got to this point. They could not understand the addiction. I thought this interesting because I would love to know why we go above and beyond with the hobby and most people don't understand why we do.

What do you think makes us grab on to this hobby with such passion, while the masses do not? Just curious and I'm not taking a course in psychology lol. Please don't be shy. lol

 

[ajcanale]

Many people are wired this way. Think about it. The hobby can be very challenging, is filled with incredible beauty, and can reflect a substantial amount of personal satisfaction. It also keeps us busy and is very effective in preventing boredom. It seems that men are more so apt to developing the addiction than women.

 

[zakstrong]

for me a lot of the interest comes in the design and construction process. basically setting up the tank. I love sitting with my notebooks in class ignoring my professor sketching out different systems. then slowly seeing everything come together.

next in line is seeing the growth over time. it is awesome keeping photos of your tank every month or so. because day to day there is not a lot of change. but when you see corals over months and months you can appreciate all the work you have put in.

plus sitting and looking at your tank on a micro level. like the small critters crawling over rocks amongst corals and such.

 

[Reef264]

I was tricked into the hobby, I don't know how I got to this point, I'm just in it for the Chicks man.

Kidding aside...I think it's having something that constantly demands your care and love, and that you get to watch your hard work and dedication do something that in reality wasn't (in theory) supposed to be done in your living room.

-Ray

 

[Yedgy]

I love that this hobby provides plenty of variety and challenges in a wide number of areas: biology, chemistry, plumbing, carpentry, electrical work, and so on. Not to mention the beauty and serenity of a world that is (unfortunately) hidden from almost all of us. Seeing the fruits of my labor literally grow before my eyes is extremely rewarding, as are the compliments from friends and family who are amazed that I can keep a reef in my home office.

 

[Curious George]

I love keeping fish because they are pretty and colorful, each having an individual personality. They are my pets. Something about saltwater fish elevate them to having a place in the family. Kind of simplistic, but I like to keep an array of colors in the tank. And kids love it.

It's exotic to have a piece of the ocean in your living room. Mysterious in a way. Especially since 74% of the world is under water.

 

[sail33]

I was tricked into the hobby, I don't know how I got to this point, I'm just in it for the Chicks man.

-Ray

Just for the chicks ROFL !!

I've been scuba diving for 40 years. I recently had to put that on hold for health reasons. This was the closest way to staying wet that could find. Besides, there is plenty of problem solving, design, construction and a surprising amount of communication with the life in there. Everyone has a personality.
I had a 6 foot green moray on the reef that I could hold and pet. That took a long time to accomplish. Still, I wouldn't pet a lion fish on the reef. I had a lion fish in an aquarium that I could pet. ( one direction only). What I'm trying to say that for as much diving as I did, and I used to teach and run a dive shop so it could be 2 to 6 dives a day, it rarely became so personal as my relationship with what's in the tank.
Although that 40 lb grouper was just like a Labrador.

 

[zakstrong]

do people like the coral aspect or fish aspect more. for me fish are just and added bonus. if the technology wasnt available to keep corals i probably would not be interested as much.

 

[maroun.c]

Its totally natural for people to have different hobbies. To some collecting stamps is exciting to others not. I even heard abotu someone collecting bags from planes or different stones/sand from different countries....
to me the best thing about reefkeeping is that it requires constant effort to learn things around it: Chemistry, Physics, plumbing, a bit of DIY. All the stress to get a tank going and knowing that a single mistake can set you back to the starting point is a challenge for the stubborn part in most of us.
To add to that from a home decoration perspective it adds a unique live element to any place that very few decorative items can achieve. Come to think of it visitiors and friend stare much more at your tank than at your home decoration.
Now, when you wake up at 2AM to checkout what bugs have emerged from your sand bed and rocks, is a different face to the hobby.

 

[Robb in Austin]

I think the same question can be asked for any hobby; gaming, photography, stamp collecting, etc. There is some innate psychological aspect that grabs you and pulls you in.

For me, it's the challenge to keeping a tank and the beauty inherent in the system. Plus, I geek out on all the minutia within the ecosystem.

 

[DavidinGA]

I pretty much agree with whats already been said; its a hobby like any other that provides an opportunity for enjoyment.

I can't understand why anyone would enjoy stamp collecting or knitting or bird watching, but to each their own I suppose.


Sent by Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Tapatalk 2

 

[KafudaFish]

It keeps my Overlord need in check.

 

[sponger0]

I just got bored lol

 

[rrasco]

While the tanks are beautiful themselves, and the life and micro fauna is amazing to observe daily, there is another reason I enjoy it.

Keeping a reef is, not a guaranteed success. There are plenty of people who have things just to have things, just because they have the money and a desire for more stuff. Having a reef tank, is not something you can just drop a bunch of money on and be successful. It takes knowledge, experience, wisdom, and dedication. Even the richest person might have a problem keeping a successful reef tank, short of them hiring someone to maintain is daily for them, they may not ever reach the level of success and maturity that tanks around here do. So for me, doing something that not everyone can be successful at doing, is rewarding in itself.

 

[HUNTER1]

For me when they ask, I just say same thing how they admire their hobby. Plain and simple.

 

[MellowReefer]

All I know is I think I was born with this addiction (nature vs. nurture) No one in my family or anyone around me was interested in aquatic life. But as a child, I think by around age 8, I was constantly down by the river spending hours watching the minnows, water bugs, crawfish, tadpoles, looking for turtles etc. I had a small aquarium I had gotten for a hamster, filled it with water, and took a net and caught a bunch of tiny baby catfish and brought them home. Those poor baby catfish...I knew nothing about how to keep them alive. But that was the beginning for me. The other little girls were playing house or playing dress-up but I had no interest in that. Just wanted to be alone studying any poor creature I could catch

 

[Navyblue]

I have a personal belief that human beings are by nature irrational. We do what we like to do, and we use our ability to reason to justify what we do, instead of the other way round. When we find a good justification we fool ourselves and others that we are full of ideals and purpose. When the fact is, there is really no reason other than we like what we are doing, just like why we prefer a particular flavour of donuts over the other. Once you accept this premise, everything that people do became explainable.

 

[TimothyJ]

do people like the coral aspect or fish aspect more. for me fish are just and added bonus. if the technology wasnt available to keep corals i probably would not be interested as much.

Couldn't agree more. While the fish create the most excitement for guests because they swim around or you hear, "Oh look, Nemo," the corals are the desire and challenge for me. Seeing them thrive over time is awesome.

 

[Loserland]

My kids keep from moving back to Florida, so why not bring the ocean to me. Although moving would have been cheaper. lol

 

[KafudaFish]

Biophilia.