What brought you in?

[R_Hudson]

Why did you decide to take this up as a hobby? And what was your first tank?

I started over 7 years ago with a 12 gallon aquapod all in one and a book. I knew nothing of the hobby except a few houses we worked at had tanks. Hollie and I decided we wanted a tank with the original thought of freshwater. After visiting petco and some other big box stores we stopped in a local reef shop. I was hooked almost immediately except for the cost aspect of it. We talked it over for a day or two and decided what the heck. Bought the tank, water, jugs, rock, sand, and a bunch of test kits and misc stuff. The rest is history.

I've definately had my ups and downs over the years. I've battled algae, disease, 3 complete crashes. Personal error, the ice storm, and most recently disease, and a predator. But thru it all I'm glad I've stayed in and have met several great people along the way.

 

[Dino]

For me it was a HS teacher . During high school I took an aquatic biology course as I'd already been keeping dozens of different tanks previous to that from fresh to brackish. Teacher breed cichlids for everybody to take care of as well he had a couple different salt tanks in the classroom. Since I was one of the only ones with a good amount of previous knowledge on how to take care of an aquarium I was also pretty much the only one besides the teacher allowed to work at all on the salt tanks. It was pretty much over from there.

If you want to go way back to when I first started keeping fish, that all started with a lousy goldfish my brother won at a carnival. Everybody else wanted to feed it to the cat, I wanted to keep it :lol:.

 

[kent ashbrener]

I got in to the hobby in 1988 when I got tired of the fresh water stuff the was available back then.
The tank I had when I switched to salt was a 75gal show tank.
I quit the hobby in 93 sold every thing and got back into it in 06.
I've had the same ups and downs and stupid mistakes,but still enjoy the hobby

 

[lfowble]

I got my tank for Fathers Day last year when my wife bought it from our neighbors who were moving. Our boys liked to watch the fish and she knew I love aquariums. I "had" to get rid of the previous ones a while back when our boys would pour things like a whole jar of fish food or milk into the tank and well....Our main tank origanally started as a FOWLER but through learning how to correctly opperate and maintain it has evolved into a reef tank as well as another seahorse tank. Currently I have a 120g tank in the garage waiting on the stand to be finished as well as all of the other equipment to be gathered for installation. We are planning on moving soon and will get the new tank set up in the new house and then move the livestock. It has been an incredible 10 months and wonder what the next ten tears will hold!
As far as what got me interested in the hobby, it is hard to pinpoint where the passion came from-reading books as a child of the ocean, watching National Geographic on Sunday mornings or field trips to the zoo in elementary school- which ever one or all of them I know that I have had and will always have this passion.
To precisely answer the questions:
why did you decide to take up this hobby- It was a gift- the only decision made was to try to be knowledgeable and capable of maintaining my piece of the ocean(and it kinda makes those chemistry and biology classes seem a bit less intimedating and outlandish!)
what was your first tank- a one gallon hexagon(when I was in third(?) grade)

 

[jjmcat]

Fame and fortune.I got into this hobby so I could make loads of cash and have several of my corals have LE status....Oh and a fish...

 

[jc8745]

I got into this hobby so i could feel powerful and mighty, deciding what would live and what would be cast away, so i could glue small creatures to rocks and tell people i created life. Ha Ha

Growing up, we always had aquariums, so it came natural when i became a home owner. I've always have had a favoring of the Big Bad SA/CA Cichlids. Have had some of the common big cichlids; oscars, red terrors, green terrors, jack dempsey's, texas. The Umbee, blue freckled monster will be the final Cichlid i purchase, when ever i do.

Then came the day that i purchased my first 55gal salt tank (2007), and then it was on. I needed a bigger tank, i need better lights, i need a skimmer, you know the drill.

I've had as many as (4) 55 salt tanks, and a 220fw in the house, and 1 of each in the garage all at the same time.

Currently have a 125 reef tank, 75 mantis with a marron clown and aneome, then the 220 sa/ca cichlid fw tank.

 

[oddballs]

I have kept freshwater for about 25 years.And had bread African Cichlids for about 10 years ,when I fell in love with 2 of the greatest saltwater fish (and most common ) ever! The tri color or solair fairy wrasse, and the bar goby or neon goby or zebra dart fish(whichever name you want to call them) both are still one of my most faves and are both great solid fish! Since that time I have become a complete coral addict (to put it lightly) !!!

 

[DHM]

I grow up with a FW tank in the house as a kid. Wasn't until a few years ago I came across a 10gal tank setting next to a trash bin. Was a passing fancy to rekindle a kid hood hobby. Soon got a 30 gal at a garage sell. Quickly got bored with FW fish so tried my hand at planted tanks. Was fun but, hated having to only be able to keep small fish in it as bigger fish knock things around and uproot plants even in potters. I was given an 60 gal half hex tank for my birthday two years ago and didn't have the confidence to do SW. Needed some practice at managing water parameters so I ventured down to the LFS Oddballs. Scott hooked me up with cichlids and I was really hooked. More colors then I could imagine in one fish. They now reside in a 125 gal, and turned the gal into a Discus tank and the 30 gal into a brashish tank for figure eight and spotted puffers. One thing led to another and I ended up with two 55 gals to put in the bedroom. Converted the puffers to SW and was going for a mini predator reef complete with a snowflake eel. Was going to turn the other into a Lionfish den and just do a predator tank with Dwarf lions. But, corals sucked me in the more we got and now she wants the predator tank and I want the reef tank lol. was a bit much for her to care for demanding to much time in her busy schedule between two jobs so less is more for her. But, reefs have captured my interest with all there form and function. The rest is history and I will forever be hooked for life. Expense is the only down side but, slowly have got the things I need to make it work for now. Oh how much I want a bigger tank, like a 200 gal RR tank but, the funds don't allow it at the moment. The Lyretail Anthias harem is on that list. Not sure to apartment complex would be happy with me refitting one of their sinks with an Ro/Di setup to run a tank that big lol. One day thou I will have my custom dream tank