mr.maroonsalty
New member
It helps satiate my water being.
What keeps you in this hobby?
- Thread starter dreaminmel
- Start date
Newreeflady
New member
Addiction to projects.
superkat
Premium Member
i like this one.....:beer:
sg1838
New member
Personally, I love the wonderment and science aspect of it. I can sit in front of my tank easily for an hour a day and just watch in complete amazement of what is going on in the tank.
I love the technology aspect of it, and I must admit that I enjoyed the engineering (R&D) and construction of the system (electrical / plumbing) probably more than I enjoy what is now general maintenance of the tank. And personally, I HATE the rockwork / coral addition portion of it. That is just too artsy for this engineer. Art doesn't have a right or wrong answer, and I just worry too much about lighting, water flow, and cohabitation of differing coral species to be able to enjoy that aspect of reefkeeping (see below).
The tank certainly gives me something to mentally stimulate me when I'm not working or racing (which I haven't done this year), so that is certainly nice as well. But, I'm also a bit paranoid, not just with my tank but everything in my life (e.g. I'm always worrying at least a little bit that I'm going to lose my job due to poor performance even though my bosses have always said that I'm doing a great job). So, I always want my setup to be in tip-top shape, be it my aquarium or my race car, and quite honestly this causes me a fair amount of undue stress. So, there are times when I wonder how much less stressful my life would be if I DIDN'T have my tank.
That said, for now I just love watching all the tank inhabitants going about their daily lives. It really is quite unbelievable.
Thanks for listening Doc. You can send the bill for the counseling to my insurance company.
I love the technology aspect of it, and I must admit that I enjoyed the engineering (R&D) and construction of the system (electrical / plumbing) probably more than I enjoy what is now general maintenance of the tank. And personally, I HATE the rockwork / coral addition portion of it. That is just too artsy for this engineer. Art doesn't have a right or wrong answer, and I just worry too much about lighting, water flow, and cohabitation of differing coral species to be able to enjoy that aspect of reefkeeping (see below).
The tank certainly gives me something to mentally stimulate me when I'm not working or racing (which I haven't done this year), so that is certainly nice as well. But, I'm also a bit paranoid, not just with my tank but everything in my life (e.g. I'm always worrying at least a little bit that I'm going to lose my job due to poor performance even though my bosses have always said that I'm doing a great job). So, I always want my setup to be in tip-top shape, be it my aquarium or my race car, and quite honestly this causes me a fair amount of undue stress. So, there are times when I wonder how much less stressful my life would be if I DIDN'T have my tank.
That said, for now I just love watching all the tank inhabitants going about their daily lives. It really is quite unbelievable.
Thanks for listening Doc. You can send the bill for the counseling to my insurance company.
dreaminmel
New member
Lol, I consider it group therapy... so no charge. Perhaps someone that was considering getting out will stay in after hearing all of these reasons and having something hit home. In that case, someone would owe you. 
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
JMO:
if someone needs convincing to keep a reef aquarium they shouldn't start one up.
As for my reply to the original question I don't really know what keeps me doing it. You certainly can't pick up many chicks just by being an aquarium nerd! :lolspin:
if someone needs convincing to keep a reef aquarium they shouldn't start one up.
As for my reply to the original question I don't really know what keeps me doing it. You certainly can't pick up many chicks just by being an aquarium nerd! :lolspin:
dreaminmel
New member
Intent of thread was just to ask people the question and see the results. No need to convince anyone of anything.
Last edited:
block head
New member
gary shot down my reason (sarcasm) i think i honestlty just like to fight and blow money.
Paul B
Premium Member
For me it is not a hobby but a way of life. I was born into a family that owned a seafood business and when very young, I played in the store with fish, lobsters and crabs.
We ate fish every day. On weekends we would go to a beach and in those days it was usually the beaches on the Long Island Sound, the beaches were rocky and muddy, I would sit for hours and play with a baby horseshoe crab, eel or blowfish. I would love to make a depression in the mud near the sea and see how many live animals I could get in there. Then the tide would come in and set them free.
I always had a tank of local eels, pipefish, blowfish, shrimp and anything else I could catch or find still living in the piles of fish dumped on the sidewalk in the Fulton Fish market in Manhattan.
It is in my blood and I have had a tank of some kind every day of my life, and I am almost 62.
Even when I was in Viet Nam there was a tank home with a large catfish in it.
It died the week before I came home, I am sure no one fed the thing for those two years.
Now I like to write and speak about what I have learned in those six decades.
I could possable live another 25 years or so and there are still just so many things I want to do and learn.
There are also two or three places I still have not dove :smokin:
We ate fish every day. On weekends we would go to a beach and in those days it was usually the beaches on the Long Island Sound, the beaches were rocky and muddy, I would sit for hours and play with a baby horseshoe crab, eel or blowfish. I would love to make a depression in the mud near the sea and see how many live animals I could get in there. Then the tide would come in and set them free.
I always had a tank of local eels, pipefish, blowfish, shrimp and anything else I could catch or find still living in the piles of fish dumped on the sidewalk in the Fulton Fish market in Manhattan.
It is in my blood and I have had a tank of some kind every day of my life, and I am almost 62.
Even when I was in Viet Nam there was a tank home with a large catfish in it.
It died the week before I came home, I am sure no one fed the thing for those two years.
Now I like to write and speak about what I have learned in those six decades.
I could possable live another 25 years or so and there are still just so many things I want to do and learn.
There are also two or three places I still have not dove :smokin:
PCKRAJ
New member
What keeps me in this hobby, besides the fact that the fish and coral are beautiful, is that it's not as difficult as I thought it would be. I've had freshwater tanks (12 at one time) for about 10 years and never in a million years thought I'd have a saltwater tank because I thought it would be way too difficult and time consuming. But I've found out it's not so bad, pretty easy actually.:thumbsup:
Now don't get all upset with me - but I don't test the water or add anything - I just do about a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks. I've had my 150 gallon reef tank going about a year now and so far no problems. So far.....
And I've also met some pretty neat people in this hobby.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Now don't get all upset with me - but I don't test the water or add anything - I just do about a 20% water change every 2-3 weeks. I've had my 150 gallon reef tank going about a year now and so far no problems. So far.....
And I've also met some pretty neat people in this hobby.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Beauty, a feeling of childlike wonderment about the world and the things in it, the art and self expression of it, endless learning, comradery, challenges in multiple skill sets, a chance to experience new things and understandings and to revisit the past as many of my childhood memories are tied to goldfish , guppies, turtles and such. I still remember the turtles and goldfish and puppy my parents got me and the first grade at St. Mary's elementary school when Sister asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought carefully about tending lots of animals and replied "a farmer", an unusual answer for a NY city kid even in 1951. Well in a way reefkeeping is very close to that childhood ambition without the sweat and manure.
There are so many reasons I truly enjoy the journey.I'm still amazed at how excited I can get about a new specimen, a success with an animal or some chemistry a diy project or just learning something I didn't know before.
There are so many reasons I truly enjoy the journey.I'm still amazed at how excited I can get about a new specimen, a success with an animal or some chemistry a diy project or just learning something I didn't know before.
