What's Your History in the Hobby?

I love those “sink or swim” kind of moments in life.
Thanks, you just brought back a good/traumatic memory with that phrase. When I was little my Dad and I swam out to the swimming dock in the middle of the cove at the Lake of the Ozarks. I was in arm floats. He took off my arm floats and tossed me off the dock. I learned to swim fast🤣
I had FW tanks from grade school forward until I moved away after high school. Piranhas, Oscars, Loaches, anglers, the usual suspects for the 80s.

In high school I convinced the biology teacher to request a 90 SW that me and 2-3 others setup and maintained for 3 years.

Once I graduated from high school I setup a 75 in an apartment I had in Myrtle Beach. I also helped maintain (the maintenance company sucked) 3 big SW aquariums at the restaurant that I worked at for 2 years. The good old wet-dry days.

I did not have a tank for several years in the mid to late 90s, but was collecting equipment and got back in when we bought a house in ~2000 or so and have had my reef setup ever since.
lol, wet dry days👍
 
Last edited:
Even if i written well about my return after 30 years there is also some sweet water experience
with some guppies in late 80'.
As i lived all my childhood in time of Yugoslavia town Pula (now is under Croatia) on the coast of one of the most beautifull sea in Mediteranean
Adriatic sea (Jadransko more) and playing as children with half legs in sea with all crabs, smal fishes and fishing frequently love to the sea never
can be forgoten...
Than I transfered in Italy where I started my first Marine in 1995 read about in my first post please.
After few years 2005 in Slovenia purchased a second Marine Acrylic see photo but work called to
Dubai and Abu Dhabi and plan was stopped...if I remember well in 2005 this costed me 3500 Euro
than 2 years ago I asked again producer in Germany for similar one he put akward price 5000 Euro than
i send him to hell and ordered in Italy for not even 1000 Euro new acrylic that now assembling
1,5 mm Acrylic 130 cm long x 75 cm height x 60 cm wide.
here is some photos and many others you can find in my first post here.

First marine glass Sera original with stand in Italy 1995 + Arcadia MHi 150 W pendant + 2 neon Marine blue+ Iwaki 2 pumps
+ Askoll Tronic 2 pumps
S-Video-2004-11-12_19-22-31h 1.jpg
16830815_10155049947319287_6938592903489562226_n.jpg

2005 Second one Acrylic
16832227_10155049950559287_2505208931640100673_n.jpg

16831161_10155049950184287_3911643904948706626_n.jpg

And new one Acrylic renovating windows and waiting to be placed on top of this wall
where i need to add some 30 cm bricks for half wal that missing to be nice support.
of course concrete and some metal inside to keep together support under the aquarium
as Im on 11 floor and insurance is must. as you can see wall covered with towel will be
place for aquarium. Sunshine light ect I dont have issue as glass is 3-ple Stop sol, e-low
and if will be algae will add some curtains.
401002424_10161594103054287_8676238159893550135_n.jpg
 
Started with freshwater at 15. Went to college at 17 and left takes alone until 8 yrs later when I started a 55 gallon FW tank. Told myself if anything died I’d switch to SW. So 2 months later my spotted Pleco died and the next day I became a SW tank owner. Fast forward to Father’s Day 2004 I got a 125. Then it turned into a 180 drilled. 2 yrs later I started a maintenance and setup company and lost track on personal tanks. I’ve build everything from nanos to large shark tanks.
 
Can’t wait to see your build.

I miss Geo, great guy and great friend. I know he moved to Florida and bought a donut shop but lost touch. Have you kept in touch with him?

Funny, back in the old chat days, I’d always get confused because my family always called me Geo and he and I would be chatting at the same time🤣


I miss the old IRC chat days. I always wonder if Epon and Phil are still there sometimes.
 
Started with freshwater at 15. Went to college at 17 and left takes alone until 8 yrs later when I started a 55 gallon FW tank. Told myself if anything died I’d switch to SW. So 2 months later my spotted Pleco died and the next day I became a SW tank owner. Fast forward to Father’s Day 2004 I got a 125. Then it turned into a 180 drilled. 2 yrs later I started a maintenance and setup company and lost track on personal tanks. I’ve build everything from nanos to large shark tanks.
It’s funny you mention that. To everyone’s amazement, the owner of the LFS where I worked didn’t have any personal aquatic pets at home. The display tanks at the store were his playground.
 
Back
Top