What got you started?

mpoletti · 12/08/2006, 11:28 AM

I am always curious what inspired people to start in the hobby.
I got married and we went to Bora Bora on our honeymoon. To swim with all the different type of fish was just amazing. I remember the bright clams in the shallow water and collecting hermit shells from the rocks as well as hand feeding schools of parrot fish.
What about you?

onehundred20 · 12/08/2006, 11:35 AM

ive always been facinated with marine life, and every since I was real young wanted a saltwater tank.....So I finally got one when I moved out

cubber · 12/08/2006, 11:46 AM

My grandmother got me a couple of goldfish and a 10 gallon tank when I was 4 years old. A couple of years later that tank turned into a full blown fw community plant tank, which turned into a 30 gallon mbuna tank and a 45 gallon south american tank when I was about 8 years old. Then when I was around 10 I set up another tank which was a 30 gallon reef! I fed the addiction ever since!

drummereef · 12/08/2006, 11:48 AM

Snorkeling. Floating inches above hundreds of tangs sold me on marine aquatic life.

Craig Lambert · 12/08/2006, 12:01 PM

When my daughter was 4, she won a goldfish at a carnival. We went to an excellent lfs to buy a small tank for it. They had an 800G SW display, and I was hooked. That free goldfish has cost me about 7 grand................

sherm71tank · 12/08/2006, 12:06 PM

I kept freshwater fish, had a nice cichlid tank going. This guy comes to work at the same company I'm at and he has a cichlid tank as well. So we get to talking and want to see each others tanks. He doesn't tell me that he has 300+ gallon in wall tank in his kitchen - that is reef! I walked into the kitchen and it was all over. After I picked my jaw up off the floor it's been reef tanks since! Thanks alot David!

SDguy · 12/08/2006, 12:09 PM

Picture of a queen angel on the cover of some tiny Tetra booklet about marine fish that came with a FW setup my folks bought in the 70's.

dodger1v · 12/08/2006, 12:13 PM

Jacque Cousteau documentaries opened the door to a world that I found very fascinating. The more I read the more I wanted to at least keep a few SW fish. So I started with 2 clownfish and quickly worked my way up. I love the hobby and see myself with a fish tank for a very long time.

doomicon · 12/08/2006, 12:20 PM

I always loved the Ocean and diving. First snorkeled reefs in the Bahamas when I was 7. Kept Freshwater, and African Cichlids, got a divorce had to part with them.

My wonderful wife (2 years), knew I was interested. She did some research, bought me a tank/stand some salt and accessories and told me to go for it! She's the best!

JeffReef · 12/08/2006, 12:22 PM

I was fascinated after seeing a friend's reef tank some 12 years ago. And since then, I was hooked!

ram6519 · 12/08/2006, 12:27 PM

I had a FW tank for many years and had been told that SW was way to hard to attempt. I was in the LFS and saw all the marine tanks they had and I just had to give it a try weather it was a success or a failure. But in this hobby we all have learned from our failures to make our tanks a success.

12/08/2006, 11:28 AM	#1
mpoletti You'll never walk alone Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sacramento, Ca Posts: 18,245	What got you started? I am always curious what inspired people to start in the hobby. I got married and we went to Bora Bora on our honeymoon. To swim with all the different type of fish was just amazing. I remember the bright clams in the shallow water and collecting hermit shells from the rocks as well as hand feeding schools of parrot fish. What about you?

12/08/2006, 11:48 AM	#4
drummereef Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: STL Posts: 14,754	Snorkeling. Floating inches above hundreds of tangs sold me on marine aquatic life. __________________ -Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system

12/08/2006, 12:01 PM	#5
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	When my daughter was 4, she won a goldfish at a carnival. We went to an excellent lfs to buy a small tank for it. They had an 800G SW display, and I was hooked. That free goldfish has cost me about 7 grand................ __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

12/08/2006, 12:09 PM	#7
SDguy Fish heads unite! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 23,384	Picture of a queen angel on the cover of some tiny Tetra booklet about marine fish that came with a FW setup my folks bought in the 70's. __________________ Peter SDMAS member Marine tanks since 1989. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 240g butterfly and angel FOWLR. 15g QT.

12/08/2006, 12:20 PM	#9
doomicon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: USA(StPete/FL) Posts: 384	I always loved the Ocean and diving. First snorkeled reefs in the Bahamas when I was 7. Kept Freshwater, and African Cichlids, got a divorce had to part with them. My wonderful wife (2 years), knew I was interested. She did some research, bought me a tank/stand some salt and accessories and told me to go for it! She's the best! __________________ Ima n00b, ignore the above text... Current Tank Info: 48x18x25 90g, 30g Sump/Ref, ITech 100 Cone Skimmer, 1x Vortech MP40, 8x54w T5

12/08/2006, 11:35 AM	#2
onehundred20 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 826	ive always been facinated with marine life, and every since I was real young wanted a saltwater tank.....So I finally got one when I moved out

12/08/2006, 11:46 AM	#3
cubber Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 311	My grandmother got me a couple of goldfish and a 10 gallon tank when I was 4 years old. A couple of years later that tank turned into a full blown fw community plant tank, which turned into a 30 gallon mbuna tank and a 45 gallon south american tank when I was about 8 years old. Then when I was around 10 I set up another tank which was a 30 gallon reef! I fed the addiction ever since!

12/08/2006, 12:06 PM	#6
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	I kept freshwater fish, had a nice cichlid tank going. This guy comes to work at the same company I'm at and he has a cichlid tank as well. So we get to talking and want to see each others tanks. He doesn't tell me that he has 300+ gallon in wall tank in his kitchen - that is reef! I walked into the kitchen and it was all over. After I picked my jaw up off the floor it's been reef tanks since! Thanks alot David!

12/08/2006, 12:13 PM	#8
dodger1v Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 94	Jacque Cousteau documentaries opened the door to a world that I found very fascinating. The more I read the more I wanted to at least keep a few SW fish. So I started with 2 clownfish and quickly worked my way up. I love the hobby and see myself with a fish tank for a very long time.

12/08/2006, 12:22 PM	#10
JeffReef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Natomas Park Sacramento, CA Posts: 850	I was fascinated after seeing a friend's reef tank some 12 years ago. And since then, I was hooked!

12/08/2006, 12:27 PM	#11
ram6519 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Jackson, Mississippi Posts: 117	I had a FW tank for many years and had been told that SW was way to hard to attempt. I was in the LFS and saw all the marine tanks they had and I just had to give it a try weather it was a success or a failure. But in this hobby we all have learned from our failures to make our tanks a success.