Help me understand why you love reefing (grad school project)

[Helfish]

Hi all!

I am working on my Master’s in Service Design and currently doing research about customer behavior for a Finnish entrepreneur who is in the reefing retail and service business. Our team's aim is to better understand the hobbyist and the reasons why you have started reefing.

Additionally, we'll try to understand what you value, what drives you forward, what challenges you might have and what assistance would you need from a retailer to better succeed in the hobby.

The end result should be able to help the entrepreneur to better assist and serve his customers.

It would be very helpful, if you could write your reefing story in in your own words as you wish


Let me start

I remember since I were a boy, watching nature documentaries. I was fascinated by the extraordinary amount of life in the reefs. Jacques Cousteau’s adventures had a big effect inspiring me to the aquatic world. I remember, that I was about 7 (early 90’s), when we got our first freshwater fish tank. In my early 20’s I set up a 90-gallon Malawi cichlid tank, however had to give it up due to studies and moving.

Number of years passed and even though I haven’t had a tank for some years, I was a frequent visitor at the local Sea Life public aquarium. If I was travelling abroad, I was always trying to seek a local aquarium to visit to. It was around then, when I started to research in to marine aquarium hobby. I think I lend and read all the related books form the local library and started to venture more information form the internet. YouTube was really good place for inspiration and information. I think I watched all the LA Fishguys episodes when he went live After saving, I got my first 120-gallon saltwater aquarium and was thrilled. But boy, the first steps were challenging. I learned a lot though, mainly form trial and error My LFS was very helpful during the planning stages, set up and even provided assistance when I encountered problems. It was good to know, that there was one professional I could turn to if I had a problem.

Besides keeping a tank with happy fishes, I want to feel a sense of accomplishment; I did that, I was able to grow these corals. We have this wonderful biotope in our systems, which are totally depended on our care and attention. For me, it is fascinating to have a piece of living reef in my home. I am able to observe the interaction of the animals I keep and thus learn more. With a reef tank I do not have to settle with imagination, when watching a documentary, now I can immerse myself as it is part of my life. I also feel that this hobby is important part in educational purposes to others as well. Additionally, I find that being a part of community is important to me. I feel, that we have a great, helping community, where we can also disagree and discuss topics which are important to us.

My friends have been interested what I am doing, and they have been mesmerized when visiting. Before I had horrendous tank crash about two years ago and lost everything, I had the most charismatic fishes I have ever owned; a pair of Chaetodon Declivis and a Chaetodontoplus Septentrionalis. These were the most curious fishes I have met. They revealed to me, that fishes are far more intelligent that people believe and when I told my friends about their behaviour, they had hard time to believe me. The interaction I had with my fishes were different when comparing to a dog or a cat, but it was still a very powerful one and I really mourned when I lost them. I am now getting back to the hobby and are very excited.

From the LFS or other vendors, I require honesty. If I am doing business with LFS or other vendor, I need to feel trust with them. I dislike if I am being sold something I would not actually need, but the company is trying to make a quick buck. It is quite rare these days. I think Bulk Reef Supply is good example how a company can do business and also provide valuable information to their customers. And if the customers succeed, the company succeeds.

The hobby is going more and more to online stores and I guess I do not mind that, it’s evolution. However, I still enjoy, when I can chat with the LFS people. That human contact is something I cannot have when doing business in online stores. Now it is easier to compare prices as well as selection. I have my few and selected favourite stores where I like to do my business. Could it be called partnership even?

This hobby is facing many pressures, some I feel is justified, some I feel is overreaction. I hope we can show to the world, that this hobby can also be sustainable. Unfortunately, the world’s reefs are in danger and I feel we have some influence to at least preserve some of the species in captive environment.

Thank you for having the time to read this post and hopefully you can share your thoughts too

 

[sbash]

"You should get a dog", my good friend said as his pup came over to me for some pets. I was single, early 30s, owned my own house, I could have easily gotten a dog.

"I think I'll get a fish" I responded.

Two months later I had my 65 gallon corner flow plumbed from my living room through the floor to the basement. That would have been less than 10 years ago.

From there, I upgraded the 65 to a 220 a few years back (when I moved). I have a 90 gallon I am upgrading to a 125 in my basement, three frag tanks and several other small little grow/experiment tanks. My wife is not terribly impressed with me taking over 1/4 of the basement, but she doesn't need the space for anything.

The most rewarding part of the hobby is being able to see growth. If the corals are growing, then I am doing something right (at least for that moment). There is so much to learn, on the science side of things and so much to build on the equipment side of things. I do admit, if the DIY elements of the hobby were not so vast, I would probably not be as into it as I am.

Since starting up, I have worked with distributors, suppliers and farmers in the industry. From what I can see, most of the corals are indeed 'sustainable'. The corals from the mariculture farms in the exporting countries are a renewable resource and should have a very low impact on natural reefs. I would be extremely surprised if we (in the western countries) are seeing corals picked from an actual reef (i.e. not a farm).

Fish on the other hand, I have a mixed relationship with. I can't really keep them alive. Lots of fish are picked from their natural homes, many species we simply can't breed in captivity. It's extremely important we, as the consumer, are aware of how the fish are raised and become sensitive to the immorally captured fish. Last time I looked it up, it was something like 1 in 7 captured fish survive to live their life an aquarium.

All that to say, I got carried away and went from a small tank to two large ones with almost a dozen supporting tanks. But the real lesson to learn, is to get the dog and the fish.

 

[Auquanut]

I am a retired Navy man. Throughout my career, I've always had a freshwater tank or two. It was always difficult to give up the tank every time we had to move. I also started diving early in my Navy career. I've had the privilege to dive some of the most beautiful sites in the world. When I retired, of course I started keeping fish again. I started with a 20 gallon freshwater tank, and from there I kind of went overboard. I now have 5 freshwater tanks.(3 planted). It took me awhile to get into saltwater. I knew from looking at the forums that the cost and maintenance would be much more intense than what I was accustomed to. In early 2017, we took the plunge and started a 29 gallon biocube. My wife instantly fell in love with it, and told me we needed a bigger one. So now we have added a 125 gallon reef tank. It's been running for about 19 months now, and doing very well (after I have put a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears into it). The goal now is to reduce the number of tanks. My intention is to take down the two non-planted tanks, and just have the planted freshwater tanks and the two reef tanks. The problem with that is that I'm very attached to ALL of my fish. I don't want to give anyone up. Well over year ago, I told my wife that through attrition, I would consolidate the freshwater tanks and take down 2 tanks (I haven't bought a freshwater fish in 3 years). The problem with that is that my fish are multiplying faster than they are dying. There is no attrition. In the end, my passion is for my planted freshwater and my reef tanks with the emphasis on the reef tanks. At some point, I'm going to have to send some of my fish back to the LFS, but that day is not today. Not sure if this helps with your research.

 

[Coralmaniac21]

IM 32 years old. My parents had a 30g fresh water tank when i was 8 or 9. My dad died when i was 12 from cancer and we still had the tank. AZt 15 my mom got my first tank for me it was a 27g hexagon. I had that tank for about 6 years then at 21 or 22 maybe i bougjt my own tanks starting with a 44g pentagon then upgraded to a 55g long tank. Then i got a 92g corner bowfront and sold the 55 and 44. Then 2 years ago i got a 135g 6 foot tank from a older guy in his 70s. He sold it and the angle iron stand for 100$. Tank and stand was built in 1982.. I sanded the stand down and repainted it and resealed the tank.

My 135g has discus and live plants with black sand. And maybe 30 neon tetras and other fish as well.

I was always told salt water is hard to do so i never tried it. I decided 4 months ago to pull my 27g hexagon out of storage reseal it and start a reef tank. Everyone said it couldnt be done in a 27g with no sump or protien skimmer. I just took that as a challenge. I bought dead rock. Sand and made my rock sculpter.. Then got a gallon of nitrifying bacteria to inatant cycle the tank as im impatient and dont like waiting 2 months for a tank to cycle.

I got 6 corals which in luded a brain coral. Purple acropora. Torch and hammer coral and a green tree nepthea.. As well as a flame angle royal gramma and a few other fish.

The tank worked just fine.. no coral died i still have all of them and same with the fish... I proved doubtful people wrong that it could be done with just a hob proper t5 lights and some power heads.

I upgraded the tank to a 60g hexagon 30 inches wide on each point its huge for a deep. Hexagon shape.. I have 30 different corals in the tank.. Lps sps atonies soft leathers bubble corals ect ect you name it... Nothing has died or bleached and im still using a hob filter 2 power heads and a surface skimmer. I decided to hook up my denitrate homemade canister on my discus tank to the reef tank becauss i got tired of water changes and spending money on salt due to nitrates. Nitrates are 5-10ppm.. phosphates are .50 to .25ppm yes you heard me.. and i have some fast growing acroporas in a so called dirty tank...So i think high phosphates and nitrates is a myth when it comes to hurting coral. Algae i get it.. but thats what my lawnmower blenny. Snails and seaurchin clean up.

Anyway the reason i got into fish tanks was because my oarents were into it. My mom got my first tank for me at 15 which i used at 32 to start my first reef tank..

Her mom had fish tanks as well when she grew up in the 70s. Oh and the 30g tank my parents got at 8 years old.. is still running.. recentky resealed and converted to salt water for my mom

So yea

 

[Subsea]

IM 32 years old. My parents had a 30g fresh water tank when i was 8 or 9. My dad died when i was 12 from cancer and we still had the tank. AZt 15 my mom got my first tank for me it was a 27g hexagon. I had that tank for about 6 years then at 21 or 22 maybe i bougjt my own tanks starting with a 44g pentagon then upgraded to a 55g long tank. Then i got a 92g corner bowfront and sold the 55 and 44. Then 2 years ago i got a 135g 6 foot tank from a older guy in his 70s. He sold it and the angle iron stand for 100$. Tank and stand was built in 1982.. I sanded the stand down and repainted it and resealed the tank.

My 135g has discus and live plants with black sand. And maybe 30 neon tetras and other fish as well.

I was always told salt water is hard to do so i never tried it. I decided 4 months ago to pull my 27g hexagon out of storage reseal it and start a reef tank. Everyone said it couldnt be done in a 27g with no sump or protien skimmer. I just took that as a challenge. I bought dead rock. Sand and made my rock sculpter.. Then got a gallon of nitrifying bacteria to inatant cycle the tank as im impatient and dont like waiting 2 months for a tank to cycle.

I got 6 corals which in luded a brain coral. Purple acropora. Torch and hammer coral and a green tree nepthea.. As well as a flame angle royal gramma and a few other fish.

The tank worked just fine.. no coral died i still have all of them and same with the fish... I proved doubtful people wrong that it could be done with just a hob proper t5 lights and some power heads.

I upgraded the tank to a 60g hexagon 30 inches wide on each point its huge for a deep. Hexagon shape.. I have 30 different corals in the tank.. Lps sps atonies soft leathers bubble corals ect ect you name it... Nothing has died or bleached and im still using a hob filter 2 power heads and a surface skimmer. I decided to hook up my denitrate homemade canister on my discus tank to the reef tank becauss i got tired of water changes and spending money on salt due to nitrates. Nitrates are 5-10ppm.. phosphates are .50 to .25ppm yes you heard me.. and i have some fast growing acroporas in a so called dirty tank...So i think high phosphates and nitrates is a myth when it comes to hurting coral. Algae i get it.. but thats what my lawnmower blenny. Snails and seaurchin clean up.

Anyway the reason i got into fish tanks was because my oarents were into it. My mom got my first tank for me at 15 which i used at 32 to start my first reef tank..

Her mom had fish tanks as well when she grew up in the 70s. Oh and the 30g tank my parents got at 8 years old.. is still running.. recentky resealed and converted to salt water for my mom

So yea

Bravo. You win the cigar. What encouraged me the most with your post was the simplicity of your equipment and your skills as the reef keeper. This hobby does not have to be expensive. Kudos to you.

 

[Subsea]

After reefing for 48 years I have never lost enthusiasm & passion. With both a Marine Engineering degree and municipal waste water experience as a facility manager, I have both academic & hands on experience. As I learn more, I realize how marvelously complex the coral holobiont is and how much I don’t know.

It drives me to learn so much more. I am retired, yet I am busier now than when I worked for others as a livelihood.

 

[ectoaesthetics]

Three things for myself:
I think it is a great challenge.
It is the diy aspect of things.
It is also the relationships and interconnected web that we are attempting to recreate and sustain in our homes. There is simply something very rewarding in creating a whole ecosystem and attempting to keep it balanced.

 

[lapin]

Im old. A master naturalist. I like nature better than people. I would rather talk to the deer than my neighbors. Grew up when kids played outside, ran around the hood, climbed trees and ate dirt. I found nature fascinating. Found a snake and talked the parents into a tank to keep it in. Fed it, studied it and decided it needed to get more exercise, so I let it go. It did bite me a few times, but you cant blame it, it was ticked. With the tank empty it was only natural to want a fish. Fish didnt last long. What do kids know and the parents didnt know either. Moving forward. Out of school, married, new house. Get a fish tank... Fresh water, learned a lot . Went as far as to breeding fish to trade at the small fish stores that were around at the time. Fun stuff. Grew some plants in the water too. Learned a lot about water chemistry and biology. Found other interesting things to do and let it go. Moving forward a few years (too many years). I had always liked the color of saltwater fish so decided it was time to get back into the hobby and try that (oh its very hard to keep a saltwater tank) stuff. Found it was not that hard and kept a 125g for 4 years while I did all the wrong and right things. Now today I have 600 to 700g system that im trying to make into a mixed reef. Built the tank and sump. I like working with my hands. I'm trying to balance things out the natural way. I keep adding diversity and really enjoy new things popping up out of nowhere. Would really like to talk to the fish and see whats going on to better understand the workings of the tank.

 

[TexasTodd]

Love fish, nature, ocean.
Part hobby, part art, part science / chemistry and always a challenge/continual learning.
Get a lot of satisfaction out of thinking of ways to continually improve and then seeing the results.


I fished all the time growing up.
My Dad had a 55g freshwater starting when I was around 10.
My first FW tank was about 1989.
First reef 1991.
Some breaks along the way but more often than not had a box of water.

I worked part time in a LFS in college and still learned a lot more from other LFS at different points as I dove further into reefing.
Good friendships with other reefers and owners of LFS now along with it's nice to trade in corals for supplies etc. I would not enjoy the hobby as much without the LFS in my area.

 

[Coralmaniac21]

One thing i like about this hobby besides starring at my tank is going to the local reef store and sometimes i will just stay in there for hours litterally hours starring at the corals lol.

My local petco yes yes petco has a frag tsnk not one of those 15g fish holding tanks, like an actual frag acrylic tank local fish stores use. And they have t5 ati bulbs above it with blue plus. Actinic and 6500k in it. The employee who runs the fish section is a reefer and id say 70% of my corals cane from petco lol.

I know what youre thinking but i have two bubble corals. Hammer. A fist sized torch coral, 3 acroporas, brain coral, zoas, yellow porites, monits and chalices all from that store.. they order thrm from ORA and other name brand suppliers and tbh the corals in petco are much cheaper thrn in local stores.

The only good local store is about 25 min drive away abd they are stocked big time eith any coral you csn think of and there usually 30% cheaper then other lfs.. on top of that occasionally in the 5-20$ frag section you can get some really rare/expensive corals or large corala.

Like today i got a orange yuma mushroom normakly 45$ online for this size for 15$.. i got a neon pink.red mushroom for 15$ normally 40+ in other stores. I also got some frogspawn for 10$. And a neon.bluish green double head candycane for 5$.

Anyway what im getting at is ppl on petco know me im in there evrry other day lol like i have no life.. same with my lfs its nice to walk in and have everyone know who you are and just chat for hours about coral and fish.

Honestly after starting ny mixed reef tank 4 months ago i dont even oay much attention to my 8 discus in ny 135g tank . I feed em and clean the glass and thats it..

I almost wish i could get rid of them and move my reef from my 60g hex to my 135g lol.. but sadly my discus are carriers are discus plague.. a virus.. they dont get sick they recovered.. but they csn spread it.. so i cant sell them.. and a 60g hex is too small for 8 adult sized discus.. and my 92g tank is full of my moms angelfish and jack dempsy.. so im stuck lol.


Salt water does have downsides... like ich... ich in fresh water is meh dose malachite green its dead in 3 or 4 days... I have ich in my reef.. killed my tang and angelfish and a neon dottyback.. i got new fish and same thing.. I have 10 fish left.. royal gramma. 5 green chromis. Azure damsel. Lawmower blenny, scooter blenny, flame hawk... None of them ever catcj oddly so ill just stick eith them and focus on corals.

Ich is one thing that almost made me give up.. its horrible in salt water.. fresh water has no nasty diseases that cant be cured fairly easily.. well except discus plague that wiped out 90% of my discus

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Because it's more challenging than rocket science that's how I see it.

 

[Subsea]

Because it's more challenging that rocket science that's how I said

When I first meant Martin Moe in 1978, he said it this way,

“It’s not rocket science, it’s more complicated”.

 

[Helfish]

"You should get a dog", my good friend said as his pup came over to me for some pets. I was single, early 30s, owned my own house, I could have easily gotten a dog.

"I think I'll get a fish" I responded.

Two months later I had my 65 gallon corner flow plumbed from my living room through the floor to the basement. That would have been less than 10 years ago.

From there, I upgraded the 65 to a 220 a few years back (when I moved). I have a 90 gallon I am upgrading to a 125 in my basement, three frag tanks and several other small little grow/experiment tanks. My wife is not terribly impressed with me taking over 1/4 of the basement, but she doesn't need the space for anything.

The most rewarding part of the hobby is being able to see growth. If the corals are growing, then I am doing something right (at least for that moment). There is so much to learn, on the science side of things and so much to build on the equipment side of things. I do admit, if the DIY elements of the hobby were not so vast, I would probably not be as into it as I am.

Since starting up, I have worked with distributors, suppliers and farmers in the industry. From what I can see, most of the corals are indeed 'sustainable'. The corals from the mariculture farms in the exporting countries are a renewable resource and should have a very low impact on natural reefs. I would be extremely surprised if we (in the western countries) are seeing corals picked from an actual reef (i.e. not a farm).

Fish on the other hand, I have a mixed relationship with. I can't really keep them alive. Lots of fish are picked from their natural homes, many species we simply can't breed in captivity. It's extremely important we, as the consumer, are aware of how the fish are raised and become sensitive to the immorally captured fish. Last time I looked it up, it was something like 1 in 7 captured fish survive to live their life an aquarium.

All that to say, I got carried away and went from a small tank to two large ones with almost a dozen supporting tanks. But the real lesson to learn, is to get the dog and the fish.

I think you are not the only one to be swept away by the hobby What drives you forward with your tanks and upgrades? Seems like you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when you see the corals growing and doing well. How would you describe your wives participation with your hobby The sustainability aspect between coral culture and fishes is interesting one to note. I recall there has been research done about the fish mortality rate in the industry, and it was quite high as you said. Do you remember what was the reason that you decided to take the plunge and get fishes instead of a dog?

 

[Helfish]

I am a retired Navy man. Throughout my career, I've always had a freshwater tank or two. It was always difficult to give up the tank every time we had to move. I also started diving early in my Navy career. I've had the privilege to dive some of the most beautiful sites in the world. When I retired, of course I started keeping fish again. I started with a 20 gallon freshwater tank, and from there I kind of went overboard. I now have 5 freshwater tanks.(3 planted). It took me awhile to get into saltwater. I knew from looking at the forums that the cost and maintenance would be much more intense than what I was accustomed to. In early 2017, we took the plunge and started a 29 gallon biocube. My wife instantly fell in love with it, and told me we needed a bigger one. So now we have added a 125 gallon reef tank. It's been running for about 19 months now, and doing very well (after I have put a lot of money, blood, sweat and tears into it). The goal now is to reduce the number of tanks. My intention is to take down the two non-planted tanks, and just have the planted freshwater tanks and the two reef tanks. The problem with that is that I'm very attached to ALL of my fish. I don't want to give anyone up. Well over year ago, I told my wife that through attrition, I would consolidate the freshwater tanks and take down 2 tanks (I haven't bought a freshwater fish in 3 years). The problem with that is that my fish are multiplying faster than they are dying. There is no attrition. In the end, my passion is for my planted freshwater and my reef tanks with the emphasis on the reef tanks. At some point, I'm going to have to send some of my fish back to the LFS, but that day is not today. Not sure if this helps with your research.

Thank for your input All personal stories help us to better understand the underlying reasons why we are in the hobby. Great to hear your loved one supporting you and involved in the hobby. How does that make you feel? Did you have tanks since you were child, or was it something you got in to later in your life? As you have multiple tanks, do you consider the maintenance aspect to be important part of your hobby? How you would describe your relationship with the LFS; when you started the reefing and during your hobby?

 

[Auquanut]

Great to hear your loved one supporting you and involved in the hobby. How does that make you feel?

Lynna and I have been married for 33 years. Throughout all of the moves and long separations, she's always been supportive and the pillar of strength for our family. She leaves most of the research and nearly all of the maintenance to me, but takes a daily interest in the well being of all of the tanks and their inhabitants. I'm sure she gets exasperated with the time and money that I spend in the hobby, but she knows that it makes me happy. And that makes her happy. She is also proud of the tanks and shows them off every chance she gets. How does that make me feel? Grateful. Proud. Deeply in love! Sorry for the long winded reply. I just felt the need to give credit to the most wonderful woman in the world.

Did you have tanks since you were child, or was it something you got in to later in your life?

No. We got our first tank after moving our small children overseas. They loved the fish, and the passion grew from there. My oldest son is now in the Navy, and has three tanks of his own.

As you have multiple tanks, do you consider the maintenance aspect to be important part of your hobby?

Absolutely. I feel that we have a responsibility to any animal we bring into our home be it dog, bird, fish or coral. Proper maintenance is paramount to upholding that responsibility. Also, I think that gazing at a beautiful reef tank is not a hobby. The hobby is in creating and maintaining that beautiful piece of the ocean. If you don't enjoy that aspect of reefing, why do it?

How you would describe your relationship with the LFS; when you started the reefing and during your hobby?

Awesome. We have a great FW LFS 40 miles down the road and my go to SW LFS 2 hours away. They are both staffed with knowledgeable and helpful people. Since the beginning, they have both been a great source of information and good advice. It's nice to hear an associate tell a customer that a fish is not ready for sale, or that it is not suited for their system. I try to give them both all of the business I can (within reason).
Hope this helps.
Don

 

[Saveafish]

I'll sum it up short and sweet.
Its the mass amount of responsibility, you're fully dependent on keeping a full fauna life support going. In short you are Mother Nature. You control the sun, food source, temp, environment, interaction with others. Doing this is a lot of responsibility. Way more than having a dog or cat.

 

[sbash]

I think you are not the only one to be swept away by the hobby What drives you forward with your tanks and upgrades? Seems like you enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when you see the corals growing and doing well. How would you describe your wives participation with your hobby The sustainability aspect between coral culture and fishes is interesting one to note. I recall there has been research done about the fish mortality rate in the industry, and it was quite high as you said. Do you remember what was the reason that you decided to take the plunge and get fishes instead of a dog?

Well, at the time, I did not realize how infinite the DIY element was, so it would have been something practical. Like not having to take the dog for a walk when it is -20C, for example.

I worked with a young fellow many years ago who got into salt water tanks and as I talked with him about it, I remember thinking 'Wow, that is really neat'. That curiosity just stuck with me and not it will always be apart of what I am doing. Even if my life situation causes me to get rid of all my stuff and move somewhere remote, or out of the country. I will still do what I can to keep a small piece of it going (like a reef jar, environmental work, or just scuba diving)...

 

[Helfish]

I'll sum it up short and sweet.
Its the mass amount of responsibility, you're fully dependent on keeping a full fauna life support going. In short you are Mother Nature. You control the sun, food source, temp, environment, interaction with others. Doing this is a lot of responsibility. Way more than having a dog or cat.

Indeed, aquarium animals are completely dependent on your care and attention. How would you describe what drives you to take that responsibility?

 

[Helfish]

Because it's more challenging than rocket science that's how I see it.

What adjectives would describe you when overcoming or surpassing the challenges of the hobby?

 

[Helfish]

After reefing for 48 years I have never lost enthusiasm & passion. With both a Marine Engineering degree and municipal waste water experience as a facility manager, I have both academic & hands on experience. As I learn more, I realize how marvelously complex the coral holobiont is and how much I don’t know.

It drives me to learn so much more. I am retired, yet I am busier now than when I worked for others as a livelihood.

As you have substantial and long experience from the hobby, how would you describe what values are important to you in the hobby?