In Another Life? If you had a career in reef-keeping, what would you be doing?

[AlyciaMarie]

Some say you can't make a career out of a hobby. I say PHOOEY! Consider what you're passionate about, maybe what you're knowledgable about, or maybe what you wish you were knowledgeable about when answering this question...

If you had a career in reef-keeping, what would you be doing? And why?

 

[shakacuz]

other: all of the above..

personally some of the options do tie into each other in one way or another, so if i was successful enough i'd try to do everything within in that list of options. if i wasn't, i'd look to do designing and maintenance.

 

[Gman83]

I said design and maintenance of tanks. This is the most fun part to me

 

[Reefer Matt]

My side gig is being a local vendor at frag swaps. I actually own a legitimate reefing business, but it alone will never be able to pay my bills. Though I consider myself a hobbyist, I try to participate in everything about the reef aquarium hobby. It has become a lifestyle to me.

 

[Mhamilton0911]

i'd love to get my diver certification, and help with conservation, or really anything I can do underwater.

 

[14 foot reef]

Reef restoration without a doubt. I'm very close to retiring, and I will go down to Fiji and try to work with Walt Smith and his team down there if Walt excepts me as a volunteer.
I have worked with Walt in the past when I was in Hawaii as a exporter of Hawaiian fish all over the world.

I would love to go back to the South Pacific and help Walt and his team in Fiji !!!!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

It would be cool to be a part of a reef restoration team!

 

[GunnarH]

Conservation and aquaculture for me, for sure. But, I'd like for someone out there to invent the following, please:

A coating for the inside of aquariums that would prevent algae from ever growing on the glass/acrylic. Non-toxic, of course. There must be some nanomaterial just waiting to be invented that would take care of this, once and for all.

Failing that, a "Roomba" for algae. A little machine that would work kinda like a snail, only better. It would cover 100% of the inside glass surface of the tank every night and remove 100% of the algae in its way. It would automatically avoid obstacles such as real snails, and automatically return itself to a charging station over in a corner once done.

Pretty please?

 

[Dburr1014]

Grow out and selling.

 

[armyvetheather]

I would actually love to open a fish store one day and be THE lfs.

 

[mariano]

Quit the job and live a stress free life

 

[puddleglum]

I would be the water change monkey.

 

[14 foot reef]

Quit the job and live a stress free life

I will revise, deleted

 

[mariano]

or find a job that doesn't stress you, they are hard to find and also fund the household, but they are there, work is not worth the stress, find some happiness, money will never do it. Not picking, just trying to help.
You are probably very good at what you do, find a company that appreciates your talents and rewards you !!

I think you misread the question being asked.

 

[vlangel]

Now I am living my other life as a retiree, but in my past life I did design and maintain salt water aquariums, some of which were reef tanks.

 

[Manose]

way way way to many basement coral dealers and we need more people wanting to protect what we got

 

[Bruttall]

My dream would be to design and build reef systems. Not small systems either, I am talking something that presents a challenge, 450g or more.

I do not want to do the maintenance though. the owner can manage that with some help from the design guy, me

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ran an LFS for several years. Its a lot of work and a shuffle in changing up livestock occasionally.
Breeding and aquaculture is my best option

 

[Reefer Matt]

way way way to many basement coral dealers and we need more people wanting to protect what we got

I agree with that. However there is a difference between those that aquaculture and those that import, chop up, and sell, imo.
Money isn’t my motive to do swaps. I can afford reefing with my day job. I just like to get out and see everyone and share.

 

[design.maddie]

I would enjoy the chance to have a warehouse/holding facility for corals/fish that are in the process of being shipped or housed for research facilities. I don't exactly want to sell anything. I just want to run the facility that stocks corals. Second best thing is to own a pet store that caters mostly to aquarist, but I understand dog food probably pays the bills.