What coral or experience first inspired you to want to reef?

KaitCorals · Mar 6, 2020

I know most people get into the hobby for different reasons but I would love to see what inspired you all.

Was it a zoo garden? Were you instantly taken by sticks? Was it the movement of hammers and torches? Did you go diving the South Pacific?

I was first inspired when I studied abroad in Australia in undergrad (I took some marine biology courses and did tons of diving on the GBR) but then realized that i wanted to bring it home when I saw the amazing colors of these favia from the wwc reef builders tour.

fishguy242 · Mar 6, 2020

hi have to say 1990 seen green walking sinularia ,once in hooked for life,happy reefing

JoshO · Mar 6, 2020

A book I was given when I was 7! Saw a picture of a dwarf flame angel and was instantly hooked. When I got older and actually did some research I realised what I could actually have. Also having the biggest aquarium in the UK literally 10 minutes from my house helped a little!
Finally watching the guys at BRS inspired me to actually jump in finally!

Copingwithpods · Mar 6, 2020

Oddly enough for me it was a trip to the local tide pools here in Southern California that sparked it for me, not so much the corals as we only have a few species here but all the other critters in the pools. Every little puddle was jammed packed with hermit crabs,urchins, snails, anemones, shrimp and tons of other stuff. To this day hermit crabs and snails are one of my favorite inhabitants in my reef. I'm probably the only oddball that hand picks the clean up crew like other people pick their frags. I will inspect every scarlet hermet in the store until I find the one I like. Mostly selected on health and pluckiness.

I've had this guy since I got back into the hobby as a tiny little guy less than a 1/4in long, although many others have come and gone he has been a trooper.

I always know it's him because most nights I can find him not too far from the pom pom, why? Who knows, maybe they are tank buds.

ReefDemon · Mar 6, 2020

For me it was the first time I saw a reef tank it was a lps dominant reef with loads of hammers and torch corals... before the crazy price hike. The movement was mesmerising and the colours had an amazing glow to them. The colours and personality of the fish also made my discus and rams look so boring. I already knew then that I would make the switch and never go back.

Dana Riddle · Mar 6, 2020

A visit to Maine's coast and its rocky tide pools when I was 7 years old sparked my interest in marine biology and aquaria. Years later, George Smit's series of articles in FAMA on Europe's reef tanks got me hooked on reef tanks.

ReefDemon · Mar 6, 2020

@JoshO where is this aquarium? Need to go and have a look. I’m up in Newcastle but have family in London and Portsmouth so can always find a decent excuse and detour

JoshO · Mar 6, 2020

ReefDemon said:
@JoshO where is this aquarium? Need to go and have a look. I’m up in Newcastle but have family in London and Portsmouth so can always find a decent excuse and detour

Small world, I'm in Sunderland now but I'm from Plymouth which is where it is, called the national marine aquarium...so it's a pretty long trek for you!

Nano1908 · Mar 6, 2020

What first sparked my interest in saltwater was a lionfish. Was so new & beautiful to me. Than as time (years) passed I saw a friend's mixed reef. I saw Pulsing Xenia for the 1st time and I was mesmerized. I started doing my research and ended up starting a small tank which was motivated by my local reef club. Yes I joined the club before having my tank up. Now you may ask, umm small tank, Lion Fish. Yup you guessed it, after doing research I decided not to get the Lion Fish. Now as for Pulsing Xenia, I may just leave that invasive coral all together. So in short, I'm staying away from what sparked my interest in having a marine or reef aquarium. Lol.

fish farmer · Mar 6, 2020

I was always into fish and the ocean growing up during the Jacques-Yves Cousteau era of TV specials.

I had various containers of water with critters in them all throughout my childhood and college years. I was getting interested in saltwater in the late 80's and saw the Smithsonian coral reef microcosm in D.C. during a bus trip in 1991.

I finally got settled at a steady job and set up my first reef tank in 2000.