What made you get into keeping reef tanks?

[VintageReefer]

For my 16 birthday my parents said they would get me a pet and everything I need to get started, and then the responsibility to care for it going forward is on me

My birthday came and I told them I picked a dog. They said no. I picked a cat. They said no and they don’t want anything with hair that gets all over the house. I picked a lizard. They said no and they don’t want bugs in the house. I picked a snake. Well that creeped my mom out and they both told me no

I felt completely cheated and defeated during this discussion and finally I yelled out “you told me you would get me a pet. You put this in my head. Now you say no to everything. Why don’t you pick the pet for me, and then I’ll pick which one to get ?!”

My dad said he was thinking of something like a fish. I said fine let’s go to the aquarium store…and so we did. And looking around the whole store, all the fish and displays, I decided I wanted a saltwater reef and we ended up getting a 46g bowfront, stand, eheim canister, sand, rock, halides, and a remora skimmer. And that’s how it all started…

 

[revhtree]

I'm not gonna lie, it was Finding Nemo that came out when I was a child. Been hooked ever since!

Same!!! But I was early twenties I think! Ha!

 

[Ron Reefman]

I live in SW Florida and I'm just a 4 to 5 hour drive from some GREAT snorkeling in the Florida Keys. So, I wanted some of that at home. I still collect all my CUC and a few other critters when we go snorkeling!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I shared an office at work in 1990 with someone who had one. Sounded very interesting.

Then when we bought a house a few years later and could get one, I was deciding whether my hobby would be photo dark room, or reefkeeping. Photo darkroom has gone the way of the horse and buggy, so fortunately I did not pick it.

 

[Dkcav59]

One thing I always like to learn from people is why they got into reef keeping. Maybe it is because they also had friends and family who had tanks and wanted one. Perhaps it's because they wanted to take some of the ocean home. Or is it because they wanted a new, refreshing hobby with a good challenge? I am wondering why YOU got into reef keeping. Photo Credit: @Sump Crab

Back in the late 70's when I got my first apartment as a 20 year old, I KNEW I wanted an aquarium. I put a 10 gallon fresh on my bar between the kitchen and living room. Then I acquired from a friend a huge console TV turned into and aquarium with 2 large black veil angels and 2 blue gourami. Fast forward to the 90's, I worked in the professional pet business and LOVED the fish room! I decided I wanted a marine aquarium. I had 2 mentors I worked with that guided me and helped me.
Now in 2024, after almost 30 years of not keeping an aquarium, I'm back in the hobby. I got a 55 gallon Marineland tank and stand FOR FREE! It's been cycling for 3 weeks, and I added 4 young clowns to it on 7/19. I'm shooting for a reef tank, first time reef! I've kept Marine fish, but this is new to me. At 65, I'm enjoying the challenge of learning something new and am looking forward to continuing! And yes! I'm already thinking of another tank. A throw back to my youth. A gorgeous fresh water tank. YEP!! This is an addicting and obsessive hobby!!

 

[Ron Reefman]

I shared an office at work in 1990 with someone who had one. Sounded very interesting.

Then when we bought a house a few years later and could get one, I was deciding whether my hobby would be photo dark room, or reefkeeping. Photo darkroom has gone the way of the horse and buggy, so fortunately I did not pick it.

But now a photo dark room is all in your computer, so photography and reef keeping can both be hobbies!

Collecting anemones in the Florida Keys for my tank.



My photo of the Sanibel Lighthouse at sunset.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

For my 16 birthday my parents said they would get me a pet and everything I need to get started, and then the responsibility to care for it going forward is on me

My birthday came and I told them I picked a dog. They said no. I picked a cat. They said no and they don’t want anything with hair that gets all over the house. I picked a lizard. They said no and they don’t want bugs in the house. I picked a snake. Well that creeped my mom out and they both told me no

I felt completely cheated and defeated during this discussion and finally I yelled out “you told me you would get me a pet. You put this in my head. Now you say no to everything. Why don’t you pick the pet for me, and then I’ll pick which one to get ?!”

My dad said he was thinking of something like a fish. I said fine let’s go to the aquarium store…and so we did. And looking around the whole store, all the fish and displays, I decided I wanted a saltwater reef and we ended up getting a 46g bowfront, stand, eheim canister, sand, rock, halides, and a remora skimmer. And that’s how it all started…

Funny how they denied you on every pet except a fish, haha. Great story to tell people!

 

[aztoza]

Needed a hobby that is an endless source of learning, and would make me happy to be home post-moving

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But now a photo dark room is all in your computer, so photography and reef keeping can both be hobbies!

But there's no chemistry now! lol

 

[KrisReef]

Nothing was ever able to make me stop?

 

[bakbay]

A few years after I started my career in the mid 90s, a former colleague (later became fish buddy) was raising African Cichlids so he introduced me to freshwater keeping. When I went to a LFS to buy some equipment for the tank, I saw those amazing saltwater fish & corals -- very colorful and mesmerizing! Well, within 6 months, my freshwater tank turned into a FOWLR and never looked back. I'm very grateful to my friend for introducing me to this awesome hobby!

 

[Doctor Derp]

My dad was keeping saltwater aquariums before I was born. Got my first 10 gallon starter kit from the LFS for my 6th birthday in 1989. Went from breeding swordtails to cichlids within a few years. All of my siblings also have aquariums, but I'm the only one who stuck with saltwater.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Needed a hobby that is an endless source of learning, and would make me happy to be home post-moving

You got the endless source of learning part, haha.

 

[twentyleagues]

I have always had fish tanks. I think it was a natural progression for me. I still have fresh water fish also.

 

[TehBrainz]

My mom had a 30g freshwater tank while I was growing up. I still remember her doing water changes in the kitchen and even going to the LFS with her. She broke it down and gave it to me a few years after college.

I had it running for a couple years before I saw a deal on a 75g tank. I decided to transition to saltwater as a new "challenge" and gifted the original 30g tank to a college friend of mine.

Come to think of it...I don't think I've told her that all I'm doing and learning is because of her. Time to pick up the phone...

 

[Pntbll687]

I got started because of a manufacturer rep.

In 2013 wife worked for a wholesale distributor that sells mid level aquatic products (aqueon, marineland, seachem) and had a trade show with an ocean theme. One of the vendors said "you should have a tank and keep some clownfish". At the time, we lived at a college which provided us two college dorm rooms to live in. So imagine you just moved into one of the smallest apartments you have ever seen with someone, and somehow need to fit your stuff in there.

One day we get a call from the post office about a "large package" that needs to be picked up. It was a marineland 25g frameless cube, stand, canister filter, lights. I had no idea where this MASSIVE tank was going to go!! We got a pair of clowns, live rock, sand, and what not. Started the tank, and it was fine.

Ended up moving that tank to another apartment, setting up another cube tank, and a small 8g cube.

Flash for 11 years from the beginning, we now have a 180g peninsula tank, and a separate frag system with 2 low boys, an LLC to buy and sell coral under, and probably 10k worth of miscellaneous stuff in our house because of the reef hobby.

 

[ZzyzxRiver]

I was at a pet store picking something up for my cat. My baby (7 months at that point) saw a goldfish tank and got the most excited I had seen him get in his entire life. When I got home, my husband I decided sure, we can get a goldfish tank for him. I headed to the LFS to get a 10g and a goldfish and maybe some plants...

And the LFS owner saw a sucker and talked me into a saltwater tank, haha. I went home with a BioCube 16, rocks, and sand, and have been absolutely obsessed in the three months since. Baby still prefers random goldfish tanks to his own, but he absolutely still checks out the tank with me and loves to paw at the glass whenever a shrimp or snail is nearby. He's gotten more interested as he's gotten older, and I'm hoping that trend continues! The cat still appears not to have noticed a fish tank exists.

 

[kimts]

That is cool that your son got you into the hobby! What kind of 15g did you get?

IM Nuvo. Thankfully, we have a LFS with very knowledgeable employees, and they have been a tremendous help. So far, I have 2 clowns, a watchman goby, various zoas, a couple of mushrooms, finger leather, hammer, and I just picked up a plating monti and branching monti (sorry - do not know technical names) this weekend. Would love my little tank to grow into a beautiful watery piece of living art.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

IM Nuvo. Thankfully, we have a LFS with very knowledgeable employees, and they have been a tremendous help. So far, I have 2 clowns, a watchman goby, various zoas, a couple of mushrooms, finger leather, hammer, and I just picked up a plating monti and branching monti (sorry - do not know technical names) this weekend. Would love my little tank to grow into a beautiful watery piece of living art.

You should start a build thread so we can all follow the progress of your tank!

 

[reeftivo]

I'm 59 now, but back when i was a little kid i went to Marineland in Palos Verde CA and spent most of the day snorkeling with the fish at the park (unheard of now!). I was a little scared initially but after about 5 minutes i fell in love with the Ocean and was hooked!!!!!!!!!!

There were some massive groupers and some small black tip reef sharks in there as well (CRAZY!!!!)

My first salt water FOWLR was in the late 80's and as reefing tech advanced i started a small mixed reef tank in the early 90's.