How Many Started Out Fresh Then Went Salt & Reverse

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jessicarabit

Guest
I started out with a freshwater tank at the age of 8 yrs old & kept it till I was 13 (55 gal). Then got a 20 gal freshwater tank at 18 till I got my first saltwater tank (38 gal) at 22 & had both running. Now I have a 55gal & 20 gal saltwater at 25 & seriously wanna go bigger & more. So I just wanted to know some of ya'll's backgrounds. Did many jump straight into saltwater? I know that freshwater help educate me & give me experience...some being fatal:( , but all in all very helpful:) . Please respond with interesting post...thanks.
 
waterbury guy

waterbury guy

Member
I had FW for about the last 15 yrs. Drained the FW tank to move from CA to VT, and wanted to try something new. Was on a severance package from my previous employer and had some time to kill and wanted a new hobby. This is about a million times more fun than FW!!! Never forgett the look on my wife's face in January when we were both unemployed "you're spending how much on rock?!"
 
pstanley

pstanley

Member
I kept pirannahs for a long time then switched to saltwater...then switched to freshwater.......then switched back to saltwater. :)
 
twoods71

twoods71

Active Member
I started out with a 10 gallon FW many moons ago. Of course being young and not knowing any better I packed that sucker full of fish. By far my favorite was the upside down catfish.
Later down the road I also set my wife (girlfriend at the time) up with a FW 10. She really liked the loaches and frogs.
My brother has also been keeping FW and SW tanks and also a huge koi pond. We often share stories and experiences with each other.
When I switched to SW it was when a co-worker told my I could convert my 29 FW to a SW tank for a small amount of money. My curiosity peaked and the SW experience was on. Of course after starting the switch to SW I realized the co-worker was very wrong about the cost.
 
jumpfrog

jumpfrog

Active Member
Started with fresh this time about 3 years ago. Set up a community 55 tank. Then decided I wanted a 29 in my office at home so set up a cichlid tank 2 years ago. (Since swapped the community tank with the cichlid tank to give the cichlids more room) Then decided a pond out back would be nice, so got the shovel and now have a nice pond out back. Got wife interested with a 5 gallon bow for a betta...................Then my LFS was going out of business so I bought a 10 gallon tank, complete with LR, heater, filter etc with a tomato clown and blue devil damsel for $50.00. Spent 6 months reading and learning about salt before taking the plunge to a 72 reef. Made mistakes, killed fish, made a mess and found this board:)
Now in addition to the reef we have a 46 aggressive and the first 10 gallon is now a hawk tank my wife takes care of.
My wife said it best this weekend.............You know by comparison, these freshwater fish are boring..............
I know what she means but I still love the tranquility of a community fw tank sometimes.
What's next.................? Who knows, but a 6 foot tank is in the future I'm sure.
 
S

sebae0

Guest
likewise i started out fw 17 yrs ago, kepted just about every fish under the sun then got bored.switched to saltwater and really is no comparison. did go back to fw though with pirahnas to see if i could breed them. so right now i have a breeding tank of them in a 120 gal (6 big fish).
 
ekclark

ekclark

Member
I started with a 20 fw community when I was about 7 and stayed fw for many years. This last summer I finished college and wanted to switch to a reef. I read a lot and now have a 75 that appears to be stable. I like this so much more than the fw, though I still have a 55 and 125 full of cichlids. It is much more rewarding and challenging. I still have not found a real job, but I have managed to blow $2000 on this little reef. That should tell you something.
 
iechy

iechy

Member
I always had fw tanks when I was young and lived with my parents. We always had just about every animal you could think of. NAturally every time we went to the LFS and I saw the beautiful SW fish and/or reefs I would beg and plead with my parents to get a SW tank. Well we were working class people with not much money to waste so I never got it. When I got to high school and made my own money working at the gas station I saved up and started a 30 aggressive tank and later a 10 gallon community with inverts and kept mostly with aggressive since then. But now I have become fairly successful in my career and decided that I was going to reward myself (and splash out the cash)with the reef tank I always wanted and in July setup a 55 reef. Well, needless to say, it turned out to be wonderful so far but not the tank I always wanted baceuse it is filling up too fast so I'm working on a 180 reef now and we'll see how long that will keep me happy. I'm waiting to see what happens first: will I become satisfied with what I have or will I run out of money and go homeless on the street with my family, my dog, and my fish;)
 
S

starfishjackedme

Guest
I got tired of bi-weekly 50% water changes for my Oscars, so I sold them back and now the 55 gal is a salt tank.
I also bought a 200 gal that is a reef with over 2000watts of MH/VHO. I wouldn't ever go back to fresh.
 
J

jessicarabit

Guest
This is great hearing all this stories from you guys....I can relate to most. Tell me something starfishjackedme, how many water changes do you do on your SW? I know that more is better, I try about 1 a week.
 
robchuck

robchuck

Active Member
I started out w/ a 20gal extrahigh FW community tank. (it had the footprint of a 10gal; it was the equivalent of two 10 gals stacked on top of each other) that looked alot like broomer's w/ colored gravel and the plastic plants. I converted that to SW about 10 years ago, and kept damsels in it until they died out; then started FW in a 29gal about 2 years ago keeping community fish, and switched that tank to SW (FOWLR) back in June.
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
I started with a 29g FW in 1989. Planted a 90G FW in 92 and moved in to SW in 94 and transformed it into a reef by 95. And now keep both FW and reef. 29G FW, 90g FW, 72g reef & 125g reef.
 
clownfish_and_bettas

clownfish_and_bettas

Member
I am still on my first tank... fresh for now, my mom dosent approve of me getting a salt water tank till I'm 14 and even then I have to choose between a dog and a SW tank.:(
BTW which would you choose? Honest opinions please:p
 
mmslue79

mmslue79

Member
Well I had a 29 gallon a long time ago and it was FW. Then this past year, I went and bought a little goldfish bowl, three days later a 15 gallon, one week later a 55 gallon (both FW), and about two weeks after that I bought my 120 that is going to be SW. Next I was thinking of a 4000 tank, but would be afraid of the tank after that. :)
 
ilove2ride

ilove2ride

Member
clownfish_and_bettas-
I would definitely choose a dog... they are very different though, i it depends what your are looking for. One is more like a friend, the other like a TV or hobby. Honestly, my fish tank takes up about the same time as my dog though!
:)
 
dsa_mom

dsa_mom

Member
You can always have fish when you are older and work full-time, but a dog is hard to keep if you have to leave it alone all day. So I say go for the pooch now and just keep learning and planning for the fish "some day".
 
S

starfishjackedme

Guest
jessicarabit -
I don't do water changes very often. Maybe once a month. Even then it is only a 25% change. I use a 45 gal plastic trash can with wheels to mix it up and a Mag1200 to pump it into/out of the aquarium. It's too bad there isn't a clean up crew available to the fresh water crowd.
As for a dog, the chow i had as a kid is and will always be the most special pet i have ever had. That is saying a ton because i love my three kitties! They are spoiled rotten.
Having a dog while growing up left me with many great memories.
 
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