What flipped your switch with fishys?
- Thread starter cuppycake
- Start date
dvs
Member
Honestly? I needed a hobby. I take a tip o the eys every year to go scuba diving and since I'm stuck here in Kentucky (not for long... Orlando here I come) the only thing I have to remind me of the ocean is a few underwater pics.
Plus, my mom said I would never be able to keep up with one. Ill prove her wrong...
Plus, my mom said I would never be able to keep up with one. Ill prove her wrong...
broomer5
Active Member
Jillian
I've asked myself that very question several times when I get the VISA statement.
Started out keeping freshwater tanks.
They were easy.
Stopped in a LFS here in town after work one day.
Saw the reef tanks with corals and said WOW, that is so freak'n cool !
LOVED THE COLORS and MOVEMENT of a reef tank ( grew up in the 70's
)
Bought a 55 gallon tank.
Jumped online - and found this site, as well as looked at some incredible photo's of peoples reef tanks.
Said to myself ...... Self ,,,,,, I gotta have one of those someday !
The switch had been "flipped" and has been stuck in the ON position ever since
What a challenge !
I've asked myself that very question several times when I get the VISA statement.
Started out keeping freshwater tanks.
They were easy.
Stopped in a LFS here in town after work one day.
Saw the reef tanks with corals and said WOW, that is so freak'n cool !
LOVED THE COLORS and MOVEMENT of a reef tank ( grew up in the 70's
)Bought a 55 gallon tank.
Jumped online - and found this site, as well as looked at some incredible photo's of peoples reef tanks.
Said to myself ...... Self ,,,,,, I gotta have one of those someday !
The switch had been "flipped" and has been stuck in the ON position ever since
What a challenge !
iechy
Member
I did FW for years as a kid since it was easy and cheap and my normal LFS was just a small pet shop with no SW. When a specialty LFS opened in my neighborhood when I was in high school I went in there and got hooked. For a while I could only afford FO so I kept that for about ten years. Stopped for a few years when I bought my house and then I finally got my first reef tank. Well I think the switch is stuck on now and I have bigger and better plans. I just wish I'd stop geting credit card applications in the mail everyday. My willpower is waning.
owlett
Member
I had a freashwater tank for awhile and all i could think when I had it was "geez, this thing is so BORING!!!" my b/f had a 29 g full of freashwater fish too and we both wanted a saltwater tank and we sold all of his fish my fish too and we started our saltwater tank
Now I look at our tank and I'm like "where do THAT thing come from???? Hey!! Somebosy ate my something!!"
I love the work that I have to do with it, it keeps me busy!
Now I look at our tank and I'm like "where do THAT thing come from???? Hey!! Somebosy ate my something!!"
I love the work that I have to do with it, it keeps me busy!
jarre
Member
I've always kept a house full of plants. But this house has strange window sizes and doesn't allow enough direct or even good indirect light in for most plants.
SW tanks has been something I've wanted to do since I was a kid (not so long ago - LOL) So I decided it was time to have an underwater garden instead of the house plants.
That goes along with the timing of a divorce and working in my home where doing 90 to 100 weeks aren't that unusual. So the hobby gives me eye candy through out the day and evening, and fills my time in a healthy manner!!
SW tanks has been something I've wanted to do since I was a kid (not so long ago - LOL) So I decided it was time to have an underwater garden instead of the house plants.
That goes along with the timing of a divorce and working in my home where doing 90 to 100 weeks aren't that unusual. So the hobby gives me eye candy through out the day and evening, and fills my time in a healthy manner!!
krishj39
Active Member
i have kept FW tanks for around 15 years. basically, i was getting bored with FW, so when I saw a used SW tank for sale, I jumped in. That was only a few short months ago. Since that time, I have already upgrade the size of my SW tank TWICE (30-->40-->90). What i intended to be a couple hundred dollar setup has turned into a couple thousand dollar hobby.
rich1515
Member
Originally from San Francisco and grew up surfing. Aquired a deep love of the ocean and how peaceful and powerful it can be at the same time. The hook was one snorkle trip to Cozumel and seeing it about a foot from my face and saying, I have to do this...
Finally talked my wife into letting me get into it. Ironically, she picked out a 125 gallon when we were shopping for the tank originally and I talked her down to the 75 gallon (total moronic move)
Now I keep trying to talk her into getting the 125 for our bedroom. Unfortunatley, she has seen my Visa bill...
Finally talked my wife into letting me get into it. Ironically, she picked out a 125 gallon when we were shopping for the tank originally and I talked her down to the 75 gallon (total moronic move)
Now I keep trying to talk her into getting the 125 for our bedroom. Unfortunatley, she has seen my Visa bill...
clarkiiboi
Active Member
We moved, emptied our 75 and then got it running again (as FW and was awsome, IMO) then I decided to move the house furniture around, which meant the tank too. Well needless to say with ALL our experience (at least 15 years, each of us) we made a big mistake and lost our awsome FW tank critters . I was mad at the stupid mistake and left the tank empty in my living room for months and then BOOM---lets try SW and the story goes on from there---still learning and such.
. I was mad at the stupid mistake and left the tank empty in my living room for months and then BOOM---lets try SW and the story goes on from there---still learning and such.
S
sinner's girl
Guest
It started with a 2.5 gl freshwater tank in my dorm room. Then I meet Sinner...who had a 25gl fresh water. He then turned to salt....He had always wanted one since he was a kid. I then turned to salt...and it's additive.
we haven't spend any money (other than mantance) in a long time. last fish and inverts (other than snails) were added in jan 2002.
Of course I'd love a bigger tank, but we have no where to put it. but once we're out of school and have a house....
we haven't spend any money (other than mantance) in a long time. last fish and inverts (other than snails) were added in jan 2002.
Of course I'd love a bigger tank, but we have no where to put it. but once we're out of school and have a house....
snakes'n'fish
Member
I had always a fish tank or two. laying around unused or that a snake had out grown so i started with a 45 gal. african cichlid tank. From there i got addicted. My most interesting tank was a brackish water tank. It was a 55 that was only filled up 3/4 of the way. I had big chunks of drift wood anchored to the bottom nd floating lily pads and such in it. The fish 2 archers , 3 knight gobies
a needle nose gar and leopard puffer, the tank ate nothing but cricket and guppies I was in aggressive heaven. Watching the archer shoot crickets of the drift wood is still a real cool thing to watch in your living room. One day the gar died, i could not find a reason for it. Nothing was wrong with the water and nothing ever really picked on him. Someone suggested to check the salinity. It was .022. I actully added to the tank a condi and a clarki clown and a couple of damsels. Some how i converted a brackish tank with gravel on the bottom to a salt tank. Though i wouldn't suggest doing it, i discovered quite a few problems of doing that way. From then on my addiction OOPS i mean hobbie grew to what it is today and i love it! Though i still have my african cichlid tank still set up in the den , cant get rid of those pesky little guys
a needle nose gar and leopard puffer, the tank ate nothing but cricket and guppies I was in aggressive heaven. Watching the archer shoot crickets of the drift wood is still a real cool thing to watch in your living room. One day the gar died, i could not find a reason for it. Nothing was wrong with the water and nothing ever really picked on him. Someone suggested to check the salinity. It was .022. I actully added to the tank a condi and a clarki clown and a couple of damsels. Some how i converted a brackish tank with gravel on the bottom to a salt tank. Though i wouldn't suggest doing it, i discovered quite a few problems of doing that way. From then on my addiction OOPS i mean hobbie grew to what it is today
and i love it! Though i still have my african cichlid tank still set up in the den , cant get rid of those pesky little guys 
dindi
Member
Well...hate to say it but I thought scuba divers called SWF people "reef rapers"
We just want beautiful things in our homes to look at and yes..spend boatloads of money on them, I for one love the ocean but at the same time feel a little guilty buying my fish which came all the way from the Red Sea. Hows that for Fishys? We love the challange to keep our babies or if you want pets happy,,how many does it take before we realize that they just don't (not many survive the true test) Well it took me and I'm very sure other people here plenty but you just can't deny that they look really "cool" in your home. I will keep buying my fish and corals just to keep me happy. I love the challange because I used to manage the "Fish" department a long time ago, including salts. You decide, what made you go "fishy"?
We just want beautiful things in our homes to look at and yes..spend boatloads of money on them, I for one love the ocean but at the same time feel a little guilty buying my fish which came all the way from the Red Sea. Hows that for Fishys? We love the challange to keep our babies or if you want pets happy,,how many does it take before we realize that they just don't (not many survive the true test) Well it took me and I'm very sure other people here plenty but you just can't deny that they look really "cool" in your home. I will keep buying my fish and corals just to keep me happy. I love the challange because I used to manage the "Fish" department a long time ago, including salts. You decide, what made you go "fishy"?