What Made You Go Salty?

I've been curious about what made you take the "plunge" into the saltwater hobby. I grew up coastal (Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Miami, Jacksonville) and have loved the ocean since I can remember - boating, fishing, sailing snorkeling - all of it. I loved fishing with my dad and have been able to scale/gut or filet a fish since I was a little girl (I was never a girlie girl, in case you're wondering). Even after college and settling "inland," we planned all of our vacations around the beach. I've had a FW tank since the boys' 4th birthday - tetras, guppies, etc. In 15 years, the tank has never been dry and is still going. But, I always had the dream of owning a SW tank. Fast forwards to kids almost grown - I'm thinking, in a few years, the boys will be out on their own (I hope) and what am I going to do? I don't even have a hobby! My sister is in the garden club and book-of-the-month club....I didn't see either of those in my future....or knitting - not that there's anything wrong with them!

Anyway, last summer, I started taking Jwin with me to the LFS. We looked and dreamed and looked and dreamed. Finally, for my b-day in November, I took the plunge. I finally have my hobby and I love it! I told my sister that I finally joined the "garden club," too - it's in my refugium!

I'd love to hear your stories - from some of you moderators, too!

 

The challenge and colors, freshwater just got to boring.

 

My LFS owner convinced me to give it a try after I had kept freshies for a few years. I haven't looked back since. I tried to keep a freshwater tank again after making the switch to salt but ended up getting rid of it after only about a half a year. It just didn't hold my interest like a reef tank does.

 

Kept freshwater on and off for years... I had a 29 planted SE Asia tank and I went to the LFS with the intention of buying a 55 for either Rift Lake Cichlids or marine.... got the tank and decided that marine was the way for me to go, haven't looked back since. At one point I had a 125, 75, and 29 all marine. I am glad I have only one now but at times I miss the multiples...
I think the constant change as far as coral growth is what appeals to me personally. I honestly would have a coral only tank before fish only!

Happy reefing!

 

I got to watch a friends dad set up a 250 gallon reef tank over the course of a few months when I was a kid so I had to get a tank. Well I settled for a measly 20 gallon freshwater until I grew tired of it. It still was always in the back of my mind that I would eventually get one and in college I set up a african chichlid tank for a challenging freshwater. Well I grew tired of that too, and the LFS was having a 50-70% off clearance sale at the right moment in time and I took the jump. Started with a 10 nano, and am now still setting up my 30. Im sure that soon enough Im going to join the 100g club..

 

My best friend Will helped a ton with us. He was partly an inspiration for going salt, because his dad had a 55 gallon back in the days where keeping corals was nigh impossible, and undergravel filters were the shiz. Will has had a 10 gallon nano for 3 or 4 years, and has had his 29 gallon reef for 2 years. He helped us set up our tank and has been our tanksitter since then

And, I now work at the Tennessee Aquarium. I get to share an 88,000 Gulf of Mexico saltwater tank, and a 600,010 or 600,020 gallon "Secret Reef" saltwater tank with some employee friends of mine : I win

 

And we appreciate our tanksitter very much!

You win what? You call me and tell me you forgot your uniform today and I have to drive out there with it this afternoon!!! You win all right....a whipping from mom!

Get back to web design class! You're supposed to be writing HTML code, not 3reefing!

 

What kind of word do you do at the aquarium. I'd love to work at a public aquarium but I'm afraid that it wouldn't pay enough to cover all the bills.

 

The challenge.....after 23 year of FW I needed a change.

 

FW just to boring, liked the colors of the salty critters better.