How did it start for you?

[brewercm]

I'd had freshwater aquariums since I was a kid in elementary school. I started my first saltwater tank around 1985 or so when I was stationed in Oklahoma and had pretty much been in it at some rates since then. Same as Steve was saying, started with a crushed coral, undergravel with air lift tubes. Thought my tank was it when I switched over to powerhead driver instead of airlift tubes. Bought the Skilter when it first came out back then and modified it with my air pump and wood stone to work better. Also had upgraded to VHO lights at one point and thought that was great back then also.
As you can see the addiction just continues costing more and more money unfortunatley. but it has been great to see the differences over the years. Oh, and then I found this great club back some time in 2003 and it has only been a bigger addiction since.

[Richard]

When I was 13 I got a 20 gallon with an undergravel filter. No money for fish so I went to salado creek with a little fish net and caught small crawdad and a baby perch about 1/4" long. I spent hours just watching them.

A year later I had a 55 gallon african cichlid tank, the 20 was a saltwater tank, and I worked at a pet shop (Woof N Chirp for any old timers out there). Then the 55 became a saltwater tank. It had an ug filter and fish never did too well until I started using a product called Sea Garden. I didn't know it then but it was just little packets of fertilizer so the tank was FULLY covered in long flowing hair algae. It would drive me nuts now but I thought it was cool back then and finally I had fat and healthy tangs.

My favorite shop back then was Window to the Sea on Harry Wurzbach. Eventually they got in some stuff called liverock and I was off to the reefs. The liverock they got was Florida rock (not the cultured stuff you get today). The guy collected it, put it in filtered tanks in the back of his van and drove it to the shops. It was the best rock, fully covered with coralline and live corals/sponges etc. I wish I could still get it these days.

[Bill S]

I was introduced in 7th grade. My best friend had joined the school's "Fish Club", and talked me into going with him. In 8th grade, I got a job at our LFS (this was legal back then). Worked there thru college - I'm a molecular geneticist by education. In the early 70s, the new thing was "saltwater". Getting such a great employee discount, I jumped in. At one point, I had over 30 tanks in my bedroom! Saltware was staggeringly expensive back then. Prices were pretty much the same as they are now - except that gas was under $0.30 a gallon, and candy bars had just gone up to 10 cents. Clownfish were $20-25, angels were $40-100. Lions were usually over $40. I made $0.75 an hour when I started. It took a LONG time to buy a fish...

[apedroza]

It strated for me working in a LFS that was just starting to carry saltwater. My first tank was a 20 gal DAS system. I then downgraded to a 10gal nano mostly softies. Then upgraded to a 58 gal, 40gal and finally my 70gal. It all started around 12yrs ago.

[MissT]

Always had little freshwater community tanks when I was a kid. You know the one... fake plants, bright blue and lime green gravel, neon tetras? LOL After high school started up another communtiy tank, natural looking and eventually got addicted to African Cichlids. Then I started talking to Carlos about going to work at RCA and he suggested that I start a saltwater tank to help me learn... I think this is more expensive than school!!! It is truly addicting because I read and watch everything I can get my hands on or find on Discovery channel. Reefkeeping is a constantly evolving hobby and I think that is why it is able to hold so many people's interest for such a long time.

[caferacermike]

I've always had freshwater tanks. A friends dad had a horrible looking salt tank that never had maintenance. I swore off salt tanks because of the mess his made. Skip ahead 15 years or so later and I set up a 125g freshwater. I was hitting the shops every other day when I went to one and saw a "complete" 75g used for sale at a good price. I figured why not? Bought it and lost my mind. Nothing from the original set up is used anymore. Now I've found myself with 4 nano tanks for keeping specialized fish. I went so far as to buy the house we just moved into instead of renting because I bought a 400g tank and needed just the right place for it.

[captexas]

I got interested about 6 years ago with the step daughter wanting a fish tank for her birthday. Started off with a 10g freshwater tank. I got into reading books and online to make sure we were doing it the right way and I got hooked. I soon ended up with a 75g freshwater tank. After spending so much time in fish stores I couldn't believe how beautiful and intriguing saltwater fish were. I then started reading up on saltwater tanks and began lurking the online sites to learn more.

I ended up finding a used 58g tank that I turned into a saltwater setup. After that was successful, it wasn't long before I got rid of the freshwater fish in my 75g and converted it into a full reef setup. I was then working on setting up a 240g in wall tank, but had to sell everything hobby related that I owned to deal with other things. I was out about a year and it was just too hard not having a tank so I'm back with a 45g for now.

[erikharrison]

When I was in diapers, I used to get into the tank with my parents oscar and on something like 5 occasions they woke up to a flooded room because I kept getting in. My mom had a pirannah (sp?) and it choked on a chicken bone As I got older, I had several tanks, all FW. Then I met Tab and her little daughter Sophia. Next thing I know, we moved in together and got a little 10 gallon for Sophia (yeah right, me)... For Christmas last year Tab bought me our 47g tall (a.k.a. tank o' death) and when we moved I bought our 75 from Thelma. The fascination in this hobby grows and grows, and since the technology for reefkeeping is still in it's infancy, the technology is growing, so its easy to stay interested. I love this hobby, and this site. Big ups to MAAST and everyone that has made it what it is. Kudos.

[Darth-Tater]

I got my first saltwater tank in 1977. My wife and I bought a 55 gallon from fintique. We used dolimite and crushed coral for the bed and an under gravel filter. Had 1 yellow tang, 1 lion fish, 2 mollies and a few other ones. The tank died after 5 weeks. "Cycle what do you mean the tank has to cycle." Trie two more times then figured it was cheaper to have kids and buy a harley Davidson. Still have the kids but the Harley got stolen. Then 3 yrs ago sitting im the orthopods office he had a 75 gallon cube. I was in a wheelchair and told my wife "we could do this now" Kids are grown no motorcycle it is time to sink money in a black hole. I love it again. I can sit for hours watching the tank either at home or my classroom.


Tater