Why do you reef?

[Chad]

A recent post here has inspired me to remind myself (and hopefully others too), why we continually put ourselves through the ups and especially the downs of this hobby. I started a thread similar to this a few months ago on RC, but I thought it was warranted and timely to start it here as well.

 

Whenever my worst tank catastrophe comes up in conversation, those who do not reef just do not understand how the 'daily grind' and hard times in the hobby can outweigh its benefits. My worst 'crash' was an ice storm that caused massive road closures and a six day power loss in sub-zero temperatures in upstate NY. I had a generator, but I only had about a days worth of gasoline and my house and tank temperatures got as low as the mid 40s for several days. At the time, I think I had six separate display systems (a full blown sps reef, a couple of mixed reefs and some FOWLR systems), several attached refugiums, some QTs, and a bunch of culture tanks going (somewhere around 12 or more total tanks). The storm caused almost a complete loss of all of my livestock. It was a horrible experience that I genuinely hope no one ever has to go through; ironically, my four reidi seahorses were the only things to survive. After telling this story, most who are not involved do not understand why I continue to do it or why I recovered my tanks. I remember, at the time, that I was very upset, saddened, and taken aback by the loss, but the idea of quitting the hobby just never occurred to me. However, most of the times I think about this, it does get me thinking about why I do it.

 

And for me the answer is simple, I love the ocean. Reefing is a way for me to have some of the ocean with me all the time. I also love the challenge of it, I am always amazed how it always teaches me that there is more to learn, and that no matter how good my techniques are, there is always something that I can do to improve them. And finally, it reminds me of some really wonderful times that I spent with my dad when he was teaching me about aquariums and reefs.

 

I think it is important to keep the reasons we reef close to so that we can get through the difficult times and share our passion in the good times.

 

The responses from my previous thread really energized me with all the positive and heart-felt answers that I received, it really refreshed my interests once again. I hope that thinking about some of these foundation reasons and hearing some other's stories will help some of you all get through the challenges, the hard times and come out stronger on the other end.

 

Happy reefing, I hope my rambling thoughts will cause some self reflection in all of you about why you have brought this wonderful and difficult hobby into you lives.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Chad

[FearTheTerps]

Well put Chad.

 

My reasons are very much the same as yours. As a kid the best time of the year was summer time, and that meant going to the ocean. I would be out there all day swimming and digging in the sand looking for different critters, I would have to be dragged away. Other reasons that I enjoy this hobby is the time involved and the challenge of it. This isnt a simple hobby that you can do from time to time, it takes alot of hard work and dedication to be sucessful. Theres aslo so many things in this hobby that amaze me so much. How things grow, or strange behavior. We can spend hours looking at our tanks and still not see everything in them.

Edited April 14, 2010 by FearTheTerps

[treesprite]

Because.

[paul b]

I grew up on Long Island and my family always had a sea food business so I was involved with sea creatures all of my life. My Dad would bring home things he found still alive in the Fulton Fish Market and we would keep it until it died.

For me it is not a hobby but part of my life. I have had a tank of some type for 60 years and I will have one until I am too senile to tell the difference between a slug and Paris Hilton. Maybe the difference is not too great.

I have a boat and am on it almost every day in the summer, much of that time I am anchored off a muddy beach and I am wallowing around in the mud searching for new life.

I can spot a hermit crab from ten paces and I have to pick them up just to say hello.

SCUBA diving has been part of my life for decades and even though I dove mostly for lobsters, I can't help stopping to watch hermit crabs quarreling or tiny fish spawning.

I want to see how the anemones are spending their time and what is living amng our local soft corals. This stuff has always facinated me and I never get tired of it.

Thats why I reef.

[Leishman]

I dont have an answer - could be the reason why I'm thinking about getting out of the hobby.

[dbartco]

Because I am a engineer. It's opposite of my work life. Problem is, I need the work life to pay better so my hobby life can progress to where I want it to be! I think without reefing, I'd be gardening or similar. After all reefing is just gardening underwater.

[Chris-]

I like how the eco system works circles around itself. Algae grows, fish eat algae, we feed fish too much, algae over grows, add turf scrubber to collect extra algae and have a clean tank. Oh, and i also LOVE the ocean, well, the clear ones like the Bahamas and such, lol.

[Chad]

Doug, I can totally relate to that! Although, reefing is nothing like engineering... I do tend to over-engineer my reef tanks!! haha

[WaterDog]

I've always been an animal person. When I was a little younger, I wanted snakes and spiders and all those other critters. Instead I got a fish tank. I don't regret that at all. It's like having a little piece of the ocean that we can cherish and learn from. I just like it.

[Novi]

I like it because its hard. I'll quote Tom Hanks here.... "If it was easy, everybody would do it. Its the hard that makes it great". I have gone thru thousands of dollars, hours upon hours of my time. Tons of frustrations and headaches. But just when your at your wits end, you see something you have in your tank start to grow. It might only be a 1/4" or a new tiny head but just then you feel a sense of accomplishment. Atleast I do. Is that feeling worth thousands of dollars and hundreds if not thousands of hours of your time? I dunno.... but right now I dont care.

[Happyfeet]

I guess my reasons for wanting to reef where a little more simple. I had a lot of free time and I wanted to fill it.

 

As a kid I always wanted to do saltwater, I almost started a tank 3 times before now. So glad I finally lept in!

[Chris-]

Novi did bring up a few good points. I like knowing I can do something that most others can not. I have taken two tanks, a 90 and a 60-ish and made them into a quiet, dead silent (minus pump humming) undersea world. I basically have no maintenance other than once a week cleaning here and there, maybe an hour or so tops. With a months supply of ATO, I never have to add water. Between skimmer and algea scrubber, no algea grows in the tank. I just sit back and enjoy. The 20 minuts I do spend feeding, well, thats not work.

 

To actually have a little ocean in my living room makes me giggle a little when I see it. Ocean plants from the farthest regions, content gobies hanging out watching me, Shrimp hanging around under caves and rocks, tang all happy picking at food off the rocks like in the wild..... too cool!

 

Oooops, had to edit...

 

.....and the smell of the ocean when you come home from work, niiiiiiiiiiiice!!

Edited April 15, 2010 by Chris-

[sen5241b]

They put marine tanks in hospitals and nursing homes all the time. I saw a 5KG tank in one place! The provide a bit of beautiful nature in your home that helps you relax.

[Chris-]

Well, I guess i know what I will be doing when I am 85

[Chad]

haha, I did aquarium maintenance for a while, and I had at least one aquarium in all the local retirement and rehabilitation communities... I think one complex had 7 aquariums!!!

[lanman]

The reason I started this hobby (about 3.5 years ago now?) was that I loved the coral reefs of the Philippines when I was scuba diving there back in 1969 and 1980-81. When I walked into Marine Scene one day, and found out you could have your own coral reef - I just had to try it.

 

And then... as might be expected, seeing as I have been gardening since I was 9... I fell in love with growing corals. It's like year-round gardening, and people really appreciate the 'vegetables' that you grow!

 

bob

[Chad]

Searching for something else when I ran across this old thread...

 

So BUMP!!

[ToddR]

Reefing allows me to continueto enjoy some of the things I saw while diving in the Navy. I wasn't diving for the Navy but had my own rig and let them take me to places I knew I would never see again. My tank is a small slice of what I got to see.

[Spelter]

It's like the Bonsai version of the ocean. Very Zen

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

Our tank keeps me out of trouble. And the trouble I like to get into nooooo good.

[LCDRDATA]

A little over four years ago my wife (along with my daughter) decided I needed a hobby. We'd had a little 25-gallon saltwater tank while we were stationed in Hawai'i in the mid-80's (T-8 lighting, undergravel filter) that we enjoyed, so she thought that would be good. She found a 75-gallon reef-ready setup on Craigslist that someone was selling because they were moving. I'm confident she had no real idea what she was in for...

[flooddc]

it's an addiction!

[smallreef]

I reef because i never got my marine biology degree and this is as close to the ocean as i feel i canhave without it (and this darn BSBA whenever i finish it will not be nearly as fullfilling, but i will still love my new career).

[surf&turf]

it's an addiction!

 

+1

[zygote2k]

Our tank keeps me out of trouble. And the trouble I like to get into nooooo good.

Bath salts?