Weekly Discussion - why do you keep reefing?

[Anonymous]

This hobby is expensive, time consuming, and at times frustrating. What keeps you involved, excited and motivated to keep a reef tank?


About the RDO Weekly Discussion:
This discussion is meant to get at your experience and to share information that is in your head, so don't necessarily treat it as information gathering. State your opinion and, if available, use material, anecdotal or otherwise, that will back up your opinion.
Past weekly discussions will be archived in the archives.
If you have topics that you think would be helpful for the RDO community to discuss, please send me a pm or start your own thread! :mrgreen:

 

[MartinE]

I think my main reason for reefing is that I absolutely love the sea and unfortunately cannot move to be close to it (I would prefer to be in the pacific islands )

 

[saltank]

It is an excellent opportunity to learn about and care for very exotic creatures, gives the children a really cool learning opportunity also.

And, as some of these animals become extinct, we have the chance to maintain their existence, albeit in captivity; that is not to say that captive-bred species could not be re-introduced to their natural environment.

I am all for responsible reef keeping. I truly believe there is the potential to both learn from these creatures (for example for medicinal purposes) and provide an opportunity to possibly maintain creatures whose survival in the wild is becoming more at risk.

Oh, we can't forget the beauty of a mature reef tank in our living rooms

 

[Rob Top]

All the things about what we keep in our tanks is exciting. The challenges that hard to keep items present. The joys of success. The beauty of it, is all great and a major factor for me. But what makes this hobby so great for me is that I have to be so many things. I am a plumber some days, others it is a carpenter, electrition, chemist, biologest, student, teacher, and others a high stakes gambler. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine life with out it

 

[Anonymous]

I gotta be addicted to something. I guess my tank is better than lines of white powder. . .

But seriously, I keep it for the beauty. Some days I'm just awed by the beauty of nature in my tank

B

 

[bleedingthought]

I agree with everything posted above. And I also think that even while it's expensive, it's a lot more productive than a lot of of other hobbies out there!

 

[Anonymous]

I thought it would help me lose the weight I gained from quitting smoking.

For some reason that is not working....

 

[Anonymous]

Because I like having a tank in the house. Also, my kids enjoy it and it is somehting we do together. Not to mention I have been keeoing tanks since grade school so I just can not immagine not having a fish tank of some sort.

 

[Anonymous]

The depreciation on reef equipment is too high. Now I cannot afford to get rid of it.

Also, I like that when the wife asks me to "help" clean the house, I work on making the tanks look nice! That is part of the house, right?

 

[Anonymous]

I love having a reef tank. I can stare at it forever it seems like.

As for the work, everyone needs a hobby. Tinkering with the tank is fun to me. If it wasn't, I might think twice about staying in the hobby. I like all facets of the hobby.

The only downside to the hobby is unexpected problems that have to be dealt with. Like a broken pump or a green hair algea problems. Asides form those, I pretty much enjoy doing anything else that is required to keep my tank looking good.

 

[Anonymous]

I think its because I am denying psychiatric help.

its additcting and painful at times besides out right expensive.
_________________
save my home

 

[Meloco14]

I am addicted to spending money. This hobby fits my needs perfectly :lol: .

But seriously, I've grown up with a love of the ocean and as soon as I could afford it I set up a reef tank. Now I occasionally start to lose interest in it, but then I go on my yearly dive trip somewhere and the desire to have a beautiful reef in my home comes back strong. One of the greatest feelings I get, though, is when I show my friends my tank. Very few of my friends have ever been snorkeling, and none have any remote interest in what lives in the ocean. When I tell them I love diving and looking at aquariums they say, why? But those same people will get lost staring at my tank for 15, 20, 30 minutes at a time without even realizing it. They will all ask questions, and be like, is that really alive? It is a great feeling to see that they really do like it and are interested, even if they don't admit it. The only annoying thing is they all inevitably ask me why I don't name my fish :roll: .

Plus, staring at a reef tank was a great way to procrastinate in college.

 

[Anonymous]

I love to check it out and what I can find new in it next.

New critters all the time. I love to do the research. Me & my husband wanted some hobby we can both do together and this is perfect for that.

I am addicted to it too.

 

[trigger0214]

...because I have been at it almost my entire life and there is always something new. unexplained, unidentifed, or just weird (i have had my refugium completely isolated for 2 weeks with no lights, circulation, or anything. I turned on my light today and I have a slew of copapods, worms, and weird red algae/coral looking stuff in there.....coool!)

Plus, I get to make cool little plumbing netwroks and stuff.....

Somebody asked me why it was mostly men that were into this stuff. Is it control over a little habitat? No, I think I will refer to the coool little plumbing networks comment above......and the control.

 

[Oceans Ferevh]

The only annoying thing is they all inevitably ask me why I don't name my fish :roll:

Widget is the clown on the left, Buzz is the clown on the right, and the blue blob is Oscar (the grouch) my baby purple tang

I'm addicted to reefkeeping because it is so vast. The endless intracacies and variety of life that springs from a single peice of rock leaves me in awe. It is all so beautiful and interconnected that it spurs me to learn more and see more. I cannot imagin letting this hobby slip out of my life now. It is a challenge great enough to keep my shifting attention focused and driven.

I love to watch these creatures grow and thrive in my care. The knollege that the corals I keep can (and will) be passed on to my children and kept in the family for generations is astounding. I feel blessed to keep such creatures in my care.

 

[gregb1]

I shoot up on SW.

 

[flipteg]

i've had an aquarium ever since i was a little kid... i only had freshwater tanks but my father was the one who got me into it... the reef setup i have now is my first reef tank... this is really the most rewarding hobby that i have ever taken up...

my first passion is still for arowanas but since they are illegal to posses in the US, i decided to try my hands on a reef...

i've had the tank up for around 8 months now and sometimes, i start to lose interest in it... but i think losing interest in it from time to time is a good thing cause it allows the tank's inhabitants to grow with out me having to constantly buy and add stuff... in the beginning, i planned the system to account for those "lose interest" phases... i don't really want the hobby taking over my life... i want to live my life and just let the tank take its natural course...

since the tank's maintenance have already became part of my daily routine, i don't want to ever do away of a reef tank anymore...

 

[EmilyB]

I've got fish that are 7 years old. They are pets, so I'm stuck with their para-fin-alia now.

 

[trigger0214]

I've got fish that are 7 years old. They are pets

I used to keep African Cichlids....I sitll can't eat talapia....