Why do we do it?

[Doc]

Have you ever noticed what a pain in the ass this hobby can be? something must be motivating us to put up with the cost, headache, disappointment, time commitment, cost, frustration, cost...you get the idea. what is it for you?

I will start this group session. First, it is the beauty. I have traveled many places and seen jungles, mountains, rivers, grasslands, but nothing, absolutely nothing can match the grace, elegance, and utter majesty of ocean life. Sometimes, I am stopped in mid stride when I see my tanks. Not that I am that good at it, but the animals and their brilliance.

I am also driven by the sense that it is my vision, my creation. Almost like it is my piece of heaven on earth. I fashioned it, combined the parts into my own ecosystem. Kinda like playing God. It is hard to not be convinced that there is a supreme Creator of life when you see the colors and beauty of the ocean (don;t go jumping me all you scientists out there).

It is therapy for me. When I have had a hard day at work, nothing can calm me quite like my tank. It helps me reset my mental systems and prepare myself to be a better husband and father. OK, there is a glimpse into my reasons. what about yours?

-Doc

 

[Rcpilot]

I kept fish only tanks as a kid and always dreamed of keeping corals and inverts. It wasn't possible back then. Not in a home aquarium and a teenage kids' income. I'm just livin' the dream. :mrgreen:

And:
This is my "slow" hobby. I get my adrenaline flying toy airplanes. But, it's only something I can do one or maybe two days per week. It's a major production to load a few planes into the truck and drive out to the flying field for a day. It gets my heart pounding because I fly very aggressively and the planes cost quite a bit of money when you get into the larger sizes. There is quite a bit of "pucker factor" when your flying a $3000 toy airplane with a 50cc or 80cc engine on the front. They can be deadly, and it's not something we take lightly. Safety and good judgment are paramount.

My tank provides quiet and peaceful enjoyment anytime I walk by or glance over at it from the couch. It's fun to just sit in front of it and talk with the kids.

I guess part of it is my ego. Being able to keep such delicate creatures alive in, literally, a drop of water--well, it makes me proud. Friends and family stop by and ask questions or just sit and gaze into my little reef. Pretty cool.

 

[Alexander]

Marco I think you hit it right on the ball. The hobby can be so frustrating at times. I believe you touched on the cost factor. overall there are far more positive sides to it to keep me from ever stopping.

The only other thing i really have that you didnt mention is about 2-2.5 years ago I was midway through planning out my college studies. Marine biology in Australia. My best friends brother in law is from melbourne and had people squared away for me to get established with down there. It has been a dream of mine since i was 3 years old. Then I was given the gift of life with a baby boy..... totally unexpected as you all can imagine, yet its still the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. As you can imagine it put a little bit of a damper on my dreams of going to marine biology school as i have a legal parenting plan and 50/50 custody with my son. There is nothing in this world that would make me leave my son, so this hobby is my way of bringing the ocean to me in the middle of Idaho. I will do it for the rest of my life, even if i leave Idaho and live near somewhere cool to dive, hell look at rigo. he lives on a reef and still keeps multiple tanks :)

 

[poppinfresh]

Why we do it...

one word...

Insanity :D

 

[yote]

As everybody knows I love the outdoors.Woods fields,rivers,streams.Love seeing the wildlife and trying to actually be a part of it and get close to the animals.
Since I will probably never get to see a true wild reef.My tank is my way of seeing it.Not to mention it keeps my kids interested in something worth wild.And hopefully it'll catch enough of their attention enough to go on to school and do something besides pull wrenches or bend sheet metal.
Then of course there the relaxation factor when I get home from work and stretch out in front of my tank.

 

[DavidA717]

I got interested in this hobby because there are so many varieties of fish and corals that one can have in a tank, and that is very interesting to me. plus ive been into fish tanks since i was young

 

[bobby]

I have always loved saltwatertanks, but the after being told soo much that keeping saltwater is too hard or I couldn't do it, well that pissed me off enough to start and the beauty of the animals has kept me init.

 

[Bifferwine]

It is hard to not be convinced that there is a supreme Creator of life when you see the colors and beauty of the ocean (don;t go jumping me all you scientists out there).

Ahhh you are one of those misinformed people that believe god and evolution are mutually exclusive :). They're not -- I believe in both.

Anyways!
I lived all over the world, nine different countries by the time I was 16 years old. I got to see so many different environments in North America, South America, Africa and Europe. I lived in three countries in Africa for a total of seven years, and that place made the biggest impression on me, mainly because of the wildlife and the natural environment, I believe. When I was 12 years old, my dad took me on my first scuba diving trip to Roatan, a tiny island in the Caribbean off the coast of Honduras. It has amazing untouched coral reefs and isn't very touristy, as it's sorta off the beaten path.

I got certified and started going on four dives a day. I was totally addicted, and it was an activity that my dad and I shared that brought us closer, as my mom and siblings didn't do it. Once I moved to Egypt, my dad and I continued diving together in the Red Sea, which is one of the most amazing places ever to dive, as not too many tourists travel to the Middle East to go scuba diving. The more I dove, the more I fell in love with the reefs and the animals I was watching.

I remember this one time, I was probably about 14, I swam into this tiny underwater cave, barely large enough to fit me. It was dark inside and I just sat down on the sand bed on the bottom. There was this giant school of silver and blue fish just swimming circles around me, and all I could see (because I was in a dark cave) was flashes of their reflections. I must've sat there for 20 minutes, just watching the thousands of flashes of silver in the pitch black around me. In a morbid way, I think I would have been content to die after that day, because I felt that there was nothing better than that left for me to experience in life.

I continued to get more and more scuba certifications, and part of it was learning the animals and ecosystems. I think this interest carried through to my career, because I chose to get into biology and conservation in college... But diving in Roatan and the Red Sea are experiences I will never forget, and when someone tells me to go to "My Happy Place", that's where I go. And if I can bring just a TINY piece of that into my home, even if it's just a few gallons of water, it will make me proud and content again.

 

[RigoSharon]

I Guess We All Like To Waste Our Money..lol

 

[reeffreak]

Right after high school I started dating this chick who worked at the LFS.She was phyne as heck and was into reef aquariums.Heck,I was trying to get laid.

 

[Aries85]

I got into because I love the outdoors. I love every part of it, from the Mountains straight down to the ocean. I love it all, and it was also something that my girlfriend and I could share together. I love the beautiful colors that the fish and the corals display in the ocean, and just bringing of piece of that home relaxes me. I also feel a sense of completion and it makes us feel good that it is something we helped create. Kind of a long the long the lines of what Dr. said. Also it relaxes me to just sit in front of the tank and just watch the fish and everything go about their own business.

 

[McCrary]

I like the challenge of trying to keep a successful marine aquarium and the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing what you wanted. I am always finding ways to improve my tank and I enjoy spending time researching and tinkering. Its neat to see things improve as your knowledge and experience grows. I also really enjoy simply enjoying my tank. Sitting on the couch, listening to sports on the TV and watching the tank is probably my favorite thing to do and I love the fact that I was the one who created the little world and made it happen. I picked the lights and shaped the rock, picked the tank size and adjusted everything to my style. My tank is a representation of me and I like that, few things in life seem to be so involving and gratifying and thats why you see people become so enthralled in the hobby.

 

[fishbait]

you pretty much hit the nail on the head for me doc! it gives me something to tinker with on the weekends. and is very relaxing to sit and watch for hours and hours. well, all that AND I think this stuff stimulates the dopamine glands the same way crack and meth does for junkies. I'm totally hooked. I would have to go to AA or something if I ever had to get out of the hobby. I swear I get withdrawel symtoms if I go a month without going to the lfs and buying something new.

 

[MikMcgyver]

I started this hobby because people told me SW was too hard to maintain, too much work... THe wife bought me a 12 gallon aquapod for last fathers day and all the stuff to get it going. I was hooked....

But did I mention how hard that 12 gallon was to maintain? The 125 is much easier to handle. In life people tend to start small and go bigger as you learn. Prolly would have been better to start with a 90 then a 12. I messed with that thing daily, nitrates thru the roof, algae like crazy... I almost quit. I found this message board after trying many others. I was tired of being a nameless poster that noone ever responded. This board kept me in the hobby..

People like Reeffreak,Biffy,Lionfish,Dr. Marco, s13, yote and others helped me understand what it takes to maintain a healthy system. The key was patience.. I am usually not a patient person. Thats what has suprised the wife. Granted I did get 3 fish in the last 2 weeks but thats because they were on sale.. How can you resist a Vlamingi Tang for $5.99... A Coral Beauty for $14.99..

Anyways, back on track... After spending lots of time reading, asking many, many questions, the above mentioned multitudes of people answering and commenting kept me in this hobby. It aint cheap, but it is a rewarding hobby. Its only money after all....:mrgreen:

Plus it gives me something else to work on besides my home theater, house projects, or cleaning the garage... The wife wont admit it but she loves this hobby just as much as I do.. peace out!