How you came into the saltwater hobby?

I got bit by the "saltwater bug" after visiting the Waikiki Aquarium in Honolulu Hawaii  three years ago.  I was so fascinated by the fish, the corals, the jellyfish..........well, you get the idea.  Within a month I had a tank(29 gallon) and two months after that I upgraded to my 90 gallon.  I wish I'd known then what I know now!

 

I have been a freshwater nut for most of my life. First it was fancy guppies. Then show guppies. Next came angel fish and gouramiis. Finally ciclids caught my eye. After moving to Davenport I met a friend that had a reef tank and he was looking to upgrade. Funny how people looking to upgrade like to cut people that show an interest in the hobby a "great deal". I started with his 55 gallon. Moved into selling livestock online. Added 53 tanks to my home. Started raising clownfish. Upgraded the show tank to a 90 gallon. Sold the clowns and most everything out of the display tank. Crashed/Lost the 90 in the move to Independence.

Now the 90 is set up as a "Sharing Tank". All of the coral and fish in this tank are donated by other reef nuts or purchased by myself to share with others in the hobby. It is my goal to give back to the community and to make donations to support the club. My "selfish" reason for this plan is to get a good feeling by knowing I was able to help others out just as a bunch of club members and fellow Davenport reefers helped me when I was starting and now re-starting. Right now I am working with some soft corals, a few zoos, yellow polyps, birds nest, and red cap. I am also hoping to get some baby bangaii in the next few months. Long term I hope to have clownfish and many coral frags to share also. I would also like to offer space to anyone wanting a second tank to place a frag of their favorite/irreplacable corals. I wish I would have shared some of my rare corals before the move... If anyone would like to donate to the tank please let me know.

 

Nowhere can such spectacular aquariums be seen than in Monterey, CA at the aquarium. They are fascinating, innovative, and unique. Going there often while I live in Cali helped, but it was actually my longing for the ocean from moving from Hawaii back to Iowa that got me interested. I swam several times a week, chasing Humu's, and Blue Tangs, and swerving back and forth with gliding sea turtles. I guess my reefkeeping is born from my love of Hawaii and homesickness.

 

I too am homesick for Hawaii, but have never even been there...

 

My biology teacher in high school constantly talked about his salt water aquarium. I wanted to start one up then, but I'm glad I didn't seeing the amount of funding needed now. Anyways, I did an internship at Amana, and lived in Cedar Rapids about a block away from the Pets Playhouse. After stopping there a few times I jumped in and have not seen a full wallet since. I love this addiction!

 

I've always had some kind of FW tank most of my life and was going to set up a 90 gallon cichlid(Frontosa only) tank in late 2003.  I was pricing out things at the time and then two of my buddies were talking about getting into SW. One of them actually had a 20 gallon FOWLR tank back in college and I always thought it was kind of neat but never gave it much thought at the time.  Anyway they had introduced me to RC and after seeing all the cool TOTM features, I knew then that I had to have a SW tank. So the 3 of us took a plunge and it was all downhill from there.

 

My father-in-law had a tank when I visited him in Colorado one time, and I couldn't believe all the life on the LR that he had. When we came back to Iowa I immediately found Adam's aquatics and bought kind of a cheesy setup with the hang-on-back fitration and bio wheel. I had that tank about a year, and gave it to Vid151/Dave when our basement flooded in our old house. Got out for about 2 years then went over to Dave's house to see what he had done since I gave him the tank. Needless to say he had a 75 with all the trimmings, and some amazing corals. Instantly bit by the bug again, but have made some better choices in buying equipment this time. Went from a 29 to 90 to 210 now and would love to go larger, but don't really want to get divorced.