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What makes this hobby so addictive?


atrox

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I think it's the fact that you can create a beautiful piece of nature right in your home or office. Something with so many living creatures that at any time of day or night something is out and about doing something. Every time I look in my DT I notice something new. LOVE IT! So much I chose my tank over my GF. See ya sweetheart. B)

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I think it's awesome that there's such a variety of equipment, corals, and fish that every tank looks different. There's so much to see, try, learn... It's fascinating!!

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I think it's awesome that there's such a variety of equipment, corals, and fish that every tank looks different. There's so much to see, try, learn... It's fascinating!!

Agree, there are so many ways to make your display so much different than anyone elses

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Ha ha ha, oh it's a long story, but basically I'm in clinicals in college, and I don't make a ton of money while in clinicals as that takes up most of my time. So when I get money from scholarships and grants and work I have been splitting them pretty evenly between, my display tank, which cannot leave me or cheat on me, or lie to me, and as long as I take care of it, it stays beautiful and happy and an ex that decided she wanted to move back across the country. So now I have money to actually spend on myself, and my Reef addiction. Someday I'll thank her, but at this point I'm still pretty hurt. She always said, you spend all your money on that damn aquarium, you care about it more than me.... Well that may be true, but it never treated me like Sh@t and it never fought with me about ridiculous things the night before major exams. Not to mention it doesn't act like an immature little brat because it doesn't get what it wants all the time. Lol there is so much too it, but thats the short version. She made a big deal about something I loved, my fish and corals, and was jealous that I had a love/hobby in my life that I wanted to spend money on along with her, so she couldn't have all my money.... Sounds like a selfish little..... right? All I've found out in the last 2 months is my heart is way too big, and I've put up with way to much. I wish her the best, but I know she already lost it! ;) Whats that saying, there are more fish in the sea? Ha yes, pun intended.

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Ha ha ha, oh it's a long story, but basically I'm in clinicals in college, and I don't make a ton of money while in clinicals as that takes up most of my time. So when I get money from scholarships and grants and work I have been splitting them pretty evenly between, my display tank, which cannot leave me or cheat on me, or lie to me, and as long as I take care of it, it stays beautiful and happy and an ex that decided she wanted to move back across the country. So now I have money to actually spend on myself, and my Reef addiction. Someday I'll thank her, but at this point I'm still pretty hurt. She always said, you spend all your money on that damn aquarium, you care about it more than me.... Well that may be true, but it never treated me like Sh@t and it never fought with me about ridiculous things the night before major exams. Not to mention it doesn't act like an immature little brat because it doesn't get what it wants all the time. Lol there is so much too it, but thats the short version. She made a big deal about something I loved, my fish and corals, and was jealous that I had a love/hobby in my life that I wanted to spend money on along with her, so she couldn't have all my money.... Sounds like a selfish little..... right? All I've found out in the last 2 months is my heart is way too big, and I've put up with way to much. I wish her the best, but I know she already lost it! ;) Whats that saying, there are more fish in the sea? Ha yes, pun intended.

Just watch out for the pibawa looney's.

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I love seeing everything grow and come together, counting new polyps on frags or watching the fish eat and learning their personalities. my phone is filled with pictures of my tank more than anything. A friend was flipping through the pics on my phone and its not easy to explain! I will actually sit in front of my tank and watch it for several minutes just enjoying everything I've invested into it (Time, money, passion).

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The addiction for me is the fascination of being able to keep a piece of the ocean in my living room, growing the smallest of pieces of coral into colonies, and just the sure beauty of the animals. I also thought this was something I could never be good at. I was wrong.

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I also thought this was something I could never be good at. I was wrong.

I thought it would be too much work, that I wouldn't want to do.... Fact is I can't get enough of it! It may be love at first sight..... Oh no, maybe I was cheating the whole time! hahaha :rolleyes:

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I think it's the fact that you can create a beautiful piece of nature right in your home or office. Something with so many living creatures that at any time of day or night something is out and about doing something. Every time I look in my DT I notice something new. LOVE IT! So much I chose my tank over my GF. See ya sweetheart. B)

 

 

I think it's awesome that there's such a variety of equipment, corals, and fish that every tank looks different. There's so much to see, try, learn... It's fascinating!!

 

 

The constant change is something I find extremely appealing. Always see new or different stuff in mine I didnt notice the time before.

 

+1 to what these fine people said.

 

They are living works of art, more priceless and aesthetically pleasing than any painting or piece of furniture.

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I love seeing everything grow and come together, counting new polyps on frags or watching the fish eat and learning their personalities. my phone is filled with pictures of my tank more than anything. A friend was flipping through the pics on my phone and its not easy to explain! I will actually sit in front of my tank and watch it for several minutes just enjoying everything I've invested into it (Time, money, passion).

Glad I'm not the only one who sits and watches their tank. I also love all the gadgets that are available in the hobby.

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YES, OMG the gadgets and DIY stuff all over the internet. Some of the reef tanks I've seen on here....... I can't even describe the feeling. But they give me inspiration.

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I think it allows me to escape into a different world that I can be completely absorbed in so Im not thinking about whatever else is happening in my life. My mother was recently hospitalized with alzheimers and my little reef has gotten me through some very bad moments lately!

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For me, it's because it's like gardening, but a lot more involved and challenging. I grew roses as a hobby because I was told roses were challenging. That was nothing compared to a salt tank.

 

What beauty we have in our tanks, we do it from lots of study and involved measuring, but there's always other factors that we can't control, from hitchhikers in LR, creature interactions... it's great. It's something deliberate and controlled, yet wild and untamed.

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The ever changing nature of a reef tank ,always growing/changing somewhere.

No 2 tanks are the same.... no matter how hard I try to copy some of these awesome tanks.

The challenge/being stubborn "I can do this,It will not defeat me."

The BEAUTY and PEACE of losing yourself and forgetting problems even if it's for a fleeting few moments just gazing into your tank.

 

Oh yeah, the best remedy for a broken heart is always in a liquid form, be it whiskey or salt water.

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I am pretty sure the 'salt mix' used in this hobby is actually cocaine.

 

OMG definitely...... Only the finest Colombian uncut for my reef! :haha: It also reminds me of the time when I was dropping a bag of salt off to a friend that lived in a semi-shady area with a nosy neighbor, he had me write on the bag with a sharpie "NOT COCAINE" and leave it by his door until he got home from work LOL

 

 

 

But in all seriousness I love the equipment, I love that you can DIY things, I love that we can put up these little glass (or acrylic) boxes, fill them with water and have our own little slice of the ocean. I love watching everything grow and have that feeling like "damn I played a part in all this sexy life" :)

 

If I had to really narrow it down to one thing tho, I love the challenge. This hobby has tried to kick my ass more then once, its gotten me down but I don't think I'll ever be able to just walk away.

 

Well then again the calming nature of just sitting back and watching the tank after a long/ bad day has me pretty well hooked too. No matter how down you may be you can always find something exciting to lift you up in your tank..... unless its the thing that has you down because she threw ya a wicked challenge lol

 

 

Or maybe there really is no one thing that really makes it addictive, it just is. ;)

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It is called reefing...

 

But I think the community aspect is another huge reason this hobby is more addictive than other animal related hobbies. I kept FW tanks for about 20 years before getting into SW. Even being a member of discus and plant clubs, there isn't the same community feel that reefkeeping comes with.

 

Growing and trading coral and macros is one of the more rewarding differences of reefs vs other aquarium keeping.

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Reefer madness!

 

I was warned it was addictive, I have had FW tanks (and those can be addictive too), but man, I had no idea. I think for me it's watching the progress of your tank, seeing small coral frags start to grow and the critters that you care for thrive. There's also so much biodiversity in any single system, that watching my tank is a bit like where's Waldo. I started w/ dry rock, but w/ the introduction of just a few pieces of live rock I'm finding all sorts of interesting animals in the tank.

 

It's also the upgrades, the gadgets, and all the possible new technologies that you can add into the tank. Lastly it's the challenge. It took me months to save up for my saltwater tank and even then weeks to convince myself to pull the trigger and make the plunge (pun intended). I've learned so much since starting (and still have a crap ton to learn) that it doesn't just feel like a hobby, but also a kind of skill that I'm learning. And of course most importantly, it makes me happy :)

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