fishstick41 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I sometimes get bored with the hobby because I do not have any friends near me that have a tank. Because of that i have been thinking about shutting down my tank. but why would I do that when I have animals looking to my like an god . Darn greedy animals ! Link to comment
jl209 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Let's hope the reef hobby grows over time. I'm worried about the world's reefs. Ocean warming and acidification is decimating the world's wild reefs. One day possibly in our lifetime coral may only exist in our aquariums. Sorry if I bummed anyone out. Link to comment
chrisparks11 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 After being in the hobby for almost 10 years I shut down my tanks about 3 years ago due to everything being so expensive and I could never find anything I really wanted. In the last year I finally jumped back on the bandwagon and haven't looked back since. It is crazy how much things have changed just in the last 3 years being out of the hobby. As soon as I can figure out how to load pictures I will load up my build thread. Link to comment
nickyz Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 This hobby requires some TLC time and dedication and often times that paired with financial cost become past enjoyment and become a burden which casues people to back out. But I am in for life Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have had fresh fish all my life. Now I'm learning salt and corals. I'm not going back!!! Link to comment
RollaJase Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It's funny, considering a lot of the sought after corals come from Australia the hobby has been quite secluded for many years. With more competition in the market thanks to international brands making their way 'down under' the hobby has never been more affordable for us locally. Previously the outlandishly high costs of equipment and supplies has lead to a slow intake into the hobby. Those who do enter tend to dive right in to the large tanks but I am see more and more nanos popping up as they become available to us. A lot of the large systems I have seen tend to stick with almost archaic methods, things such as wet/dry sumps, DSB's, the lack of refugiums and a taboo on LEDs are very common when looking at larger tanks run by old salts. Over the last 12 months or so I have noticed a very large attitude change within the local hobby and I definitely see this as something for the better as it is making the hobby more affordable for those wanting to enter on a budget. Second hand equipment over here usually carries a cost near retail due to the lack of a second hand market, this is changing drastically. Link to comment
kylhcky Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 sometimes life gets in the way, i know my build thread is severly lacking in updates. as far as the hobby goes, ill be a lifer. i will always have a tank running, regardless of size Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 The closest LFS to me is no good for livestock and they got rid of all their corals in a huge tank and replaced it with koi. They are mostly fresh now. They don't care for there tanks very well. If the store closes in Dublin, I live in TRACY about 30 + minutes away I'll be screwed and have to travel into Silicon Valley, can be hours away due to lots of traffic. The store in Dublin is for the most part really good but did happily sell me a sad sun. They have tons of corals but we're selling the sun dendros for 75 a head. Nothing will stop me from keeping tanks running. I still have to put my fresh back together. Link to comment
brandon429 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 If there is ever a time I don't have a small reef tank it directly means I'm on a psychogenic fugue and have left reality. Lifer Link to comment
StinkyBunny Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I took a 15 year hiatus from reef tanks and now I'm back. Locally, there is nothing other than the big box stores. If you're not buying online or from small fraggers, you're not getting corals. There will be ebbs and flows in the hobby. Link to comment
piano15 Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Cove, what stores are still in Toronto or Gta? 6 yrs ago there were so many stores for saltwater and now its all Big Al's which isn't great. I know fragbox, Canada Corals, and one in Burlington. Link to comment
SquishyFishy Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Me too...lifer! I always think I want to get bigger but I talk myself out of it (Biocube 29) , although if my chalice gets any larger, I don't know what I'll do to contain it! This hobby has become a passion for me. I don't post as much because I started a new job in August. But I'm in.... Having once beheld the beauty of a thriving tank, how can you go back to boring walls? This hobby requires some TLC time and dedication and often times that paired with financial cost become past enjoyment and become a burden which casues people to back out. But I am in for life I think this is true for a lot of folks. That is why I resist the urge to upgrade and invest more. Right now, that I'm seasoned (2 years) it's very little maintenance and lots of rewards...and I'm afraid bigger does't always mean better. But dang, that Red Sea C250 sure is tempting!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment
printerdown01 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Has grown a TON since I got into it. Not including having big tanks (which goes back further), I have been keeping nanos since 2002. Back then just about everything was DIY -simply because there was no market for anyone that made things for nanos! A couple of great pioneers were starting to build some nano AIO tanks (Christopher Marks of nano-reef.com was one of them). The availability of captive raised was just beginning -and it was SLIM pickings!! I have seen SO much change and the hobby just explode! I really thing the emergence of nanos had a lot to do with the raise in popularity. Suddenly you didn't have to commit to a 50 gallon system with giant MH lighting fixtures and a sump. It also made aquaculture of very expensive -and amazing- species of coral possible. As people are willing to pay $50/polyp when they can show it off in a 5 gallon -but are not as eager to hide it along the rock work in a 50 gal. While interest in everything will ebb like the tide, the general trend has seen a huge upswing. Thankfully with it we are also seeing a huge upswing in artificial LR, captive bred fish, aquaculture, and mariculture. Please support them. Without these trends the explosion of the hobby would be facing a MUCH larger backlash from the world at large. Link to comment
olemanwinter Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I can only speak for myself, but I've found the reef keeping "community" as a whole has shifted over the last decade from what I would call "normal" people to what I would call "weirdos". Yeah, I know that sounds mean, but it's what I see/feel and a few others I've spoken with concur. I find myself leaving LFS shaking my head and other-worldly weirdness by the staff. I'll try to buy or sell on craigslist and end up in strange texting arguments with "fish-people". So, I'm in the hobby in spite of the community. Nano-reef is probably the best community I've encountered, and there are still some pills to swallow here as well Maybe the hobby is fine. Maybe the "community" is dying. Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 I can only speak for myself, but I've found the reef keeping "community" as a whole has shifted over the last decade from what I would call "normal" people to what I would call "weirdos". Yeah, I know that sounds mean, but it's what I see/feel and a few others I've spoken with concur. I find myself leaving LFS shaking my head and other-worldly weirdness by the staff. I'll try to buy or sell on craigslist and end up in strange texting arguments with "fish-people". So, I'm in the hobby in spite of the community. Nano-reef is probably the best community I've encountered, and there are still some pills to swallow here as well Maybe the hobby is fine. Maybe the "community" is dying. ...or maybe we're just getting old and fuddy-duddy? Sheesh, hard to believe I've been keeping reef tanks for 30 years... Link to comment
kylhcky Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 with finding dory coming out, it's only a matter of time until we get another wave of people who want a reef tank after seeing the movie. Link to comment
davy jones Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 I can only speak for myself, but I've found the reef keeping "community" as a whole has shifted over the last decade from what I would call "normal" people to what I would call "weirdos". Yeah, I know that sounds mean, but it's what I see/feel and a few others I've spoken with concur. I find myself leaving LFS shaking my head and other-worldly weirdness by the staff. I'll try to buy or sell on craigslist and end up in strange texting arguments with "fish-people". So, I'm in the hobby in spite of the community. Nano-reef is probably the best community I've encountered, and there are still some pills to swallow here as well Maybe the hobby is fine. Maybe the "community" is dying. Hahahaha i know exactly what you mean. My girlfriend hates going to frag swaps or people coming over to look at the tank im trying to sell because they all are very strange individuals. Like the Bronie looking people. If you take offense to me using "bronie" as a put down then you should take a look at yourself and reivaluate some life choices lol. Link to comment
brad908 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 The closest LFS to me is no good for livestock and they got rid of all their corals in a huge tank and replaced it with koi. They are mostly fresh now. They don't care for there tanks very well. If the store closes in Dublin, I live in TRACY about 30 + minutes away I'll be screwed and have to travel into Silicon Valley, can be hours away due to lots of traffic. The store in Dublin is for the most part really good but did happily sell me a sad sun. They have tons of corals but we're selling the sun dendros for 75 a head. Nothing will stop me from keeping tanks running. I still have to put my fresh back together. Most of the stores are in the east bay. I try to avoid the east bay like the plague. So I am not sure what you mean by driving to "silicon valley" The only store in the south bay is Neptune, which is good. We don't have any stores in the peninsula Link to comment
Nano sapiens Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Never heard of 'Bronie' before. A quick Wiki and...wow, that's definitely a bit 'different' Link to comment
davy jones Posted November 12, 2015 Author Share Posted November 12, 2015 I may have over exaggerated a tad but you catch my drift lol Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Most of the stores are in the east bay. I try to avoid the east bay like the plague. So I am not sure what you mean by driving to "silicon valley" The only store in the south bay is Neptune, which is good. We don't have any stores in the peninsula silicon Valley is like Fremont, Santa clara, San jose, militias. All where there was a huge computer boom and then a crash. Now the people that were making tons of $$$ with computers are struggling to find jobs. I'm surprised you haven't heard the term lol. Link to comment
brad908 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 silicon Valley is like Fremont, Santa clara, San jose, militias. All where there was a huge computer boom and then a crash. Now the people that were making tons of $$$ with computers are struggling to find jobs. I'm surprised you haven't heard the term lol. Fremont is east bay. East Bay is never considered silicon valley, that is disrespectful. Silicon valley is san jose and up the peninsula to SF. I worked for Facebook and am in high tech, I know what silicon valley is lol. Like I said, the only store in "silicon valley" is in San Jose, which is Neptune Aquatics. The rest of the stores are in the East Bay aka where you live. Link to comment
Hammerstone Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Never heard of 'Bronie' before. A quick Wiki and...wow, that's definitely a bit 'different' havent heard it either lol Link to comment
heifinator Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 People have been keeping fish for a realllllly long time, its one of the older hobbies out there. It will have its ups and downs but it won't "die" ever. Link to comment
Nightstar Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Cove, what stores are still in Toronto or Gta? 6 yrs ago there were so many stores for saltwater and now its all Big Al's which isn't great. I know fragbox, Canada Corals, and one in Burlington. Well I'm not Cove but I'll steer you in the right direction. If you go over to the GTA Aquaria forum there is a thread stickied under the General marketplace Discussion subforum titled GTA store listings and another Titled GTA store map. I think you'll be surprised. We have wonderful selection in the Toronto area. Back in the day we had Big Als and PJs to choose from. We basically did group buys of liverock through a retailer. If you were really lucky there would be one guy at the store that actually kept a reef at home and had a clue. Lee at PJs Yorkdale and Ian Shapiro at PJs Sheppard were the only two I recall being competent with marine/reef husbandry. Now every store has employees with home reef tanks. Link to comment
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