View Full Version : How long have you been in the marine hobby ?
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:11
Ok, final poll for the day from me...(stop cheering ;) )
How long have you been involved in the hobby,?
Be it Fish only or full reef, doesnt matter...(trops not allowed im affraid :p )..
be interesting to see what level of cumulative experience is out there at our disposal.
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:22
haydn,,,,, you old codger you....:p
Well, I selected the first option!
It's been more than a week, but only in that it's been nine days and not seven since I introduced salt to water and so I think my real level of experience still rests in the "I'm a complete virgin" option.
Still going though the "what the hell is that ugly thing that's just crawled out of that rock?" phase.
I remember when i first started... Its such an adventure rock watching all night! :)
Then when you first pollop grows out of your live rock! its very sad to say but it was very exciting!!
I am one of the old codgers. Got my first damsels when I was 16. I'm 50 now!
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:32
OMG, and i thought i was the certifyable one...
:eek:
Can we have another pole "How many poles do we think SiG will do today" :p
started keeping marines in 1980, gave up in 1988, my new house could'nt handle my 6 x 2 x 2 , restarted last year , so i'm going to say less than 1 year because the differences between then and now are just so vast
I've got some photo's of my early tanks- so if you don't withdraw your comments Sy they may be posted:eek:
Phil thank goodness I'm not the only one:D To admit it anyway!!
Haydn
The new Poll should be :
How many of us reefers think Si G suffers from insomnia?
Regds
Jay
:D :D :D
P.S. About 8 years with Salties. First tank was a fish only then about 5 years ago moved to Reef (I am now on my new tank since house move 3 years ago which is a WA aquarium (not sure if allowed to say full name of Manu). Slightly smaller than my last which is now a 5 x 2'4" x 2'4" with a 2' sump.
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:41
Can we have another pole "How many poles do we think SiG will do today"
http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?p=1546572#post1546572
;) ;) :p
Reef bloke
30-10-06, 14:42
used to help the wifes dad maintain his 16 years ago.set my own up about 10 year ago,fish only on reverse ug's lol
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:43
How many of us reefers think Si G suffers from insomnia?
saves me waking up with a stinky finger...;)
MaidstoneMarine
30-10-06, 14:45
Althought I spent two years researching and designing my system it's only been running for 16 months so I'm voting 1-2 years at that is hands on experience!
Interesting polls though! Well done Si!
simon garratt
30-10-06, 14:50
I've got some photo's of my early tanks- so if you don't withdraw your comments Sy they may be posted:eek:
Phil thank goodness I'm not the only one:D To admit it anyway!!
Now ill tell you what Haydn. that is a grand idea. :D
How about a 'classic' tank thread with pics of systems years gone by.....Scary, but fun...
first one to put up a faded B&W pic wins...(no photoshopping allowed ;) )
Regards
Si.:)
How about a 'classic' tank thread with pics of systems years gone by.....Scary, but fun...
You asked for it Si See photo section
Lucky Eddie
30-10-06, 15:16
Cumulative figure for me.
5 Years in the early 80's when cyanide was flavour of the month.
3 years in the moden era.
One thing I've noticed...........dont fish live a long time these days !!! :)
steviejasp
30-10-06, 16:04
i voted 30 years plus but to be honest its about 30 years coz i converted my first tank to house a few damsels when i was 12 and im nearly 43:eek: .
I havent been keeping them continuosly, had a few breaks but you always come back to them i reckon. Longest break from them was when i managed Paraquatics for 7 years in the 90's. Working in a lfs is a brilliant way to ruin your hobby! ATB steve
keith hellyar
30-10-06, 16:26
My first venture into Marines was in 1985. A 30 gallon tank with Reverse flow UG filters.
Fish only - Blue Damsels
- Keyhole Angel fish
- Sharp Nose Puffer
- Regal Tang
The fish thrived but Green Slime Algae was a pain.
Keith
I started with coldmarine in 1983, at 12 years old, now i feel nice and old thanks to this thread
technicly only 1-2 years, but was making notes and looking into for 3-4.
20 years for me ,a 3 foot tank undergravels an a power head and damsels ,loads and loads of damsels
Mrs Ziggy CGA
30-10-06, 18:51
3yrs for me, opening CGA started my passion. Brian has been keeping marines for appx 13/14 years (he'll have to do his own vote;) ), so our combined 'experience' = 16/17 years. Although I liked the tank I had no interest beyond the "you love that tank more than me" comment:o , obviously the tables have turned:p , to the point that I want the monster tank one day:rolleyes: , I know exactly where it's going and am planning how it will be set up, however 'tis all a dream at the moment as time is taken up elsewhere:) . So for the time being at least I can spend time looking at and enjoying all the livestock at the shop, how lucky am I?:D
Steve:
Working in a lfs is a brilliant way to ruin your hobby! ATB steve I must be the exception:) , thankgod.
Sue
gary smith
30-10-06, 19:24
first marine tak in 1989 so 17 years on and off how things have changed mostly for the better :rolleyes: cheers gary
little over 4 years ago i started my new job and didn't know what to do with my new found wealth, having no bills and family will do that to you when your monthly income suddenly hits 4 figures for the first time :D and went out on my first saturday off and bought a 4 foot tank a load of gravel, an external filter and a pile of books. leapt in at the deep end so to speak, first tank i ever owned of any kind. everything i know has been learnt through books, talking and reading this site and making mistakes over the last 4 years :)
EnglishReefer
30-10-06, 21:30
Getting close to 8 expensive years... who would of thought how cheap tropicals seem after a few years in this hobby :eek:
Hi guys this was my old tank, I say was, it burst on its 10th year, all stock ended up at my lfs
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/old tank 2003.JPG
new tank has been running approx 3.5 years now
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/top veiw resize 2.JPG
http://www.ultimatereef.net/uploader/2006Q4/new tank 06.JPG
bigger and better, I hope this one lasts longer
:) Mem
Great looking tank.......... what size was it ?
fire999
what size was it it was 4 x 2 x 3, 3 foot front to back
thanks for the comments Mem
jimdon IOM
31-10-06, 00:09
28 years for me, started way back in the dark old days of undergravel filters and bleached coral skeletons
:eek:
about 6 years for me,
first 4 fish were green chromis and 3 are still with me today :)
craig
Doing marines on/off since 1980, but only really developed half an idea what I was doing during the last five years:rolleyes:
Archie
i voted 30 years plus but to be honest its about 30 years coz i converted my first tank to house a few damsels when i was 12 and im nearly 43:eek: .
Haha you old git :p
steviejasp
02-11-06, 20:50
bloody kids:p !!
20 years for me.....back in the days when the latest filteration method was reverse flow UG filters and the latest gadget was the powerhead (still one of the best inventions ever made for fishkeeping imho).
One thing i have noticed, fish have got cheaper. You probably paid £20 for a 2" regal tang 20 years ago but still pay around the same for it now !!!
20 years for me.....back in the days when the latest filteration method was reverse flow UG filters and the latest gadget was the powerhead (still one of the best inventions ever made for fishkeeping imho).
One thing i have noticed, fish have got cheaper. You probably paid £20 for a 2" regal tang 20 years ago but still pay around the same for it now !!!
yeah but they cost the trade more !!
steviejasp
05-11-06, 12:33
well not quite.
When i was 16,in 1980, before i left school, i used to work saturdays in my local lfs.
He used to pay me in Marine fish:D
I remember Moorish Idols were £27.50, Collare butterflies were £15.00 and damsels were £3.50, so in real terms they are considerably cheaper.
Hi
Been keeping marines for approximately 26 years.
There have been lots of developments, this includes:
- There is lots more credible ? information around now (internet helps)
- They seem to be much more readily available (more shops)
- In real terms their costs have reduced very substantially (Clowns were about £6.00, damsels were about £3 or £4.00) Things from the Red Sea were very very expensive Asifer ? Angel +£180.00). Purple tangs well get on the waiting list).
Waterlife Reseach in West London, Graham Cox and a place in Lewisham, cannot remember the name of the owner (Brian ?) and wetpets were the equivalent to Mecca.
Regards
Martin
must be 25+ now can remember going to wetpets and getting a tunze skimmer and having to get it on tick over 10 months as it was about 240 quid there still the same price only thank god but only a couple of days work
had a french angle fron a place called tranquility in tongham near aldershot about the size of a 50p bit £28-00 sadly it died 18years later
had a french angle fron a place called tranquility in tongham near aldershot about the size of a 50p bit £28-00 sadly it died 18years later
18 years? blimey!
EnglishReefer
06-11-06, 20:48
How big did the french get?
:cool:
5 years in total.
here's a pic of my first before the hair algae plague using tap water with 6 t8 bulbs tank was 3x1x2 old converted tropical tank
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h41/firefish01/tank-1.jpg
survivers of old tank are just the two toadstools.
regal tang and other inhabs were sold on last year
jase
Valley Boy
07-11-06, 18:21
Over 20 years keeping Marines, started with a 30'' tank, UG filter, Sander skimmer and 2 clown fish !
I notice that there are 9 over 30 yearers:eek: - as phil and i were out-ed by Si -come on the rest of you 30+ yearers come out of the closet, we could have a 'how long is yours competition';) :D
Haydn
haydn, just incase you haven't seen it, if you click on the number 9 in the poll above it will show you exactly who voted where :)
haydn, just incase you haven't seen it, if you click on the number 9 in the poll above it will show you exactly who voted where
Nobody loves a knowall-Scoob;) :D
i hang my head in shame :D
Keeping marines since 1995 though intermittent at times for the both of us.
Must be 4 nearly 5 years I believe. I moved in with my GF who had a couple of clarkiis in a 20g using Tap water when they actually water changed which was around 8 months prior to me moving in. Two large bits of Ocean Rock and a Fluval external filter with a T8 lamp.
I now have two T8's and three bits of Ocean rock and a prism skimmer :)
About 7 years for me. I had a Trigon 190 for 3 years, then a 4x2x2 for another 3, now my current 5x2x2.5 has been running just under 1 year. :)
Rgds
Jon
OK, I voted, 14-20 years.
Although my current reef has only been up and running for around six years, my first marine setup, sumpless, UGF, skimmerless was eon's ago! Things have come a long way since then thats for sure.
Chris
30+ years, would be interested if those who voted for that would share with us there first marine set up and what it consisted of...
Thanks
Jay
simon garratt
14-11-06, 11:05
I have something planned for that jay....very kindly donated by Haydn. I'll bang it up later today when i get 5.
just voted 20-30yrs not all salt water though.
Happy Reefkeeping
Andy
blazesnake
27-11-06, 17:44
ive only just got water in the tank this week, less than a year
About 15 years unfortunately. Had a break for a couple of years in the middle but pined for a new tank all the time. :D
I've been at this 2 years, but unfortunately I'm just about to de-commision. :mad:
An extremely busy job and nights away are killing the time for the necessary maintenance.
When I see the tanks on here, they must consume a serious amount of time !
simon garratt
08-12-06, 22:42
When I see the tanks on here, they must consume a serious amount of time !
trust me......you have no idea.....;) ;) ;)
The hampshire constablary are well used to seeing me screaming down the M27 between Portsmouth and Southampton in the early hours of the morning after Mr Clark has rung me up and said the imortal.
Si, fancy comming round to help with with a 'bit' of fragging....:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
And not forgetting the 17hour day we did in wales plumbing a system up....;)
Regards
Si.
Si
That sounds more like an unpaid job than a hobby !!!! :eek:
And there was me thinking my 4ft x 2ft was taking over !!!!
Dave
filiperosa
28-03-07, 23:20
Since 12 years old :)
andrew bannister
02-04-07, 13:08
Started in 1996 until 2002 but then had to put it on hold due to house move/size :(
But started up again 2 years ago :laugh: and just had my new 7ft tank ordered in order for me to move my stock out of the 5ft one I have.....last move ever........I hope.
Cheers
Andrew :thumbsup:
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