How many times have you "gotten" out of the hobby (salt or fresh)?

[kwirky]

How many times have you "gotten" out of the hobby? You can comment on why you have "gotten out" at the various points if you'd like.

Myself I left the freshwater hobby once just after high school because we moved and my 108g tank was smashed...

then about 5 months ago I left the reef hobby because I didn't have the time to maintain a 120g reef aquarium to the quality I wanted.

back again now with a simple 24g tank

[mark]

Once.

Had a FW then they shipped me to the Arctic so shut it down. Dry for about 15 years then started up again with SW 5 years ago.

[banditpowdercoat]

Once for me too. WHen we moved to our new home, never set the FW back up. Acctually gave the tank to my buddy, they ran goldfish till they died. Found out why, they never cleaned the tank, took me 4 days to clean the tank out

[Delphinus]

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead. :lol:

[untamed]

Never quit once. I started with a FOWLR SW tank...that was about 15 yrs ago. Now, I'm 1 year into my 2nd tank. I believe this one to be my last.

I never had a real FW tank. (Well....I recall having turtles when I was like 5 years old)

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

A few times. I ran fw from when I was 8 years old till 3rd year UBC. Stopped because between school, gf, & working in the summer, no time & no $$.

First live seahorses in 81' till 83' (died when no more live brine shrimp for 6 weeks).

Ran sw FOWLR from 84' till 88' and stopped because of school. Real KISS setups with no skimmer, crushed coral, undergravel filters & HOB Whisper2 filters. No problem keeping a 108g with a Snowflake moray, Smooth Horn shark, Passer King angel, & even a Moorish Idol (beginner's luck). Also had a 33g with a 14" handfed Volitan Lion which stung me when I was not looking.

No fish tanks for a decade or so.

Then I worked on fish farms feeding up to 3.5 million salmon smolts so didn't want any fish tanks. Started up again in 2001 when I moved back to Vancouver. Been keeping fw & sw ever since.

First reef tank the same week (2002) I took Irene to see Finding Nemo. Countless $$ & trips to the LFS later, I'm up to 500+g of sw & 65g cube fw goldfish tank.

Anthony

[deepRED]

Twice.

I started keeping FW (33 and 90 gallon) in 91' until 97' when I moved away for college. Started back up a year after I moved back to Vancouver, in 02'.
From there I hit the hobby hard, having run 14 smaller tanks ranging from 10-125 gallons and eventually having a fish room with several large setups (400,300, 270, 240, 200,100,90,45). These tanks ranged from high tech planted setups, breeding ponds,discus,rare plecos, freshwater stingrays and asian arowana, to fowler and mixed reef setups.

Over the past 6-8 months I have shut down every single tank as I am moving into a condo.
When I move into the new place in March, I will be setting up a modest 90 gallon cube reef with a 70 gallon sump, and dual trimless 11 gallon (seagrass bed in one,freshwater planted in the other) nano setups.

One good thing about being tankless this past half a year is that I've been saving about $300-$400 a month that I was spending on just simple maintenance, not to mention livestock,equipment purchases and hydro savings.

I can't wait to start spending again. :)

[christyf5]

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead. :lol:


Ditto on that.

[Patrick1]

I think I have walked about a dozen times now from this hobby. I find it funny that it is such an expensive, time consuming. At times it makes you feel like pulling your hair out. And yet sitting infront of these glowing peices of live art at the end of a long day, lowers my stress level to nothing.

[Skimmerking]

I have never walked away from this hobby came close from all the algae's that i have ran up against. that is what keeps me going is the challenge I don't like to loose,,,,,,

[Slipstream]

Just once, cause i had to move to Vancouver, and than back again.. LOL.. but now im back strong as ever, with one FW, and one SW

[Snappy]

When things aren't to my liking, I get out of the hobby on a nearly daily basis. But then I notice the tanks are still there the next day and I forge ahead. :lol:
Tony you're a riot!!!

[EmilyB]

I have got out of the FW hobby twice now. I used to have about eight cichlid tanks, got into SW and got rid of them all. Then just recently I set up a FW that lasted a few months until it bored me so badly I resented it using power so it's gone also.

Still in SW after 10 years, will be until the last oldtimer dies, then I don't know.

[Brighteyes_13]

forced out once due to divorce. Left everything behind including the reef tank.
just getting back into it now with a new 60g after 3 years.

[Delphinus]

Hey, wow, welcome back Brighteyes_13. :) In Calgary now from Victoria?? (My condolences!! :lol:) But seriously, nice to see you back in the hobby :)

[Brighteyes_13]

yeah its great to be back...i think my boyfreind thinks ive gone completely crazy, but i had to get another tank... looking at the pictures on my computer was just too difficult to not start again. The thing i miss the most... my clownfish playing in their ritteri (that you helped to identify.) i might not be able to have another anenome for a while, but its on the agenda once the tank has matured... gimme another 8-10 months before i start looking.

[danny zubot]

Only once, when I was like 10 years old. Since 1999 I've been back into fresh, then salt.

[Redrover]

1..When I joined the Navy 1959..small freshwater
2..From fresh to salt, 2000 when retired..46 bow fresh to 150..downsize to 120
3..Going back to 75 fresh..do to medical condition

[Lance]

Twice. First time when i was too busy with my business and raising 4 kids; 2nd time when we built our house. Just recently back and lovin' it!

[Beverly]

I answered 4 or more. Honestly, I don't know how many times we've moved, sold our tanks and decided to upgrade at some later date. That later date usually meant sooner rather than later :wink:

The last time we got out of the hobby, which was about a year ago, we vowed to stay out. So far, so good. I haven't driven to or walked into a pet stores for months.

Do I miss my fish and BTAs? Yup! But not enough to be spending time and money on them. I have very fond memories of our years with various tank set ups. I'll probably be one of those old ladies who, when I get dementia, will talk on and on about the good old days as a reefer :Fade-col: