Ramblings

Dearth · #1 05-09-2015, 03:18 AM

Like everyone we all have to start somewhere in this hobby. For me it started 3 years ago with my friend Shaun who showed me the SW hobby isn't as expensive or scary as I thought nor was it beyond the realms to maintain a stable and flourishing ecosystem in my own home. I then did basic research and reached out for help often and questions aglore permeated my little devious brain. Shaun was and still is a great help to me.

Now enter the world of SW and hobbyists that have done it for many years they have lots of experience under their belt and have gone through many challenges in the early years of the hobby. In the late '90s the hobby started to become more or less affordable to the home aquarist however Costs were still astronomical, many things were DIY, many species of fish, invert and coral were unknown and when introduced to the hobby many of these critters ended up dying. Through trial and error though these hobbyists built the modern SW hobby it is today.

Enter the new generation of hobbyists where it is even more affordable yet it is still a very expensive venture. We now know how to better care for our tanks and not have so many deaths in the tank, we now know how to properly maintain a balance of chemicals and water purity better and we can now maintain a wider variety of critters in our systems with less fear of death or crashes.

For this we have the hobbyists that came before us and helped get it to where we are now and for that you deserve a big pat on the back. With that being said I have encountered many long time hobbyists are very set in their ways and often conflict with newer ways of thinking. Until recently 1 gallon SW pico tanks were unheard of now they are everywhere. Refugiums in HOB aquaclear and similar filters are the new cheap way for smaller systems. It is now possible to buy a completely equipped new 75 gallon SW system for under $5000 (US dollars).

In the old days change sometimes took years to achieve cheaper things now often it is a matter of months in some cases before newer technology appears to replace the older tech (Take LEDs for instance). The internet is an invaluable resource however it is not accurate but even basic research brings out reams of knowledge. Books sadly are a thing of the past the internet is free books are a cost. Instead of local SW groups there are now global SW groups with new ideas and cheaper alternatives all in the name of making the hobby easier.

The salt water hobby at one time was an exclusive club where most knew everybody else now because it is available to the masses that exclusiveness is no longer there and it really does bother more than one old time reefer as I have encountered my fair share of grumpy old reefers that have a hard time accepting change and new ideas. It is something I know all to well you do something one way for so long and somebody has a new idea or better way you resist it because its change and out of your comfort zone.

I rely on you old timers in the hobby for your knowledge because you have seen things and dealt with issues the new generation will most likely never have to deal with and your input is invaluable. However I am also a product of the new generation of SW enthusiasts where the internet and forums are a big resource but it comes with a price in that to many people take what they see on the internet as truth me I like to browse so I consider myself well versed in researching before commiting and the sad reality is many don't do more than basic research or rely on word of mouth.

Enough of my sappy ramblings back to reality now