What inspired you to start reefkeeping?

[Raddogz]

I sit here watching my all time favorite Jacques Coustea shows circa 1977.

Okay okay so many of you weren't even born yet :

I have to say this is one of the single biggest inspiration to keep a reef tank.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hmm... I've watched Jacques Cousteau, but I guess my actual inspiration was Vince's display tank at Amazon Aquarium, haha.

 

[LordHelmet]

the Monterey Bay Aquarium. have been going there since it opened.

 

[zepplock]

Vincerama2 and his cool aptaisia tank inspired me. Damn you, now I'm addicted ;-)

 

[bareefers]

Seeing an actual reef tank back in 89, one of those caulerpa filled setups. Man, that was so cutting edge. I was like 12 and it was the baddest fish tank I ever saw.

 

[tuberider]

The display tank at World Wide Aquarium (Jim Hall's) in Upper Darby Pa. It looked much like a modern reef ~20 years ago.

 

[LeviT]

This is a tough one. I guess I've got to say I've always been a sucker for beautiful creatures. I have to say a big part of that was inspired by Ranger Rick magazines though, my Mom used to read stories to me and my sister when we were kids. Then my sister got a job at Marine World (now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) and we got to go behind the scenes a lot so that helped to. It's like all these creatures were sculpted so I can't help but care for them.

 

[sfsuphysics]

For me, it was my constant on again off again push into freshwater.. I'd look at all the freshwater fish then right behind me would be the salt water fish and they were orders of magnitude more pretty (if you could quantify that). Having some money burning a hole in my pocket when I was in petco and seeing the little 10g box of IO (which ironically cost more than a 50g bag now) I decided it was worth a shot. Corals weren't even part of the picture, it was all about the fish. So me and my 10g sw tank with 2 fish, a few hermits and snails and a cool plastic piece of drift wood and I was enjoying it

 

[CookieJar]

I saw a 55 gallon aquarium at Seascapes and was fascinated by all the life, especially the inverts. Now when I look at the same aquarium I think how simple/ basic/ lame it is compared to what I like and have now. But when you don't know any better, a bunch of inverts, colorful fish and GSP looks cool!

 

[CitS]

Synchiropus splendidus

 

[LeviT]

[quote author=CitS link=topic=2477.msg25839#msg25839 date=1192647136]
Synchiropus splendidus
[/quote]

Those are beautiful fish. I plan on getting one once my tank has matured a little (or a lot) more. Check out this one.

http://www.koralle.at/bilder/bbilder%20Mandarinfisch%20gross.jpg

There are some awesome variety here.
http://www.starfish.ch/collection/dragonet.html

 

[CitS]

[quote author=LeviTillie link=topic=2477.msg25840#msg25840 date=1192649922]
[quote author=CitS link=topic=2477.msg25839#msg25839 date=1192647136]
Synchiropus splendidus
[/quote]

Those are beautiful fish. I plan on getting one once my tank has matured a little (or a lot) more. Check out this one.

http://www.koralle.at/bilder/bbilder%20Mandarinfisch%20gross.jpg

There are some awesome variety here.
http://www.starfish.ch/collection/dragonet.html
[/quote]



I like this link too:
http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/mandarinfish.htm

 

[Raddogz]

Ohh....that's what it's called.

I just call mine the "your mother is soooo phat" fish. It's amazing how big their head gets (width wise) as they mature.

 

[kmaintl]

When I learned to snorkel in Hawaii.

 

[Raddogz]

Oooo, that must have been really nice!

 

[tonggao]

For me, it started with snorkeling around Maui many years ago, followed by my daughter one day saying "I wish I had a fish tank".

 

[kinetic]

Albany Aquarium always intrigued me as far as freshwater went, and I've lived blocks away from it ever since I was 3 months old.

22 years later, I was driving to Santa Barbara from the bay area and my tire exploded and I wiped out. I changed the tire to a spare, and went to the costco the next day. Luckily there was an Ocean's Floor fish store across the parking lot. That's when I saw the most amazing fish I've ever seen!

Pterois antennata!! In a "NANOCUBE". So I went on google and searched nano cube and came up with nano-reef, and discovered the huge communities on nano reef and reefcentral.

That's how it all started =X then i bought three tanks and sold them to various bar members =X


While we're on the subject, have you guys seen these pix of volitan juvis?

from this article: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/aafeature


They look so cool clear =)