Tell me about your first SW experience

[1979camaro]

Ok, given the seemingly endless string of questions about canister filters, biofiltration, etc etc...i wanted to ask a quick question of anyone willing to answer: How did you get started in SW Tanks:

Personally, I had a FW setup first, liked it, wanted more challenges and more visual interest so decided to go to SW
now, the important part: the first thing I did was read, read, and read, and then read some more. I probably spent 6 months researching before I actually got going with the project. After that I posted here and on nano-reef.com and went to a fish store which I tested by asking typical "beginner" questions to see if they gave me the correct answers, before I trusted them. That is generally the method I use when trying a new LFS...quizz before I buy!

tell me about your experience

 

[aresgod]

I also had had fw for a while as a kid and did about a years worth of research before i actually got started with a 90 gallon reef, i had a already established relationship through my lfs through some fw stuff but was also experienced in salt water, i joined this forum because i had been away from sw for a little while and thought i would check and see what had changed, i now consequently have a 55 gallon reef a 55 gallon fresh and i am in the middle of starting up my 90 gallon again as a reef
Brahm

 

[S.Reef]

It started with a small Oscar. I eventually purchased a 90 gallon tank to house this beast. After a while my interest in fw dwindled. At my cousin's house I saw his 125 predator marine tank. I checked out a book on Marine aquariums and jumped right into the hobby. My first tank was 20 gallons and had a clown and some damsels. It really has branched off from that.

Sam Reef

 

[TurbineSurgeon]

I wasn't sure how to answer this one. I got into saltwater from ogling the salties every tim eI went to the LFS. I talked to the guy there and asked lots of questions. He suggested a book. I bought it and read it, and then asked some more.

Then I took the plunge, buying a used 75 gallon tank and accoutrements from the classifieds.

 

[hookedonsalt]

I had 3 FW tanks, one community, one goldfish, and one cichlid. The goldfish crapped too much, the cichlids were fun, but growing too large, the community tank was alright...but no personality in the fish. I got rid of the goldies and started a 30 gal saltwater. I read the book the day I got my salt and went from there (I also have freinds that used to own a pet store...they sort of gave me guidance). Once I got the tank going I started, getting the usual critters (you know...good old damsels and clowns). I found the salt not only to be challenging, but also lower maintenance (you didn't have to take out those fake decorations to clean the algae...in a matter of fact, you wanted stuff to grow on your rock). AFter that, the 30 gal cichlid tank was gone. The next chore was the community tank...the 55 gallon. I started buying my transformation equipment on ebay (saved tons of cash). Once that tank cycled, I tranfered my 30 gallon critters over. Now I have just the one tank and love every minute of it!

 

[dbacksrat]

all of the above

 

[wayne]

I kept freshwater as a kid and teenager, then later setup a primitive berlin tank in the early 90's after I left university. I remember information sources as being books that were hard to get.I then moved around a bit, but then resetup with freshwater, mostly dwarfs and L numbers. Now back to salt again. Due to time pressure I'll likely break down all, or most of my fresh tanks. I guess I get most of my info from the net, but I like to keep my reading up to date too. I try to read as many magazines as possible as well as that probably calls for 2 or 3 hours max per month

 

[RootBeerFan]

My parents bought a 125gal reef-ready tank for Christmas. We wound up ordering a package online of Tampa Bay live rock and sand.
Very cool-it was totally fascinating opening each shipment-the clerk at the airport didn't know what in the name of God we were having shipped to us. He was pretty annoyed to find out it was living sand, not some kind of exotic shark or something.

We wound up with a few stowaways, too-two mantis shrimp as long as your finger, a tiger goby that's like 2" long, and of all things, a juvenile shame-faced crab! Well, the crab didn't survive his first molting. The mantis shrimp are in their own tank (and breeding.) The tiger goby has made himself a very nice home in some of the live rock.

Now together we have like four FW tanks, and three SW tanks. Hehe-I love all of 'em!