How long have you been in this Hobby?
- Thread starter jessesoto33
- Start date
14 months a reef of my own. Twenty years ago I managed to keep a friends reef tank alive for about a year and a half while he built his home. He left me everything but the livestock. I converted it to freshwater.
Have had aquariums since 2nd grade. That was roughly 18 years before I cared for my friends tank. Once you figure that out. Yes. It took me that long to make the change.
Have had aquariums since 2nd grade. That was roughly 18 years before I cared for my friends tank. Once you figure that out. Yes. It took me that long to make the change.
I started back in the 80s in High school so that makes it 30 years. I still consider myself a newbie until I can get my tank looking like the tank of the month. My first tank was a 10g saltwater with undergravel filter. Gravel was plain white sold for freshwater tanks, tap water mixed with salt, and white dead acropora skeletons as decorations. No internet or clubs to learn about reef keeping. Just books and magazines from the library. SPS, Duncans, Chalices, etc unheard of at that time.
Of course there were numerous of tank crashes, diseases, late night water changes, emergency spending for broken pumps, leaks, higher and higher electric bills. Sometimes I wonder why Im in this hobby for so long
Of course there were numerous of tank crashes, diseases, late night water changes, emergency spending for broken pumps, leaks, higher and higher electric bills. Sometimes I wonder why Im in this hobby for so long
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here's my story
I started at Bee's pet shop in Hammond Indiana in 1978 i was 9 yrs old,my best friends parents owned that shop and i would hang out and work there for candy money cleaning tanks.i got my first tank that summer.
It was a 30gal metaframe with a corner filter. and a supreme heater (with exposed wiring-yikes) I had "exotic"stuff like a beau gregory damsel and a baby snowflake eel.
i worked there thru jr high when they closed.
In high school I worked for Sea and Life pet distributers,which later became Petamerica Pet products.
I have been in the industry ever since, on and off working at stores and as a rep for various companies and traveling all over.
I have been to most of the US,Canada,Mexico, and even got to go to europe when i worked for Eheim.
Its been a long crazy wet adventure.
some cool things along the way:
I met the Wardley folks at a Trade show and they showed me how they made some of the first flake foods.
Met the Willinger Brothers when all they sold was airpumps.
Met Bob Sherman owner of Marineland when he introduced the AF1 and the AF2 HOB filters,these later became the first biowheel filters.
Marineland also had some of the first marine trace elements
lotsa more stories if anyone wants to hear them.
peace,
-Ed
I started at Bee's pet shop in Hammond Indiana in 1978 i was 9 yrs old,my best friends parents owned that shop and i would hang out and work there for candy money cleaning tanks.i got my first tank that summer.
It was a 30gal metaframe with a corner filter. and a supreme heater (with exposed wiring-yikes) I had "exotic"stuff like a beau gregory damsel and a baby snowflake eel.
i worked there thru jr high when they closed.
In high school I worked for Sea and Life pet distributers,which later became Petamerica Pet products.
I have been in the industry ever since, on and off working at stores and as a rep for various companies and traveling all over.
I have been to most of the US,Canada,Mexico, and even got to go to europe when i worked for Eheim.
Its been a long crazy wet adventure.
some cool things along the way:
I met the Wardley folks at a Trade show and they showed me how they made some of the first flake foods.
Met the Willinger Brothers when all they sold was airpumps.
Met Bob Sherman owner of Marineland when he introduced the AF1 and the AF2 HOB filters,these later became the first biowheel filters.
Marineland also had some of the first marine trace elements
lotsa more stories if anyone wants to hear them.
peace,
-Ed
