Is there an award?

[JTL]

How old do you have to be to get a plaque for still being a reefer? I know a lot of people don't want to talk about age but I don't mind. This is a hobby that people can enjoy well into their so called "senior years" I am 70:thumbsup:

[albano]

When did you start salt water/reef keeping?

[jda]

I am really looking forward to reefing into my twilight years. I have grand plans to own a timeshare or condo probably in Tahiti (or wherever is safe in the South Pacific in twenty-five years) and collect my own corals and fish to send back to the US. I have a 775G reef and 1200G fish/softie tank planned. I also want to still collect vinyl, coach baseball and golf.

My grandparents always liked my tanks (greatest generation), but refused to learn anything new, so they never got into it. I think that the boomers, and onward, are more into figuring stuff out.

Good for you.

[johnike]

I'm 57, and been keeping saltwater since the late 70's.
600 gallons here in 2 systems.

[JTL]

I started my first saltwater tank in in 1985. My wife and I had recently married (she is a lot younger :) and we wanted a fish tank. Started with a cheap fresh water used POS and then in a month or so went to salt water. Purchased a 7' Plexiglas tank for a divider in our living room. Everything expanded from there. It has been an off and on hobby since then and many moves from state to state. It has been one of those hobby's that we have enjoyed and I would certainly encourage others to do so. To us it is art, science and great conversation.

[d2mini]

I think that the boomers, and onward, are more into figuring stuff out.


And the millenials will just expect a show tank to magically appear in their living rooms. :lmao: :facepalm:

[albano]

I am 70...I started my first saltwater tank in in 1985. My wife and I had recently married (she is a lot younger :) )

Well I'm only 66 but I started my first salt water tanks in 1973, so I think that you should consider the younger wife as your award!

[mikem101]

I'm 29 and started 5 years ago we sold our first tank (40 breeder) we just had our first little one so had to get another tank kind of a family hobby for all of us. We just purchased a 150 gallon system and waiting for it to cycle now! I cant wait till my little one picks out her first fishy lol!

[Ron Reefman]

John, you are just a couple of years older than me (literally just 2), but I've only been in the hobby for about 12 years now. I did have a fresh water tank for a year or so back in the late 1980's. But now I have 4 very different tanks. A 125g mostly sps but very diverse DT, a 50g cube anemone tank next to it, a 65g (4'x2'x14") shallow reef with all local stuff and a 25g frag tank that is over flowing!

[JTL]

Well I'm only 66 but I started my first salt water tanks in 1973, so I think that you should consider the younger wife as your award!

Maybe my wife should get the award for putting up with me for over 32 years!

[JTL]

Ron, I think you could be considered addicted, I suspect that your wife enjoys the hobby as well.

[hkgar]

73 wonderful years of age. been reefing since 2002 and I think I am finally getting the hang of it. It really seems as though there is something new every day - see my post about the tiny starfish (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2647882) found in my Gyre.

[JTL]

Gary, congrats the trophy is yours!! I think it is so great when us old folks can enjoy a hobby like this. Stay sharp.

[jda]

It is awesome. I truly believe that staying busy and engaged in stuff is a key to healthy life at any age.

Heck, I have sacrificed my whole life to live it very well up in my later years, so if this is not possible, nobody tell me because I just want to keep on being blind...

[64Ivy]

Me? I'm almost 63. Been doing this since 1985, when the FAMA article first mentioned it as an option. Always maintained at least 500g. My reward? That the wife hasn't killed me yet.

[hkgar]

Gary, congrats the trophy is yours!! I think it is so great when us old folks can enjoy a hobby like this. Stay sharp.

With my sump in the basement, I get plenty of that doctored order exercise. Damn, i go up and down those stairs a lot.

Gotta stay sharp, I also own a business that takes a bit off my time. It's a home care company and, sadly, I have clients younger than me.

[Ron Reefman]

Ron, I think you could be considered addicted, I suspect that your wife enjoys the hobby as well.

There is no question about my addiction!

As for my wife, she likes to look at the tanks and enjoys them, but wants no other part of the hobby. However, because of the hobby we do more beach walks and go snorkeling in the Florida Keys 3 to 5 long weekend every year (I collect and she takes pictures). She loves those pastimes more than I do and I don't get enough of either yet. But she is officially retired in 3 weeks! Then we'll have time to get on each other's nerves! :lmao:

[kmbyrnes]

Way to go JTL!
John and Ron, I'm your age as well, but a relative noob.
Just had my fourth 'reefer birthday' last week.
I expect to be in the hobby til I can't do water changes anymore.

[JTL]

Way to go JTL!
John and Ron, I'm your age as well, but a relative noob.
Just had my fourth 'reefer birthday' last week.
I expect to be in the hobby til I can't do water changes anymore.

I still consider myself a noob in many respects. I am always asking questions.

[Ron Reefman]

I think my wife wife and I get along so well because we share one hobby, the willingness to learn new things. We both have a very wide range of interests and I think that helps keep us young... that and a 450hp Mazda Miata! Yikes!

[hkgar]

Way to go JTL!
John and Ron, I'm your age as well, but a relative noob.
Just had my fourth 'reefer birthday' last week.
I expect to be in the hobby til I can't do water changes anymore.

Set up an automatic water change system and you can stay forever. :rollface:

[JTL]

I think my wife wife and I get along so well because we share one hobby, the willingness to learn new things. We both have a very wide range of interests and I think that helps keep us young... that and a 450hp Mazda Miata! Yikes!

Is the car ready or shouldn't I ask?

[reefgeezer]

Just 59 here... a youngster by comparison. I started with a 20 gallon housing a couple of Clowns in 1977. The only times I haven't had a tank going was when the military got in the way and when I owned a LFS.

[JTL]

Just 59 here... a youngster by comparison. I started with a 20 gallon housing a couple of Clowns in 1977. The only times I haven't had a tank going was when the military got in the way and when I owned a LFS.

It seems like I was 59 only a couple of years ago. I swear that as a person gets old time speeds up. Something to do with the theory of relativity?

[Ron Reefman]

Is the car ready or shouldn't I ask?

The car is completely assembled now. It only took 8 months! Now we need to get the ECU tuned properly to make the darn thing run right. It idles, but feed it any gas and it dies. So I guess so far we are a wee bit short of 450hp! I'm going to see it today. I hope to have it back after we get back next week from our trip to Clemson to see the total eclipse! :thumbsup:

[Misled]

I'm 60. Been doing this since about 1982. What a long strange trip it's been.

[vitodog]

I'm 69. I have been in the hobby since 1986. I started with a 65 gal. high and now have a 125 gal. mixed reef.

[OrionN]

I am 55. Started marine aquarium in 1980. Fresh water ever since I can remember, maybe 4 or 5. First fish begging my brothers for a Male Beta that lost a fight. They were going to dump him into the rice paddy.
If you guys don't know, once a male Beta lost a fight, his spirit was broken and the fish never the same, and from then on just run when he see another male Beta.

[Kremis]

im 15 and started my reef aquarium in 2012 hahahah

[Ron Reefman]

im 15 and started my reef aquarium in 2012 hahahah

I hope you find the journey as much fun as many of us have. Maybe you'll still be doing it when you retire! Good luck and have fun.:thumbsup:

[alton]

Darn a post to make you feel young again? 57 here with a stint of saltwater in 1980 but after six months of saltwater creep my mother made me go back to FW. Saltwater forever in 1991 and never looked back. I like the younger wife thing, but in my case that would be expensive with me already having a wife for 33 years.