New to hobby...my first impressions

[Original Fin]

My name is Adam, and I'm a reefaholic. Ba dum bum. Ok, so I've only been at this for a few months, but today I read an interesting 4 year old thread originally posted by Leebca, which asked the question; "Why quit the hobby?". Being new to the hobby myself, I thought I'd share my perspective on that.

The thread said that most newcomers to the hobby quit before they make it to 18 months. For me, this is akin to becoming aware of divorce rates while you're on your honeymoon. You've just found your true love and passion and made the big commitment...things are great, and then you realize (hopefully sooner rather than later) oh yeah...it's not all going to be fun and games. I'm going to have to work at this.
For those that are, or have been married, you know that when you first tie the knot, you are not living in the real world. Not yet. Same with aspiring Marine Aquarists. I suspect that the long term success of my tank and hobby will require a lot of the same things that make for a successful marriage. Attraction is just what gets you in the door. Anyone can be attracted to or by another...that's not the magical part. Learning to coexist in a mutually beneficial way is the real trick, and that's all about things like; dependability, predictability, flexibility, supportiveness, nurturing, humility, and compromise. By the way...not a marriage expert, so don't go there!

Same as with a spouse, and beyond the obvious time and money commitment, for some would-be aquarists, I imagine it's the roller coaster of emotions that sour their appetite for the long term.
I guess the biggest surprise for me as a newcomer (to the hobby, not marriage), was that I didn't expect I'd need a support group to deal with what amounts to an emotional attachment to my system. That's what these forums provide for me, whether I'm an active participant, or just reading about someone Else's experiences.
So back to the kumbayah part. My tank has a good day, I have a good day. With clear water and healthy livestock...I'm riding high. On the flip side, it takes almost nothing to throw that balance off, and when it is off, so am I. If the algae gets a little too thick, or one of my fish starts picking on another, I'm bound to have a bad day...just like that. Why should this be?
I'm totally guessing at this, but my newbie perception is that almost all beginners lack (what should be) the prerequisite skills/training/education, patience, budget, and mentor ship to be successfully without making a lot of costly and dis hearting mistakes right out of the box.
So how does one go about learning these skills? Unfortunately, it's probably varying degrees of "the hard way" for most.
My gut also tells me that the LFS and marine hobbyist industry as a whole would not be a viable business if all of their customers "got it right" the first time. Without them, there would be no hobby, so my criticisms are tempered with respect to that fact. I certainly don't mean to paint all LFS in a bad light. The big corporate chains, as I'm sure most of us would agree, don't give a damn about livestock mortality rates, either before or after the sale. It would take a an outcry of public sentiment before they'd commit resources towards improvement.
The mom and pop stores on the other hand, started out because they had a passion for keeping pets, and that means they probably have the same ethical concerns as most of us, but they also have the same temptations that the big boys when it comes to turning a blind eye in favor of maximizing profits. Difference here is, at least they have a choice when it comes to exercising their conscience.
Regardless, the business savvy LFS can't afford to screen all of their clientèle to the extent that would have them turning away business because the prospective buyer is a dolt. In reality, the bulk of their livestock business ends up getting flushed down the toilet within a couple weeks time. Depressing. Who's fault is this really? That's probably debatable, but just like anything else, I'm sure it starts with you and me.

I've recently been thinking that if marine aquarists (or LFS) were required to have some sort of training and certification, (like scuba divers) that the industry driving the hobby would ultimately be a lot better off. That will never happen, of course. In scuba, you are first taught the science and the theory so you can be successfully in practice and not kill yourself or someone else. I'm not a scuba diver, but I assume that this training involves subject matter with broad parallels to reef keeping like fluid dynamics, chemistry, familiarity with complicated equipment, environmental awareness and sensitivity...sound familiar? It's no wonder the two hobbies cross over so easily and often.

So how do we keep people involved and engaged longer in this hobby? I think the best advice a beginner could get, would be a strong recommendation to join a local reef club and attend a couple meetings before ever making a single purchase, be it equipment or livestock. If your local reef club doesn't have a mentor ship program...why couldn't an informal one be started?

Since there is no standardized road map to show beginners the way in this hobby, mentor ship is the only way IMHO to: 1. Keep those that are interested in the hobby from becoming disappointed and disillusioned, and 2. Encourage higher moral standards at the LFS.
When I mentioned to friends, family and acquaintances that I've started a Salt Water Tank, many of them actually discouraged me from continuing, based on the bad reputation this hobby has. If not themselves, most people at least know someone who has tried and failed, and lost a lot of money along the way. LFS owners, you know better than most this is one of the big stoppers on the sales floor. This is the general consensus people!...this is what we should all be working to change. It's not easy, and no, not everyone should try, but theres an abundance of folks out there that would probably be happy to mentor someone. What we need, is a mechanism to get them there well before they ever get themselves (or their fish) in hot water.
Because I hate to bring a problem without an idea about how to fix it, I offer this. I say, reef club organizations unite, and solicit your LFS to recommend you as a "pre-marriage counseling" educational resource for new hobbyists. Heck, I'm not suggesting this should be a free service. Make 'em pay a little to attend a meeting or consultation. Just another way to support and expand your organization, and get these people used to the idea that this just might be an expensive hobby. Imagine that?

I want to thank leebca for his commitment to the fish forums and the great advice. Not long ago, I criticized him for being short and stodgy with the way he dispenses advice to newcomers, but now I realize I took a great deal of that out of context...I hope I didn't offend. Anyway, as a former critic, I wish to say thank you too Lee...I get a great deal of mentorship through your posts.

[twisted]

Welcome to Reefland!
im gonna have to reread this when im a little less squinty eyed in the morning, but that was good! i definitly agree with you on the Reef club. my wife and i really enjoy the one we are involved in. we have met lots of cool people, though not as cool as the guys on this forum but still cool nonetheless
seriously though. a tank is definitly a committment many are prepared for no matter how positive they are about it. it is like a marriage cuz once you are into it you are in for the long haul...
Lee is always good for excellent advice and you will learn alot following his posts. anyway i gots to rest these weary eyes...

[zhenya]

Interesting concept, Original Fin. The only problem with it would be that LFS owners will never accept your proposal, they don't have to. My very first suggestion to the new to this hobby is to purchase a book before you purchase anything else, it is a simple and pretty inexpensive way to get a glimpse at what is involved in the building successful reef system, or a marine fish system.
As far as comparing this hobby to a marriage..can't tell really. I've been married for 35 years and only 12 years in this hobby, so I'm still a newbi at this.

I want to thank leebca for his commitment to the fish forums and the great advice. Not long ago, I criticized him for being short and stodgy with the way he dispenses advice to newcomers, but now I realize I took a great deal of that out of context...I hope I didn't offend. Anyway, as a former critic, I wish to say thank you too Lee...I get a great deal of mentorship through your posts.

When I originally invited Leebca to join our forum as a Moderator I never thought of Lee as being short, or not attentive. Quite the opposite...
Anyway, I would definitely join you in thanking Lee for his great dedication and patience.