The best, most exciting moments?

It's exciting to see hobbyists getting stoked on new stuff, and that never seems to get old. We actually get a vicarious thrill out of seeing everyone get all happy when they score that cool botanical pack or piece of wood that completes their tank...'cause...we get it!

It got me thinking about things that get us excited in the hobby! I posed this question to some of my saltwater friends a while back, and they had a wide range of interesting answers. The biggest and most exciting events in the hobby, based on this very un-scientific sampling thus far, seem to be when you set up a new tank, and when you acquire/receive/purchase a new coral or fish....And I'm inclined to agree...! 

I love when I help a fellow hobbyist create a selection of botanicals and stuff for his/her aquarium, and I get that email or text or call and they say, "Man I can't wait to get the package...!"

Few things in this hobby or business thrill me like hearing the sheer joy of a fellow hobbyist, stoked as heck about getting something that he or she loves so much. 

Coolness!

However, I think there are other exciting things...Like going to conferences and having your head explode from all of the fish, gadgets, and hobbyists you encounter under one roof, nailing the perfect aquascape, securing that difficult epiphytic plant to that piece of driftwood...or getting that last piece of stone just the way you wanted it...dozens and dozens of tiny little moments that provide us that little "rush" which keeps the hobby so addictive.

(Luis Navarro- pinnacle moment!)

I don't know about you, but I still get that little ping of excitement every time I enter into my LFS! "Will THIS be the time I find that crazy weird dwarf cichlid I've been looking for? Will the store have that awesome new coral food I've read about but haven't yet tried? Will I end up walking out with a new nano tank?"

All those kinds of cool things that create excitement, and keep us engaged in the hobby. Granted, we all get excited about different things: I hung with a bunch of guys at a hobby conference once who had very passionate and (to them) exciting exchanges about testing for Vanadium in aquarium water (no, I'm serious! And they weren't really that drunk, either!)! And of course, "shopping" with friends for gadgets at shows is a thrill (especially when they're the one spending money!).

So many cool things.

And you know what? It even hit me the other day- after decades in the hobby and years in this business, I still get that twinge of excitement every time I hear from a customer or talk to another hobbyist. Because there is always something new and interesting...something to keep me excited, engaged, focused. And all of these things-all of these experiences, things, and moments of enjoyment of the hobby with friends- are what excites me the most. 

I'm pretty lucky, I think. We all are, really.

So, that being said...What do you consider the most exciting things in the hobby? The best, most exciting moments in aquarium keeping? Let's hear 'em!

Stay excited. Stay engaged. Stay creative. Stay original...

And stay wet!

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics

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