My interest in this hobby started as a result of being struck with the beauty of reef dwelling fish during snorkeling trips to the Caribbean and Mexico.

The idea that I could actually see these fish every day in my own living room just seemed to be too good not to act on. That was in 1991 and I've been keeping fish ever since.

First it was Damsels and Clownfish, then Tangs, and Angels of all kinds. In 1997, I even helped with the birth of baby clownfish and raised them in a separate tank until they were large enough to join the others. (The eggs required special care and the fry could only eat plankton when they hatched.)

I suppose it's not a low-maintenance hobby, but the time required is not as much as one might think. The major effort is once a month when a quarter to a third of the water in the tank must be changed. Otherwise, it's basically just feeding the fish and occasionally checking the filters, air and heaters to make sure they are working properly.

Well worth that amount of effort for the pleasure of seeing the fish everyday.