Why do so many people leave the hobby?

[CodyRVA]

100% boredom for me. Ironic I saw this thread because I recently sold every system i owned; first time not owning a reef in about 5 years. I had accomplished my goal of owning a very beautiful mixed reef and simply didn't know where to go with it. Week by week i was more reluctant to do the maintenance because I slowly cared less and less. I will always appreciate the critters so I sold everything before it went to hell.

Currently, i do not miss my tanks at all, which is probably a good indicator that I made the right choice to sell everything. I think you get to a point when you realize even though you haven't turned over every rock (no pun intended) you've turned over quite a few and the discovery phase is more or less over. I remember as a kid starring into my dad's tank with wonder, imagining all that was and could be in that little glass box. Once I learned what was really in there, the luster wore off, the sense of adventure and curiosity was no more.

Since selling my systems, I've spent many hours thinking about what I would want out of a tank if I had another. No more than 2 weeks later I bought a brand new tank, still with complete uncertainty if i'll actually ever set it up (it was on sale). I believe one day I will, after re-evaluating everything i've learned and experienced and making this next one no more or less than exactly what I want in a reef tank.

 

[Shawn Blevins]

I believe keeping reef tanks long term takes a lot of work, money, for sight, and most of all patience. Most of the things I listed are shortcomings of our modern society. I remember growing up in south Florida in the 80s how easy it was to use natural seawater and natural light. Moved to Georgia and wasn’t able to keep anything alive and the cost were tremendous on a young person. 30 years later keeping a reef tank is a much easier and less expensive compared to my early experiences.

 

[CODE3EMT]

IMO, I think there are 3 big reason for people leaving the hobby.
1) Time: In this day and age we are all sitting in commuter traffic trying to get home to our families, when the weekend rolls around, the last thing we want to do is water changes, and testing. Our families come first, so taking the kids to karate practice, soccer practice, and ballet recitals, and date night with the spouse will always leave less time for a saltwater aquarium. Automation is a good way to keep up, but that too comes with a price, and too much automation can be a bad thing.

2) Cost: Rising cost of living, gas, rent, food, often leaves little to no funds toward a reef tank.

3) Hair Algae: This SOB, can make Jauque Cousteau say F' it! and toss in the towel. Hair Algae often leads to reefers throwing in even more money on chemicals and equipment to rid their tanks of this evil.

I myself have totaled up all my receipts....... and I am in the ballpark of $10,800 for a Red Sea Reefer 450 with all the bells, whistles, and fixins. That also includes a $349.99 Lineatus Wrasse which died 2 years ago, and a $299.99 Blotched Anthias which died several months ago. both fish were kept for a few years before they perished.

I also won my battle against Hair Algae after trying all the chemicals and $$$$ on equipment........I finally gave in and purchased 60 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs and tossed all 60 into my Red Sea Reefer 450................in 3 weeks, every single evil strand of hair algae was gone, and remains gone to this day even with elevated phosphates. I am currently down to 40ish crabs as of this post.

I get a lot of compliments from family and friends on the tank. I am blessed.... in that while I'm not rich....I am able to divert funds each month to maintain a healthy reef tank.

Ahhhhhhhhh, but let not your heart be troubled........for every victory, there is failure lurking behind. I have had shoulder surgeries on both shoulders, and I now may have a herniated disc in my lower back. Most likely from lifting patients into the ambulance everyday.....some of whom are morbidly obese. That being said..........brings me to number
4) Health:

 

[N1Husker]

I’ll be leaving soon. Water changes are getting too much. I am 69, health problems and it’s getting harder. I still my aquarium though.

 

[Streetcred]

Patience grasshopper ... people lack patience. I been doing this hobby since early 90's and have had 3 display tanks in continuity. Nothing good in this hobby happens in a hurry so if you can't be patient and work hard to achieve a beautiful display then this is not the hobby for you.

Old age is an acceptable excuse ... I'm now in my 60's. ;-)

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Dieter Brockman, one of the driving forces behind the Berlin method, said in an interview with Roger Vitko in 2004: “The Internet is as much a curse to hobbyists as it is a blessing.” It contains many false statements and badly thought out hobbyist “experiments” accepted as fact.

Begin the seventies we kept damsels. Algae where a blessing. We used a large bio-filter based on the book of F.De Graaf, conservator of Artis Aquarium in Amsterdam (Frank De Graaf. (Handboek voor het tropisch zeeaquarium. Tweede druk. A.J.G. Strengholt N.V. Amsterdam, 1969.) published in English in 1973 (Graaf, Frank de. Marine Aquarium Guide. Harrison, N.J.: Pet Library, 1973.) These damsels have spawn for years although we could not test for nitrate or phosphate.
It took till the eighties and nineties before the bio-filter was introduced in the US which then was called the Dutch system. As always one wants to change things ( not always better) and the so called Dutch system ( name not based on the original publisher of the system, who was Dutch) was not exactly the same . Spotte explained the working of a biofilter in 1979 (Spotte, Stephen. Fish and invertebrate culture: water management in closed systems. 2d ed. New York: Wiley, 1979.) M.Moe published his famous marine aquarium book.(Moe, Martin A. The marine aquarium reference: systems and invertebrates. Plantation, Fla: Green Turtle Publications, 1989.)

A beginner should read these books.

The modified Berlin system was introduced. Corals are kept in closed systems. Not many use the original Berlin system but call it a Berlin system.
Then the bio-filter was banned ( it produces nitrate!?) which means the same thing must be done within the aquarium, nothing can be adjusted any more. The introduction of so called "live rock" is still a booming business.

LNS and VLNS systems are introduced. Keeping water parameters as in nature and use salt mixes as close as possible to nature. A closed system is compared to open sea.
That is what a beginner is looking at and reads everywhere. Some starters think it all comes out of a bottle. He comes home with a lot of stuff and the promise he will be able to keep marine fish, even corals, within a week.

Reading fora the same problems are discussed since decades. Most of these problems are solved since decades but live there live.

 

[Modest]

Readings for leaving the hobby:
1 the wife doesn't like salt water on the living room floor
2 the wife keeps whining about the noise in the bed room coming drom the pumps and slimmer
3 the wife is tired of all the lies on How much that new coral costs
4 the wife isn't happy with all the attention going to the tank instead of her
5 the wife ...

 

[Paul B]

The problem is you.

I am glad I made an impression on you.


That's an interesting post if nothing else.

 

[Heabel7]

Wow that post was at another level...........anyways. When you come to a forum you generally are looking to solve a problem or give advice to solve a problem of another. It’s like going to an AA meeting for reefers. So inherently it will be dominated by reefers with problems. Doesn’t make them all quitters. In reality there is so few of us that it appears that we are all quitting. I’m in the joliet IL area and have never met another reefer. In fact even finding a reef store that is under 30min away is a challenge. And when you do get there, your standing alone looking at frags. That part is depressing for me. Nobody to share my thoughts and struggles with that understands. So I have to read forum threads for hours to find useful information and watch BRS videos that are GREAT but make it look to easy most of the time.

 

[Paul B]

Heabel7, don't feel alone. I also don't know anyone here with a reef tank. Not close by anyway so I rarely get a chance to talk to anyone about reef stuff. People I know used to have tanks but they are all out of it now, mostly for the reasons stated in this thread

I’ll be leaving soon. Water changes are getting too much. I am 69, health problems and it’s getting harder. I still my aquarium though.

I know how you feel. I am 70 and although I had many surgeries (on silly things like breaking or tearing things) I still love it but know the day is coming, maybe soon when I will have to leave it. Mostly because of my wife's medical problems but at our age, it could be any one of us now.

 

[Ardeus]

I always stayed away from saltwater tanks because I thought that they were necessarily too complicated.

Then, in 2006 I saw a 12 gallon tank with a clownfish, live rock, a few soft corals, a small pump, a heater and a freshwater T8 fixture. I went in and one of the things I am most proud of is being able to maintain a similar system for a couple of years, without getting more fish of equipment.

Since then I moved maybe 15 times, some of those overseas dragging the tank with me.

This year I finally gave in and got a sump and all the things that the lack of a sump had prevented happened: I have a bigger tank (200 gallon), loads of equipment and I have to "work" on the tank 4 or 5 more hours than before on my 100 gallon cube and worry much more about it.

I am almost 50 and my current challenge is to keep my decision of not getting any more coral or fish until their and or my lives are spent.

 

[Scott chilton]

I think when some people get in this hobby, they GO HARD for the first few months. buying all kinds of coral and fish. As we know, that is NOT a good idea. Patience is the key in this hobby. So when they have die off after spending a boat load of money. I believe most people just throw their hands up and quit. Its like the 7 year itch in relationships. If you can get pass the first FEW bumps in the road in this hobby, you tend to stay in it. Im glad i did. Its so satisfying looking over at my tank and seeing the BEAUTIFUL ecosystem i built.

 

[Nyx101]

For me it will be Disease. Ich roaming everywhere in the LFS. Lack of space and energy to change 50% of water in a small QT everyday while bearing the worry of seeing the fish die of either ich, velvet or an ammonia spike for 76 days at every buy. Loads of cash spent only to feel like you are torturing small beautiful creatures...

 

[Dodgersallday]

People leave not because it’s a hobby, but because it’s a luxury activity.

 

[Alex V.]

I have had saltwater aquariums for over 40 years, and reef aquariums for over 30. Like in any hobby, I have had my share of ups and downs. However, what makes the hobby more and more annoying is the hype of top $ frags. Yes that’s right frags. The explosion of the industry of frags has created what once was a full stock aquarium resembling a piece of wild reef in your living room and almost impossible task. At one point in my life (about 10 years ago) I had a reef tank that truly resembles a wild coral reef. These corals were from the time were you can buy a 20+ head best torch for less than $200. I used to visit stores, in the 90s and the section of colonies were ¾ of the store leaving a small section for frags. Now every colony is cut into pieces to make frags and make more money out of a single colony. Unless you buy zoanthids, mushroom, xenia, or some other super-fast growing coral you are talking years and years of waiting for that ¼ inch frag to resemble a complete healthy colony specimen. Every day a new frag comes to the market with a more bizarre name, the crazier the name the more expensive will be. The result are tanks displaying and eclectic scenario of plugs and pieces. In a perfect world, that tank will stay away from algae blooms, accidents, hurricanes, owner vacations, equipment failures, termites (tenting the house) etc. etc. and it will turn from a frag garden to a full bloom wild reef aqua-scape in your living room.
Going back to the question, why people leave the hobby or why people get bored, might also have some roots on what people try to achieve vs. and what it takes in terms of Money, dedication, and time. You might argue that a hobby is about those 3 variables, but money should not overpower dedication and time by that much. People collect lots of stuff and there are many hobbies around, but very few people collect Ferrari, Picasso, etc.

By no means have I wanted to sabotage the industry of frags, or have anything against fragging. Quite opposite, is fragging what brings the possibility to share those hard to find specimens. If anything fragging has helped move this hobby forward.
In my case, I treasure a full matured stocked aquarium resembling a wild reef. That tank (100+ gallons tank) can only be achieve by either spending thousands of dollars, or by waiting 10+ years. The result, just a small percentage of people fit any or both criteria.

Just my 2-cents.

 

[oldbob50]

If it's just a hobby, I agree with most of the observations about boredom, cost, etc. However, if its a matter of a fascination with fish and the ocean then I don't think you loose interest. Like Paul, I have had fish in a tank almost all of my life. My interest started with Sea Hunt. Had I lived near the ocean, I would have been a diver. Since I don't , I have the ocean in a tank in my living room. I'm new to reefing, just a two year old tank, but have always had, and still have, a freshwater tank. At 69, I'll probably not see a 20 year old reef tank but who knows, it may just give me a reason to stay alive. I look at my tanks daily. Just seeing the persistence of life and the new things that develop is a great source of entertainment and satisfaction. My corals are all growing, my sump and QT are pod farms, I have filter feeders everywhere and coralline algae growing on anything that can't swim. In my SW tank my African cichlids are engaged in a massive attempt to take over the world by reproduction.

 

[Ashley Kekua]

Can I change my answer now that you changed the question?

HA! Funny man!

 

[jfoster38122]

lots of people saying money
it's simply if we can't afford reasonable prices then we get discouraged and give up
many are pricing themselves out of business
some things you really can't go cheap on but the more experience you have the more you are able to cut cost on some things but when it comes to livestock you really can't unless you shop around a lot

 

[Paul B]

However, if its a matter of a fascination with fish and the ocean then I don't think you loose interest. Like Paul, I have had fish in a tank almost all of my life. My interest started with Sea Hunt.

My interest also probably started with Sea Hunt. I loved that show even though it was more about spearing the bad guy than fish. ;Woot
I was also fascinated by all the Jacques Cousteau specials and used to watch them over and over again.
I am not sure what to call it for me but I think it is more of a way of life than a hobby.

I never strived for a really beautiful tank and my tank is by far not the nicest looking one on here, some of them would make anyone jealous. I just love looking at interesting things and if I get hair algae, flatworms, cyano, Godzilla Larvae or any number of things I am just in awe. I don't think of those things as problems but rather interesting things of nature and it allows me to figure out how to eliminate them or more often, live with them and try to turn them into good things rather than problems.

Of course I don't want to see my tank crash, leak or get me electrocuted. Those are definitely bad things. I also won't go broke because I am not a gadget guy and nothing on my tank is expensive. You can buy all that stuff if you like, but then don't post how expensive the hobby is.
You can like boating (as I do) and you can have a kayak, canoe or a yacht. You will still be boating but you do what you can comfortably afford.

Most LFSs will test your water for free and if you buy 2 part Calcium and alk it's like fifty bucks a year as thats all I spend on that.
I also feel there is no need to change water so often. I myself normally go by nitrates. If they creep up to more than I want, I change the water, if they are what I consider doable like about 25 or 30, I don't change the water. Even if it is a year old. My fish never complained.

Now I have access to free NSW but for most of my life I had to buy ASW and yes, it is expensive.
I think my largest expense now is food. I raise worms so they are free and I feed clams which are almost free but my main food is commercially sold LRS food. That costs me about $20.00 a month.

Most of my corals grow so I rarely need to buy any and my fish normally only die of old age but even with that, I need o buy fish. Pipefish, and Bangai cardinals only live 3 or 4 years so they need to be replaced. Most of the smaller gobies and bleenies only live ten of so years so if you have a lot of them, you will still lose some occasionally. I don't buy the most expensive fish like $500.00 tangs, mostly because I don't want them. but if you can afford them, and you like them you may be disappointed if you lost them..

One guy (whose post was deleted) said the reason many people leave the hobby was because of me. I didn't think I had any "hobby power" that made people leave the hobby.

I am glad this thread is still sparking some interest

I like the odder, more unusual fish which just happen to be the cheaper fish.

No. I didn't buy this. I saw it while diving in the Caribbean a couple of months ago.

 

[BeejReef]

What a fantastic thread!

Going all the way back to the 2015 start of the thread where @PaulB laments all the internet searching and data....

I can't disagree. Big data is ruining a lot of things, turning art into science. There is far less mystery and wonder. No doubt, that segment of hobbyists feels the pain.

I liken it to how much baseball has changed. Four outfielders sometimes, crazy defensive shifts, homerun or bust, 9-man bullpens. Singles and doubles are happy accidents. The analysis says you'll win more that way. Maybe you will, but I no longer enjoy watching it.