Why do so many people leave the hobby?

[Mike in CT]

Would be interesting to find out if most of the long timers started out the traditional way. Fresh....FOWLR..... Reef.... Vs starting out with a full blown reef tank.

 

[rayn]

I started fresh years ago. Then I went reef and have always had one in some sort of fashion. Fowlr just came along as certain fish don't work well with corals.

 

[nawilson89]

I stopped for about a year, for a few reasons.
My car died and I was saving up for a new one and didn't think I could keep up with it.

My girlfriend of was pregnant with my first child and I didn't know if I could take care of a kid and pay for my build.

I was failing ridiculously with my macro algaes and it seemed my tank would never get to where I wanted it.

I was only working part time.

All of these have been rectified and now I'm back and my tank looks GREAT! Macro Algaes are doing really well. Lost my fish, but it's a learning experience. Now kid number 2 is on the way and I am NOT giving up my tank!

 

[klesel]

Think alot give up because they dont educate them selfs and think because they buy the best of everything thinking its going to guarantee best results yes some things you should spend better money on . alot of it is just not doing research and educate your self what it takes to keep a aquarium of any kind . also some people give up to easy .

 

[Tank2379]

I think there are a few reasons. These are my guesses:

1) "This hobby will pay for itself" - false. Anyone coming into this hobby with that attitude will very likely leave because that didn't work out. They figured it's a free hobby, because they can keep selling stuff to recoup every expense. That doesn't even fit the definition of the word hobby.

2) Impatience - they want answers, and they want them now. They want instant results. They expect to get a TOTM-worthy system without experiencing the true effort involved. Throwing a bunch of money at a tank isn't going to yield longterm results if they are impatient in nature. Instant reefs are no bueno. Let it grow naturally and enjoy the ride.

3) Lack of adequate knowledge - this hobby has many ways to accomplish the same thing. This is actually bad, because it causes confusion. Hobbyists interpret results, sometimes incorrectly, and share these with others which can spread misinformation. Creativity and inspiration can crack the code, but this leads me to the next point:

4) Poor equipment choices - I see this often. "I got this skimmer off ebay for $20 with free shipping, and it kicks butt!!!" No, fellow hobbyist, that skimmer is doing what it can, but when you get a a real one, you'll be impressed by one that can actually kick butt. "I'll never spend that kind of money on a pump/powerhead, this one is 1/10th the price and works great!" Yes, the moment you put it in your tank and plug it in, you'll think it was money well spent, and you'll pat yourself on the back for the money you saved. However, when it conks out or when you realize it is not providing as much flow as your livestock needs, you'll be looking for a replacement or secondary one to add more flow. I prefer to buy nicer gear that runs for years and years. Zero regrets and it allows me to enjoy the hobby.

5) Loss of life - this is the hardest part. When they set up an ecosystem for fish and corals and watch them die, it can be very disheartening. Odds are they first thing they think of is money wasted, then time & effort wasted, and finally they feel badly for the fish or coral that perished. Maybe not in that order necessarily, but I tend to believe this is overall pattern with many that opt out of the hobby. They need to know what caused the problem and how to resolve it, and begin to reap the benefits of sticking with the hobby. If they don't see progress, they'll quit out of frustration and/or they ran out of money.

Fortunately, this is a great forum filled with knowledge to help them succeed and stay salty. Use the search button, read the threads that discussed said topic in depth and learn.

All great points. I heard one hobbyist say I'm in it for the money because I can sell coral. That's not always the case. I've been in this hobby more than 15 years maybe 20 years now and all the folks that have come and gone some want to get rich quick because it so easy.. I laugh all the time. Then they realize nothing is working out and my tank sucks because I have no clue what I was doing to begin with.

 

[James J]

I beleive that most just want a sweet looking saltwater tank and not looking for a challenge,the problems I run into is what keeps me more interested.There are some that leave for other reasons but most likely be back.You can tell a newbie that it cost a lot of $ and is a challenge and need to spend a lot of time with it to start and most of all patients ,they still will go at it when they really don't have non of the above

 

[Quinn123]

this is an extremely expensive hobby!!!! Many people get into this hobby not knowing the expectation of how much it cost to maintain a thriving tank.

 

[ChrisAndJulie2012]

My first tank was fresh water, got bored with the "boring" colors. Went to a salt water over the weekend. Loved it, this was 2004 time frame. Loved it, it was mainly a FOWLR. A divorce forced me to get out of it around 2006 or so. Then I met my wife and fired the hobby back up. It was the best feeling in the world. We upgraded to a 125 gallon free tank and love it.

So, to answer your question I would have to say LIFE happens. We all have our reasons but those who are true to the hobby will always come back. It is a very expensive hobby, but you can still have a decent tank on a budget. Our tank is 100% budget tank. No fancey gizmo's, all hand me down or used equipment. But it works, keeps cost down, which helps me keep the love for a much needed relaxation tool.

 

[sprinklerdudes]

I think { just my observation} that the majority of the people who have been in the hobby for a long time { over 20 years} started with fresh water and once they had a good grasp and working knowledge { and already had the basic equipment needed to start} moved into salt water. I see a lot of people who have never had a fish tank before, jump off into the deep end of the salt water hobby and try to take on the most challenging parts {sps stony, acros, etc} with no previous experience, and get totally frustrated. {you gotta spend some time in the kiddie pool with the floaties, and learn to swim. it takes time and Patience}I think you can start out in salt water and be successful, but would be more practical to start out with some soft coral and a basic set up before trying to jump off the deep end when you never took time to learn how to swim. and drown in a expensive pool of dead fish.

 

[ChrisAndJulie2012]

You said exaclty what I was trying to say Sprinklerdudes!

 

[eschulist]

People get bored and frustrated if they aren't being successful. If something goes wrong it takes a lot of effort and patience to save whats left and start over. Sometimes its just easier to stop and do something else thats easier or more fun. This is still a hobby and people will always find new hobbies to enjoy. If this one thats a lower priority the tank and inhabitants will suffer and people stop doing it.

 

[cincyreef]

Coming from someone who's been in and out of this hobby for several years, I think Melev has some very good points as well. I've tried to use shortcuts in this hobby a lot, and not wanting to spend big money. It has not served me well with any of my tanks lol. I started this current tank out trying to do the same, and was bit by a Jebao pump right away ( lasted less than 6 months). Since, I've decided to spend what I need to spend, and just bite the bullet, and buy nice equipment. I think in years past I got out due to money, and frustration.

 

[zzzdiver]

I have 36 years in and 3 tank moves with minimal losses, best part of the hobby the base line hasn't changed just the technique of how to maintain that baseline, some of the best knowledge I have gained has been from Randy Farley homes, if someone getting into this hobby would read his articles and practice patience they would be successful.

 

[zzzdiver]

Coming from someone who's been in and out of this hobby for several years, I think Melev has some very good points as well. I've tried to use shortcuts in this hobby a lot, and not wanting to spend big money. It has not served me well with any of my tanks lol. I started this current tank out trying to do the same, and was bit by a Jebao pump right away ( lasted less than 6 months). Since, I've decided to spend what I need to spend, and just bite the bullet, and buy nice equipment. I think in years past I got out due to money, and frustration.

Well put[emoji4]

 

[ifarmer]

this hobby is so expensive.
right now my tank is doing great. but if I ever lose my job, I would shut it down immediately. Need to take care of my mortgage first if I lose my job.

 

[Paul B]

I just put in a water cooled LED fixture that I built. To me that is so cool. I spent about $100.00 and 40 hours on something just for the fun of it and to my surprise, it works. My corals are now spending their free time applying sunscreen. Now that that works, I think I will build another one a little different and more self contained. This facet of the hobby is what I really enjoy. The fish keep themselves and I am only here to give them something to make fun of. But building totally useless things, that work, just for fun is my goal and I love it. Maybe I can make fish with LEDs in their eyes or glue tiny flashlights on to arrow crabs so they can see in the dark. There is an entire plethora of things that can be done in this hobby. Besides keeping fish that is. After forty years, you should have no problems and have no need for test kits, medications, Google or anything else. Then it is time to open a bottle of Grand Marnier, sit back and relax.
Here is the radiator for my water cooled fixture.

 

[Paul B]

I think it's @Paul B 's fault. People read his posts and think, "Awesome! I put this glass box in my house and I'll suddenly be surrounded by supermodels!" Then the supermodels don't show up and they have to mow the algae off their rocks, which really irks the Dory fish who jumps from the tank into the garbage disposal, causing them to drop the mower and break the tank which would be no big deal, but who really knows where the mop is? Next thing you know, the supermodel of the house, aka that special lady with that priceless ring on her finger, rescinds her permission to try to attract the attention of supermodels, which pretty much means the end of it.

I married a Supermodel 42 years ago so I would always have one to look at.


And I still do.

 

[Paul B]

I don't find this hobby that expensive but I don't buy the things many people feel they need. I have no test kits because if I feel the need to test anything, I bring some water to a LFS and let them test it. I change water 5 or 6 times a year and feed worms and clams. I dose ice melter and baking soda which costs me maybe $5.00 a year. My fish live for their normal lifespan which may be 15 or 20 years so they are very cheap. My fish don't get sick so there is no need to buy medicines or new fish. I don't have to quarantine so I have no use for a quarantine or hospital tank. My methods are very old school because I am old. If I say I found the secret to keeping fish immune I will get laughed at. Ha Ha, I hear some of you now laughing. When people hear this they tell me I have a time bomb in my tank. You are laughing again. The time bomb is approaching 45 years old, I wonder when it will go off. I run a reverse undergravel filter. OK you can laugh again. If your tank is older, raise your hand.......Higher. There are so many things in this hobby that is just recycled opinions that it is annoying. I rarely give advice on any forums any more because of the arguments. I used to but after so many years of people disagreeing, I almost gave up, but people do PM me all the time. I did just write a book because if anyone reads the book, and disagrees with any of it, I can't hear them complain about it. I realize many people leave the hobby because their tank crashes or ich takes all their fish. There is no reason for that any more because some of us have learned the secrets and many of us just don't want to hear it. If I say something like "my fish never get sick no matter what I throw in there". People will tell me one of two things. I am either lying, senile or lucky. OK three things.

But I am very happy that this spurred some conversation. I love this stuff

 

[Paul B]

I am jealous of some of the tanks you guys have and would like everybody to stay in the hobby. Of course I realize some of us don't have the funds, health, time, agreeable spouse, room or will. But we can all agree that it is a fantastic hobby.

 

[Paul B]

I wrote this, I think it goes along with this thread.
http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/why-do-we-find-marine-aquariums-so-fascinating-3382/