How did you stop from becoming discouraged?

tyler1503 · Dec 23, 2014

Hi everyone. I'm starting to become discouraged from the hobby. Overnight I lost my all time favourite fish, my Valentini puffer. He would always greet me with bubbles when I came over to the tank. I could hand feed him, he would spit water when hungry and would always perk up when he saw me walk over. He was more like a pet than a fish. I watched him grow from a tiny little inch long baby to a near full grown male who was one of the family. Even family friends would say hello specifically to him when they came over. Super healthy (well, he appeared that way anyway. Even his body looks healthy now) and fat. Best personality of any fish I've ever owned.
Has anyone else here lost a favourite fish and felt like giving up the hobby? If so, what kept you in the hobby?
Maybe I'm being too dramatic here....I do that sometimes. Anyway, I would love to know what it was that spiked your interest the second time around. I really don't want to give up this hobby, but I can't help but to feel discouraged.
Thanks in advance.

JFrar · Dec 23, 2014

its always a let down to have something fail on you....but when you lose, your supposed to learn from it! I've had tank crashes, left for vacation came home to no fish, equipment problems leading to loss of corals... and i kept on doing my thing and i can't believe where im at now compared to the last 7-8 years in this hobby... and at this point i know i will never leave the hobby...
Learn from your mistakes, *%&# happens... goodluck

tyler1503 · Dec 23, 2014

JFrar said:
its always a let down to have something fail on you....but when you lose, your supposed to learn from it! I've had tank crashes, left for vacation came home to no fish, equipment problems leading to loss of corals... and i kept on doing my thing and i can't believe where im at now compared to the last 7-8 years in this hobby... and at this point i know i will never leave the hobby...
Learn from your mistakes, *%&# happens... goodluck

This was just one more thing that's happened lately. In the last few months I've lost several fish, almost all my coral including some prized LPS, some inverts and had some hardware stop working. It just seems like during the first few years nothing went wrong, now all of a sudden everything's going downhill. Murphy's law at its finest.
But like you said, I can learn from this. I'm not sure what I can learn as I don't know what exactly went wrong, but there's a lesson here somewhere. Now that I have very little livestock maybe I should start all over from scratch.
Thanks for the kind words :)

seasaltedinsrq · Dec 23, 2014

Trying times are no different in anything. It's the love and satisfaction of this hobby that keeps most of us chugging along. It's a never ending learning experience. I'm sorry for your loss. I can relate, I lost a clown I had for over 10 years. Yep, a fish. It's just a fish... Not really, it's more of a part of the family. It's not just because you feed him is why he likes you. There is more. It's an animal, he trusts you, relys on you, you are his life. Sounds silly, "just a fish", nah! more than that. It boils down to, love for the hobby and all that goes with it. Some times there is nothing you can do. I'm just too stubborn to call it quits. THIS IS what keeps me sane. (for the most part,lol) Just remember, your not alone. REEF-ON! Regards, Patrick

ASHWIN · Jan 7, 2015

Your not Dramatic At all..I've been there done that from equipment breaking down in the middle of the night to losing live stocks sometimes with no explainable reason and some times just feel like I had enough of this..but after awhile you think about it it's not so bad it happens I guess you need to move on those mistakes will help you In the near future to improve your setup etc.. I've always love browsing thru TOTM's that gives me a hell lot of inspirations.. And the end of the day you would just laugh at the taught of giving up.. Hope you can at least trouble shoot why your puffer died hang it there man :angel:

tyler1503 · Jan 31, 2015

Ahh this thread got away from me. Why do they always do that? Lol.
I got back on my horse and stuck to it!
Seasaltedinsrq, I agree, it's my stubbornness that kept me going. If I wasn't so stubborn I probably would have given up a long time ago lol.
Ashwin, I never figured out what was the cause of death for the puffer. He seemed to be in perfect health. It still bothers me that I can't figure it out even more than a month later

Triggreef · Jan 31, 2015

I'm in the same boat, I just lost thousands in corals over the last couple months. That said I still have a ton of monti ZOA's and stylos unaffected from whatever happened. It's crossed my mind to just give up or down scale and keep easier things instead. But then I see some gorgeous pictures of acro and it lures me back in.

I have an advantage this time though. Out of 50 acro, now I know the select few that are almost bullet proof. I believe that a tank chalk full of just those certain few will look great. So that is my current plan. I also believe I know what went wrong for me, and it's an easy fix. Keep up with your ro/di maintenance fellow reefers!

TUSI · Jan 31, 2015

Tyler you are not being dramatic at all, it shows how much you love the hobby and it is normal to feel like you feel, regardless what you loose. Sorry for your lose the fish might have lived its full life span in captivity, so wait a while mourn the fish and then replace it. I have done that many times, you are right they ( fish) become like members of the family cause they do have personalities, unfortunately it's like any pet they do have a life span. Don't quit cause then you will look back and regret that you quit. good luck and keep reefing this hobby need more like you that care about what you are growing in your tank and thats why you feel this way. You do care.

phillrodrigo · Jan 31, 2015

I have thought about it. I can't keep fish alive except the ones I have. They always die on me. It's not my skills I keep sps lps clams no issue. I have better luck with petco fish than good online vendors which throws me even more through a loop. I see my coral do well so I just started focusing on coral. My fish that I have kept for awhile are 2 clowns a scopas tang meleranus wrasse and a dotty back. The point we're I almost lost it was since the beginning I have been a euphyllia nut. I had rainbows golds oranges blues. One day they all just started dying from brown jelly. I had about 12 different euphyllia in my tank I'm down to 5 and one was bought after the brown jelly. That's when I started going sps. They do good for me.

Oscaror · Feb 1, 2015

When my tank crashed, I got discouraged. What did I do, I quot for a while. My dad held up the tank while I had practically left the hobby. But then I found this forum, and everythong changed. I could not be happier with my tank right now (well it coud use some SPS) but I love my reef. I guess what encouraged me was all these zoa pictures by joshporksandwic
Just try and find an inspiration, that keeps me going.

acesfull44 · Feb 1, 2015

I feel like these are the times that makes us or breaks us. You are probably well aware life deals you @#*#^@ from time to time. They way you handle it and bounce back will define your experience. IF you let this bring you down, the dark side has won. IF you learn from whatever happened and apply that knowledge to get better and move forward, YOU ARE THE WINNER! :cheer2: Hopefully that ladder happens, and you continue to participate in the hobby you loved from the start! Good luck.