How discouraged do you get?

[feh]

I've been through a lot too. Various algae blooms which is normal for younger tanks. Just have to hang in there. I've had Alk ODs which actually is as close to tears I've been with it. Especially seeing fish on the sand gasping while the tank looks like a snow globe. Everything survived that. I've my A/C go out multiple times and had issues resulting from that including equipment failures. Even fish that jumped from the Qt days before transfer time to the main display. Still dealing with a GHA outbreak which I've spent a considerable amount of money battling. Just to laugh at me while I blacked out the tank for 3 days to help give the macro I bought for my fuge time to take off the GHA moved to the fuge and started growing on the macro killing most of it off. Order a replacement CUC to help battle with it. When I received the order which was late the majority were DOA which is due to no fault of the vendor. I lost my ATO pump which took 6 weeks to replace under warranty. Lots of issues. Just have to be "hard headed" and hang in there. Even if logic tells ya to break it down and find a new hobby. Depending on what you're going thru breaking it down and starting over isn't always a bad idea, but then you have to go thru all the little things of a new tank and waiting on things to stabilize and go thru all its stages for it cycle and mature and so on.

 

[Eienna]

These stories have taught me a few things.

1. Always have fresh salt water in reserve.
2. Get a tank controller as early as humanly possible.
3. Don't skimp on quality, even if it means paying more.
4. Get a tight-fitting, relatively heavy lid.
5. Always keep learning.
6. Make any changes slowly, and never change more than one thing at a time unless absolutely necessary.

I find the best cure for post-loss depression is to keep moving forward. Identify what failed, put something in place to keep it from happening again, and rebuild better than before.

My worst episode was when water contamination destroyed almost my entire freshwater system. I almost gave up that day. Instead, I cried my eyeballs out...and then used the opportunity to add dirt (it was a freshwater tank) for the plants, and consoled myself with the fact that it would soon be better than before.

 

[Railcar79]

These stories have taught me a few things.

1. Always have fresh salt water in reserve.
2. Get a tank controller as early as humanly possible.
3. Don't skimp on quality, even if it means paying more.
4. Get a tight-fitting, relatively heavy lid.
5. Always keep learning.
6. Make any changes slowly, and never change more than one thing at a time unless absolutely necessary.

I find the best cure for post-loss depression is to keep moving forward. Identify what failed, put something in place to keep it from happening again, and rebuild better than before.

Don't forget alcahol. It eases post loss depression, and leads to some real interesting deliveries 3-5 days later

 

[Eienna]

Don't forget alcahol. It eases post loss depression, and leads to some real interesting deliveries 3-5 days later

I didn't forget. I don't use it. I must admit a little chocolate and mountain dew's nice, though. XD

Losing my beautiful Gold Nugget Plecostomus was the worst part of that whole disaster....

 

[glb]

I can't stand it when a coral does and I never can figure out why. My two biggest zoa colonies just disappeared. I did everything. Tested the water. Moved them. Dipped them. Fragged them. I was able to save a few polyps on one. But not knowing how two healthy, growing colonies just die is driving me crazy!

 

[glb]

The first sentence should read when a coral dies...

 

[Tahoe61]

I either love my tank or I am disappointed in it, there seems to be no middle ground. Lost my chiller this spring so it's been a hot summer and lost some of my favorite acropora. It seems like I enjoy my tank more when I am actively working on it, not when it's on autopilot.
My scapes are always a nightmare, it never turns out how I visualize. Love those bonsai and minimalist scape but I can not pull it off to save my life. My only saving grace is that my corals are for the most part very forgiving. When I have thought about throwing in the towel I look at my large colonies and realize I have had some success. I have been at this hobby for a long long time, I have always had a tank it's just part of who I am.

 

[Eienna]

I like having my FW tank to reassure me when the reef is giving me fits XD by comparison it is incredibly stable and easy.

 

[larangcon]

This thread just came in time for me; this last month has been really hard, almost every week each morning I see my acros bleaching white; one by one, different acro frag each time. I test frequently and all results are normal, rest of zoas, palys, chalices, and hammers are all doing fine, except my SPS are the only ones not doing well. I can't even look at the tank anymore...I just keep thinking of how much I have spent on these LE SPS frags, I keep buying these acros because I want to see it grow into a colony, I guess its the challenge of it all. Mixed Reef is too hard for me, I am giving up on SPS.

 

[harryball69]

Ive had 2 major fish kills over 12 yrs, I quit for 4 yrs and got back in it with a reef tank. You learn more all the time and you never know. been going strong for almost 3 yrs on this run.. cant quit.. try harder and challenge yourself... cant go wrong for trying...

 

[Paul B]

I get disappointed when I pass a Supermodel on the street and she doesn't want to date me, but I am never disappointed with my tank. :fear:

 

[Eienna]

I just killed my coral beauty angel with an absolutely newb mistake I should not have made.

Definitely upset with myself.

 

[glb]

I get disappointed when I pass a Supermodel on the street and she doesn't want to date me, but I am never disappointed with my tank. :fear:

This really made me laugh.