I’ll get it off my chest

[Nyx101]

If you don’t mind… I have something I wish to discuss and see if others have had a similar experience. Been now 3-4 years in this hobby and predictably ended up with a 6 feet long 120 gallon shallow tank. As I worked to cure myself of impulse building new tanks all the time I had to close a few down and sell the livestock and equipment. I only kept a 30 gallon in which I prophylactically treat as I have now learned a few lessons. Sadly the harshest of those lessons was not to trust my fellow reefer. I am not sure if it’s because we all spent too much in this hobby and/or have all made expensive mistakes but honest well-intentioned buyers/sellers are rarer than yellow tangs have been this past year.
Maybe I’m just being negative… as I recall buying an ich covered purple tang for 200$+ while selling a black storm clownfish worth 250$ +tax for 90$ to a guy who really wanted it but could not offer more. He showed up in a Porsch confessing to me he kept a Hippo tang in a 60 gallon tank. Should’ve kept the poor thing of course but had the guy at my door and I try to be a nice person, always, and that’s quite the major flaw to have in this hobby. Do we care for animals or do we only feed our oversized ego with reefing feats in the form of expensive hardware, rare corals and cramped up fish? Ever felt completely screwed over in this hobby? Tell me about it! Misery loves company.
Happy reefing y’all

 

[MNFish]

I think in today's society people who do the right things are the ones that pay the highest price.
Often selling is only slightly better than giving stuff away. Since most people are educated now days to feel entitled to be given everything with no effort or compensation.
Anyone who keeps an animal just to show it off or post on social media has a hole that no animal is going to fill, and hurt the animal in the process.
Thanks for the vent...

 

[Isopod80]

There's good and bad in everything but there's a lot of honest reefers out there as well.

 

[ying yang]

Im only early on in my saltwater journey but im not into and dont plan on getting all the latest gadgets either just to say " hey look at me ive got this " but i do know not everyone will be that attitude as alot will have all the gadgets to possibly try get tank self automated as maybe they work long hours or away from home often so want controllers to control and be away from tank and watch and change what needs changing.
But like everything in life,some get stuff to get recnognised for having something, whether its the latest range rover or this years designer clothes but some just llike to treat themselves as they work hard for their money and never tell anyone what they bought or need any acknowledgement for it.
And as for big fish in small tank maybe they dont care or maybe they uneducated on whats best for the fish,its hard to say unless probe deeper.
But my attitude in life is be nice to others,if can buy something of same quality or cheaper for similar product and it does the job i will get the cheaper as not everything more expensive = better ( sometimes does though)
So for me i just try to help when i can and stay humble and grounded best i can ^_^

 

[LaloJ]

Wow, that is a story that makes you think about many things, I think that as an aquarist, if you are a good person then you are going to worry about your livestock. Personally, I consider myself a fan of marine fish, especially angels, I have felt ruined when a fish fails to thrive in my tank, I feel terrible and not because of the money lost, but because it's a living being, and take out a fish from the sea to be able to have it in my room and see its exceptional colors just for me and not having the ability to maintain it's frustrating and the first thing I think is that I could continue to walk freely in the sea.
I have read several comments from an expert aquarist and angel expert too, he has more than 50 angels in his tank, some of them are unique fish, and his passion makes him feel the same enthusiasm for a $5000 fish as for a $20 fish. He does not buy fish because they are rare, but because he is passionate about them. My wife, even though she hates the hobby for obvious reasons lol, believes that fish are something that "gives my life meaning" and I think that's how aquarism should work, at least that's my opinion.

 

[DrZoidburg]

Bought a few tanks online via local adds. Where person swears this tank is only x years old. I always ask. Then look at sticker on bottom both times it is substantially older than they said. Didn't say or complain cause they were good tanks both instances. Two different people lol.