I'm quitting keeping salt water fish

[Crustaceon]

I don’t believe saltwater is drastically harder than freshwater on a basic level. The real difficulty comes when you go beyond having just rocks, sand and a few fish. I’m sure planted tank people can attest to this.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Don’t leave the hobby! I can tell from your Puffer story you love fish. Re-tool and go F.O.W.L.R. Stay strong. :)

 

[Rmckoy]

After 20 years from fish only to reefs , most of that time were directed more towards corals and only select fish .
I have been bit by the bug that wants me to aiming higher .
Even after many times losing interest and almost giving up ,
Feeding that one fish that eats from your hands or noticing that one favourite coral grew 1/4” since the last time you looked changes something and the routine and daily research of different ideas starts again.

I couldn’t imagine leaving that part behind .
as frustrating , costly and heart breaking it can be at times .

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

My 1st tank was a 36 bowfront from pestmart. All hang on back. Canister fluval 205 i think it was. Your 1st tank can cost you just in learning. Why ppl say take it slow. Or dont dose anything you cant test for. Old rules. That apply to many things in general. Like goldy lox rules. Lol.

 

[Rmckoy]

My 1st tank was a 36 bowfront from pestmart. All hang on back. Canister fluval 205 i think it was. Your 1st tank can cost you just in learning. Why ppl say take it slow. Or dont dose anything you cant test for. Old rules. That apply to many things in general. Like goldy lox rules. Lol.

The golden rules of reef keeping .

 

[greetl01]

Maybe the problem is just that you’re doing too much. Not even trying to be funny. I see threads on a daily about people who get these abandoned tanks where nitrates are through the roof and the coral are just as happy as they want to be. Maybe just before quitting try just enjoying it for a few months. Do a water change every two weeks. Buy some cheap fish, and hold off in buying any expensive coral. Ignore the algae. I’ll bet within a month you’ll be ready to try again. I just lost a beautiful 6 line wrasse to ich and my favorite gramma is probably dead right now....gotta check after I post this. It’s disheartening but I’m going to take the time I’m quarantine to go bare bottom on the display like I’ve been wanting to. Going to paint tank backgrounds. I’m going to take this time to REALLY learn how to quarantine. Im perfecting my aquascape. I’m not going to do one single water change on my display until after fallow is up. Going to look into fish and equipment I’ve been wanting. Just using the opportunity to enjoy the journey and learn more. And I’m actually enjoying not fretting about the fish all the time.

ive got about 2/3 of the sand out. It’s like a side project to keep my mind off the sick fish. I noticed some spots in the bottom I missed with paint that the sand was hiding. Even considering keeping some of the sand for a sloping sand bed. It’s kept my mind off the sick fish and I don’t even want to rush quarantine bc I’ve got THIS project now.

 

[greetl01]

I don’t believe saltwater is drastically harder than freshwater on a basic level. The real difficulty comes when you go beyond having just rocks, sand and a few fish. I’m sure planted tank people can attest to this.

So true! I’ve been afraid all these years but once I jumped in, it’s really not all that different since I don’t have coral yet. But just reading the threads people have about dosing and algae and critters, I decided before I got my first fish that I was going to keep a fish only tank for at least a year. MAYBE some super duper cheap zoanthids. I’m not buying any fish or zoas that’s more than $50. When I got my first ich attack, losing the fish sucked but I’m only out a grand total of $25. $50 if my gramma dies. I literally spent more on the sand I’m about to throw out. I can only imagine how he feels out of $500 in coral. I’m sure it sucks.

 

[Jon Fishman]

2 years in and over a period of 3-4 days half of my torches (split into two separate branches, one with 5 or 6 heads and one with 14-16 heads) died.... The remaining heads keep opening every day etc, but I have no idea if they are just going to dry up and die too. I changed nothing in the tank, and everything else (although not much in the tank coral-wise) is doing fine......

Just frustrating at times....... I look at reef-keeping as more of a science-experiment hobby than a pet-keeping one. We are trying to recreate an ocean..... it’s basically impossible to do it perfectly.