I've been out 10+ years. Should I come back . . .
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- Thread starter Lemon Shark
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Lemon Shark
New Member
Now there's motivation. Thank you!
miguelvega76
Community Member
I am on the same journey , just came back after 8 years out of the hobby. It is a very rewarding hobby. Basics are basics. Some tech has made things easier (leds , rollers ) some has not changed a lot (protein skimmers , pumps ) There is advance in knowledge , target is not anymore 0 nitrates and phosphates is more holistic and with more understanding that lab grade purity of water is not the best thing. I am excited to come back and learn more. Some things are disappointing like lack of yellow tangs. On the other hand there is a plethora of captive bred fish and aquacultured corals , that gives some hope that we are not only taking things from nature for our own joy . Live rock is not the most prevalent , man made it is . so changes are in and that is good . Marine depot is gone brs is king , liveaquaria sucks .. but things get moving.
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Lemon Shark
New Member
Wow. We really ARE on the same journey. I've genuinely had nearly all the same reactions. Definitely super stoked to see the increase in aquaculture, since I've always felt a bit guilty contributing to the death of our reefs. I'll admit, nothing has had me feeling a bit old like talking to the tv and saying, "No live rock? Back in my day, I could walk a few blocks (uphill both ways) and buy as many pounds of live rock I could ever want. Tangs? Why, we had Yellow Tangs in every tank at the LFS."
miguelvega76
Community Member
Yes , things have changed. I mean i think aquacultured yellow tangs should not be that hard (ignorance talking) . Anyways i am excited to be back. Happy reefing .
>
Do it
Inspire the next generation of reefers, the commitment you make to the reef will reward you as much as it stresses you. The hobby has never been easier with all the wide-spread information to help guide you! There are still difficulties but at least the resources exist to get you through them! And CORALS oh so many corals
Do itInspire the next generation of reefers, the commitment you make to the reef will reward you as much as it stresses you. The hobby has never been easier with all the wide-spread information to help guide you! There are still difficulties but at least the resources exist to get you through them! And CORALS oh so many corals
Hurricane Aquatics
Valuable Member
Welcome to R2R! Ok, I'm going to give you a dose of the truth, no sugarcoating.
I had been out of the hobby as well for about 8 years. I started saying I would just go small with a 40 cube in 2021. It was an AIO and I quickly became frustrated with that as you have no room to do anything.
Then I took that down and installed a new Red Sea 300 G2, which is supposed to be 65 gallon display and 15 Gallon sump. That's what I'm currently keeping and I keep 100% SPS acropora.
I was thinking hard about this today. I love reefing and I have a plethora of knowledge that I help others with here on R2R. However, I have a ton of stuff to do that I don't get done, in other areas of my life. A serious reef tank is literally a full time job plus 10 hours of overtime.
I have had a lot of days lately, today was one of them, where I think of finding all my livestock good homes with established reefers and take it all down. It's just so much work, especially an Acropora tank.
There's thing like the reward of keeping a reef tank and it's a hobby that everyone that sees it will be enamored with it. I've never had a guest over that just didn't sit down on the couch and stare.
Again, it's probably my favorite hobby and I have MANY..... However, it can be a massive time sink, extraordinarily expensive, and can be devastating to those who don't possess a lot of knowledge.
If you're not super busy in your personal life and you need a main hobby, go for it! If you have other obligations that take most of your time and you won't be able to keep up with maintenance on a regular schedule, etc. then pass.
If you really want to do it, I would suggest a softie tank or Softies with a mix of some LPS. Those type of corals don't need super expensive lighting and they don't need a plethora of chemicals to be happy.
It's one of those things where you love it and hate it at the same time sometimes, lol.
Some of my Acroporas for your viewing pleasure.
So what size tank are you getting? Mixed or specialty?
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miguelvega76
Community Member
So true , you know you want to do it . We can help with the excuse ..
Coinzmans Reef
Active Member
Some things are given to us by our parents that we never let go of and this is one of them. Not easy to find common interests with my 24 year old daughter but this one never gets old and we still go to LFS together and share some of the reef keeping tasks. We can't put a price on that.
miguelvega76
Community Member
My father used to tell my mom that he bought an iguana or some fish for us. Obviously he loved animals and we inherited his passion for animals. He introduced me to freshwater aquariums , then we moved to saltwater fish only and so on. I started with this as a teenager and it always brings me good memories . Definitively is a hobbie you can share with your familiy . My son was not that excited when he had to take care of my aquarium for 5 months while i was preparing family move to another country but he still talks me on how relaxing he found seeing the corals and fish. Not the easiest or cheap hobby . All hobbies are expensive not all can be shared with your kids.
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