Losing interest in your reef aquarium and what to do?

[revhtree]

Hello everyone and happy day after Christmas day! Otherwise known as back to work day. HA!

I was thinking about my tank and at the moment my interest has waned a little due to the holidays and other things. Nothing to be alarmed about as I go through these patches at times as I am sure most of you do. It did get me thinking though about the causes of "losing interest" and what to do about it. So my question for you today is the following:

What causes you to lose interest in your reef aquarium and what do you do to spark your interest once again?

image from the book Barnacle Is Bored

 

[Crabs McJones]

While family always comes first, I always find time for the tank. With everything growing out and coloring up, I have not lost interest in the least bit. I believe in getting to busy for the tank, but that doesn't mean that i've lost interest, just don't have time to care for it the way I should. But with the addition of my apex and dosing pumps, I don't really need to dedicate any time to the tank except for sundays when I do my water change

 

[revhtree]

While family always comes first, I always find time for the tank. With everything growing out and coloring up, I have not lost interest in the least bit. I believe in getting to busy for the tank, but that doesn't mean that i've lost interest, just don't have time to care for it the way I should. But with the addition of my apex and dosing pumps, I don't really need to dedicate any time to the tank except for sundays when I do my water change

That's a good point of view! Maybe some of it is more too busy. For me algae really puts a damper on things but seeing pieces color up and things grow really excited me.

 

[Brew12]

You can lose interest in a reef tank?

 

[Crabs McJones]

That's a good point of view! Maybe some of it is more too busy. For me algae really puts a damper on things but seeing pieces color up and things grow really excited me.

I like to think of algae problems as more of a challenge than a damper. I'm tested and challenged to beat it

 

[revhtree]

You can lose interest in a reef tank?

Now I feel bad because it does for me at times! HAHA! But I'm going on almost 15 straight years with a reef tank!

 

[Gonebad395]

I always notice summer time is when I wouldn’t say I lose interest but I become preoccupied with a lot more stuff then in the winter. And time slips away fast I notice letting things go with the tank more. Also if working 65 to 80 hrs a week I notice a decline also.. I just got Over a bout with gha and I’m winning and the tank looks so much happier.

 

[Mrs. Herbert]

When my father passed away back in April 2018, I lost interest in our reef tank to the point, I was loosing livestock. I got myself back together and started taking care of the tank. My husband broke his ankle in June, my father in law broke his leg in August and that pushed me back away from the tank. I was taking care of them, college, work and the house but I did make some time for the tank. Things are doing better but I need to do a water change soon.

Spring Semister is starting in January, I’ll be at College for three days a week, work three days also.

 

[Captain Quint]

@revhtree I have had up's and down's since 74 but for the most part, I stay interested. Sometimes I might get a bit busy and vary from the routine which makes me feel as though I'm losing interest but usually snap back after busy life events.

I think you've been so busy with the Parrish and working so hard with the children that you're just exhausted and need a little break which is certainly understandable.

 

[revhtree]

I always notice summer time is when I wouldn’t say I lose interest but I become preoccupied with a lot more stuff then in the winter. And time slips away fast I notice letting things go with the tank more. Also if working 65 to 80 hrs a week I notice a decline also.. I just got Over a bout with gha and I’m winning and the tank looks so much happier.

Usually when I start beating an algae issue is when my interest peaks more!

 

[revhtree]

When my father passed away back in April 2018, I lost interest in our reef tank to the point, I was loosing livestock. I got myself back together and started taking care of the tank. My husband broke his ankle in June, my father in law broke his leg in August and that pushed me back away from the tank. I was taking care of them, college, work and the house but I did make some time for the tank. Things are doing better but I need to do a water change soon.

I can see how something like what you went through would really set you back. Sorry for your loss.

 

[revhtree]

@revhtree I have had up's and down's since 74 but for the most part, I stay interested. Sometimes I might get a bit busy and vary from the routine which makes me feel as though I'm losing interest but usually snap back after busy life events.

I think you've been so busy with the Parrish and working so hard with the children that you're just exhausted and need a little break which is certainly understandable.

Hey bud thank you but honestly I'm good! I've just lost a little interest but the more I type here the more I gain it back! HA!

 

[Captain Quint]

When my father passed away back in April 2018, I lost interest in our reef tank to the point, I was loosing livestock. I got myself back together and started taking care of the tank. My husband broke his ankle in June, my father in law broke his leg in August and that pushed me back away from the tank. I was taking care of them, college, work and the house but I did make some time for the tank. Things are doing better but I need to do a water change soon.

I'm sorry to read of this. No doubt you've been through so much. I'd do a W/C for ya if we were near.

 

[andrewkw]

Hello everyone and happy day after Christmas day! Otherwise known as back to work day. HA!

It's boxing day in Canada and if I was living anywhere but the middle of no where I'd be coming home with at least one box full of fish and corals. Since I am here I'm answering this post.

I've never lost interest in the hobby in the 13+ years I have been reefing, however I have had some pretty significant setbacks that almost caused me to step away. One thing I really credit in keeping my interest up is to do different marine tanks that aren't necessarily a reef. When my reef was going bad I got into keeping dwarf cuttlefish. They were so fun and interesting and needed similar but different care then worrying about a mixed reef. Since their livespan is so short when they died I moved onto keeping Octopus who have similar needs but are an entirely different creature.

One of the most interesting tanks I ever had, barely had any corals in it but was home to a colony of garden eels. Since it was a super deep sand bed and I didn't worry about nitrate or phosphate and didn't keep many corals in there I just enjoyed their interesting behavior for many years until I gave them away because I was moving to the middle of no where.

You may think you need to step away and burnout is certainly a concern in any hobby or aspect of life really, but instead of stepping away you might only need to step slightly to the right or left and do something very similar yet different.

 

[revhtree]

It's boxing day in Canada and if I was living anywhere but the middle of no where I'd be coming home with at least one box full of fish and corals. Since I am here I'm answering this post.

I've never lost interest in the hobby in the 13+ years I have been reefing, however I have had some pretty significant setbacks that almost caused me to step away. One thing I really credit in keeping my interest up is to do different marine tanks that aren't necessarily a reef. When my reef was going bad I got into keeping dwarf cuttlefish. They were so fun and interesting and needed similar but different care then worrying about a mixed reef. Since their livespan is so short when they died I moved onto keeping Octopus who have similar needs but are an entirely different creature.

One of the most interesting tanks I ever had, barely had any corals in it but was home to a colony of garden eels. Since it was a super deep sand bed and I didn't worry about nitrate or phosphate and didn't keep many corals in there I just enjoyed their interesting behavior for many years until I gave them away because I was moving to the middle of no where.

You may think you need to step away and burnout is certainly a concern in any hobby or aspect of life really, but instead of stepping away you might only need to step slightly to the right or left and do something very similar yet different.

Great suggestions!! Garden eels are super cool BTW!

 

[Gareth elliott]

I haven’t lost interest as much lost time [emoji23]. But might still apply.

Took a promotion middle of November. Tank after a month and a half of time to feed has made it; lets say unattractive lol. slowly adding some automated maintenance in aws, next will be individual reactors for every media i have, put alarms for when to add vibrant. bought a gravel vac, so only takes 5 minutes to clean up the cyano thats growing on it. Might take a a few days in January just to replace the sand. Probably adding a sump upgrade as well so more volume in the system and less obtrusive than my diy sump.

 

[ShawnSaucier]

I posted a similar question a couple of weeks ago Rev. it’s been the same for me also. The tank is pretty much on cruise control, just waiting for things to grow. I don’t really have any more spaces for frags other than encrusting/zoas. So going to the shops has kinda fallen to the wayside. Also my Powder Brown is dictating my fish count, so not really adding fish with worry of it getting killed.
Switching to the Triton method has kind of ended all of the noodling with the tank. Down to just wiping the glass every couple of days, feeding fish and cleaning the skimmer.

 

[Brew12]

Now I feel bad because it does for me at times! HAHA! But I'm going on almost 15 straight years with a reef tank!

So if my wife can stay 29 forever that means I can be an excited novice reefer forever too, right?

 

[Musovski]

For me, im always interested. No matter what my tank is my tank and what is inside it apart of my everyday, however what steers me away from it is work and financial problems. I want to add so many things to the tank but for my weekly pay im lucky if i even get to buy one coral a week. As for work, i work 2:30-11 everyday, leaves me no time to see my tank and work on it, and when i get to work on it im in a rush.

What i really want to do is start selling fish, of course with proper procedure (qt, etc..), hopefully make me some extra income for this new tank ive been saving up for.

Granted I use triton method, so the tank "takes care of itself", i still like to get involved with my tank, cause aint no machines going to ruin my joy. I like to get down and dirty and understand everthing going on in my tank. Robots are the future but they will not replace me.

 

[ca1ore]

Only ever family, and young children. Kept a reef tank continuously from 1987 to 2009, then took a break until 2013. Now back for good. Still spent lots of time on and around the water though ….. they largely 'talked' me back in LOL.