Need some advice...

[Reef Wizard]

Hello its been awhile since Ive been active on here

So I have my waterbox 190.5 its 60x24x24 135 Gallons and It will be three years old in november.

I scrape the glass and feed the fish. Fish are fat and happy and getting coral growth Parameters are all in order besides phosphates are around .8ppm but I have my GFO reactor going. Maintence has just been so rough to WANT to do it and take care of the tank. Basically I do the maintence but not as frequent and consitent as I used to.

I have had mysterious coral loses its just been STN some reason I have lost a dinner plate size indo a wellso i lost two torches and I have lost my convict tang and my coral beauty to unknown causes but likely agressiion for the CB and I think my Convict ran into a rock as he had a gash on his nose and he died within a day of his incident. its hard to get someone to tank sit while on vacation. I downsized my tanks from 4 to 2 and soon to be just the aformentioned as my only tank left.

But man ive been so burnt out with it this past year.

I am debating on selling the whole thing and getting out of the hobby but I do still LIKE the tank and we are going to be moving soon and the stress of tearing the tank down is something i dont want to do. I thought about selling most of livestock and getting some new fish and keeping SOME coral but not sure. I thought about doing a predator tank but that seems like it could be more work with finicky eaters not sure though. I thought about selling the tank and getting something smaller and going a different route but im not sure.


Just need some advice/guidance.

1 Sell and get out?
2 Sell livestock and get new fish?
3 Sell all livestock go FOWLR/Predator tank?
4 Sell all and go smaller?
5 Keep all and maybe ride the burnout wave because I still enjoy it in the wider scheme of things.

 

[keagan]

It's an incredibly personal choice and depends on how much passion you still feel for the hobby. I got out of the hobby for a few years after a bad storm led to an extended power outage and I lost everything. But in the long run it's a chance to start fresh in a new place (I've moved since) with a new system. So a break might be best until your settled in if you can afford to buy some new stuff or hold onto equipment. It depends how attached you are to what you have now though. Best of luck no matter what you decide :).

 

[kevgib67]

This is hard to answer! I kinda feel starting over with a smaller tank with much less maintenance is what is in your future. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Reef Wizard]

This is hard to answer! I kinda feel starting over with a smaller tank with much less maintenance is what is in your future. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

It's an incredibly personal choice and depends on how much passion you still feel for the hobby. I got out of the hobby for a few years after a bad storm led to an extended power outage and I lost everything. But in the long run it's a chance to start fresh in a new place (I've moved since) with a new system. So a break might be best until your settled in if you can afford to buy some new stuff or hold onto equipment. It depends how attached you are to what you have now though. Best of luck no matter what you decide :).

Thanks guys. Im still debating it. I think im really discouraged with the losses and been a rough year for the family

 

[kevgib67]

Thanks guys. Im still debating it. I think im really discouraged with the losses and been a rough year for the family

Take your time debating it, you don’t want to rush into anything that you’ll regret! Best of luck.

 

[Peer.Boerner]

I think a hobby should bring joy and relaxation. If you’re not getting that, it’s time to get out. A smaller tank will be less physical work, but the same tasks and attention to detail. The same issues, the same unexplained losses, etc. I’m struggling with the same thoughts about my radio control planes. I’m no longer as passionate and maybe it’s time for me to lie on. I hope you make the very best decision and that whatever it is, you find joy and relaxation.

 

[BryanM]

1 Sell and get out?
2 Sell livestock and get new fish?
3 Sell all livestock go FOWLR/Predator tank?
4 Sell all and go smaller?
5 Keep all and maybe ride the burnout wave because I still enjoy it in the wider scheme of things.

1). Probably no.
2). Probably yes.
3). predator tanks are messy. I'm not sure you're getting out of a lot of maintenance going that route.
4). Smaller depends a lot on what you want to keep.
5). Probably yes.

I took a peek at your aquarium showcase, looks like a solid setup. I think getting down to 1 tank is probably the key.

I am maintenance adverse to a point... So the things I do are to try and minimize this. I don't run a protein skimmer as an example, because if I'm lazy it stinks, and I hate the cleaning of it anyway. I didn't like the maintance of my rollermat either so I went back to socks, have 6 of them, change them when I hear the water overflowing and then throw 5 in the washer.

I do not know how hard or easy keeping a fuge is, I just knew I didn't want the "creep" mess that can happen. I run an oversized algae turf scrubber instead.

I do the full Triton method and monthly ICP testing is included in that. I don't do water changes. This was probably the key... I really can't stand water changes, and I don't really have room for a water change station to make that easy - If I had the room I probably would do them, but with 220 gallons, and buckets, no.

All this to say, maybe there's a couple tweaks you can do to make the maintenance easier if any of what I said helps any of your pain points.