Should I quit?

MoshJosh · Mar 16, 2026

Sorry for the click bait title but it kinda sums up my current line of thinking. Not sure this is really a question or if it is just me venting but still. . . Should I get out of the hobby?

I guess I am just not feeling it anymore. My tank is "successful" with my fish and corals growing but I'm just not "excited" about it anymore. Most of the things that get me excited about reefing anymore involve setting up more tanks and or getting more specialized. . .meaning more money and time invested. . . and who's to say that when I go down that road I don't just get board again and my lack of attention span convinces me to go in a different direction. . . again.

Maybe it's because I have a fairly busy life with a lot going on, kids, school, work etc. . . But I'm starting to feel like I am just waisting time and money for a hobby my family isn't interested in and I'm not excited about anymore? . . .

Then again will I just find something else to waste my time and money on haha

Ziggy17 · Mar 16, 2026

No harm in stepping away for awhile and come back when it feels right again.

Euphylliaphyle · Mar 16, 2026

First, see if you can figure out what you'd be doing instead, and think deeply about what makes that interesting or important to you. How does that compare with reefing?
List pros and cons in columns next to each other for continuing reefkeeping, and see if that helps your decision.
If you have several tanks going already, maybe pick the tank that excites you the least and/or costs the most time and money and shut it down. See how doing so impacts your life and re-evaluate.
Don't do anything rash.
Some people do need to step away for awhile sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with that, even if you just need a break. Burnout is real.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
—Ovid

rtparty · Mar 16, 2026

I did this a couple years ago. Lasted 3 months

And I just ended up going into frogs instead. So now I have more work than before with 2 tanks and a vivarium

Jay Hemdal · Mar 16, 2026

MoshJosh said:
Sorry for the click bait title but it kinda sums up my current line of thinking. Not sure this is really a question or if it is just me venting but still. . . Should I get out of the hobby?

I guess I am just not feeling it anymore. My tank is "successful" with my fish and corals growing but I'm just not "excited" about it anymore. Most of the things that get me excited about reefing anymore involve setting up more tanks and or getting more specialized. . .meaning more money and time invested. . . and who's to say that when I go down that road I don't just get board again and my lack of attention span convinces me to go in a different direction. . . again.

Maybe it's because I have a fairly busy life with a lot going on, kids, school, work etc. . . But I'm starting to feel like I am just waisting time and money for a hobby my family isn't interested in and I'm not excited about anymore? . . .

Then again will I just find something else to waste my time and money on haha

As a hobby, you may just be in “maintenance mode”. I did that with my Bonsai trees - I stopped collecting new trees and just keep the old ones.

edd59 · Mar 16, 2026

take a break, just keep all your equipment so its cheap to start up again. you know you will.

MC Blowfish · Mar 16, 2026

You have to do what's best for you. Maybe step away for a bit? Or just do your maintenance and see if something excites you again?

Jasonak · Mar 16, 2026

Ive got way to many hobbies R/C planes copters and cars, freshwater and saltwater tanks. Fixing up and restoring an old boat. Collecting silly things and now thanks to my wife I'm building legos of all things LOL I personally I will fix on one more hobby than the other for awhile and shifting between the different hobbies.
Its up to you if you want out but you will more than likely be back and more than likely just end up with some other hobbies if you completely quit ... gold panning, dirt bikes paper Mache who knows at least that how my brain works. I did have my tank on maintenance mode for many years not really adding anything new and just letting everything grow out. That did actually pay off as when I got reinvigorated I sold off a grip of giant colony's and made a couple k.

Also im not sure where you are automation wise but that can always help with the stress that this hobby can cause.

FrugalReeferJon · Mar 16, 2026

It’s funny you mention wanting to quit because of your busy life with a lot going on, kids, school, work etc. These things are why I enjoy the reefing hobby. For me reef keeping is an escape from these things. I say take a break from the hobby and see how it goes. If the desire comes back, great. If a year or two passes by and you’re content with life being out of the hobby, then maybe quitting was the right thing to do.

Matt L · Mar 16, 2026

MoshJosh said:
Sorry for the click bait title but it kinda sums up my current line of thinking. Not sure this is really a question or if it is just me venting but still. . . Should I get out of the hobby?

I guess I am just not feeling it anymore. My tank is "successful" with my fish and corals growing but I'm just not "excited" about it anymore. Most of the things that get me excited about reefing anymore involve setting up more tanks and or getting more specialized. . .meaning more money and time invested. . . and who's to say that when I go down that road I don't just get board again and my lack of attention span convinces me to go in a different direction. . . again.

Maybe it's because I have a fairly busy life with a lot going on, kids, school, work etc. . . But I'm starting to feel like I am just waisting time and money for a hobby my family isn't interested in and I'm not excited about anymore? . . .

Then again will I just find something else to waste my time and money on haha

Yeah it’s definitely a plateau after a while, especially when you accomplish your goals. I’ve been in that situation a few times, and have five tanks now, going on six. My YT channel and side biz help keep things fresh for me, as they add more layers onto the hobby for me. But at the end of the day, I’m not tinkering with the tanks anymore. It’s just maintenance and observation. 3d printing is where I tinker to make and design reefing gear, and that helps keep things fresh too.

The Ugly Phase · Mar 16, 2026

Get into reptiles are something tree monitors are stunning

vlangel · Mar 16, 2026

MoshJosh said:
Sorry for the click bait title but it kinda sums up my current line of thinking. Not sure this is really a question or if it is just me venting but still. . . Should I get out of the hobby?

I guess I am just not feeling it anymore. My tank is "successful" with my fish and corals growing but I'm just not "excited" about it anymore. Most of the things that get me excited about reefing anymore involve setting up more tanks and or getting more specialized. . .meaning more money and time invested. . . and who's to say that when I go down that road I don't just get board again and my lack of attention span convinces me to go in a different direction. . . again.

Maybe it's because I have a fairly busy life with a lot going on, kids, school, work etc. . . But I'm starting to feel like I am just waisting time and money for a hobby my family isn't interested in and I'm not excited about anymore? . . .

Then again will I just find something else to waste my time and money on haha

A packed schedule can definitely make one's tank just feel like a chore. You could perhaps make your tank lower maintenance. I decided at one point to make my tank lower maintenance so I am now keeping easy fish and easy coral and some ornamental macroalgae. I don't dose or test, although I add a Sea Lab #28 block once a week. I feed once a day and have an Eheim flake feeder feed once a day. I clean glass once a week and do a 10% water change. If your tank is mature enough you might get away with less frequent water changes. However, if this still sounds like too much, there is no shame in taking a break.

jmcdona6 · Mar 16, 2026

Common problem with many hobbies.

Automate and let it be. Go do something else for a while. Appreciate the living art in your home. You will eventually revisit.

For me in comes in spurts. Fairly hands off for a few months then I will notice a new problem or opportunity that entices me to connect again.

If reefing is your only hobby, I believe it does lead to multiple tanks syndrome. A single well ran tank just doesnt need that much from you.

IceNein · Mar 16, 2026

jmcdona6 said:
Common problem with many hobbies.

Automate and let it be. Go do something else for a while. Appreciate the living art in your home. You will eventually revisit.

For me in comes in spurts. Fairly hands off for a few months then I will notice a new problem or opportunity that entices me to connect again.

If reefing is your only hobby, I believe it does lead to multiple tanks syndrome. A single well ran tank just doesnt need that much from you.

I agree with this. Losing interest doesn't mean you have to ditch your tank. Just keep it around. You don't have to keep the glass spotless. You could consider halving the frequency of your water changes, and see how the tank goes. If you have alk dosing set up, you can just test once a month or so if you're dialed in to make sure that it's not creeping too far up, or down.

rayadog · Mar 16, 2026

I’ll go against the grain and say let that baby grow out! Didn’t you just upgrade? Let her rip! Autopilot and grow! If that’s a thing. The fam may come around when it’s super full and they can brag about having a reef tank.

Gumbies R Us · Mar 17, 2026

Whenever I see people experience burn out and question “should I quit” I always present one question. Would you sell off all that you have, and regret it within a month? Most people will probably say yes to that.

You can always downsize if you want to do something easier, or just simply not buy as much for the time being. Just do your basic maintenance routine and just slowly ease off a little bit.

Trust me, we all experience burn out in every hobby. Usually it’s like you said, caused by outside factors or lack of time. However, if you can step away, (not fully quit or sell everything) you will come back to enjoying the hobby again.

Euphylliaphyle · Mar 17, 2026

Gumbies R Us said:
Trust me, we all experience burn out in every hobby.

True! I have two other major hobbies, food gardening and beekeeping. Fortunately, those both have a built-in step-back period, aka winter. I can tell you, in some years I am about ready to throw in the towel on one or both of those by the end of the season. But each Spring, new hope and excitement arise! There is no seasonality when it comes to tropical endeavors such as reefing, so I imagine burnout is more prevalent here, even among the most dedicated. Therefore: