So you're thinking of quitting the hobby...

[revhtree]

So you're thinking of quitting the hobby and we want you to stay!

If this is you right now tell us what your biggest hurdle is and how we can help you press through and stay in the hobby! I promise no one will flame you at all! We're here to help!

 

[Reeferdood]

Why quit when you would only get back into it later??
I will be a reefer for the rest of my time on earth, it is one thing that will always be in my blood.
Surfing and Skydiving are the other 2.....

 

[ZoWhat]

I believe most ppl who last less than 12-18mos have this going on. Our entire society in general wants their efforts to produce semi-immediate results

 

[saltyhog]

This is the place for help guys! Believe me with the number of reefers we have here someone has experienced what you're going through. Give 'em a chance to help!

 

[ScottR]

Too much money and time invested to give up. My children give me way more problems than my tank. And they’re not up for adoption... yet.

 

[JoshH]

So you're thinking of quitting the hobby and we want you to stay!

If this is you right now tell us what your biggest hurdle is and how we can help you press through and stay in the hobby! I promise no one will flame you at all! We're here to help!

That's one serious looking turtle. I recently went through a bout of wanting to shut down my new build and quit after I lost my two clowns to a stupid mistake on my part. Some members here were/are very supportive and helped me through that. Now the only thing holding me back is my wallet lol

 

[LadyMac]

I never should have started with this hobby to be honest. It’s not that I don’t like it, I love it.

I thought I could go at this on a cheap budget. I was wrong. I don’t have the money for good lights or a decent tank. My HOB overflows are both pretty bad. My tank is too tall and the stand isn’t set up for a sump, which I am using a wet dry kinda modified. Or I was. Until I flooded the office and ruined the stand. Now I have to tear it down to move it and hope the three fish will be ok in a 29 gallon until I can find a commission to get a better setup. Or just rehome everyone and save them from being in a small setup.

In freshwater I could really manage such a thing. No problem, just put everyone in a tote for now. But I don’t think marine life would be happy in a tote for who knows how long.

 

[bala murugan 00500]

Never think about Quitting,
this is a challenging hobby. every day in my tank is moving towards the failure. but I accept the challenge and I'm trying to make my tank stable and stable every day.

and also avoid using plastic .... it is killing the ocean. if anyone near the ocean if u have a chance to take one plastic from the ocean, just take it. LITTLE DROP MAKE A MIGHTY OCEAN. that one plastick that u cleaned will save one animal.
I don't no this is a wright place to tell these. I'm a reef hobbyist I know how coral and animals are suffering from plastick. I have a responsibility to save the ocean. I like this challenge too.

 

[Lulu's Lagoon]

I never should have started with this hobby to be honest. It’s not that I don’t like it, I love it.

I thought I could go at this on a cheap budget. I was wrong. I don’t have the money for good lights or a decent tank. My HOB overflows are both pretty bad. My tank is too tall and the stand isn’t set up for a sump, which I am using a wet dry kinda modified. Or I was. Until I flooded the office and ruined the stand. Now I have to tear it down to move it and hope the three fish will be ok in a 29 gallon until I can find a commission to get a better setup. Or just rehome everyone and save them from being in a small setup.

In freshwater I could really manage such a thing. No problem, just put everyone in a tote for now. But I don’t think marine life would be happy in a tote for who knows how long.

I totally get this feeling and feel the same way sometimes. I told my mom "I just cannot afford this Hobby", but I love it so much I refuse to give up. It might take me longer than some people, but I'll eventually get there. I also think you can be successful without some of the things or name brands that are pushed so hard. It's just researching and finding out what those are!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

No one should quite, future generations will never know what the ocean holds, think of the children that never been to a beach. If Thomas Edison quite, we'd still be in the dark ages, if the guy who perfected the cultured pearl, took 20 yrs, if not for him, we all would not be able to afford some......

 

[phatduckk]

i just started... while researching (way before buying a single thing) it was super informative to read about the struggles and difficulties involved in this hobby. It’s good knowing that’s it’s not all unicorns and rainbows

 

[amazongb]

Had a crash recently that claimed many sps that had grown from the typical 1 inch frag to mini colonies.. watching them all die was terrible.. not just money, but time and patience watching them grow. I haven’t bought a new coral since.. just working with what I have, but I’ve been in the fence whether or not to cash in the chips...

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I never should have started with this hobby to be honest. It’s not that I don’t like it, I love it.

I thought I could go at this on a cheap budget. I was wrong. I don’t have the money for good lights or a decent tank. My HOB overflows are both pretty bad. My tank is too tall and the stand isn’t set up for a sump, which I am using a wet dry kinda modified. Or I was. Until I flooded the office and ruined the stand. Now I have to tear it down to move it and hope the three fish will be ok in a 29 gallon until I can find a commission to get a better setup. Or just rehome everyone and save them from being in a small setup.

In freshwater I could really manage such a thing. No problem, just put everyone in a tote for now. But I don’t think marine life would be happy in a tote for who knows how long.

Here's one of my tanks, nano less 1 gallon. What's in it, is not suppose to thrive. Carnation corals, dendronephthya colonies. If these can thrive in here, then most different corals can in larger containers.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Different tank , 1 of 29, I count them today

 

[Blitheran]

What made me quit years ago, was the work load required for such a big tank. 90g does not seem like a lot to most, but for me it was. I rang in the towel, and took a break. Now! I am back, with a nice little 10 gallon

 

[ceruleanspiral]

So you're thinking of quitting the hobby and we want you to stay!

If this is you right now tell us what your biggest hurdle is and how we can help you press through and stay in the hobby! I promise no one will flame you at all! We're here to help!

I don't want to quit but I am struggling. I have had GHA for the last couple of months and it's driving me bananas. I have some things I haven't tried yet but due to some family medical issues that came up I haven't had funds to do it. I should be able to fix it after this weekend (I'm going to MACNA). I'm hoping for some fat coupons or on-site discounts, lol.

 

[ducki]

I started in 2010, bought a used full setup 3x2x2. I would say i had minor success then growing lps and easy sps. No problem with algae or disease, quite enjoyable really..

upgrade tank to 5x2x2 for a birthday present (4yrs ago), it has been nothing but problems on this one.
I bought anthias from someone that urgently shut down, my fault for not qt. My full stock end up with whitespot. Half of them died, half of them transferred to another tank for hypo while main dt fallow for 3months. Corals started dying due to lack of nutrients I believe... After transfer fish back to dt, WS again even with no new additions. So tried TTM to save the remaining 3 tangs. 2 tangs died after first night of TTM, while I shut down dt and bleach/acid rocks for a fresh start. Cycle for 3 months with a prawn only, add fish from qt back in (1 blue tang left) and got WS again on the same fish. So take fish back out, and now copper (cupramine). blue tang died after 5 days after a shock from water change... it went through a crazy nerve breakdown that i never saw before.. like electrocuted. So all the fishes i tried to save from WS, end up dead.

now i'm left with a tank that i cannot control the algae or bacteria. not sure what the stuff is on the rocks, mix of GHA, cyano and some yellow flaky/dusty stuff. I thought i'm going thru dinos now, so i start add phos and nitrate because they were showing 0 on tests. More GHA/Cyano growing due to these dosing.. tank currently have 2 clowns and 3 anthias.. while 1 blue tang and 1 melanurus wrasse is in qt(copper power). I don't know if i still got the energy to keep trying to make it work.

i just think the 5x2x2 is too clean(lacking nutrients) or does not have enough bio load or start from dry rock using dead prawn for cycle or all... that is giving me problem. I am very tempted to shut down and take a rest.

haha enough rant. happy reefing all.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I started in 2010, bought a used full setup 3x2x2. I would say i had minor success then growing lps and easy sps. No problem with algae or disease, quite enjoyable really..

upgrade tank to 5x2x2 for a birthday present (4yrs ago), it has been nothing but problems on this one.
I bought anthias from someone that urgently shut down, my fault for not qt. My full stock end up with whitespot. Half of them died, half of them transferred to another tank for hypo while main dt fallow for 3months. Corals started dying due to lack of nutrients I believe... After transfer fish back to dt, WS again even with no new additions. So tried TTM to save the remaining 3 tangs. 2 tangs died after first night of TTM, while I shut down dt and bleach/acid rocks for a fresh start. Cycle for 3 months with a prawn only, add fish from qt back in (1 blue tang left) and got WS again on the same fish. So take fish back out, and now copper (cupramine). blue tang died after 5 days after a shock from water change... it went through a crazy nerve breakdown that i never saw before.. like electrocuted. So all the fishes i tried to save from WS, end up dead.

now i'm left with a tank that i cannot control the algae or bacteria. not sure what the stuff is on the rocks, mix of GHA, cyano and some yellow flaky/dusty stuff. I thought i'm going thru dinos now, so i start add phos and nitrate because they were showing 0 on tests. More GHA/Cyano growing due to these dosing.. tank currently have 2 clowns and 3 anthias.. while 1 blue tang and 1 melanurus wrasse is in qt(copper power). I don't know if i still got the energy to keep trying to make it work.

i just think the 5x2x2 is too clean(lacking nutrients) or does not have enough bio load or start from dry rock using dead prawn for cycle or all... that is giving me problem. I am very tempted to shut down and take a rest.

haha enough rant. happy reefing all.

How much you want for your setup? I'm kidding, unless it's for sale?

 

[ducki]

How much you want for your setup? I'm kidding, unless it's for sale?

haha I'm in Australia. If shut down, I probably store them away until ready for reefing again. don't think can completely quit the hobby.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

The reason for me honestly is because my tank is almost 2 years old and doing excellent. The reason is because this is the second time I have had to move. The first time Lfs helped on my 125 and pretty much killed everything. Now that I have my 240, local normal movers won’t touch a fish tank (even dry according to three that I spoke with). My only option is to have the lfs help me move my current one at 40 an hour. Well I don’t wanna lose all my fish and coral again.
I’m still debating on throwing my fish in qt to help with stress but I get mixed responses. Some say it’s worse some say it’s better, (lol which is it?) plus honestly I love my rock scape that I have now. Yet they tell me it won’t be the same look the same get use to it. Well how does that work when a lot of them have encrusted rocks together? I’m pretty sure I can figure out (maybe) which ones are base and top. Yes it may not be exactly theeeee same but still.

Am I just gonna up and quit (probably not), but it’s frustrating when local professionals won’t answer questions. At my work they come to me because something is wrong. I can’t say I don’t know. I have to problem solve it, and keep solving problems and eventually I will have an answer.

Plus gathering enough people, resources, is like herding cats in huge field full of mice. Good luck. Not to mention (at least new place is only five min away), ((bigger bonus no hoa)). ((Down side is I have to rent till I figure out what house I want to build) then once again move my tank again.

Please tell me it’s not this big of a nightmare to move? Yes I know to start with the top rocks and separate or move any loose corals. Ones attached keep separate and etc. then I don’t know if I drain most of my water (which I’ll keep 80%; then) catch my fish and they go in a bag then a black bag etc. Then drain the rest, get the sand out into a bucket. I have no idea how to undo my plumbing (I can turn everything off but) yeah I will have to look more.

I intend to just completely drain the water in the sump and start over. Then I have to sort and undo all the pumps etc lights etc.

So in reality how likely is it to move my tank and keep all my fish and (I may lose some coral but I’d prefer not too). I have 23 days to be completely moved and I’m about to have a huge dumpster dropped off and throw things away (not fish stuff).