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

[stacksoner]

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

+1 to this. I have a 100g display and just came to the realization that managing this is a two man job.

 

[exnisstech]

Water changes were always too much effort for me and the testing requires handing all these toxic chemicals.

That's funny. Water changes are too much effort and toxic chemical handling lol

 

[Salt_for_Brains]

I first started back when HOB filters were the rage with a 55 gallon
years later i got a complete 75g set up had it close to 6 months then for some reason or another it started to go down hill with algae.. i gave up trying to get it to come back after 3 months of fighting. sold the whole set up.
about a year later i started to build a drilled 40b with a custom built stand (by me), but ran into money issues and how to sell it.
money issues and a move later i set up a cheap 15g, then moved to a hob filter 40b with hob skimmer and that tank lasted for a year and it busted and flooded my living. luckily it was the night before a water change i got all the fish and corals into water before they died.
got out of the hobby after that for over 5 years.

Im back in with a completely new tank and equipment ( i went WAY over budget on this build but i wanted it to last this tank and any other tank i get if i upgrade or downgrade in the long run.)

my biggest issues with the hobby is money. everything i want is always out of my price range!

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

My tank is one thing that that calms me and it’s my ocean. What’s frustrating is not so much ups and downs that’s normal with any hobby etc. I mean those who play golf etc probably have bad days where it’s easier to pick that little white ball up and throw it (like I do) or use my nephews little league slugger. Make no mistake lol those little league sluggers will flat send a golf ball.

But it’s just when I’m ready to settle down and not move like ever. Then suddenly I am forced too (sorta) but I refused to let an hoa run my life and through wrenches in it.

If I could ever find some one who could give me a simple yes no if it’s smart to qt the fish again I’d be okay. I’m hoping my rock scape and corals do okay but I knew that would be risk. (Bonus gives me a chance to knock hair alage off rocks that I can’t reach lol.

As depressing as this move is I’m trying to learn and find the good in it. But it’s hard trust me. I have way too much invested to stop but it haunts me. Not to mention my parents gave me a new 425 luckily it’s on hold to ship and dry. Which that is staying that way till I buy another house or build one. I’d prefer to build one so I can choose where I want them to go and do a cement sub floor and not worry about reinforcing anything.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

You should've expanded the selection from Yes, No, Maybe, and add "All the time". There's not a day that goes by that I question why I got back into this hobby....

 

[ceruleanspiral]

The coral is getting to be sooooo expensive. I see several zoas listed for $149 per polyp, really? Hardly any frags for under $50. I want a few frags but not that bad.....lol.....help?

There are some on eBay- just dip aggressively if you do, lol. My LFS has some. If you can get to a larger city, see if they have a marine store. There is one in Tampa that has frags for <$20. See if there are any reef groups, someone local willing to frag. Scope out sales and and live sales. There's a place called Epic Corals near-ish you (quick search).

 

[Buddy1234]

I was about ready to give up a couple of weeks ago. I had a major algae outbreak that took over my whole tank including the sand. It went on for over a month. I tried everything I could think of but nothing made a dent. I was definitely frustrated and my reef tank was a disaster. I lost a few corals and one fish.

I finally bought a ICP test and sent it in. The results came back that my water I used for water changes and topoff was high in silica. I use a RO system and I test for TDS which was fine so I didn't realize there was a problem. I bought new filters and resin. Now after many water changes the tank is back under iscontrol. So, the moral of the story is "stick with it" there has to be a reason for the problem you are experiencing you just need the patience to continue searching for the solution. There is nothing like the feeling of looking at that tank with when it is in prime condition.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I haven’t been on here for a good bit. But for me what got me out of the hobby (for now) was the double whammy. Lost the tank I had really grown attached to to a power out, years worth of livestock gone and several hundred dollars. I restarted the whole system and had something happen (I’m not even sure, I didn’t try to find out at that point) that just decimated the tank again. As a college student I just couldn’t keep doing it. Maybe later after grad school.

 

[David H Dennis]

I've always been aquarium hobbyist been with ups and downs of the hobby after my wife got sick and we had to move due to med bills I've sold most of my aquariums but kept a few to set back up but looking at prices of stuff now vs when I first started I just can't afford to set back up I've got rock still cooking but after looking a prices and all the bashing if you don't have apex and eco-tech this hobby doesn't look as fun anymore and due to I live in Cali prices are even higher club are disappearing due to facebook and I live in a smaller town with only Petco and I other lfs that sell reef stuff it makes it hard to find any used equipment without taking a chance of been scammed I love the reef hobby but 4 now I think it just going to be freshwater planted

I’m thinking that maybe people here should consider sharing their location since I’m pretty sure many reefers would be willing to help in an emergency like Sara’s tank move and Badbay’s setup if they knew who was close. Couldn’t hurt!

Right now I am struggling through selling my boat, which has been very expensive and just not giving me enough joy. I’m thinking of taking some of the proceeds and starting a large reef, since I will miss the contact with the water. Right now Hurricane Dorian is bearing down on the boat’s location and so I’m under a lot of stress. So ironically enough even though I have no reef, learning about the hobby is helping me get through a difficult situation. So thank you all for that.

Baadbay, I sympathize with you about the EcoTech hype. I plan to buy a lot of their stuff for my reef, since I happen to be a big-time computer nerd who would have plenty of money for it, but that’s on me and you should be aware that the nice folks at Bulk Reef Supply say in their video series that all T5 is more than enough to sustain a reef, at far less cost than the new toys. Just because we’ll off nerds love this stuff doesn’t mean you have to. What’s really important is loving the animals and enjoying their behavior.

 

[mkwarner77]

I almost quit last year, had an ice storm that knocked out power for 4 days lost 99% of everything i build over 2.5 yrs. 1 coral and a pistol shrimp survived. lost 7 fish and 9 corals. I debated for weeks about restarting.

 

[Paul B]

I wouldn't know how to quit. I never lived without a tank and I don't want to try.

 

[Witchking330]

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.

Bahhahaha

 

[vdubreefer]

Yes I am or st least it's gotten so bad recently I can barely look at my tank, I guess its having to do with investing soooooooooooooo much time and money I feel like I was pretty dedicated, and and spend many hours a week fiddling with stuff adjusting and changing things out, and I could never get the coral growth or success that my peers around me of my same skill level were having, plus I've invested thousands upon thousands so much that a few points through out my marriage was in jeopardy, so I havent quit yet, but I'm on the verge, I just tell myself I'm on a hiatus, my tank is still running with my fish in it, I barely touch it tho

 

[Anchorboy]

Quit once for a short time when I took my 300g down to replace the flooring. Moved it into the garage temporarily. Lightning strike took out all of the pumps while I was out of town and my wife didn't notice. Total wipeout. Current build is a 120(one year old). Despite my best efforts ended up with the usual pests, Aptasia, planaria, cyano and bubble algae which is very frustrating. I don't quarantine so it is my own fault. Got a frag tank full of coral but hesitant to give to people due to pests which are under control but still there. If anyone in eastern NC wants to take the risk and get some freebies, let me know

 

[Burr]

I'm out, Just keeping my last fish (clown tang I've had for 20+ years, dunno how) that managed to survive the holocaust I managed to bring to these beautiful innocent creatures over the past 30+ years.

I have sought help, here and several other places, read books, watched videos.
I've tried the expensive approach, the cheap approach, the latest approach and no, not all within 3 weeks of each other.
I installed a 17K watt standby natural gas generator in case of power failure, mainly for the fish. Having power in the house was a benefit to that, but it was for the tanks first.

I've spent more time trying to keep things alive then a second job, was happy to do it. But I'm done with trying to push this bulldozer backwards. I can't bear anymore getting attached to these creatures and watching them die.

I know so many people have successful tanks. It frustrates me that I put the blood into it and can't seem to make it happen. I know it sounds like a pity parade, not my intention, you ask. Between 3 tanks breaking in under a year (each one being just short of a year) and yes, concrete floor, leveled empty and full. ...and using a regenerational media that crashed my last system, causing the manufacture to rewrite its directions, plus various other disasters. I can't take it anymore.

The motivational people will tell me, "keep at it, stick with it, you can do it" I do appreciate it, but I have been trying to do this for over 30 years and I'm done being forced to be fish hitler.
You can search my name here, most of what I say can be confirm from my previous pleads for help, if you feel so obliged.

Shameless ad, anyone near Chicago area need equipment, PM me and just come get it.

Cheers

 

[flsalty]

It's a bummer seeing people who want to quit while I struggle to get going again.

When I got out of it, it was supposed to be temporary. I started a new career which kept me on the road a couple months at a time. My wife enjoyed looking at the tank but had no desire to maintain it. My plan was only to work otr a year or two then go local. That was 9 years ago...lol

So a couple years ago I planned to get a local job. I was really looking forward to starting up a reef. Unfortunately, local jobs don't pay well enough here. Back on the road I went.

Now I wish I could just retire so I can have my dream tank(s). Be thankful you are able to have one.

 

[sullyman]

I've been in the hobby since 1983 and love it but I've hit a wall. I'm 65 this year and I'm worn out but as I sell off the first of 2 tanks, I may have change of heart?

 

[Daniel@R2R]

This hobby is kind of like Hotel California. "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave..."

 

[Taxus812]

Well I haven't quit but I seem to lean that way sometimes (could be just a new reefer thing), so I would call myself vulnerable. You can look at my build thread\journal if you want a lot of the details. I will say I am in a better place now however.

I think first I got hung up on one issue and that required me to focus on intangible things. It got old after a while and I started to loose interest.

The way things were trending, I was fearing that at the one year mark instead of a pretty tank with some coral, I would have one, half dead frag and some bare rock.

After 5 months of considerable work and attention (daily testing, weekly water changes, showroom clean tank). I never even got the uglies. Any coral I put in died after a few weeks and I was slowly loosing fish inexplicably. There was no consumption of alkalinity or any other minerals after weeks of daily testing (done a few times). Testing of MY RODI was good and my foundation elements were in the traditionally acceptable levels for what I wanted (eventually a mixed reef tank). Only a few small spots of coralline algae. I was beginning to think I was death to corals (hence my avatar)

I didn't expect a lot, just expected more than that. That made me think perhaps it takes even more than what I was giving. I was really getting burnt out with no tangible results. How could I do more ?

Now to boot Im seeing pictures of tanks at a similar age with full corals and happy fish. You know, utopias in glass. I'm sitting there looking up at empty dead looking rock and half dying corals and feeling tired. I'm reading and researching, hell Randy at BRStv was feeling like a brother I didn't have from watching all the videos (I bet he drives that black jeep).
I also got scared with all the talk about palytoxin. I have been in the hospital unable to breath it is freaking scary stuff. My kids have asthma. I worried I would hurt them with my hobby.

I had 15 year tanks in freshwater and was thinking should I just go back to that?

I bet this may sound familiar to others.

My problems took over focus from why I got a tank, and I got board, frustrated and burned out. Fortunately another member also was frustrated and posted about leaving. He got positive and negative replies (Unfortunately I think he kinda got flamed). However the posts that caught my attention reminded me to think about what I wanted to do in this hobby. What was the primary thing? Was I a builder and DIY tech, did I want a coral garden, was I a fishkeeper?

This was the answer. Revisit why I wanted this tank.

Honestly I wanted a few skunk cleaner shrimp , I didn't want to tech it out. I preferred ultra low maintenance. I really like just looking at my critters just going about what they do. I got hung up on having beginner corals in a new tank. I kind of relaxed and said I don't care about them I have what I like. I will try again in time. Now it is a silly point of pride to show an empty tank at one year. I don't think it will make the reef Tank 365 that way but hell you never know.


Funny twist is I had a cyano ourbreak due to a pump failure. After a treatment every thing perked right up (like within 24 hours). My remaining corals have visible growth for the first time. My fish are more active. Bacteria could possibly have been my problem all along. So maybe I will have something but I don't care if I don't right now.

I hope my writing this strikes a familiar cord with other who are experiencing similar results. Perhaps looking back at your goals will help.

 

[Kenneth Hooper]

...... I have now flooded the living room 3 times in 2 weeks I have seriously considered throwing in the towel (provided I have any dry ones left).

FOURTH time in 2 weeks!!!!
Last night I was out of the house until 11 PM babysitting 2 of my grandkids.
When I got home, I was greeted to about 20 gals. on the floor - in two rugs and under everything.
It appears that somehow the cat was able to dislodge the hose from the return pump - it runs outside of the non-drilled tank and I hadn't completely secured it yet.
The return pump is supposed to be protected against running dry but looks like 'the rubber broke'. It no longer can keep up with the overflow so for now, I've disconnected the sump/refugium.
Two amazing discoveries from this, however.
1- In their night of terror, my Condy anemone hosted one of my clowns last night. (today they only appear to be acquaintances)
2- My wife is an angel. I am still married.