What is the most challenging aspect of the hobby to you?

[Gumbies R Us]

There are some parts to the reef keeping hobby that can provide a good challenge for some people. Maybe it is maintaining stable water parameters, or maybe it is learning how to get coral to flourish in your tank. I am wondering what is the most challenging aspect in the hobby to you?

 

[X-37B]

Convincing people that the average ocean alk is 6.5, lol.
Some reputable growers, I wont name them, insist that the ocean alk is 8-9. They will never return any emails.

 

[randomfishdude]

trying not to quit when something goes very wrong. one of the hardest things to do. or hauling water through the house.

also nice cat the guy above me

 

[FrugalReefer]

Taking high quality pictures with a phone. Any tips, tricks, techniques would be highly appreciated. I have an iPhone 11.

 

[X-37B]

trying not to quit when something goes very wrong. one of the hardest things to do. or hauling water through the house.

also nice cat the guy above me

Thanks! Mr Bags is a funny guy.
Also you need a plan for when things go wrong.
A plan from day one will keep you on track, imo.
Its worked for 30+ for me.

 

[SocalS14]

Consistency - water changes, testing, dosing, etc. Sure, controllers help, and I have automated quite a bit. However, you still need to do some "thing" regularly.

 

[AydenLincoln]

SPS corals so I don’t try anymore!

 

[dadnjesse]

For me stability, I feel I'm just a poweroutage or even a mistake to turn something back on after a water change away to throw something off. I do have a generator but not one that with auto run if I'm not home.

 

[X-37B]

SPS corals so I don’t try anymore!

Sps are easy, you just need a plan.

 

[anthonymckay]

Convincing people that the average ocean alk is 6.5, lol.
Some reputable growers, I wont name them, insist that the ocean alk is 8-9. They will never return any emails.

Just curious, but why is that your mission to convince people? Home reefs do great at 8-9dkh (your own tank thread says you keep it at 8.5) and it's certainly not difficult to maintain that at a stable level. So not sure I see the benefit in convincing people one way or the other about the oceans levels.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Sps are easy, you just need a plan.

I know I don’t though nor do I have low nutrients something I’ve never had and am okay with that. Which is why I won’t add SPS lol.

 

[Troylee]

Adapting Wild Acros to captivity!

 

[randomfishdude]

I know I don’t though nor do I have low nutrients something I’ve never had and am okay with that. Which is why I won’t add SPS lol.

That's interesting. I've got super high nutrients and I keep a few sps.
Although I've just decided not to mess with anything. So far that has worked.

 

[AydenLincoln]

That's interesting. I've got super high nutrients and I keep a few sps.
Although I've just decided not to mess with anything. So far that has worked.

To each their own. That’s surprising to me because they never work for me so I stopped trying.

 

[randomfishdude]

Thanks! Mr Bags is a funny guy.
Also you need a plan for when things go wrong.
A plan from day one will keep you on track, imo.
Its worked for 30+ for me.

Yea. Sometimes it's hard to plan for a acro falling off then the favorite anenome moving over it and the acro cut or ate a hole in the food of that favorite anenome. And you don't discover this till after you are looking in your tank alrety sad because your brand new copperband butterfly died before you even finished acclamation.

 

[dstockwell]

Trying to take good pics with a phone, and no more SPS.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Trying to take good pics with a phone, and more SPS.

The getting good photos with a phone is true even with a filter is so true.

 

[AydenLincoln]

I have another one keeping the glass clean! All those perfect Instagram photos and Reef of the Month photos aren’t the reality lol.

 

[zaga]

Patience. I just setup a new tank with old live rock and I want all the fish and corals lol. But also equipment. Sometimes I need to take a step back and realize if I really need it or not.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

Keeping nitrates in the tank when having a bryopsis/hair algae problem. And also keeping a ph of 8.2 in the tank. Might have to open my window longer than 15 To 20 minutes. I'm about to lose my nitrates right now!