I’m Leaving The Hobby

[Art2249]

I know what I want to do, and the Death Industry is it. And I personally disagree, the only boring people are the deceased, but even they teach a lot of things, especially things the living couldn’t teach you. Most of the people I’ve met in the Death Industry are far more interesting than everyday ones.

Sorry man i was actually referring to the dead people as boring.

 

[Casket_Case]

Sorry man i was actually referring to the dead people as boring.

No problem! I wondered if you were haha. But for me personally they don’t bother me as much as help me to reflect upon myself and urge me to live better before I don’t have the chance to.

 

[j.falk]

Which I totally get, but the bad outweighs the good and these fish and coral give me nothing back. If it’s become such a vacuum I think it’s better I go without. Every cent I get goes to that tank and I’m tired of it being a one way ticket. I’ve been in the hobby for almost two years and it’s making me weary.

I'm with you. Whenever something doesn't make me happy, I get rid of it...and 9 times out of 10 I regret it later, but at the time it does make me feel better.

 

[Casket_Case]

hi,sorry to see you go,would sell as a package,not to deal w piecing it out and being stuck w 100 calls
best wishes on your next venture,see ya back here soon enough

Oh, I’ll be back definitely. If I get my own funeral home I’m most definitely gonna have another reef tank and you bet it’ll be amazing.
And thank you, I really appreciate you guys. Especially you, @fishguy242 along with @sfin52 @vetteguy53081 @NashobaTek @Cell @footgal @Sailingeric @Mr_Knightley all of these guys ‘n gals deserve a follow. I love their content and almost EVERYTIME I had a question or problem they were one of the first to respond.

 

[samnaz]

This hobby can be extremely difficult, confusing, stressful, etc... I know how you feel. Losing animals in our care is hard to deal with. Just know if you ever feel like trying again, perhaps you might have more success with a simple setup and easy hardy livestock. Basic isn’t always boring. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Best of luck to you in whatever you chose to do and we’ll be here to help if/when you return. ;-)

 

[Tamberav]

First tang and I’ve had her for a few months and she’s really been a great fish and she was stuck to the powerhead intake. I’m sixteen and in highschool and it’s just getting to be too much stress. I’ve had five power outages in two years since moving here and getting an aquarium and that’s enough of a bet on its own. Plus equipment is so much money I’ve barely scraped by with equipment this far. I can’t get an RODI system. I have insane amounts of hair algae and everything I do to fix it fails!!! I’m ticked and I’m probably gonna try n sell everything.

Sounds like you tried to do too much..when I was young and limited on funds...my first tank was only 12g with PC lights... a clownfish, firefish, and a goby and soft corals and I bought distilled to do water changes. It was small and affordable and didn't require expensive equipment or an RODI machine since I didn't need that much water.

I have big tanks now but also have a 5g SPS pico that is still small... affordable and easy to care for and doesn't require equipment. It houses SPS instead of softies because of the advancement of LEDs. It has a damsel, a goby, and a shrimp.

You would need a pretty large tank for a Blue Tang so cost will certainly be an issue and changing water would be an absolute nightmare without a RODI. That's biting off more than you can chew. You just need to work within your means so it's a fun hobby and not a chore.

 

[BeltedCoyote]

OP

I’m sorry to see you go after having found so much stress from a hobby that’s supposed to be fulfilling. But I get it. I’ve wanted a saltwater tank since I first saw an antenata lion back in 1995 when I was five. I’m almost 30 now and still have to really budget to afford the equipment I need for my build. Heck, even though I have a career and full time employment, there have definitely been times within the last 8 months where I really thought about giving up. I’m sticking with it, but a big part of that is due to the amazing woman who supports me in pursuing this even though she has no real interest in the hobby itself.

you gotta do what’s best for you. I think the people saying hold on to stuff if you can have a good point, but if you’re looking at college and everything else, that may not be feasible. Which is fine. I hope that one day you may find yourself getting back into the hobby. And if so, I have a feeling you may find more enjoyment that time around.

Also, I second @ReeferBlaine on recommending a tortoise rather than turtles. I had a Russian tortoise when I was 8 and it was simple enough that I did 95% of the care and my parents only stepped in for things like moving it’s enclosure outside to clean (said enclosure was as big as I was). Turtles are pretty dirty so they need a lot more maintenance than most people realize. Up to you though. If you tried to maintain a reef tank at 16 you will probably be fine with a turtle. they just take a lot of maintenance. Food for thought is all

 

[rusty hannon]

I'm not a member of the younger crew but once was and trust me life is full of disappointments and feelings of regrets, but being 16 ,go for the car,take some time away from this hobby and enjoy life.more times than not you may come back but regardless enjoy life. It goes so quick.Have a good one and best of luck.

 

[Casket_Case]

Sounds like you tried to do too much..when I was young and limited on funds...my first tank was only 12g with PC lights... a clownfish, firefish, and a goby and soft corals and I bought distilled to do water changes. It was small and affordable and didn't require expensive equipment or an RODI machine since I didn't need that much water.

I have big tanks now but also have a 5g SPS pico that is still small... affordable and easy to care for and doesn't require equipment. It houses SPS instead of softies because of the advancement of LEDs. It has a damsel, a goby, and a shrimp.

You would need a pretty large tank for a Blue Tang so cost will certainly be an issue and changing water would be an absolute nightmare without a RODI. That's biting off more than you can chew. You just need to work within your means so it's a fun hobby and not a chore.

It was a hobby and not a chore until now... literally all my fish are clownfish, bennies, a bass, and then I had a tang. My corals are Gorgonians, Stylophora, Montipora, mushrooms, Zoanthids, palythoas, Kenya trees, Xenia, clove polyps, and Duncans and then I had two anemones. All basic and hardy. but I have problems with algae, it’s the second fish I lost in a year, and I’m growing tired of never having cash because I’m using it to buy water or chemicals or a piece of equipment instead of saving up for the future or going out to eat with friends or buying plants or whatever else I want to do.

 

[Casket_Case]

OP

I’m sorry to see you go after having found so much stress from a hobby that’s supposed to be fulfilling. But I get it. I’ve wanted a saltwater tank since I first saw an antenata lion back in 1995 when I was five. I’m almost 30 now and still have to really budget to afford the equipment I need for my build. Heck, even though I have a career and full time employment, there have definitely been times within the last 8 months where I really thought about giving up. I’m sticking with it, but a big part of that is due to the amazing woman who supports me in pursuing this even though she has no real interest in the hobby itself.

you gotta do what’s best for you. I think the people saying hold on to stuff if you can have a good point, but if you’re looking at college and everything else, that may not be feasible. Which is fine. I hope that one day you may find yourself getting back into the hobby. And if so, I have a feeling you may find more enjoyment that time around.

Also, I second @ReeferBlaine on recommending a tortoise rather than turtles. I had a Russian tortoise when I was 8 and it was simple enough that I did 95% of the care and my parents only stepped in for things like moving it’s enclosure outside to clean (said enclosure was as big as I was). Turtles are pretty dirty so they need a lot more maintenance than most people realize. Up to you though. If you tried to maintain a reef tank at 16 you will probably be fine with a turtle. they just take a lot of maintenance. Food for thought is all

Thanks, yeah I’ve had a turtle before when I was young until it ran away... we had to move him outside because he was so big. Turtles are so much simpler and that’s something I yearn for. They more personally recognize you than most fish... fish look at me as a glorified feeder. They also have a much higher mortality rate than fish.

 

[Casket_Case]

I'm not a member of the younger crew but once was and trust me life is full of disappointments and feelings of regrets, but being 16 ,go for the car,take some time away from this hobby and enjoy life.more times than not you may come back but regardless enjoy life. It goes so quick.Have a good one and best of luck.

Thanks, I’ll definitely be back. I don’t think I could escape reefing in any lifetime

 

[Everything Aquatics]

I am in high school to, Its quite expensive. It takes up time but I think it’s worth it. My school was going to have a coral club and we got a nice tank but corona happened so we haven’t started it yet

 

[hart24601]

When it’s not fun I think it’s good to get out. Should you miss it you can keep a reef jar on the cheap and they are really quite fun and a way to still be connected to the hobby and really sharpen most people’s connection to corals overall.

Bigger often isn’t better!

 

[sfin52]

@Frigus Reef I hate to see you leave. I understand your reasoning. I so agree that tanks are easier to manage when you are planted and less busy. Why not just turn it into a fw set up. It will over board but you have all the stuff when you come back.

 

[Tamberav]

It was a hobby and not a chore until now... literally all my fish are clownfish, bennies, a bass, and then I had a tang. My corals are Gorgonians, Stylophora, Montipora, mushrooms, Zoanthids, palythoas, Kenya trees, Xenia, clove polyps, and Duncans and then I had two anemones. All basic and hardy. but I have problems with algae, it’s the second fish I lost in a year, and I’m growing tired of never having cash because I’m using it to buy water or chemicals or a piece of equipment instead of saving up for the future or going out to eat with friends or buying plants or whatever else I want to do.

That sounds like a headache to me. It's a large tank you can't afford to water change or have to lug big amounts of water around. It's full of algae and so on.

You don't need chemicals or skimmers or large amounts of water for nanos and pico's. You just do a small water change weekly and that's all it needs. I don't even test mine and a 200g box of IO salt lasts ages and ages on a small tank. Low cost and high success.

 

[K7BMG]

I’ll most likely be back. I’m debating making this a Jelly tank after I sell all the livestock.

Ok so this is gona sound mean. My children will testify to this.
But its not meant to be.

I would never allow any of my children to quit because of a failure.
Maturity is measure by how one deals with there problems.

Do the work do the research learn what happend. Then act with knowledge.

The reality here, if you are having issues with your current tank you will have catastrophe with a jelly tank.
Why would you choose to go from the frying pan into the fire.

 

[blasterman]

I have a different perspective, and while I feel for the OP I blame a lot out his issues on pier pressure I see other reefers put on newcomers. Thankfully I've been defiant from the start way back when I was his age.

- Too much bioload

- Too big a tank to financially support.

- Relying on water changes to export nutrients, which is expensive and results in a nutrient roller coaster and helping as opposed to hindering nuisance algaes.

- Uncovered tanks because we all know everybody wants to install a RODI unit and be a part time plumber. I keep all my tanks covered with glass aside from a small sliver. No floor taffy...very little evap. Stable tank. pH identical to an open tank. Could care less about blocking 10% of my light when they aren't turned up 100%.

OP is just another victim of bad advice.

 

[92Miata]

A word of advice from someone who left the hobby a few years ago and then came back... Don’t sell any of your stuff! Keep it all in storage somewhere so that when you decide to take it up again, which you probably will at least you won’t have to buy everything all over again.

Gonna give the opposite advice. Almost nothing of mine worked when it came out of that box - and what did was the lighting - which I couldn't get bulbs for anymore.

 

[Thaxxx]

Nah, it’s over. For now I’m done. I give all my cash and get nothing in return. I think it’s time I get rid of it all and save up for a car then mortuary school as those things are far more important and necessary. Maybe I’ll get a turtle or some simple pet instead.

That's a intresting career choice. Is it your families bussiness?

 

[Fishurama]

A lot of good advice here, ie keep a smaller tank if you want to continue, keep some of your equipment since prices are insane in this hobby and to rebuy everything will suck. There are many free or cheap ways to combat hair algae(tooth brush,turkey baster, hydrogen peroxide,etc) Sometimes we all lose fish, some of us all at once to velvet or other issues, don't feel like the odd man out, you aren't we have all gone through issues, anyone who says they haven't is a liar. We all learn from it and get better for both us and our fish friends.
This is also a good way to learn to commit to things when times get hard, which everyone is always learning from.
Hopefully you stick with the hobby but if not i can't think of a more fitting song/scene lol.