I’m Leaving The Hobby

[amazongb]

I know how you feel.. when things go well, it's a fun hobby, and when things don't, it's a challenge that I constantly have to ask myself if it's worth it. I guess we start out in this hobby having high expectations and when we realize that getting that perfect looking master tank takes years, then it grinds on you. I think you're making a wise decision to focus on your education, and come back later when time and money permit. Good luck!

 

[Casket_Case]

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!

How do you do a reef jar?

 

[Casket_Case]

@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.

I think I’m gonna do a paludarium with a baby turtle if my parents will allow, I’d like to do something aquarium related though!

 

[Casket_Case]

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.

Wow, that was kinda ignorant. I know why I failed but I do not have the capital to fix it. I know I need RODI, I know I need better equipment, if I could get better stuff believe me I would. But right now I don’t have the financial human or objects to take care of it. I am feeling drained and my tank is affecting my happiness. Plus I have things like a car and college to worry about. So I’m not able to save up money for an aquarium.

 

[Casket_Case]

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.

Also Upside Down jellyfish are so easy to take care of lol they need like almost nothing

 

[sfin52]

I think I’m gonna do a paludarium with a baby turtle if my parents will allow, I’d like to do something aquarium related though!

Start a thread in the lobby. I'll follow

 

[Casket_Case]

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.

I have glass and I’ve been trying the best I can it’s just over my head now

 

[Casket_Case]

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

No, I just feel a pull to that area. I want to help people, I considered being a Medical Professional but if I ever lost a patient I’d never be able to sleep. But in Mortuary Science there’s no worry of losing the patient... they’re already departed. But it’s a way to help the family... it’s not so much about the dead as it is the living. Helping the family to heal, to be able to grieve,to help them through one of the hardest times of their life. There’s also so many people that take advantage of these grieving families and I don’t like that.

 

[Casket_Case]

Start a thread in the lobby. I'll follow

I definitely will once I get this cleared out! I didn’t think of that

 

[Joeg]

Many of us have been in and out of the hobby over the years so take a break if that's what you feel is best.

I actually think it's a mature decision to acknowledge that it may not be the right time to have a tank. A lot of people will make excuses instead of doing an honest assessment of where things stand so I feel that's a decision grounded in facts

If I can make one suggestion it would be to not jump right into another tank regardless of how easy the care seems. Go without one for a while and see how you feel after a 2-3 months. It sounds like you have a bit going on and are feeling stressed so seeing how removing this stressor makes you feel might give some insight into how the other things in your life are affecting you.

If you want something in the glass box I'd turn it into a terrarium for a while. Tuck it near a window, rocks/dirt/plants and water it once a week. Skip the animals for now and you have something nice to look at and easy to care for.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

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.

Downsize. Get a 10 gallon. Buy 10 pounds of live rock from the ocean. Buy a bag of oolite sand. Get a clown. Just one fish. Leave the fish at the LFS for a week or two. If it is sick you will know by them. The life rock is established and you won’t have the algae issues and other issues. Something simple. You will fall in love with the hobby all over again when you are one step ahead

 

[Thespammailaccount]

Wow, that was kinda ignorant. I know why I failed but I do not have the capital to fix it. I know I need RODI, I know I need better equipment, if I could get better stuff believe me I would. But right now I don’t have the financial human or objects to take care of it. I am feeling drained and my tank is affecting my happiness. Plus I have things like a car and college to worry about. So I’m not able to save up money for an aquarium.

You don’t need a rodi. Distilled water is perfect. My 70 gallon is all distilled. You don’t need better equipment. I have 20 dollar power heads and a 30 dollar diy ATS. My rock is live rock not even a strand of algae to be found on it. I have not even been reefing a year. The only difference is I listened to people who have been in the hobby 30+ years

 

[hart24601]

There are quite a few pico jars here on reef2reef but here is another.

This one is still going after all these years:

Maritza The Vase Reef

Peace To All. Here I am. Maritza The Vase Reef. I'm going to be 2 years old on Jan.2015 and this is the latest pic taken Dec.2. I have a my video update now on Youtube, #24. Here's the link below. Any questions, comments, please let us know. We will reply.. Thank You Nano-Reef.com, for the opport...

www.nano-reef.com

2 Gallon “Cookie Jar” Pico Reef by ReefJar

Month 6 - Picture June, 2016 Hello everyone! I’m ReefJar, aka Justin, and I’ve been without a tank for 7+ years due to traveling and moving around frequently. I’ve never stopped wanting to fire up a new tank but it just wasn’t in the cards. Now I’m ready to keep something small and mobile. I love...

www.nano-reef.com

top down of my ReefJar and then later 3g cube.

 

[rusty hannon]

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

That's what I'm talking about. Just remember the secret is to simply enjoy. Have a good time and when you're ready we will b here, as you said , no getting out of reefing once you start, and that's all of us. Look forward to hearing from you,no matter what your doing. Rusty

 

[K7BMG]

Wow, that was kinda ignorant. I know why I failed but I do not have the capital to fix it. I know I need RODI, I know I need better equipment, if I could get better stuff believe me I would. But right now I don’t have the financial human or objects to take care of it. I am feeling drained and my tank is affecting my happiness. Plus I have things like a car and college to worry about. So I’m not able to save up money for an aquarium.

I disagree.
You did not fail because you don't have a RO/DI unit.

Most algae issues are simply an incorect ballance of light and nutrients.
Distilled water at most all grocery stores cost around 80-90 cents a gallon.
Perfect no, but a lot of reefers here on this site have solid reefs using distilled water.

I am sorry the fish died but thats not a RO/DI issue.
RO/DI water is not needed for fish only systems.
So I fail to see the conection on that point.

If you had come here and said, I have to leave the hobby as I can't afford it, and I am need of a car.
Ok thats a logical and mature decision.
But you did not, your frustrated and sad you lost your fish. I get that.
But stand up and dont be defeated by this failure.
Or the next problem in your life will be even larger than this one when it does not need to be.

Whatever you do is your choice and everyone has the right to do what they do and choose the battle.

But when ever you get to that next tank you will be remembering this failed experience. What ever you will do then to make sure it wont happen again can and could be done today. I hope you realise this.

Like I said I am not trying to be harsh here but life is difficult.
If it was easy nothing would be worth it or rewarding.

How will you feel if you walk away right now?
Yes relieved for the minute and forgotten for the moment, but the next tank in the future will be a monumentus event.

How will you feel if you overcome this tanks issues, and wind up with an awesome tank?
That you cant put a price tag on.

The next problem you will face with better confidence and a I can do this mindset and attitude.

Just two perspectives on life.
Maybe a bit to deep for a Reef tank forum and a hobby.

 

[rusty hannon]

You don’t need a rodi. Distilled water is perfect. My 70 gallon is all distilled. You don’t need better equipment. I have 20 dollar power heads and a 30 dollar diy ATS. My rock is live rock not even a strand of algae to be found on it. I have not even been reefing a year. The only difference is I listened to people who have been in the hobby 30+ years

Let me also say,you did Not fail.you have a tank,equipment and love of this wonderful hobby.that's not failing, that's success,especially for a person in your age bracket,and there's not one person here that hasn't a lot of stock at one point. That's how we learn what not to do or what we need to get to succeed.just the nature of this hobby . And by the way,my tank currently is snowing apastaisia, it also crashed 4 months ago and I lost all but a couple fish and the starfish that came in my cleanup crew ate my cleanup crew.lol.oh I'm also disabled on a limited budget so it takes me forever to get there.All I'm saying is being older doesn't mean easier.regardless have a good time enjoying life and when ur ready come back and enjoy reefing.good luck.

 

[Casket_Case]

Many of us have been in and out of the hobby over the years so take a break if that's what you feel is best.

I actually think it's a mature decision to acknowledge that it may not be the right time to have a tank. A lot of people will make excuses instead of doing an honest assessment of where things stand so I feel that's a decision grounded in facts

If I can make one suggestion it would be to not jump right into another tank regardless of how easy the care seems. Go without one for a while and see how you feel after a 2-3 months. It sounds like you have a bit going on and are feeling stressed so seeing how removing this stressor makes you feel might give some insight into how the other things in your life are affecting you.

If you want something in the glass box I'd turn it into a terrarium for a while. Tuck it near a window, rocks/dirt/plants and water it once a week. Skip the animals for now and you have something nice to look at and easy to care for.

That'd be nice, some ferns and driftwood with a little stream n stuff. I like it.

 

[Casket_Case]

I disagree.
You did not fail because you don't have a RO/DI unit.

Most algae issues are simply an incorect ballance of light and nutrients.
Distilled water at most all grocery stores cost around 80-90 cents a gallon.
Perfect no, but a lot of reefers here on this site have solid reefs using distilled water.

I am sorry the fish died but thats not a RO/DI issue.
RO/DI water is not needed for fish only systems.
So I fail to see the conection on that point.

If you had come here and said, I have to leave the hobby as I can't afford it, and I am need of a car.
Ok thats a logical and mature decision.
But you did not, your frustrated and sad you lost your fish. I get that.
But stand up and dont be defeated by this failure.
Or the next problem in your life will be even larger than this one when it does not need to be.

Whatever you do is your choice and everyone has the right to do what they do and choose the battle.

But when ever you get to that next tank you will be remembering this failed experience. What ever you will do then to make sure it wont happen again can and could be done today. I hope you realise this.

Like I said I am not trying to be harsh here but life is difficult.
If it was easy nothing would be worth it or rewarding.

How will you feel if you walk away right now?
Yes relieved for the minute and forgotten for the moment, but the next tank in the future will be a monumentus event.

How will you feel if you overcome this tanks issues, and wind up with an awesome tank?
That you cant put a price tag on.

The next problem you will face with better confidence and a I can do this mindset and attitude.

Just two perspectives on life.
Maybe a bit to deep for a Reef tank forum and a hobby.

If I kept the tank and thgnfs went well the pricetag on it would be my college and a car lol the whole reason for shutting this down is multiple reasons, the fish, the algae, everything. Also, notice how no-one liked your comment? You're not being helpful. Please stop posting in this thread, I posted because I'm stressed and leaving, you're criticism is not helping that.

 

[K7BMG]

If I kept the tank and thgnfs went well the pricetag on it would be my college and a car lol the whole reason for shutting this down is multiple reasons, the fish, the algae, everything. Also, notice how no-one liked your comment? You're not being helpful. Please stop posting in this thread, I posted because I'm stressed and leaving, you're criticism is not helping that.

Yup so be it. I am out.

 

[sas226]

Revisit it in a few years when you're older, have more money etc. All the people that tell you don't need to have an expensive setup are correct. They are totally right. What they fail to mention is how incredibly more difficult it becomes without the pricey equipment. The hobby will be here when you come back and you're ready for another go, best of luck.
Also, you made a thread that was essentially a glorified "This sucks, I'm out." No need to get angry at people who are just stating their invited opinion.

Edit: After reading a lot of your replies. Your constant comment is "I get nothing back". What exactly are you expecting back? Its the same as any other pet. If a box of water with some fish in it isn't you're reward perhaps you're in the wrong place to begin with. Truth be told, if you weren't successful you did something wrong. Period. People in this hobby make mistakes all the time. It happens its part of it. Accepting that is important. Again, if you get the itch when you're older and your priorities realign with wanting to enjoy the hobby, come back but be prepare. You'll face the same hurdles then.