Ever want to throw your hands up and walk away?

[AnthonyF]

Have you ever wanted to just give up on the hobby and walk away from it all. That's where I think I'm heading. Just left my LFS a while ago and found out one of my fish being housed had died there. My parameters are a bit off, and when I was ready to get going, my first set of clowns came with a disease, leaving me with an empty tank for 12 weeks. I thought upgrading was going to be a fun new start and was all positive. It seems like what could go wrong so far has. Its making me think I should just drain the tank, sell it and move on to something else as its becoming more work (I knew it would take time but this is getting crazy) than it is fun. Anyone else ever have this feeling and stick it out? My vent session but I'm just wondering if its worth it any more. Thanks.

 

[Gsxkid]

There's a thread about this like 4 threads down "frustrated" there's a whole group of people that have been there. I find once your up and running good it stays that way if you just do your maintenance

 

[pavster]

Yeah I am sure we all have those moments but it really isn't that big a deal. My current tank had a major ich outbreak - lost my favorite fish - the one that made me move up from a 12 gal biocube to this new 60 gal with a basement sump set-up. It was really frustrating. I thought I wouldn't get rid of ich without chemicals until one day I brought home a cleaner shrimp and lo and behold - he cured them all!! So yeah it can be frustrating but honestly my lawn frustrates me more.

 

[mnavick]

A good percentage that "throw in the towel" come back. Once obsessed, you can't get the hook out.
Whether it's the challenge (of keeping Saltwater) or the constant upkeep (husbandry), it becomes a part of you

 

[delta]

I have a long list of times I have been on the fence. No matter how long you do this something always comes up you have dealt with or a new improved more frustrating version of it.

You are far from alone.


On the flip side really cool things happen like your fish spawn, or your anemone splits or you your plate corals totally dead but then starts dropping new little place corals like mad. Or a fish you thought was long gone shows up. Or snails lay eggs all over the glass.

 

[reefstarter]

I have a coral in my frag tank I thought was long dead , left it in there just to keep the rock it was on as a frag rock , it has recently started coming back !!!. in the past year I have had nothing but problems . Ich , high phos and nitrates ,Calcium reactor issues hair algae , nudi's , you name it . but when I get it fixed and start to see some new growth on stuff the excitement builds . I still am not totaly happy with the tank . but its getting better . keep at it , be patient and things will turn around . ONE STEP AT A TIME !!!!!!

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

I find having more than one tank helps a little. Luckily, they never crash at the same time. It seems I am always trying to "fix" or "save" something, but at least there is always one tank that seems to be doing OK and makes me think maybe I'm not all that bad at this. I find the hobby totally fascinating because there is always something new to see and learn. There's a special pride in having a reef tank. Maybe it's in knowing that you didn't give up and always hoping that one day you will have your perfect tank.

 

[choff]

I was totally happy with my tank once. Once. You know what happened? I got bored and stopped paying attention to it. Then all kinds of issues cropped up and I had to fix them! Then it was "fun" again.

As many problems as I've had, I've never thought of shutting it down. I just love it and it's part of me now. I have certainly gone through some lulls of interest when it was a chore to maintain it. Fortunately my system us highly automated and requires very very little manual intervention (hour a week). I think that's been the key for me.

Sorry you are having issues and hope you can find the love again.

Best,
Mike