I've noticed a lot of people doing this lately

[TroyPham]

getting out of the hobbie that is. i can understand a move and what not. but i've seen a lot of tanks go up for sale and people getting out. It's made me wonder what was going on. is it from going to big to fast, cost, lost intrest, wife, i'm not sure. i've noticed on marsh the same thing happening.

People with really nice sps tanks taking them down or moving away from sps to go softly or fish only. i hope this isn't a trend :( we are gonna see here.

is anyone else thinking about a switch or moving away from the hobbie??

[Brett Wilson]

I'll admit, the price people are wanting for 'rare' corals that really arent rare at all and the recent zoo naming-it-to-make-it unique and expensive thing drove me away for a while....

Luckily not everyone and not all stores play that game though.
And I actually have a new tank going right now :)

[Brett Wilson]

I lost interest, but that's not uncommon for me. I tend to get in to things and get very involved with the preparation and setup phases and then once the challenge is over I move on. I lost interest in reefing about 6-8 months ago when I bought my bay boat, now I've lost interest in the bay boat and I'm in to surf shark fishing, once I catch some good sized sharks I'd imagine I'll move on to something else.

I consider moving on often a good thing as long as you can find a way for it to have the least amount of impact on your budget as possible ;)
Keeps the brain active and learning...

I think this time around i'll just keep the tank if I get tired of it but not slack too much on the maintenance... it will be easier if I keep it a low maintenance tank. it'd be fun to look at it every once in a while and say 'oh yeah, it's all doing well, and dang those corals are growing....'

-Brett

[brewercm]

I think some people just get bored with it after a while, it ends up being more work than they thought it would, their wife/husband finds out how much it really costs. I guess it can keep on going from there. I've been in saltwater since 1986 when I was stationed in Oklahoma and all we had was a little local shop or a couple more if you were willing to drive an hour or so, and freshwater for years before that. Lots of people come and go and it cycles just like everything does I guess. I know I was out of it for about six years myself after moving to Korea and just didn't get right back in. I think a lot of folks also started getting rediculous electric bills last year and got out then also, which in MHO had more to do with overkill on their own part than anything.
I keep my system as simple as possible but within limits, the lights have to be there. I don't need a protein skimmer that takes a pump that is sucking 240 watts (my ASM G3 works fine), I don't need another 120 watt pump to run a calcium reactor (that I don't have), etc. etc.

I myself think that some people get into it so quick and so deeply they don't think about all of it up front and what it will take to continue it. My last tank I had up for almost five years before moving, this one has now been up a little over a year and will stay up until I move or have to break it down for health reasons.

OK, that's my .02 or .25

[matt]

I was out for almost 2 years with my move, and I have to say, the lack of constant responsibility and constant budget drain was really welcome! Then, I was given a smaller tank, traded some acrylic work for stuff, and now I'm back in trying to keep it cheap and simple...especially trying to not spend too much time on it.

I took up diving, and I can tell you from experience that it's much less expensive to get certified, buy enough gear to be safe and comfy diving, and go to Cozumel twice a year for week long dive trips than it is to set up and maintain a sizable reef tank. IOW, it's easier and cheaper to visit the marine life at their place than invite them to yours!

[Bill S]

I've been in and out of this hobby for 37 years. I never really get away - we've ALWAYS had some kind of tank set up.

[LoneStar]

I lost interest, but that's not uncommon for me. I tend to get in to things and get very involved with the preparation and setup phases and then once the challenge is over I move on. I lost interest in reefing about 6-8 months ago when I bought my bay boat, now I've lost interest in the bay boat and I'm in to surf shark fishing, once I catch some good sized sharks I'd imagine I'll move on to something else.


Its a wonder your married to the same woman. :lol

[blueboy]

yeah, i've considered tearing down my 120 mixed reef and setting up a 30 cube stocked with nothing but ricordias, and a couple of fish.

[SAtiger]

I just got out. I am going out of the country for 7 weeks and then I'll return to a new apartment (everything is in storage now) and then I have 1 more year of school and then I'll probably move around. It just didn't make sense to keep taking it down and setting it back up. Add in the cost of everything and the fact I'm broke and it wasn't that difficult of a decision (although it was painful). I'll be back one day when I get settled in and get a real job.

[falcondob]

I think the hobby attracts personality types like Joshua. I know I am that kind also. Reefers seem to be the kind of people that crave a challenge and new experience. I am going to try and stay the course. That doesn't mean I won't change tanks or types of tanks. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

[Brett Wilson]

yeah, i've considered tearing down my 120 mixed reef and setting up a 30 cube stocked with nothing but ricordias, and a couple of fish.

I went from my 115 to my current 30 cube, though it's not all ricordia. speaking of, if anyone has some, I'm looking :)

[JeremyGlen]

The increased cost of living and everything has something to do with it. The cost of shipping fish from overseas, to Cali or whereever, to your wholesaler, to the LFS, etc. has driven the price of fish sky high. I've walked into a couple of places lately and seen outrageous prices. I even heard the LFS I worked for in Waco is closing down because it is too expensive to stay open for the few people that actually care about the saltwater hobby there.

I also understand the moving thing. Since I got in about 3 years ago, I've moved my tanks 2 or 3 times. I decided this time I was going to build one with everything I want that is inexpensive to maintain and easier to move if I do. When the time comes to build a house, you can bet your ***** I'm going to have the plans drawn up for a monster tank done up the right way, but only when I can afford it.

[SAtiger]

The electrical cost could be discouraging some people too. If you have a big setup with pumps, lights, powerheads, skimmers, heaters, etc. running all the time it adds up. Not to mention you have to make sure to keep the house cold enough so the tank doesn't overheat. My tank was 78-80 degrees and made the whole living room hot and stuffy if the A/C wasn't on. Meanwhile, that means the heaters on the tank were kicking back on to stay around 80. Kind of a catch 22.

[LoneStar]

The electrical cost could be an issue....but if you set your system up a certain way, its not all that bad...

[don-n-sa]

I almost had to sell my set up, but things worked out and I am pumped up again. I started out with a 29g, upgraded to a 100g, then to my 240g which I keep adding more to. I can see how some get burned out because it is fun setting up new systems...then once you are fully stocked then what???

What I am doing is just adding more tanks and plumbing them into my system...yes I have a great wife!!! I still enjoy my tank and I do not plan on getting out of this great hobby.


I also agree that some people dont fully realize how much money a reef tank costs to set up and especially to maintain / keep running. I have seen several set-ups being sold due to the costs of maintaining the tank.

My system costs about:
$150 a month in electrical
$25 a month food
$50 a month in miscellaneous expenses like salt, supplements, vitamins etc.

[i_love_pez]

getting out of the hobbie that is. i can understand a move and what not. but i've seen a lot of tanks go up for sale and people getting out. It's made me wonder what was going on. is it from going to big to fast, cost, lost intrest, wife, i'm not sure. i've noticed on marsh the same thing happening.

People with really nice sps tanks taking them down or moving away from sps to go softly or fish only. i hope this isn't a trend :( we are gonna see here.

is anyone else thinking about a switch or moving away from the hobbie??

the ones ive seen on nano-reef, RC and here usually have one of 2 things involved and that is the wife or its just a passing interest. like an impulse buy at the gas station ya know?

i think the younger ones who are getting out of it just dont have the patience needed to do weekly water changes, tank upkeep and things of the like.

thats how i was when i was young, impatient and impulsive.

i dont think wife should be on your list. mine would not hinder my aquatic hobby, just as i wouldnt hinder her hobby of collecting geisha dolls.

[chrismikea]

well i fall into the getting out of the hobby class, but my reason are not wife realated. i just really dont have the time anymore. i got a promotion at my crap job and iam going farther in school. iam also in the middle or selling and buy a car right now.

[SGTDirk]

yeah i know how that goes about money. my husband always wanted a saltwater tank and he told me that it is going to be about 500$ to set it up. so i agreed to get a 20 long. well it started out slow and rather cheap, but as time went on he wanted a fish only and i wanted a reef tank. after we had it all set up we started to have problems with nitrates and such. my husbands idear on how to fix it was buy a bigger tank. :blink

well okay then so he bought a 50G breeder. after a while, my husband is in the army, we needed a way to move our 50G tank. so he bought a 24 nano cube.(not a good way to move a tank. some saltwater spilled and it shorted out my electrical in my car.)

well to make a long story short we need to buy a 300G tank now because we got 2 sharks and one shark egg :wacko i don't know how much that is going to be, but i need to go and get a job so we can afford to buy the 300G tank and what ever else we need. :D

so i know all about not knowing how much it is going to be when we started, but it is now a family hobby and the kids love going to LFS and checking out what they have and what we could buy. so we got a 24G nano cube with soft corals and the 50G has the sharks until we buy that 300G tank. so that leaves the 50G with no plans for now.

SGTDirks wife

[Flobex]

if i get bored with something, i try to challenge mysellf more... like i the future i wannt a succesful jeellly fish tank, and i wannt to try and succesfully keep an octopus.

[i_love_pez]

i like to challenge myself so much, that i accidentally dunked one side of my t5's into my tank, causing the 03 anctinic side to turn off immediatly.

then like a moron i grabbed the side that has the on/off switch. i got a nice shock. my left hand still feels weird.

how long should i let the light dry out before i attempt to restart it? ive dunked one light before and let it sit about 12 hours and it was fine. it was a PC though not a t5.

sorry to threadjack, boy my hand feels funny.

[saltcreepette]

blueboy:
ha, are you the one who bought the 120 from me (Erin in Austin, did trade and built me my stand/canopy for my 37 gallon)?

I have transferred my reef over to my old 55g tank and am cycling the 37 for a trigger tank. Plus I have a 20g for my maroon clown and fourstripe damsel. I think I like matt's idea of getting certified and going to visit the marine life in its house not vice versa. But I just dont know if I could sacrifice my tanks. Oh the agony of not being rich. matt, talk me into getting rid of my tanks and getting certified.

[TroyPham]

i like a challenge too. it was the same with my clam tank. it was months of design, build, setup and stocking. i did loose intrest in it after the challenge was up. but the reef was always running. it would still be running though if i hadn't moved, the clam tank that is. i guess we can't be a-d-d and have a reef tank.

but i'm wondering if this is a "fad" hobby, and like all fads, it fades away. i know there are a few that have been doing it for 5-10+ years, and are true enthusiast. but is this something you out grow like cars, motorcycles, and such. i've been keeping fish tanks for 11+ years and reefs for 5+ years so for me i don't think its a fad. but i'm not sure for others. even some that you thought would be in it for life.

[JeremyGlen]

I know there was the huge rush of people who got into the hobby when Disney got every kid in the world interested with FREAKIN NEMO. I'm sure by now, those people are either out or getting out because they are tired of cleaning and taking care of the tanks they bought a couple of years ago.

[Isis]

In our club, if it isn't the wife, or the lack of time spent with the family, or the cost of the hobby, or just wanting a break, then it is boredom. I have a philosophy, if you are spending more time with your tank than your family, you are doing something wrong.

[TroyPham]

i think to many people over complicate their systems. i feed my fish every other day. dump my skimmet everyday or so. clean glass every 3 days. add top-off water everyday. and change 25-30 gallons once a month.

with out other tinkering, moving of corals and what not, i think i spend about 5-6hrs a month working on the tank and 2-3hrs a day looking at the tank.

to me simple is better. less to go wrong. less to fix. less to setup and less to replace.

[navyreef]

well okay then so he bought a 50G breeder. after a while, my husband is in the army, we needed a way to move our 50G tank. so he bought a 24 nano cube...well to make a long story short we need to buy a 300G tank now because we got 2 sharks and one shark egg :wacko i don't know how much that is going to be, but i need to go and get a job so we can afford to buy the 300G tank and what ever else we need. :D

so i know all about not knowing how much it is going to be when we started, but it is now a family hobby and the kids love going to LFS and checking out what they have and what we could buy. so we got a 24G nano cube with soft corals and the 50G has the sharks until we buy that 300G tank. so that leaves the 50G with no plans for now.

SGTDirks wife
Best of luck with that. Three sharks (are they bamboo or epaulettes? Please don't say nurse!!!) in a 50g is just insane. Just curious, but how did you even get in this situation? Was it a poorly researched impulse buy?

A guy I work with (I am military, too) wanted help setting up a 55g reef tank. He had no saltwater experience, so I was happy to help. I explained to him everything he would need, his livestock options, etc. He got all the appropriate equipment, I helped him set it up, and told him to call me anytime. Well, the next day he went to the LFS (the cheaper one I told him to avoid), armed with my list of suitable fish, and proceeded to buy a pair of Banded Cat Sharks. He called me when he got home, excited as could be, and I just freaked out. I didn't know much about sharks, but I had read a few articles by Bob Fenner that said they should not be kept without regard to expense and care. In his experience, he said half die within a month, and 80% die within 3 months. They just require so much space, so much attention, and expensive filtration (Jesus, they are messy eaters) they are not recommended for anything less than an advanced marine aquarist. Not to mention that they need an expensive variety of human grade food.

Well, long story short, after me pleading with him for several days, him refusing to return them, I stopped talking to the guy. He did not have the money to upgrade his tank, so he decided to ignore all advice and just cruelly keep these animals. I found out from another friend that sure enough, one of the sharks died within 2 weeks. My former friend, in disgust, gave the other shark back to the LFS when it became apparent that it too was sick.

Best luck with that new habitat. Sharks are beautiful creatures, and I think anyone who has seen them has been half tempted to consider one, but they are difficult to keep. I wish you well.

[LoneStar]

i think to many people over complicate their systems. i feed my fish every other day. dump my skimmet everyday or so. clean glass every 3 days. add top-off water everyday. and change 25-30 gallons once a month.

with out other tinkering, moving of corals and what not, i think i spend about 5-6hrs a month working on the tank and 2-3hrs a day looking at the tank.

to me simple is better. less to go wrong. less to fix. less to setup and less to replace.

Yes I agree. I hardly do any work on mine. The challenge of building and designing was a blast. Now its just let em' grow!!! (only because I don't have as much money to buy new livestock :lol ) It really does not take too much time during the week to keep it looking good.

Its nice to get it to the turn-key stage. Sit back and relax 8)

Now if I ever move it....there will be a nice challenge! Bigger and better! If I knew what I know now in the hobby, I would slowly build up a awesome tank with perfect custom wiring and plumbing.

[brewercm]

I had my eyes originally set on a 180 when I moved into the new house. Once we moved in I decided to down size to a 100 (I'm short and have back problems so a 180 started looking like too much reach and work). Problem was I had already bought the 180 and built the stand and canopy, put the lighting in, had the tank drilled and overflows built. Needless to say, somebody got a great deal on a tank, canopy, and stand. I sold the 400 watt halides and 72 inch VHO bulbs and swapped out to dual 250 watt halides and two 48 inch VHOs. Actually I wouldn't mind adding a couple more actinic VHO's. I did get to drill through to the garage where I keep my sump/fuge, pumps, filter, skimmer, chiller,and new to be added propogation tank all out of site. That was the best thing I have done this time around, not to mention any (most any) mishaps with overflows will be in the garage.

[SGTDirk]

navyreef we started more than 3 years ago with this hobby and we learned a thing or two. at first we keept our tank basic and we went from there adding better stuff to it as time went by. as for the sharks (bamboo) they are doing just fine we make sure to give them all the attention that they need. i have been checking the water every other day and we are doing the water xchange every weekend or sooner depending on the water. my husband makes sure that those sharks eat sometimes better then we do. lol
we hatched our first shark (kitty) out of an egg and we had her for about 3 months now or so. (including egg time)

ps. we are getting the nurse shark as soon as he gets out of the army and buys a house and take the basement and turn it into a shark tank so he can go dive and swim with his sharks.

[LoneStar]

I hope you won't be looking for a house with a basement in San Antonio! :huh :unsure :P

[navyreef]

navyreef we started more than 3 years ago with this hobby and we learned a thing or two. at first we keept our tank basic and we went from there adding better stuff to it as time went by.
Yeah, the urge to add is strong. I still think you should have waited until you had the tank and equipment to support them, but that is just my .02.

[SGTDirk]

Let me ask you a question, how big of a tank do I need for 2 fish 7-8 inches long? I have the filtration that could handle a tank three times the size of mine. I have a tank plenty big enough for my 2 sharks. While they grow they will get a 300g tank. As for the factor that sharks die, I think that that is just ignorant. I think that sharks are more than just fish, they are pets, kinda like a dog. They get attention on a daily basis. You see I am a true shark lover. I belive sharks have more potential than anyone gives them credit for. You can believe me when I say my sharks are well cared for.
I may have never kept a shark before, but I promise you this I know more about them than you know about dogs or cats.

[navyreef]

I wasn't trying to flame you. I am sure you have the best of intentions with regard to your animals. It is just I have seen very few of these arrangements end well, but I sincerely hope that your case is an exception. Thankfully, these animals do not grow exceptionally fast, and I am sure you can have a suitable habitat for them. The only reason I made comment is because your wife said that you guys had 3 sharks and did not currently have the money to get a larger system.

[miked78231]

just wanted to say that my tank is still up and running and doing better then ever. money can be retarded at times but i still always find away to make it work. i love this hobby and i cant wait to get the tank exactly how i want it.

[SGTDirk]

Oh trust me I have the money, it's just being willing to part with it. She was being sinical. It was more of a metafore about the cost of the hobby and the number of people getting out of it.

[jap1]

What a funny thread. I know it's been forever and day since I've been to MAAST, but I'm still having fun with my 12 gallon Aquapod. It's so simple to maintain. I have it well stocked with corals. Only 1 little clown fish which I've had since January I believe. I love staring at it. I might add one more really small fish. I almost got overwhelmed when I jumped into the hobby, but now I realize that it's much easier than many make it out to be (atleast on my small scale). I have my lighting set up on household timers. I have chaetomorpha growing fine in one of the back chambers. Loads of live rock. NO protein skimmer. This tank practically takes care of itself. I have TONS of pods and even a bunch of baby Nasarius snails. All I have to do is feed it every once in a while, do a quick water change every couple of weeks, and clean up the glass when it gets dirty. I love it! .........but it wasn't cheap to buy everything to begin. However, it's extremely cheap to maintain (only 12 gallons with PC's).

[brewercm]

I agree 100% jap1. Basically part of what I was getting at. Some of these systems become so enourmous that it becomes a job and tons of $$$ to keep it up rather than fun any longer.

[BA]

wow, just a side note..but has anyone seen the horn shark at Alamo??? he is gorgeous!!!! plus they are getting in smoothhounds like crazy right now...