A Question of Responsibility

[xxxbadfishxxx]

Hey Kevin,

long time no see. It is good to think about your family. Do you only have the one tank or do you have multiple tanks still? I am sort of in the same boat, we brought the house around a year ago at the same time my wife started to go back to school, money has been really tight lately and i am sure the monthly costs that i spend would be better spent to pay down some debt that we had racked up over they years. But my tank does serve a purpose, its a hobby, it calms me down, i mean how many people can look at a tank and get away even if its just for a few minutes.

Are you talking about Costs to just for upkeep for the tank? Or are you constantly buying the newest and best equipment? For me i cannot stop thinking about upgrading when i know it is not a good decision, especially now.

hope this helps.

Jeff

 

[HBtank]

You should have seperate goals and budgets for those areas, and though they are improtant they should be reasonable IMO.

Gotta have some fun and enjoy life right?

Of course, it sounds great to save every single penny and be "Mr. Responsible", but how much fun is that? Really, being overly frugal does not set the best example for your kids and why live a long and secure life if it is a boring one...

I think it should also not let it be your only "entertainment". Once anyone has a budget for their personal hobbies, I would not let iany particular one take it all... I personally let reefkeeping be my only home activity that has a significant monthly cost, but I try and keep myself going in other directions and not be too singally focused in my spare time. For me it is really outdoor activites that have pretty large investments every year.. And if you have kids, obviously something interactive with them is a good choice.

I think anyone can keep a tank, as long as they are realistic. It should be limited to what you can afford, once you crunch the numbers. For me it is one 80g tank. I cant afford more.. and will not let myself get a bigger tank etc.. But I have made it into one really nice 80g tank and realized that is my maximum.

Anyways, I just think anyone can do the hobby, just budget for everything and decide what kind of tank you can afford with the money. Whether it is a 150g or 15g nano, anyone can do it and still have that relaxing hobby we love to fiddle with and spend long hours staring at...

 

[Anemone]

Good question Kevin. With three kids of my own (two now in college, one still to go), I've had that same thought many times over the 13 years since I started.

Yes, you are right to be concerned, but no, I don't think you should dump the hobby. Everyone needs some form of stress relief (everyday life is stressful, especially with kids!). At my old house, I spent hours vegetable gardening. It was very relaxing.

We moved and I couldn't do the same amount of gardening. However, I found that reefkeeping was as relaxing as gardening had been. If I stare at one of my tanks for more than about 15-20 minutes, I'm literally ready for a nap.

Remember, balance in all things. YOU have to do some things to keep YOU happy (be selfish once in a while). A stressed out, unhappy parent DOES NOT provide the best home life. Heck, how would you feel if you ended up divorced or dead at 45 due to stress related illness that you could have prevented with a relaxing hobby?

A family is a unit. The health of each individual is important to the health of the whole (and mental health definitely qualifes).

Budget for your hobby. Stick to it (hey, you'll feel less guilt about scrimping and saving to fund your hobby ).

Kevin

 

[hahnmeister]

As to if this hobby is 'productive' enough to not be a total money-pit waste of money, is up to you. I agree that if you have to ask yourself this question... this hobby may not be for you. I have asked myself the question at times, and have told myself, that despite the 'need for a hobby', if this hobby comes into a crossroads with something more important in my life, I will drop it.

I think there are many areas where this hobby has helped me greatly though...

For many people, the details learned in this hobby compliment other areas of their life. Chemists, doctors, engineers, contractors, etc... these are professions (Im sure there are others) which seem to compliment keeping a home reef. For others, its just a hobby to keep them from spending all their money at the strip club otherwise.

Some get into the hobby from a little bit of a business angle. They write articles, they speak at conventions (Sanjay), they design a piece of equipment and turn it into a business (MRC, Oceans Motions, Barr, GEO, ReefMania, heck... frag plugs and reef-free algae magnets). Some start importing corals and fish, and become stores, wholesellers, etc. It doesnt need to be a career even... sometimes the hobby just makes itself compliment other parts of your life.

I can honestly say that this hobby kept me more interested in engineering than the average student... things like the bernoulli equasion, optics, thermodynamics, chemistry... all 'made more sense' to me because I found them more useful. I learned acrylic fabrication/machining... heck, some day, I would love to get a 3-axis CNC router and turn it into a small business... just turning out little parts to help pay for the tool itself. I get free samples from companies to 'test out' their new product, or troubleshoot them, or test them side-by-side with a spectrometer or photon meter.

You can set up a frag tank, propigate corals, and even have the hobby start to pay for itself in the long run. Some start small businesses based on this... so the hobby sustains itself.

Thats always been my goal... if you pick an expensive hobby... make it pay for itself in some way. Propigate frags, help companies design equipment better, make equipment for others, or a small side-business selling something unique that others need. And for sure, 100%, join a club near you. It will help bring down the cost of this hobby like you wouldnt believe.