Been awhile, trying to get enthusiasm

Bent

Bent

I got nothin'
Hey guys and gals, it's been about 8 months or so since I've been on. Long story short, my interest in my tank waned. I actually lost some of my oldest fish that I had since the beginning and got a little bummed. Then I started battling loosing my big torch. It started bailing heads and it's down from about 10 to 4. Whatever happened must have been confined to just that one coral because my hammer and Others are still doing just fine. Whatever was going on seems to has chilled out and the other heads have been hanging on for a few months so I think I'm over the hump.

I am still annoyed with my sinularia. This may sound nuts, but I've had this sinularia for 4 years and it was Only ever extended one time when I first got it. It grows, and it is super wide with about 20 or 25 branches. The blasted thing should be taking up half the tank, but it just sits there, shriveled up in the same spot for the last 4 years. I tried a couple experiments. I lowered the flow down to near nothing and slowly ramped it up over the course of a few weeks to see if maybe there was a sweet spot that would make it open up. Nope. Still sat there. All shriveled up. I'm doing the same thing with the lights. Right now I'm ramping up to 30/30 white/blue for for hour at the maximum for two hours ramp down for 4 hours. Going to just keep ramping it up by 5 a week to see if it finds a spot it likes. Right now it's not looking any different. I'm just resigned at this point for it to always look like crap.

Then my dang engineer decides to turn into a opportunistic predator. He has at this point eaten every single thing in the tank that isn't fish or coral. I have no porcelain crabs left, I have no snails or hermits left either. I've been wanting to get a clam for a while now but now that he's acting like this I'm too gun shy to do it.


Sigh.

I just don't know guys. It's just really discouraging continually messing with this tank and it just stays....ugly and things don't go how you want them to go. After all this time I should have a thriving mixed reef, but instead I have a few pretty fish (which is fine) and some mediocre corals. I've thought about spending money to change lights and powerheads, then redoing my aquascape to see if that helps, but it would be my luck I'd just end up releasing a bunch of organics messing around with it and cause a big algae outbreak.


So, bleh. :headwallblue:
 
I feel your pain man, I've had a few big setbacks and was feeling defeated. I stepped back for a while and decided not to press so hard. Often we feel this pressure to have a TOTM style tank but the reality is they are extremely time consuming and involve a ton of hard work. In the end you gotta enjoy what you have instead of harping on what could be.

My current build is crazy, I went all out, but I am enjoying the work setting the system up and not rushing to make it super colorful. That will come with time.

Keep your head up and take it in stride. Don't force it.
 
Agreed, one step at a time. It seems your heart is still im it, so I know you truly want to turn the tank arouns. I would research, and determine what you want out of your current setup, possibly its a new setup. Nothing like a new tank to spark interest. If you engineer is limiting, then find it a good home and move on. All my opinion, but I feel we go through these stages with our tanks. Sometimes its visiting the ocean, new equipment, or making your tank dedicated for a certain species that brings it all back. Good luck
 
tkeracer619 said:
I feel your pain man, I've had a few big setbacks and was feeling defeated. I stepped back for a while and decided not to press so hard. Often we feel this pressure to have a TOTM style tank but the reality is they are extremely time consuming and involve a ton of hard work. In the end you gotta enjoy what you have instead of harping on what could be.

My current build is crazy, I went all out, but I am enjoying the work setting the system up and not rushing to make it super colorful. That will come with time.

Keep your head up and take it in stride. Don't force it.
Click to expand...


+100

Bent,
Depending on how big your tank is determines much of the strategy, if you care and if you are committed.

I have been reefing for 45 years with plenty of setbacks. I am an addicted reefer and I embrace it. However, I do not want to be a prisoner to my tank with time & money. I keep my tanks simple: less technology/more biology. I maintain compatiable livestock and I avoid difficult species to maintain.

What did you like about previous display?
What did you not like?
What would you like to do on next set up?
 
Howdy guys!

A think a lot of the problem here is just being in grad school and working full time for the past 4 years took a lot of time away. I’m hoping now that I don’t feel so pressed for time things will start to be more enjoyable. It’s hard to sit down and check your phosphates knowing you have a dissertation to finish and a board exam to sit.
 
My biggest Achilles heel I think is doing all this water testing. I mean am I the only one that find doing that the most tedious thing on the planet?

Anyways, I’ve started putting some money into my apex and I’m trying to get into a weekend routine of water changes and testing.
 
Sounds to me like its time for a tank reset maybe. Just a suggestion here so dont be offended. Restarting the tank just may be what you need to rekindle the reefing flame. For me I love building a new sysetm and watching it mature. This will give you a chance to remove the killer goby, maybe part with corals you are no happy with, redo anythi g you wish you would have done, reaquascape, remove any pests ect. We all have set backs and lack interest at times and when a tank is not doing well it makes it hard. I am getting back in after several years of being dry, sold my last setp along with everything related so I need to start all over and I am wishing I had not. At the time I just felt done with, got tired of maintaining a reef tank along with the cost. Im kicking myself now. So point is stay at it and do things to keep that love alive.
 
DesertReefT4r said:
Sounds to me like its time for a tank reset maybe. Just a suggestion here so dont be offended. Restarting the tank just may be what you need to rekindle the reefing flame. For me I love building a new sysetm and watching it mature. This will give you a chance to remove the killer goby, maybe part with corals you are no happy with, redo anythi g you wish you would have done, reaquascape, remove any pests ect. We all have set backs and lack interest at times and when a tank is not doing well it makes it hard. I am getting back in after several years of being dry, sold my last setp along with everything related so I need to start all over and I am wishing I had not. At the time I just felt done with, got tired of maintaining a reef tank along with the cost. Im kicking myself now. So point is stay at it and do things to keep that love alive.
Click to expand...

Ya know. That's funny you say that I've been thinking the same thing. I've really been thinking about swapping out the 75 for something bigger and putting it all in the rec room. The only thing that's kept me from it is the possibility of selling the house. If we put the house in the market then I will def have to rip the tank down since it's pretty much grown into the house at this point lol. Then after we build a new place I'll be able to really plan stuff out.
 
Bent said:
Ya know. That's funny you say that I've been thinking the same thing. I've really been thinking about swapping out the 75 for something bigger and putting it all in the rec room. The only thing that's kept me from it is the possibility of selling the house. If we put the house in the market then I will def have to rip the tank down since it's pretty much grown into the house at this point lol. Then after we build a new place I'll be able to really plan stuff out.
Click to expand...

I expect a build thread if you do.
 
I suggest you keep the current tank until you know for sure what you are doing with the house situation. In the meantime, build up your equipment for the future.
I go away for 3 months each winter. One of the best things I bought for my tank is the Apex. And the best piece of Apex equipment I invested in is the DOS. Auto water changes, auto top offs, auto dosing has given me more time to do the really fun stuff with the tank.
Stay with it. Take it slow. Welcome back. And good luck!
 
My interest/commitment to this hobby has waxed and waned over the years; mostly as function of what was going on in my life at the time. Gave up tanks when I was in college and grad school; and again when my kids were small - just had better things to do and couldn't give the tank the TLC it required. My recent return was prompted by a scouting overnight at the local public aquarium. My boys got all interested and swore to me they'd help ..... I think we all know how THAT went :lol:

Whn my interest begins to flag a bit, I just embark on a new tank build. I find the 'getting to' a great tank much more interesting than maintaining it once there. I also find the technological side of the tank really interesting.
 
Regards your comment about water testing, I have found that the easier I was able to make the more "œtedious" jobs to do, the more likely I was to do them. For testing, I first made a stirrer using a computer fan, some magnets, thin plastic, and a few other things. It made the shake/stir part of mixing easier, especially when it came to counting drops since I had a hand free. I later purchased an inexpensive one from Amazon that includes a graduated container and a stir bar and now do testing in MUCH less time. I would recommend this simple item as much as a refractometer.
Another thing is water changes. No more hauling containers, a BRS RO/DI has made that quick and easy, and slowly paying for itself. I can't believe how long it took me to get one, I'd consider it a must for anyone, especially with a tank over 30 gal or so.
Haven't used a controller yet, I've done well with timers and iPad apps, but maybe that's next.
 
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