guitarfish
Premium Member
I never imagined this day would come, but I have to leave this awesome hobby. I haven't been to RC a whole lot over the last year or so, but back in 2002-2004 I was here every day, so I'm sure some of you remember me.
When I got into this hobby I was in a real funk - depression. I fought it for years, and was ready to see a doctor, but decided to make a last ditch attempt to beat it by starting a new endeavor. I needed an outlet, something new and challenging, and I decided it would be a reef tank. Back in '02 I setup a 28g salt tank and didn't have a clue what I was doing. After a lot of learning here at RC, I spent the next year designing and building a 75g RR setup. I built the stand, designed the plumbing, built an electical control panel, filled her up, and went from there. It was so much fun, it seems like only yesterday. The depression was gone before the first year was out, and I never looked back.
I still remember getting my first (and 2nd, and 3rd) delivery of live rock. I still remember getting my first corals, taking the day off, waiting for the FedEx truck to come. Those were the days, I'll tell ya. There's nothing like watching a flame angel swim around in a reef tank in your own home. What beauty.
My tank came out really nice, and I had a lot of wonderful experiences showing it off to visitors. Unfortunately, I had my struggles too.
First and foremost - ich. I got it out of my display, and setup a QT tank for new arrivals, but I had a string of failures. Every time I brought home a new fish, they'd end up dead before I ever got them in the display. Either I couldn't kill the ich (several failed hypo attempts), or they didn't acclimate well, or wouldn't eat. My fish never did well with copper. Once, a gorgeous coral beauty almost made it with, but the heater locked up and cooked him in the QT.
Then there was algae. Despite using RO water, skimming, growing chaeto, dripping kalk, using Phosban, and feeding lightly, I had recurring bouts with slime algae, which would come back with a vengeance whenever I put in new lights, and it would stay for months. Weekly siphoning off the rocks and sand got old quick.
Finally, there was the cost. This isn't a cheap hobby if you do it right, and the rewards weren't there anymore. It got to the point where I couldn't sit in front of my tank and enjoy it because all I'd see were the things wrong with it. All I do all day long at work is solve problems, and I could no longer stand coming home and have my reef become just another "problem" to deal with. (Major Type A personality here).
I actually wrestled with the idea of taking it down for almost a year and a half. Finally one day, that was it, I made the decision. A month ago I started selling pieces. Tonight, a buyer drove away with the tank, stand and sump. I have a few misc. items left to sell, that's it.
Taking it down was sad and painful. The night I drained the water, I hung my arm over the side of the tank, running my fingers through the sand, it smelled like I was at the ocean. I shed a tear, I'll admit. Perhaps if my life's circumstances undergo a drastic change, I may have another reef someday, but I doubt it. I love the hobby, but recognize it's not something I can do.
My other hobby, my number one, is guitars, as my screen name indicates. I treated myself to a new amplifer with some of the money from the selloff. I still have to have fish in my life - I pulled out my original 28g tank and setup a freshwater tank, complete with live plants. Incredibly easy and cheap compared to a reef.
My reef adventures will be limited to stopping by the LFS or visiting my friend's reef from time to time, as well as an occasional trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. Someday I'll dive a real reef too.
RC and all you people here - THANK YOU. You really did help me pull out of an awful period of my life, where a dark cloud followed me everywhere I went. And knowledge? The amount of stuff I learned here...simply astonishing.
Below are a few pics of my journey. Take care everyone. You guys have been great.
-Dave
When I got into this hobby I was in a real funk - depression. I fought it for years, and was ready to see a doctor, but decided to make a last ditch attempt to beat it by starting a new endeavor. I needed an outlet, something new and challenging, and I decided it would be a reef tank. Back in '02 I setup a 28g salt tank and didn't have a clue what I was doing. After a lot of learning here at RC, I spent the next year designing and building a 75g RR setup. I built the stand, designed the plumbing, built an electical control panel, filled her up, and went from there. It was so much fun, it seems like only yesterday. The depression was gone before the first year was out, and I never looked back.
I still remember getting my first (and 2nd, and 3rd) delivery of live rock. I still remember getting my first corals, taking the day off, waiting for the FedEx truck to come. Those were the days, I'll tell ya. There's nothing like watching a flame angel swim around in a reef tank in your own home. What beauty.
My tank came out really nice, and I had a lot of wonderful experiences showing it off to visitors. Unfortunately, I had my struggles too.
First and foremost - ich. I got it out of my display, and setup a QT tank for new arrivals, but I had a string of failures. Every time I brought home a new fish, they'd end up dead before I ever got them in the display. Either I couldn't kill the ich (several failed hypo attempts), or they didn't acclimate well, or wouldn't eat. My fish never did well with copper. Once, a gorgeous coral beauty almost made it with, but the heater locked up and cooked him in the QT.
Then there was algae. Despite using RO water, skimming, growing chaeto, dripping kalk, using Phosban, and feeding lightly, I had recurring bouts with slime algae, which would come back with a vengeance whenever I put in new lights, and it would stay for months. Weekly siphoning off the rocks and sand got old quick.
Finally, there was the cost. This isn't a cheap hobby if you do it right, and the rewards weren't there anymore. It got to the point where I couldn't sit in front of my tank and enjoy it because all I'd see were the things wrong with it. All I do all day long at work is solve problems, and I could no longer stand coming home and have my reef become just another "problem" to deal with. (Major Type A personality here).
I actually wrestled with the idea of taking it down for almost a year and a half. Finally one day, that was it, I made the decision. A month ago I started selling pieces. Tonight, a buyer drove away with the tank, stand and sump. I have a few misc. items left to sell, that's it.
Taking it down was sad and painful. The night I drained the water, I hung my arm over the side of the tank, running my fingers through the sand, it smelled like I was at the ocean. I shed a tear, I'll admit. Perhaps if my life's circumstances undergo a drastic change, I may have another reef someday, but I doubt it. I love the hobby, but recognize it's not something I can do.
My other hobby, my number one, is guitars, as my screen name indicates. I treated myself to a new amplifer with some of the money from the selloff. I still have to have fish in my life - I pulled out my original 28g tank and setup a freshwater tank, complete with live plants. Incredibly easy and cheap compared to a reef.
My reef adventures will be limited to stopping by the LFS or visiting my friend's reef from time to time, as well as an occasional trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. Someday I'll dive a real reef too.
RC and all you people here - THANK YOU. You really did help me pull out of an awful period of my life, where a dark cloud followed me everywhere I went. And knowledge? The amount of stuff I learned here...simply astonishing.
Below are a few pics of my journey. Take care everyone. You guys have been great.
-Dave
