Losing interest, what next?

[Benar]

Hey guys, I'm after a bit of your experiences / ideas on what you've done when you've started losing interest in keeping your tank going. I have 85 or so gallons in the display and wild mini colonies.
I'm expecting my second child in a month.
Either I
-Keep the setup as is, frag everything and let it grow out (has this provided much satisfaction for people on the brink of throwing in the towel?)

-Throw in the towel

-Weigh up the cost of building a small external building (less than 10m2 [32square feet] doesn't require building consent) and build a ~66x30x20" relying on a lot of natural sunlight 36* south of equator in Auckland

(Just below Joburg SA/Sydney AUS in terms of equator line)

This may get the tank out of the house and less tinkering opportunities, but cost/temperature control?!?

 

[Bilk]

It has to be something you enjoy and get enjoyment from or it's not worth it. I'd say sell what you have and enjoy raising your kid. In a few years when they've grown, maybe you'll want to introduce reef keeping to them and you can do it together.

 

[Electrobes]

+1^

 

[Benar]

Losing interest, what next?

You guys are right. I do enjoy the good parts, I'm just not entirely happy with it as the one who wears the pants cut a fair few inches off my intended tank plans, I guess that's not all she cut off!
I've always struggled with aqua scaping and mounting corals in the bastard, changing my mind as much as my underpants. Was thinking if I drilled the heck out of the rock and started with all frags around the same size it might make placement a bit easier and visually in symphony.. Keep my hands out and stop her moaning. I guess 44x26x16 isn't too bad, it cuts out my favourites; tangs & angels, I guess I could keep maybe 3 anthias in there... I have 80 plugs coming so I've got nothing to lose, I'll chop what I want and give the rest to a local.
I'm having a boy this time around, so will get him into rugby league when the time comes in stead! Can't wait for that (she'll probably say no to contact sports though.) Now I know how Bruce Jenner feels.
Cheers guys,

 

[Fishy 1]

Hey mate, sorry to hear that your losing interest. All I can say is, Do what your gut tells you.

 

[Stevenliu9]

sorry to hear about that. Reef tank is kind of like a child itself as you spend lots of money on it and invest a lot of time maintaining, sitting around staring at it. It's too bad that you are losing interest on this. I would say if you don't feel up to it then might as well give them up instead of providing them substandard care (for the obvious lack of time in a month). The only warning is- I have seen lots of people think they lost interest, got out of the hobby, but continues to get haunted by it and only to return to the hobby in 5-10 years investing even more $$ for larger system and more elaborate set up at that time lol- which is not a bad thing, just saying, just because you give up now, doesn't mean you won't have another tank down the road.

 

[albano]

Now I know how Bruce Jenner feels...

How does SHE feel?

 

[OllieNZ]

I wouldn't recommend doing it outside unless you insulate the shed not just against the cold but also the heat too. It's been a few years since I left NZ but I haven't forgotten the extremes of temperature. The other problem with the shed/fishroom and this is something that I've wrestled over myself time and again is, I want to be able to view my hard work all the time and show it off to others. Even though setting up a fishroom would give me masses of space for loads of species etc. I wouldn't enjoy it the same way I do having tanks in the living room even if they are limiting.
Good luck with your decision and new little one.

 

[markalot]

Are you still running Zeovit? I know that kind of effort would get me out of the hobby fast. How about running a simpler system instead?

 

[MentalNote]

I would recommend against your external building plan. I think you need to either keep what you have or take a break. I think with a new child and possibly a wife who does not share your passion, embarking on a new project with a newborn or in the last stage of pregnancy will cause unnecessary stress. I am assuming you already know this.

I have been in the hobby for 5 years, my wife has a similar attitude and have 2 more kids than when I started. There have been times where I was less focused on my tank and quite a few times where I considered myself one disaster away from quitting.

If you decide to keep the tank, I recommend that you automate the system as much as possible. You are about to have less time on your hands...and you will want to minimize the amount of time you spend on the tank so you do not give your spouse a sense of "mixed priorities."

Remember there are a lot of hobbies you could get involved in but very few keep you close to home like reefkeeping does. There are even less that a young child can enjoy, but watching aquatic life move around in a glass box is one of them.

Good luck and congratulations on the kid.

 

[MentalNote]

Oh and I have to add that my experience in going from 1 kid to 2 kids was the amount of work seemed to more than double. It was like synergy, but working against us.

 

[Bilk]

You guys are right. I do enjoy the good parts, I'm just not entirely happy with it as the one who wears the pants cut a fair few inches off my intended tank plans, I guess that's not all she cut off!
I've always struggled with aqua scaping and mounting corals in the bastard, changing my mind as much as my underpants. Was thinking if I drilled the heck out of the rock and started with all frags around the same size it might make placement a bit easier and visually in symphony.. Keep my hands out and stop her moaning. I guess 44x26x16 isn't too bad, it cuts out my favourites; tangs & angels, I guess I could keep maybe 3 anthias in there... I have 80 plugs coming so I've got nothing to lose, I'll chop what I want and give the rest to a local.
I'm having a boy this time around, so will get him into rugby league when the time comes in stead! Can't wait for that (she'll probably say no to contact sports though.) Now I know how Bruce Jenner feels.
Cheers guys,

Kind of reading something different here than in your initial post. Is it a lack of interest or is it frustration you might be experiencing in growing out a system that pleases you aesthetically?

In this post you give the impression you're not happy with how your tank is developing and, like many of us, do not like the aquascaping part of the hobby. There's answers for that such as looking to your local reef club, if there is one, for some assistance or just keeping it simple and slowly allowing the system to mature and add to it incrementally.

The other issues are personal and particular to your life. I know it's somewhat of a common theme for some in the hobby, either because of expense or time commitments, but a hobby shouldn't be stressful on your personal relationships. That stuff you need to work out. However relating to your OP and this post, the maintenance doesn't appear to be the issue. It's the art of the hobby that has you stressed? If this is all it is, go slow. Look at tanks that impress you and try to emulate them as best you can.

 

[DaddyJax]

It has to be something you enjoy and get enjoyment from or it's not worth it. I'd say sell what you have and enjoy raising your kid. In a few years when they've grown, maybe you'll want to introduce reef keeping to them and you can do it together.

This is exactly what I did. I have been away for 6 years and my girls are teens now and I am diving back into it. I was fully aware that I was getting burned out and didnt want to come to hate it so I made the choice.

 

[Benar]

Cheers for all comments! I'd say it's frustration leading me to lack of interest. I'm a perfectionist by nature, unfortunately this has led to constant tinkering and moving around. No longer zeo just using start as a carbon source.
I've decided to keep a frag or two of what I have and am giving the rest away to a local guy. I'm cutting a deal and this is the last straw before it goes. Funny thing is this is about as automated as can be, even genesis auto w/c that barely gets used :-( .. I've chucked my ceramic vidarock back in, atleast those rocks can't be rearranged! Wish me luck and once again thank you everyone for your comments I really appreciate it.

 

[Bilk]

Best of luck Benar and post pics ....................... of your new boy

 

[Nina51]

I'm a perfectionist by nature, unfortunately this has led to constant tinkering and moving around.

i can SO relate to that ^!!! i have to make myself ignore the little patches of algae here and there or the crooked frag that doesn't quite sit the way i intended or the little piece of chaeto that made it's way into my dt and got stuck on a power head. every time i go to fix one of these little, minor annoyances, i end up spending 2 hours fiddling with the tank and next thing i know, it's almost bedtime and i haven't accomplished anything else!

good luck with your decision and big congrats on baby #2!!

 

[Bilk]

i can SO relate to that ^!!! i have to make myself ignore the little patches of algae here and there or the crooked frag that doesn't quite sit the way i intended or the little piece of chaeto that made it's way into my dt and got stuck on a power head. every time i go to fix one of these little, minor annoyances, i end up spending 2 hours fiddling with the tank and next thing i know, it's almost bedtime and i haven't accomplished anything else!

good luck with your decision and big congrats on baby #2!!

LOL I have the same curse, but I try to tell myself that corals form randomly on a natural reef and my placement of them when they're either frags or small colonies will mean little when they're large colonies - well hopefully they'll eventually be large colonies. Besides nothing is ever permanent. Often when they do start to grow out, they need to be repositioned anyway. So don't sweat the details and enjoy your reef tank :rollface: