Sps Question If you knew

rogerwilco357

rogerwilco357

Active member
OK I you knew then what you know now about sps and this hobby would you still have started an SPS tank? I look back 12 years and how much money ,tears and sweat I have put into this hobby never to get back any of the money spent thinking oh I will just frag these and it will pay for it self (selling pitch to the wife) only to never want to frag because they look so darn nice in colony form ..Or bamm you get Red bugs or what hit my tank the AEFW bug and loose all your corals ..just to get back in with a vengeance better lights better flow more pumps bigger skimmer and empty wallet..and countless purchases of frags and mini colonies just to get back where I was 2 years ago..guess it was all worth it lol ...but if you could go back in time and see your self right before you bought that first Sps would you tell yourself to run away from the hobby or ?

Just A thought that ran through my brain today :eek1:
Roger
gtg check the water parameters bye:lolspin:
 
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should have give away that 6 gallon with 2 clown fish 10 years ago. now it's 600 gallon and thousands of dollars later...
 
Had a chance to walk away after my move from TN. Recently started reacquiring frags of my favorite corals. Looks like its a life sentence with no parole. ;)
 
Each problem is like a little challenge that you can't turn down, and once you have so much invested its hard to say I have to stop because you have all that money into it. Your mentality switches to well I just need this or I just need that, or if I change this or just wait a little longer etc.

Woulda been a lot cheaper to throw some damsels and clowns in and get an bubble anemone and some soft coral....
 
yes I am not alone , man what is wrong with us ? the challenge like a drug these sps are..glad to know we are not alone in this large ocean we call Reef
 
If it wasn't for salt water reefing you would just find something else to spend your money on. Home theaters, cars, cameras, vacations, computers the possibilities are endless. I see it as being blessed with enough extra cash to have such a wonderful hobby. It's also part of our homes decide that family and friends can enjoy when they come over to visit. Lol
 
I think it's the challenge that keeps us going. If they wouldn't post all those darn beautiful tank of the month profiles I think it would be easier to believe that they just don't exist!

Honestly though, for me it's the challenge, the colors that can be attained and watching a small piece of nature unfold before your eyes. I suppose it's akin to those that cultivate wild orchids or prized roses. There are many people who try to do each of those, but only a few truly attain awe inspiring success. If you're lucky enough to get to the point where you attain SPS nirvana, maybe the lure of the challenge isn't so strong anymore. You don't see many previous TOTM winners participating so much on the boards that much. Some pop in now and then, but I do seem to see some of the same people posting regularly these days.

We do spend a lot on this hobby. I use to spend a lot on golf, but working more and spending time with a growing family led me to reefkeeping and I absolutely love it. I really enjoy taking care of the animals and watching them flourish too. At the beginning it was about how many fish I could keep without having them fight for territories and still keep good water quality. While I admire those that can keep many fish well fed and happy in their SPS tanks, I've gravitated more toward keeping fewer and smaller fish that I can easily feed well without compromising water quality in a much larger water volume than is recommended. In the past I use to see the minimum tank size and think I was good to go. Nowadays I account for their adult sizes and err on the side of being understocked.
 
I would seriously like to poke the guy that gave me my first SPS frag in the eye, repeatedly. I would also like to thank him, this hobby has brought me great joy over the years and the friendships I have made because of it are well worth the price of admission. I have had numerous hobbies over the years, cars, boats, motorcycles, computers, women, food, etc. etc. Honestly this one is probably the least expensive and most rewarding of all of them. I have had to learn Chemistry all over again, Fluid Dynamics, Pest Control, Animal Husbandry, Electrical Engineering and most importantly...patience.
 
patience that is the key to this hobby if you learn it you will succeed if not you will fail ..moving this touching that constantly putting you hands in the tank these things I have problems with ...but after learning to be patient was priceless ...hope that made sense lol..
 
Is the sps keeping lesson any different than any other major life lesson?

I have had to learn Chemistry all over again, Fluid Dynamics, Pest Control, Animal Husbandry, Electrical Engineering and most importantly...patience.
Click to expand...

Patience is KEY
 
Wonderful thread.

I always joke that I am going to give up SPS and take up cocaine to save my family some money . . .
 
As I am currently in the midst of the third reincarnation of my 500g reef tank, this question has certainly presented itself lately. I have yet to be completely satisfied with an answer though. Had I known of the challenges, dedication, and patience involved, I can honestly say that I still might have given it a go. Had I known of all the time it takes away from the other things I might've experienced instead, maybe not.

But I suppose the fact that I'm in the Outer Banks of N.C. right now, and instead of partaking in the beauty or some of the activities here, I'm on RC, kind of tells me everything I need to know about any possible regrets I might have about the choices I've made.

Of course, this could also be because it's hot as blazes down here right now.
 
I personally enjoy the challenge and the ever changing SPS reef, specially when the reward is such a beautiful display in my living room.

if it was made simple, I would probably get bored of it and move to keeping something else ...

I was keeping Rays, then started breeding them, then got bored and got into seahorses, started breeding them, then moved to SPS ... I am yet to get bored of SPS.
 
I just love the sheer abundance of life in saltwater tanks. There can litterally be 10 types of life in 1 square inch. I look at a freshwater tank and just see fish and Im like....thats it?
 
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