Why do people quit this hobby?

[ptomoson]

There's a thread here on RC referring to past TOTM updates. Incredibly most of them have tore down their tanks for the time being or they have quit all together due to various issues. I was shocked. I also see a ton of classifieds titled "Getting Out of Hobby".

I am relatively new to this hobby so I am in awe when people show pictures of their hardware. I sit here and wonder if I will ever know what all those gadgets do let alone implement them in my system. I have a skimmer, live rock, halide/vho lighting and a sump. My lights on timers are about as high tech as I am at this point. I feed the fish and do water changes. That's it. I find myself sitting for hours staring at the tank.

At what point does this hobby become a chore and I burn out?

 

[skippy2]

I'm only been reefing for just over 6 yrs. and can't imagine going without a tank. Have you seen posts by Paul B? You should look him up. His tank has been going over 40 yrs!!

 

[Albanets202]

Money, time, boredom, other hobbies.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Re: Why do people quit this hobby?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14023833#post14023833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ptomoson
At what point does this hobby become a chore and I burn out?

when you realize that you can't compete with nature

 

[Albanets202]

about TOTM: after reaching the top people tend to look for other things... IMHO

 

[Nereaga]

You can attribute the economy to a lot of people getting out of the hobby, just not being able to care for their tanks as they once did. Lay offs and such, families come first. Some have kids to feed and care for.

Some do get "burned out" from time to time. I say, when you treat it like a job and not like a hobby, you can lose sight of what was once fun... I need this, I need that... baloney! Just sit back and enjoy the sucker, stop worrying about it, it is fine!

It will also do fine when you are not around to watch it, the ocean does fine and no one is playing God over that!

Brad

 

[ulua56]

Algae.

 

[Nereaga]

^^^^ Thats funny! Its just a challange!

 

[monicaswizzle]

People quit the hobby because they finally found a 12-step group to help them get over the additction.

I (currently) have no intention to quit, but I am not sure I would start again if my tank would ever completely crash (those mini crashes always leave something worth saving). It is very EXPENSIVE, takes more time (to do it "right") than most employed professionals really have available and I KNOW that all (ten of) my freshwater tanks have suffered a lot from neglect ever since I got into Salt. The Salt water tank always NEEDS something ASAP and the freshwater tanks are so much more forgiving.

Sigh! Who ever expected fun to be such a burden!

 

[Aj Flip]

travelling is the biggest reason why, if u cant be near your tank everyday, then it will crash so might as well not have one

 

[Electrobes]

TBH the reasons are so many because of special situations by so many people. A lot of times they are newbies who start the tank too quickly (Before being educated, or are poorly educated) and spend a lot of time trying to fix it.. and then getting tired of it.

I remember when I first started.. I was lucky and had a lot of good help from friends. But when I did start... it was a tank, sand, a filter and salt. The financials of a reef tank scare off a lot of people (Not even mentioning the economy) when they realize the costs of corals, fish, and even some of the more necessary equipment. Nothing like a good crash to end that "happy place".

Then there's the tried and true "act of God". Be it social issues, the birth of children, job change/move, etc.. the day a tank that requires a lot of attention becomes priority number 2... usually ends poorly for both parties.

I think what it boils down to is expectations. If the newbie is blessed enough to have good help and forsee possible limitations in caring for the tank.. the hobby will usually be there to stay.

Again, I got lucky as my tank now can live without me for about 10 days. If I want something to tinker with.. the tank will gladly make something available for me. There are things I can't stop like some magical algae or mythical parasite.. but like anything... if you do it fairly right from the beginning... you should be alright. Unfortunately very few are in that situation.

 

[anememoni]

a new, better, more time consuming, more expensive hobby...

 

[buttons buster]

time and money

 

[A.T.T.R]

this hobby isnt as fun any more i used to spend night and day reading about every lil gadget and prolly read throu alot of equiptment manuals as well

it gets a stale once you understand the items more then the people who make them

i still have my tank but its now more of a pet then a hobby

 

[Squidward5]

Upset & jealous girlfriends pouring cleaning agents in your tank, I lost a 45g frag tank due to a bottle of 409

 

[Bambalam]

The reasons for quitting this hobby are numerous:

Frustration - due to fish death, nuisance algae, or just plain lack of success
Financial - just can't justify the expenses of keeping a reef tank when the budget says something's gotta go
Boredom - reef tank was fun, but now it's not; something new has sparked your interest
And in rare circumstances, possibly a TOTM situation, you have reached the pinnacle of success and become bored with reefkeeping

 

[mc-cro]

I have been in this hobby for several years, and never could have imagined being without my tank until this last year. At one point a couple years ago I had a fantastic thriving dispay tank with over 50 different SPS. maybe even good enough to rival some of the TOTM I have seen. Then we had our first child a couple years ago, and that takes ups every spare moment you have. I also picked up a new hobby that is even more expensive(sport bikes and track days). Becuase of those things and a few others, I basically lost interest and ignored the tank for the last year or so. I maybe cleaned the skimmer once per month, and fed only when I remembered the tank was even in the other room, and even that was only flake food.(only a couple of fish). I couldnt even tell you the last time I did a water change, I honestly think it was over a year and half ago. Due to a year of lack of attention, and non existant husbandry, the tank was overtaken with cyano, red turf algea, bubble algea, and aptasia and every other type of pest you can think of. It was an eye sore. Then to top it all off, we had a power outage that lasted like 9 days. Luckily I had a generator, but only enough juice left over after running life neccessaties, (like a 50"plasma TV) to run the main circulation pump and nothing else, no lights, no skimmer, no heater. Well that was pretty much the end of the line for my tank. When the lights came back on, there was basically nothing left, save for a few very hardy corals and my 10" Derasa clam. Although, the cyano was gone!

So I weighed out my options, tear it down and sell it for motorcycle parts, or revive the tank, go with very hardy corals, (in case I ignore it again) and allow my son to enjoy it and learn from it.

Its been about 3 months since the tank hit rock bottom, and I am very glad that I decided to revive the tank and throw a few hundred dollars and seemingly several hundred hours at it.

 

[Paul B]

I would imagine that there would be many reasons to quit the hobby. For me it is not a hobby but a lifelong endeavor and it is part of me, I would not be able to quit.
It is also no where near my most expensive hobby which is boating. One day on my boat costs more than an entire year of reefing. I am still in awe at the amount of money some people throw at these tanks. I don't think it costs me $200.00 a year, not counting electricity. It is expensive to start but after you have all your rock, lights and pumps, and corals, what else is there? I know some people change water every week which I feel is a waste of time and money. If the tank is running correctly the animals should live over ten years and coral lives forever.
I think people make work out of it instead of enjoying it for what it is. You don't need to be tank of the month or try to make Jacques Cousteay jealous. You don't have to go crazy if you see a little algae or cyano. I have some of both and we have an agreement to live together.
A hobby is suppposed to be fun, How many posts do you read where the person is going absolutely nuts over a spot on a fish?
It's a fish, I eat them every day, people feed them to their cats. They do not love you and if they were left in the sea, they would eventually be eaten because no fish dies of old age in the sea, they get eaten.
Try and enjoy it without stressing over it.
You could always pack it up and throw it out so whatever happens, it will not affect the rest of your life at all :smokin:

 

[mc-cro]

"Its a fish, I eat them....no fish dies of old age in the sea"

psst...... your NY is showing hahahah It so true though the fish statement

 

[dc]

It's always been this way as long as I've been a member here. One thing I have noticed is that a lot come back to it after a few years away.