- Location
- Jersey Shore
Boil zoa rocks and die...
Why do so many people leave the hobby?
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
- Location
- South Salem
That's great hahaha
- Location
- NY
I'm guessing you're referring to the self proclaimed scholars. :scratch:
If you don't have a tank why do you come here? Is it just to be nasty and to try to belittle others? Is that your new hobby?
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- Location
- Albany, NY
Perfect Hobby for a Renaissance Person
I really agree with you Paul, as for me the hobby always has something to keep my interest and attention (which can be quite short). One day I can focus on hardware and be an electrician, plumber or carpenter. Another I can focus on water and be a chemist (testing water or looking into probiotics) or even mad scientist (when I look at some of the equipment). If I focus on the tank I can be a conservationist, aquaculturist, exterminator (when it comes to pest), researcher, macro biologist or manage animal husbandry. When bored with those things I can always be a designer, computer programmer or site administrator all in the name of this hobby. What a great collection of activities for someone with a wide variety of interests. I think this is the perfect hobby for me as I am always trying to understand processes and love to learn new things. If your just into looking at the pretty fish, visit a local aquarium or fish store.
I really agree with you Paul, as for me the hobby always has something to keep my interest and attention (which can be quite short). One day I can focus on hardware and be an electrician, plumber or carpenter. Another I can focus on water and be a chemist (testing water or looking into probiotics) or even mad scientist (when I look at some of the equipment). If I focus on the tank I can be a conservationist, aquaculturist, exterminator (when it comes to pest), researcher, macro biologist or manage animal husbandry. When bored with those things I can always be a designer, computer programmer or site administrator all in the name of this hobby. What a great collection of activities for someone with a wide variety of interests. I think this is the perfect hobby for me as I am always trying to understand processes and love to learn new things. If your just into looking at the pretty fish, visit a local aquarium or fish store.
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- Location
- Garden city
I had tough time with my latest build and always say maybe I'll take a break from sps but I know one thing for sure as long as I can Handel the upkeep I will always keep some form of salt water tank my sps haven't done well recently but still love fish and softies
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
This thread has spurred 48 replies which is great. I love it when a thread can go on for this long without too many arguements. If I wanted to argue, I would go out into the street and yell who I voted for.
Our hobby is indeed habit forming and even the people who have the most problems seem to keep interested for the most part anyway.
Of course sickness and finances drive many of us away.
It has been a lifetime passion for me but it is not my only hobby, it is one of many.
Yesterday I just had to buy this purple gorgonian. I already have to many of them and really have no place to put it so I had to move things around to fit it, and when I do that, I break things. The fish bite me and I jumped back (because some of my fish have fangs). I glued this very tall gorgonian on a rock and being my arm is in a sling from a shoulder operation, I dropped it in the tank and figured I would position it when I had more mobility. Of course I dropped it on another coral and broke it in half. Of course it fell up side down so I had to go in and get it and glue it back. While I was in there the clownfish bit me causing me to break a montipora. Now I had to glue that. I am running out of glue.
But I don't think of these things as a problem or work. It's like if I came upon a Supermodel with sore ankle and she asked me to carry her home, would that be considered work? I don't think so. :scratch:
I am also getting old and have completed almost all of my bucket list. As a matter of fact, I can't think of hardly anything that I wanted to do that I have not done except skydiving. I don't know why I never did that but I didn't. I guess I still can but with my arm in a sling, they may have a problem letting me do that now.
I have also gone to just about everywhere I wanted to go which is a shame.
So reefing keeps my mind going. That and reading, I love to read.
Our hobby is indeed habit forming and even the people who have the most problems seem to keep interested for the most part anyway.
Of course sickness and finances drive many of us away.
It has been a lifetime passion for me but it is not my only hobby, it is one of many.
Yesterday I just had to buy this purple gorgonian. I already have to many of them and really have no place to put it so I had to move things around to fit it, and when I do that, I break things. The fish bite me and I jumped back (because some of my fish have fangs). I glued this very tall gorgonian on a rock and being my arm is in a sling from a shoulder operation, I dropped it in the tank and figured I would position it when I had more mobility. Of course I dropped it on another coral and broke it in half. Of course it fell up side down so I had to go in and get it and glue it back. While I was in there the clownfish bit me causing me to break a montipora. Now I had to glue that. I am running out of glue.
But I don't think of these things as a problem or work. It's like if I came upon a Supermodel with sore ankle and she asked me to carry her home, would that be considered work? I don't think so. :scratch:
I am also getting old and have completed almost all of my bucket list. As a matter of fact, I can't think of hardly anything that I wanted to do that I have not done except skydiving. I don't know why I never did that but I didn't. I guess I still can but with my arm in a sling, they may have a problem letting me do that now.
I have also gone to just about everywhere I wanted to go which is a shame.
So reefing keeps my mind going. That and reading, I love to read.
- Location
- Ronkonkoma, NY
This thread has spurred 48 replies which is great. I love it when a thread can go on for this long without too many arguements. If I wanted to argue, I would go out into the street and yell who I voted for.
Our hobby is indeed habit forming and even the people who have the most problems seem to keep interested for the most part anyway.
Of course sickness and finances drive many of us away.
It has been a lifetime passion for me but it is not my only hobby, it is one of many.
Yesterday I just had to buy this purple gorgonian. I already have to many of them and really have no place to put it so I had to move things around to fit it, and when I do that, I break things. The fish bite me and I jumped back (because some of my fish have fangs). I glued this very tall gorgonian on a rock and being my arm is in a sling from a shoulder operation, I dropped it in the tank and figured I would position it when I had more mobility. Of course I dropped it on another coral and broke it in half. Of course it fell up side down so I had to go in and get it and glue it back. While I was in there the clownfish bit me causing me to break a montipora. Now I had to glue that. I am running out of glue.
But I don't think of these things as a problem or work. It's like if I came upon a Supermodel with sore ankle and she asked me to carry her home, would that be considered work? I don't think so. :scratch:
I am also getting old and have completed almost all of my bucket list. As a matter of fact, I can't think of hardly anything that I wanted to do that I have not done except skydiving. I don't know why I never did that but I didn't. I guess I still can but with my arm in a sling, they may have a problem letting me do that now.
I have also gone to just about everywhere I wanted to go which is a shame.
So reefing keeps my mind going. That and reading, I love to read.
It's good to have old geezers like you around lol
Another classic Paul B thread, love it
On the flip side, some of those same things that make people leave are also the ones that make me want to get back in it. Long time members on this forum are good people and it's been great to have met them through this hobby.
On the flip side, some of those same things that make people leave are also the ones that make me want to get back in it. Long time members on this forum are good people and it's been great to have met them through this hobby.
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- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
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Recently coming back in I can only speak from experience as to why our keeping has ebbed and flowed. Moving across state lines was why we 1st left the hobby. Rebuilt, came back strong, then life handed us lemons and the tank was becoming neglected. Not having the funds for one to care for it for us, we chose to give up what we loved. (Still have everything aside from livestock from our old system which was last I posted here) just signed back in today bc we are in a place where we can start again for the long haul (life willing) I truly do believe that reef keepers are indeed a special breed of weirdo and those weirdos are my people and I cannot WAIT to want to rip my hair out figuring it all out and love to see the growth and success of all the time, money, and work that is the reward. It's been 20 years since we set up our first ever and it will always be a passion for me. Just can't stay away long...and it was torture being away as long as we had.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
A lot of replies are about money or time spent on maintenance. I must be doing it wrong because I spend very little on the tank and less on maintenance.
Calcium and alk bought in bulk costs less than fifty bucks a year and I don't do hardly any maintenance. I clean the glass once or twice a week with a magnet thing with a razor on it that I built. That could take anywhere from one to two minutes and if I don't have time, I do it tomorrow or the next day. I change water, if I have time 5 or 6 times a year. That costs maybe $10.00 or $15.00 every couple of months and takes half an hour.
I don't test anything but sometimes I bring water to a LFS and let them test it for free. Let them buy the kits.
I realize people spend thousands on this but I don't know what they are spending money on. Like I said, I must be doing it wrong.
If you know how to keep the fish healthy, they will be immune from diseases (yes, I know, people don't believe me on that, so work with me here) Most fish live 10 or 15 years so if you buy a clownfish for $20.00 and it lives for twenty years, it was a very cheap fish. If your expensive fish die in a couple of years, you are doing something wrong and should change your practices. If your fish keep getting sick and you have to buy medications, you are also doing something wrong as fish should never get sick. Just my opinion of course.
Lighting costs some money, especially if you have a big tank but LEDs are much cheaper to run. I put solar panels on my roof so my electricity is cheaper. Now people are going to say that is very expensive, and it is. But it is a lot more expensive to "not" put solar panels on your house. Now you can finance them so they cost you nothing so there is no excuse unless of course you rent or live in a hut or Igloo or have a roof that faces the wrong way.
I never had a dog but it looks to me that they are very expensive to feed and take them to the Vet. I know my friends had a Chiwawa and it got very old. They spent a fortune keeping that dog alive even when the Vet told them to put her down two years ago, and these people won't spend two bucks on a cup of tea.
We do a lot for our pets and our hobbies but that is what life is. We are very fortunate now to even be able to buy this stuff. I know my parents who were born in 1910 wouldn't do what we do. They couldn't if they wanted to because they had to work 7 days a week just to live. They certainly were not going to pay a day's salary for a fish like many of us do. We sometimes complain but there are no poor people in this hobby. If you are, you are nuts. :biggrin:
Calcium and alk bought in bulk costs less than fifty bucks a year and I don't do hardly any maintenance. I clean the glass once or twice a week with a magnet thing with a razor on it that I built. That could take anywhere from one to two minutes and if I don't have time, I do it tomorrow or the next day. I change water, if I have time 5 or 6 times a year. That costs maybe $10.00 or $15.00 every couple of months and takes half an hour.
I don't test anything but sometimes I bring water to a LFS and let them test it for free. Let them buy the kits.
I realize people spend thousands on this but I don't know what they are spending money on. Like I said, I must be doing it wrong.
If you know how to keep the fish healthy, they will be immune from diseases (yes, I know, people don't believe me on that, so work with me here) Most fish live 10 or 15 years so if you buy a clownfish for $20.00 and it lives for twenty years, it was a very cheap fish. If your expensive fish die in a couple of years, you are doing something wrong and should change your practices. If your fish keep getting sick and you have to buy medications, you are also doing something wrong as fish should never get sick. Just my opinion of course.
Lighting costs some money, especially if you have a big tank but LEDs are much cheaper to run. I put solar panels on my roof so my electricity is cheaper. Now people are going to say that is very expensive, and it is. But it is a lot more expensive to "not" put solar panels on your house. Now you can finance them so they cost you nothing so there is no excuse unless of course you rent or live in a hut or Igloo or have a roof that faces the wrong way.
I never had a dog but it looks to me that they are very expensive to feed and take them to the Vet. I know my friends had a Chiwawa and it got very old. They spent a fortune keeping that dog alive even when the Vet told them to put her down two years ago, and these people won't spend two bucks on a cup of tea.
We do a lot for our pets and our hobbies but that is what life is. We are very fortunate now to even be able to buy this stuff. I know my parents who were born in 1910 wouldn't do what we do. They couldn't if they wanted to because they had to work 7 days a week just to live. They certainly were not going to pay a day's salary for a fish like many of us do. We sometimes complain but there are no poor people in this hobby. If you are, you are nuts. :biggrin:
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