Contentment

[vetteguy53081]

Virtually impossible. Its been a year and I want bigger already but will be patient as i have one waiting for me in Florida

 

[tvan]

I'm still trying to learn patience, now we should be content too?
How about I just keep my hands out of the tank for five minutes and we call it even...... Oh wait that needs to be moved

 

[DSEKULA]

I took alot of time and built the "tank of my dreams" its about 155gal L shaped and drops off giving the zones i wanted for a mixed reef. I put tons of work into every aspect. While there are still things id try to make it better like swapping pumps for example im overall very content with the build and dont have any desire to go larger and start over. I guess for me my road to contentment is to build the ideal system that you want long term and have it in mind that this is "the one", if you want to go bigger and bigger then just buy the largest that will fit in the space you have and be done with it. it will be an investment up front but be way cheaper than 3 or more slow tear downs and upgrades . Also build to the syock you want to keep if you want sharks or a tank full of tangs for example you know your not forever going to be content with a 40 cube but you know that going in anyway.

 

[Katrina71]

I say possible. I have no aspirations for anything above the Miracle. I know what I can realistically handle and put a lot of thought into tank placement.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Part of the fun of the hobby is that there is no one “best” way to do anything. There is always something new to try or do, even if you aren’t reworking your tank.

This forum would be really boring if there was only one right answer to every question

One of the best things about reef tanks is you can CONSTANTLY add new corals. Fish, not so much, but you can fill ur tank up with lots and lots of new corals, so you always have sometihng new to enjoy

 

[Bfragale]

When all you think about is “how am I going to get my next dollar to go to the LFS and get my next fix”... when your tank comes before friends and family... when you stay up all night fiddling with your tank... when you invent excuses to go see your tank... when your tank IS the most important thing in your life.. when you lie to people about how much you spent...

you might be a reef addict...

My worst fear is if I die my wife will sell everything for what I said I paid for it .....

 

[Hydrored]

My worst fear is if I die my wife will sell everything for what I said I paid for it .....

Now that's funny, I will have to use that one

 

[Bfragale]

Now that's funny, I will have to use that one

Lol. Yes, use it lol. But I’m telling the truth lol.

 

[Mical]

Meh, to each his own. I have no desire to go bigger than the 60g cube I have now. Maybe a better footprint, but not bigger. I think contentment will happen when I finally get to a point where my system is "thriving", not "getting better".

I'm with Rjukan - I have a 120 & 65 and that's plenty. I tried a small frag tank and just couldn't donate the time to it, going to be selling here on R2R shortly after I clean it up. If I had only 1 tank "maybe" a bigger tank would be a possibility but currently at 2 - I'm content. Plus both are maturing nicely & I spend more time enjoying them than maintenance.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

For me, I cannot be content until I am retired and move back to Florida. I can then settle on a 200-300 gallon tank and get my fix from diving and snorkeling all the time. My tanks themselves are my way of coping with things that generally cannot be discussed. So in short, it will be 5-7 years before I will be satisfied. Luckily my kids are into it also, and the wife is as well. Well the wife is only interested in zoas, but that lets me use it to my advantage lol.

 

[j.falk]

I found contentment with my current aquarium by owning a bigger tank once upon a time and not enjoying it. Bigger tanks eat up more living space, cost more to maintain, need more maintenance, etc...

I downgraded to a 30 gallon nano and went all softies and cheap fish. Much happier with this tank than any of my previous setups.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I’m happy with what I’ve got. It would be nice to have an enormous aquarium, but when I think about all the work, money, waiting, stress, etc. it just makes me thankful for what I have and how it’s doing. I’d love to have a big frag system, but with hurricanes and everything going on down here, it’s honestly not worth the stress and added expense too me right now.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

When all you think about is “how am I going to get my next dollar to go to the LFS and get my next fix”... when your tank comes before friends and family... when you stay up all night fiddling with your tank... when you invent excuses to go see your tank... when your tank IS the most important thing in your life.. when you lie to people about how much you spent...

you might be a reef addict...

My worst fear is if I die my wife will sell everything for what I said I paid for it .....

ive seen that last one before. Cracks me up every time XDDD

 

[Eric Miller]

One thing to consider is how your life may change quickly. The bigger the tank, the more work moving it if you have to move. Also daily maintenance goes up when the gallons go up.

I agree with the moving part of it but I think the more gallons of water the maitenance goes down.

 

[ZoWhat]

My question, how does one stay content with what they have? Or is that impossible?

A hobbyist is never content

If you were completely content with your coral and fish, you'd lose interest and you'd lack husbandry and things would decline.

The motivation to ANY hobby is to strive for things being better.

Hobbys;
Reef - better growing corals and growing fish. Want more more more more

Guns - to own the rarest coolest guns around. To be respected as "The Man" among collectors

Gardening - to be the envy of the entire neighborhood

Motorcycles - to be looked upon as the coolest baddess dude around

Baseball cards - to own the rarest cards ever and be the envy of fellow collectors

Christmas Lights - an obsession where you want ppl to drive from miles around just to see YOUR display.

Get my point???


.

 

[Pntbll687]

So at one point I had a 4 nano tanks, all under 25g. Then upgraded to a 190 DSA tank. Then swapped that for my now 180 peninsula.

I can honestly say, as long as we stay in this house, I won't get another display tank. But I did add two low boys and 40b sump to my basement for frag farming and grow out

 

[ARAJEA]

Growing up there was a picture hanging in my kitchen which stated "contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have". Took me moving in with my wife before I even realized what that meant. That being said, shy of living at the Georgia aquarium I don't see contentment in this hobby in my future.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Going to always be chasing that “next thing” for the tank.

Whether it’s a new fish, coral, or a system in general I don’t think a reefer is ever content.

 

[Mical]

I agree with the moving part of it but I think the more gallons of water the maitenance goes down.

+1 on less maintenance - it's easier to maintain stability is what I've found in my experience.

 

[WVNed]

When what I have holds what I want to keep I find I have no desire to do anything else or go bigger or smaller.

I will be content to watch the mesmerizing yummy yummy dance of the fishes when I feed them to the end of my days.