Definition of success

[AC1211]

What do you consider to be sucessfully keeping a marine critter (fish,invert,coral,etc)?
I consider it to be a year of substatial growth or a year and a half to two years of slow growth. If it was max size at purchase then two years. Would you all agree this is about accurate?
Obviously if a fish dies right after you write it in as a sucess it does not count.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Nothing dies.

 

[AC1211]

Nothing dies.

After how long because over time all fish have an expiration date in freshwater (killies) it can be as little as a year for other (koi) it can outlive the owner?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Well, my Vlamingi and yellow tang are 11 now, I will not say the same for a monti I had. So I guess I am 50%

 

[KrisReef]

I keep coral for 'success'. To me that means I sell or trade "more" (money or coral) than what I originally paid (or traded) for, ie. Positive growth and replacement back into the hobby from my efforts is a successful coral.

I don't try to propagate fish, they exist only to provide nutrition for the corals. Fish success is obtaining specimens that are healthy and don't die when I add them (w/0) QT to the coral tank.

But the true measure of success for me is when my wife doesn't get upset when she hears how much I spent to acquire a new coral, or when she tells me she is happy to look at her fish that I am feeding for her.

 

[Peace River]

Well, my Vlamingi and yellow tang are 11 now, I will not say the same for a monti I had. So I guess I am 50%

Don't sell yourself short, that sounds like you are at least 67%. ;Happy

 

[AC1211]

Well, my Vlamingi and yellow tang are 11 now, I will not say the same for a monti I had. So I guess I am 50%

Do not focus on sucess rates as much as sucesses if I were to fail at a fish species for years then I found a new trick or sourced better specimens and succeded then I did not fail as a whole I learned and eventually achieved sucess with the species. I do not track my faliures only my sucesses I have currently succeded with 43 individual freshwater fish of 13 species (i have a list I should check) and with saltwater 3 donax clams in a coldwater aquarium that I had for 2 years. Now I am trying saltwater eventual reef for now fish only. Everything has survived fine so far but nothing to the one year mark because the tank is not that old. That being said I believe it is crucial that we as hobbyist track our successes and if necessary our faliures to benefit the hobby and allow us to realise our ability and not buy fish outside of our range same goes for inverts and coral.
In the end note what you succeeded with because that defines you as a fishkeeper, not your faliures.

 

[hatfielj]

I have had a healthy, happy Achilles tang for the last 1+ year. I consider that a success. My corals in that same tank are another story though...

 

[Jesterrace]

I consider myself successful with my Green/Purple Branching Hammer and original Frogspawn Coral. Had both of these in my old 36 gallon bowfront and they have been through just about everything (fluctuating temps and salinity, tank transfer, salt being dumped directly on them from salt creep at the top of the tank, 3 different lights, major rockscape rearrangements and positionings).

Fishwise my Melanurus Wrasse (transferred from the old tank and went though some of the same things as the corals) and has gone from juvie to adult color scheme (although it is still likely to transition to male color scheme in the future). It will be 2 in July, but still has years to go. I am also reaching the 1 year mark in August with my Blue Star Leopard Wrasse (which is supposed to be difficult to keep). It has been a super hardy specimen.

Oh here is the Green and Purple Branching Hammer Coral in question: