Is it normal to struggle this much when first starting?

[Tom-nanoreef]

I got into reefing about 1 year and a few months ago and I have been struggling keeping it for a while. For the first few months of reef keeping, I did not have that many problems and everything seemed to do really well. After about January, I have been struggling to keep coral in the same tank. It all feels really discouraging and I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. I have dealt with big cyano outbreaks, corals not opening, test kits giving me inaccurate results, tank die offs, and I’m tired.

 

[Garf]

I got into reefing about 1 year and a few months ago and I have been struggling keeping it for a while. For the first few months of reef keeping, I did not have that many problems and everything seemed to do really well. After about January, I have been struggling to keep coral in the same tank. It all feels really discouraging and I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. I have dealt with big cyano outbreaks, corals not opening, test kits giving me inaccurate results, tank die offs, and I’m tired.

Verify salinity, temperature first.

 

[Reef and Dive]

Simple answer: yes. Just don’t give up and you slowly start to get rewards.
And when they come never forget the struggle. This hobby is a little unforgiving…

 

[trainbob]

Reefing is hard. That is why it is so rewarding. Just keeping things alive is hard let alone thriving. At least for me.

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

Signs point to yes. Only you can decide if the juice is worth the squeeze.

 

[tharbin]

I got into reefing about 1 year and a few months ago and I have been struggling keeping it for a while. For the first few months of reef keeping, I did not have that many problems and everything seemed to do really well. After about January, I have been struggling to keep coral in the same tank. It all feels really discouraging and I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. I have dealt with big cyano outbreaks, corals not opening, test kits giving me inaccurate results, tank die offs, and I’m tired.

It is hard, at times, and rewarding the rest of the time. One problem is false expectations. Almost any properly set up reef tank will look great for the first three months or so. Then the tank starts to mature and things start to grow. If a person is impatient and added too many fish/inverts/coral before the tank was starting to really mature, you have many organisms all fighting for space and nutrients. This leads to all kinds of imbalances. Then when the 'uglies', and most tanks endure an uglies phase, happens the tank is not yet really stabile enough to handle remedial husbandry well. This leads to more imbalances. You are keeping not just live flora and fauna but you are keeping them in a carefully controlled artificial environment. Yes, it can be very hard.

That said. Most tanks start to become much more stabile around the one year to eighteen month mark. Take your time. Be patient. I set up a small (15 gallon) tank in August of 2021. It has had diatoms, then hair algae and then cyano outbreaks. They all died out on their own. The cyano outbreak lasted 5 months but it died out. Fast solutions are rarely good solutions when dealing with a reef tank. Sometimes you get a fish or coral that looks fine but isn't. It happens.

Ask specific questions for your problems there are many very knowledgeable people on here. Most of all keep your chin up, even the best reefers get issues from time to time.

 

[Tom-nanoreef]

Thank you guys for your advice, I appreciate it.

 

[Gtinnel]

IME there will be drastic swings in how you feel about your tank. If it’s any consolation the older the tank gets the easier it is and the more likely you are to be happy with the tank. This is the reason many people get into the hobby and quickly quit. They see pictures of beautiful tanks online, spend a small fortune on setting up their tank and get frustrated when they never see their tank achieve its potential, but they’re just not patient enough.
Somewhere between the 1 and 2 year mark on my current tank is where I started enjoying the tank.
Obviously every tank is different but you’re likely getting close to a more mature tank that is easier and more enjoyable.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Many challenges and discouragements but NEVER let fish and coral kick you in the butt.
If you have a mixed reef of SPS and LPS, both release their own toxins and leathers release terpenes which can cause havoc. If so, I recommend using Chemipure Blue or Elite in your sump to remove them.

 

[Tom-nanoreef]

I have 2 tanks, one is 2 months old, the other is 14/15 months old, my older one has had a massive cyano outbreak for last few months. I haven’t had any coral in the older one since march, they would die off within a month.

 

[Tom-nanoreef]

I’ll just power on through till it works

 

[Garf]

I’ll just power on through till it works

Appears you’re made of the right stuff, good luck

 

[doubleshot00]

Nah this hobby is annoying. Not like other hobbies where help is down the street where you can hire someone. This hobby is all about figuring it out for yourself.

My wife wants me to throw in the towel. Ive got other hobbies that are way more rewarding.

 

[gtsirkas]

I got into reefing about 1 year and a few months ago and I have been struggling keeping it for a while. For the first few months of reef keeping, I did not have that many problems and everything seemed to do really well. After about January, I have been struggling to keep coral in the same tank. It all feels really discouraging and I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. I have dealt with big cyano outbreaks, corals not opening, test kits giving me inaccurate results, tank die offs, and I’m tired.

Are you keeping up with your water changes?

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I think it is important to have a routine that you follow. +1 for water changes and do your testing with reliable test kits (anything but API) on a regular basis. Do you log everything? It will encourage you to develop a "feel" for your tank. No matter what, I think we all have challenges. I think I have fought all the major bugs being brought home on infected fish for example. (And most all of them have died in a QT tank sadly.) Best thing is to keep on and hang on. Don't hesitate to ask questions here and get more than one opinion.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

There is too much misinformation in this hobby and it makes newcomers question their practices. You have to figure it out yourself and few people are able to make the commitment.

Also. a lot of the pictures you see of those beautiful reefs are taken at their best. That same tank has looked atrocious at times.

 

[Lavey29]

I guess if it was easy peasy everyone would have a reef tank. The challenge of the hobby is what makes the end result that much more rewarding. You will get there, you continue to learn with each setback and as your knowledge improves so will your tank.

 

[Jubei2006]

I also wonder how many of those "dream tanks" are set up, and as soon as there is a problem they are parted out and sold. A lot of them new show their "ugly" stage, or talk about all the stuff they killed to get there. Some of us are sharing our own journeys, good and bad, on this forum to try and help others. I am going through month 2 with a good cyano outbreak on my 500 gallon tank. I have a few corals bleaching and dying back with no good reason, and I have lost a few fish, some expensive for no good reason (not ich, velvet, or brook, and they were all dewormed/defluked). So keep your head up, its a marathon not a sprint. The faster you try to win, the faster you're going to bomb out.

 

[TurboTang]

Start a new tank as Fowler - establish fish/invert population and deal with parasites that might pop up. First 6-12 months Fowler, keep adding rock to get perfect landscape/habitat for your fish.
Enjoy the simplicity of fish only and deal with the initial problems with ease. Then once things are stable and you can maintain big 3 parameters consistently, you can start adding coral. You'll find it to be much easier and rewarding than stocking a new tank at 3mo full of coral.

 

[Kodski]

I'll share an observation I've had from my own experience as well as from others asking for help here on the forum.

It seems that the first 6-10 months tend to be fairly smooth. Algae, dino's, and other pests always seem to be the main issues, but rarely tank stability. I think that after the 10 month mark, most tanks really start to settle into their groove, pests go away, corals start to grow, and that's when most people are the most happy with their tanks. I think the 12-14 month mark is when lots of people see the progress they've made and suddenly get lazy or relaxed on their routine. This is the absolute worst time for this though, and many of us don't realize it because the tank looks like its doing well. However, now that the tank is doing well and corals are growing, the tank is going through it's most rapid and largest change at this time. So while we think we can relax or modify our routine, this is the most important time to make sure you stick with your routine and pay even closer attention to the tank.

This is my theory on why we see so many issues with "established" tanks around the 12 to 18 month mark. I've also personally experience hardship in my own tanks with a timeline almost exactly as I observe from others. I truly think that the ability to realize what's happening and sticking to a strict routine is what separates those people in the hobby who reset their tank almost yearly, or leave the hobby after a year, from those of us who have had several thriving and successful tanks that have been up for 5 years or more. This is also the reason why I believe many experienced hobbyists don't consider a tank established until the 24ish month mark.