Just Wondering. Time spent on aquarium?

robbrouse · Sep 26, 2013

How much time do you spend with your aquarium? Both in cleaning and then just in watching nature in a box?

I read stores about daily carbon dosing, some people doing day water changes and then two part dosing and add this and removing that.

I spend a good 2 hours or more on the weekend cleaning and doing water changes, sure stuff come up during the week that needs to be done, but the bulk of the work is on Sunday.

I sit want watch the tank about an hour a night enjoying it and making sure all is well.

We I have to go out of town I worry about mine.

I've seem some of the members tank and mine fails compared to some, but it's mind and I enjoy it.

I don't think I want to get to the point it's more work than I'm willing or have time to do.

Just wondering your thoughts.

Tomorrow is Friday enjoy whats left of the work week

Robb From Utah

Zero Nitrates · Sep 26, 2013

I spend 30 min everyday feeding, cleaning glass and dosing.

1 hour twice a week doing a water change.

2 hours once a month testing the water.

Countless hours thinking about how I could be doing things better.

Never timed how much my wife and I watch the tank. It's probably about the same as you do.

Great topic!

glb · Sep 26, 2013

I spend about 10 minutes a day observing, dosing, etc., 1-1 1/2 hours every weekend testing, water changing and cleaning. And many more moments of just looking at it!

Martyd · Sep 26, 2013

I spend at least an hour per week maintenance and an hour or so each night watching, feeding, fiddling ... Etc. I think I get my money's worth

goodtimes · Sep 26, 2013

Weekly water changes and glass cleaning take about 20 minutes.
Daily I spend probably 2-3 hours watching and feeding. The tank is in the main hub of the home so were always by the tank.

jservedio · Sep 26, 2013

10 minutes a day to feed, clean glass, check up on everything.
5 minutes every 3 days to empty the skimmer cup and wipe down the inside of the neck and fill up the ATO reservoir
30 minutes every 2 weeks to change ~15-20% of the water and change out carbon (I made a DIY reactor and have a union on it to pull out quickly)
15-20 minutes every 16-18 days making my mix of Kalk and Amino Acids that I dose through my extra doser pump (have to use Kalk and water down the AAs - otherwise the dosed AAs grow all kinds of nasty stuff)
2 hours once a month to change GFO, clean up the sump, fix anything that needs fixing, plug the radion pros into the computer to fine-tune, move things about, sell things from the frag rack that need to go, refill Alk., Ca, and Mg containers, etc.

I spend a ton of time going to the LFS, buying/selling/trading new coral, experimenting with culturing various things, and wasting time on the forums (hey - what is the point of having a computer-related job!)

Who knows how much time I spend staring at the tank - but the answer is probably too much. I get yelled at by the fiancee at least once a week for getting side tracked staring at the tank when I should be setting the table, cleaning up, doing dishes, or sleeping.

seamus2050 · Sep 27, 2013

Stopped keeping track of the time and money invested.

calvo15290 · Sep 27, 2013

Working on it about 4hrs a week and it's in my room and I'm constantly in my room or outside it's a 50/50 so who knows haha

Rob&Gab · Sep 27, 2013

well the amount of time i'm on the computer/phone, about 6hours a day only cause im not working right now, for work related reasons. thats including all 3 other tanks

im a junkie. thats with feeding and watching. and looking for new things and seeing growth. so amazing.