Poll: Do you challenge yourself in the hobby?

[alton]

Yes - I buy fish/coral known to be difficult to keep
I said other because with coral I only buy what Ty Farmer says is easy! So I guess I cheat a little having him as person I can buy from.
On fish I seem to do fine with hard to keep fish like Regal Angels, but have a hard time with Yellow Tangs and Flame Angels? So I am not sure what is the real answer here?

 

[Rakie]

I like to challenge myself as long as the purchase isn't an oxymoron -- Such as Spotted filefish in an SPS tank, fire worms in the touch tank, etc etc

 

[DarkSky]

I try to, otherwise I'd get bored. I enjoy watching the fish and corals grow, but the challenge makes it fun.

 

[Kremis]

I have a 28 gallon nano cube with a bluestripe pipefish, orange spot filefish, and 5 garden eels. I like a challenge lol

 

[Surfzone]

I also like to challenge myself with my live stock. I've been known to get that very skinny Mandarin and get him fat in my Fuge then put him/her in the tank and try to get them to eat frozen stuff. Right now I'm trying a Multibar angel who was eating very well at the store but not so much for me. He picks at some foods but not eating like he was in the store

 

[Del’s Reef]

For me it’s a balance of challenge and time. If I’m coming up on a time where I know work won’t hold me until super late, I’ll look at the challenge. That way I know I can dedicate time to learn. Hard things become easy once you’re used to it. Look at those tanks that make SPS look ridiculously easy. If I know I’m pressed for time but am still itching for additions (God help me sometimes) I look for hardy mixed with pretty mixed with compatibility.

 

[Deezill]

My problem is I fell in love with sticks better known as sps. /sigh

 

[Admann]

I try to get what my ability and equipment can handle, as both progress, I will move to more challenging inhabitants then.

Vivid Aquariums Yellow tang, 2 chalk bass (great fish, underrated, I can feed them by hand). 2 cleaner shrimp (that molt everytime I do a waterchange or add Red Sea Coral Colors) 1 ml 3-4 days after the weekly water change

WWC Anacrapora, Tubb Stellata, War Paint Favia (grows like a weed), Acan, 2-rock flowers (one likes top of the tank, other the sandbed), Pulsing Xenia, Duncan that went from 2 heads to 6 in a month

JBJ RL45
2 Nanobox Duo+ linked to one controller (considering R6 60 Maxpect Recurve)
JBJ protein skimmer
2- IM Minimax reactors (carbon, purigen and phosguard)
2- Maxspect XF230s
IM Chaetomax refugium light and InTank caddy for chaeto and floss
IM Hydrofill ATO
5 gal. Crystal ATO tank
Seneye Reef, great product

Hopeing (one of those words that looks wrong no matter how you spell it) to get a IM INT 100, APS cabinet, Apex and a Triton 34 sump andall the other I'll need for that in the future.
Now I know what retirement is for, feed the obsession

 

[Scorpius]

I'm getting tired of keeping some Acropora that die whenever my alkalinity fluctuates slightly. Sooner or later only the strongest will be left in my tank. lol

 

[CindyKz]

I go for easier to keep fish because I feel guilty when they die.

I like to push my limits a bit with corals, although I won't spend hundreds of dollars on a frag that I may not keep alive anyway.

 

[Kimberely]

I try to stick with easy corals since I've only been keeping saltwater about a year. But when I was first buying corals, I picked up a purple goni from Petco without doing any research. I found out afterwards that they're a more difficult coral. But a year in and it's still alive, though not growing noticeably.

 

[harryball69]

It's all a challenge. I see it. If I like it. I give it a shot . Nothing in reefing is a guarantee. That's the challenge.

 

[freshy&salty]

This is a great question. My buddies and I were just discussing this yesterday. IMO having a reef in your house is the challenge. I have heard for a really long time, "GSP is a really hearty coral. Great for beginners." Yet Ive never had any luck. And "oh xenia, thats a weed almost impossible to kill" yet i came maybe hours from killing it. Now my goniopora is 1 i was told over and over "thats a difficult 1 to keep. Theyre real finicky. Need pristine waters..." and for me its always done great with very little effort.
That being said, I do have a GSP in my tank Im determined to make thrive. Idk that i did it for the challenge necessarily, so much I as just want the GSP despite the challenge.

 

[RudyB]

I am done with adding fish. The youngest fish in my tank has been with me for just under 3 years. I have been adding harder corals to keep as my tank is stable. I also change how I maintain my tank. Try new ways to keep my system with less interaction and more enjoyment.

 

[Craig Martin]

Like many have written, I start with the basics {things that should live in my system} and with success challenge myself from that point. (crawl before you walk and walk before you run...) Its mostly a case of "wow, I really like that".... so do I have the system to keep "it".

If I like the coral or fish etc. (easy or challenging) I try "it" as long as I know what I am getting into and what is required to sustain the creature. I am often surprised at my stupid luck at keeping things alive. I am always disappointed if I took a living thing and it didn't live an extended period of time or thrive like it should. Getting things to thrive is the reward.

 

[dede]

It is good to see someone put a lot of thought into their fish purchases. Nothing wrong with getting "easier" fish as you put it and sometimes the challenge is not getting that fish that does not fit your needs or your reef system.

 

[Billdogg]

I would have gone with #1 except that #4 is where I'm at now. As things outgrow the tank or fish die, I tend to choose more difficult species to fill the hole.

 

[mcarroll]

I challenged myself to have a tank that would remain in balance without a lot of "hand holding" and that definitely required discipline on the fish front. (As in discipline to say no to excessive numbers of fish.)

I also challenged myself by getting a job in a large all-salt fish store for about 5 years.

I'm not sure do those qualify to the point of the thread though?

 

[dbl]

I challenged myself to have a tank that would remain in balance without a lot of "hand holding" and that definitely required discipline on the fish front. (As in discipline to say no to excessive numbers of fish.)

I also challenged myself by getting a job in a large all-salt fish store for about 5 years.

I'm not sure do those qualify to the point of the thread though?

They absolutely do qualify. The point of the thread is to elicit conversation. There is nothing wrong with a goal of a balanced tank without a lot of "hand holding". Honestly it was my goal and I'm happy to say I think I've achieved it for the most part.

As to working in a LFS, I'll leave that to you and others.