Reefing Fatigue?

[Character85]

Nothing wrong with taking a break. It happened to me... I first got into the hobby 17 yrs ago. At 1 point I had multiple tanks combined 300 gallons of water in 3 FOWLR set-ups taking up 1 bedroom of my first apartment. I had moved twice in 5 years and with a recent promotion at work being forced to travel and work at different divisions 6-9 months at a time I just couldnt handle the breaking down reassembly not to mention being unfair to my fish & corals. I hit that wall and sold off all tanks fish, LR & equipment piece by piece and got out of the hobby til recently when my job has me firmly stabilized bak in NY. No need for shame or guilt. Life happens like u said. I will say I have been bak in the hobby for a month and it feels good. When ur ready u will come bak!

 

[Hallzers]

I was in a similar situation.

I decided to get rid of all of my stony corals. Sold them and made some cash! I am going 100% softies and ultra-low maintenance. Waaaay easier.

 

[Character85]

I was in a similar situation.

I decided to get rid of all of my stony corals. Sold them and made some cash! I am going 100% softies and ultra-low maintenance. Waaaay easier.

Exactly what I did!... Plus I was in a great position to do so. Working from home and cant leave the house wat better time to get bak in the hobby and set up all the tedious stuff now so u can enjoy later. Just lucky I had my contractor drop that dedicated extra 20amp GFCI in January where my tank went. Otherwise id still b waiting to get it done during this quarantine. Let me tell you guys, a real lifesaver. GENERAC GENERATORS. Saved my tank once already and been up and running less than a month.

 

[John Smith]

With the money you make after getting your master, you can build a new tank twice as nice.
Just a thought

 

[Ardeus]

The fact that I am aware that this is my last tank and that by 2040 at the latest, there won't probably be a single reef tank left on the planet, helps in keeping me motivated.

Back in 2013, after spending a couple of thousand hours looking into the souls of a few freshwater fish (I did a doc series about them) and having the opportunity to see them in the wild, I decided I no longer wanted to keep fish in captivity.

I had a 100 gallon reef tank at that time and I gave it to a friend, it was a very difficult decision because I had some of those fish since 2006.

In 2014 I found out he had the reef tank in his bathroom and I asked him to return it. It involved airtravel and I ended up with a 100 gallon cube in my hands again without really wanting a reef tank back in my life.

The feeling that these animals shouldn't be confined, specially in a 3 foot by 3 foot tank, made me get a larger tank last year. Once again, knowing the way the world is headed, made me decide not to wait until the time is right.

I was shocked by the amount of work a larger reef (200 gallons) required and at a certain point I was getting tired and I was questioning my decisions.

As the tank slowly finds its balance, it requires considerably less maintenance.

 

[Zionas]

You think coral reefs will pretty much be gone by 2040? Wow, that would be really sad.

My hope is by then at least half of all species of corals and fish can be aquacultured.

Don’t want us to go from R2R to F2F.

 

[Ardeus]

You think coral reefs will pretty much be gone by 2040? Wow, that would be really sad.

My hope is by then at least half of all species of corals and fish can be aquacultured.

Don’t want us to go from R2R to F2F.

I was talking about reef tanks, not reefs, but it's not a proper discussion to have here.

But here's a comforting thought for everyone who loves reefs and corals. I have read a study that concluded that the corals are now showing all the signs they have shown in the previous mass extinctions, they are preparing for it. They survived previous mass extinctions, because in the deep, non-photosynthetic corals always survive. When the time is right, they will return to the shallow waters.

Stony Corals Seem to Be Preparing for a Mass Extinction, Scientists Report - EcoWatch

Stony corals around the world are hunkering down into survival mode as they prepare for a mass extinction event. Scientists noticed behaviors that correspond to a survival response commensurate with how corals behaved during the last mass extinction 66 million years ago. The scientists looked at...

www.ecowatch.com

"It was incredibly spooky to witness how corals are now exhibiting the same traits as they did at the last major extinction event," said Gruber, in a statement put out by the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center. "Corals seem to be preparing to jump across an extinction boundary, while we are putting our foot further on the pedal."

If this doesn't help us in keeping motivated in caring for the animals in our tanks for as long as possible, I don't know what will.

 

[Zionas]

Sorry for misunderstanding.

Yes, completely agree. In the long run we may well be saviors of these creatures, both fish and corals, if there is to be any hope of preserving their existence.

I hope to do my part to the very best of my ability, to promote and to educate. Once my tank is up and running I will be taking many photos of it and writing about it.

Let’s hope that aquaculture continues to make significant advances, and that two decades from now we’ll be able to get a lot of, perhaps even most of our livestock captive bred / aquacultured.

Not sure if you’re a Christian, but I see every creature that goes into my tank as something of God’s design and not something to just look at then have it waste away with no regard for its well-being. Although we were created to be special, that doesn’t mean God took any less care in creating everything else.

 

[TriggerFinger]

I didn’t read all the responses, I’m sure you got some great feed back though. A lot of caring people on this forum. I just wanted to say I had the same feelings not long ago when I was pregnant with number two (congrats on#4 btw, what were you thinking?! Just kidding, kinda ;Joyful )I wish you the best of luck and hope you’re able to make the right decision for you and your family.

 

[Amado]

I moved and tore down my tank. The new house we moved to Needed a lot of work.
So setting up a tank wasn’t my 1st priority.
I got rid of all my corals and kept my fish and rocks.Fish only tanks are very easy to keep. I have a auto feeder and it feeds the fish. I do water changes once a month.

if you want to keep your corals. Going to a Small frag tank is also easier to maintain than a Full display. Frag tanks are very easy to clean. It’s like downsizing your tank.

 

[bsfmaximus]

@niQo Good luck with your decision. I know its tough to think about, I started thinking about getting rid of my tank and soon it became all I could think about. I would get sad thinking about getting rid of my coral and inhabitants, and would pause that decision. I probably went back and forth for a year.
Finally I got rid of everything. It was sad at the time, but almost immediately it was a relief. I hadn't been actively enjoying my tank; the time I spent with it was on maintenance and tackling issues as they naturally arise.
I look forward to someday getting back into reefing with a different and better set up, new corals, new ideas. But for now, I don't regret the decision a single day and actually feel relieved it is not on my current responsibility list.

 

[vlangel]

Yes in 2011 my mother in law (who lived with us) had a stroke and became bed ridden. I was immediately thrown into a full time care giver position. It was a big transition and I could see that my 120 gallon predator tank was not getting the care it needed so before I ended up with sick fish I chose to break down the tank and sell/re-home everything. For me it was the right thing to do as I was over-extended. I never regretted that decision.

 

[Hallzers]

...by 2040 at the latest, there won't probably be a single reef tank left on the planet,...

...after spending a couple of thousand hours looking into the souls of a few freshwater fish...

...I had a 100 gallon reef tank at that time and I gave it to a friend,... I found out he had the reef tank in his bathroom and I asked him to return it...

Right on man... everyone here may think you're crazy, but I a agreeee

 

[NS Mike D]

My sons are in their 20's. No way I could devote time to a reef tank when they were young. I did convert a100gal saltwater to a cichlid tank back then. But that was like 15 minute a week maintenance. Auto feed pellets, quick treated tap water change and glass clean and then off to soccer,. football, baseball, tae hwon do, lacrosse, swimming, fencing, basketball, play date, birthday party, doctor appt, scout meeting ....... etc.

 

[Alarmguy66]

Yup, happened to me, same story. I went the dramatic downsize option. From 3 tanks (180 w/sump on down) to a single 20L with a basic light and hang on power filter. Managed to keep my favorite fish and corals alive until my interest regained, somewhere around 7-10 years later. Now I am running a NUVO 40, so I am staying low maintenance and low bioload.

 

[Zionas]

For me, personally, if the time comes, I can see myself going FOWLR or at most, with the very low maintenance soft corals. That’s my plan anyway. Just some basic mushrooms and leathers and some of my fave fish. Nothing SPS or LPS (I don’t have the equipment for them currently). My single biggest investment other than the tank itself is the protein skimmer because I’m maybe 60% fish and 40% corals. One day when I am more settled maybe I’ll look into SPS and LPS but for now easy softies and hardy fish will do.

 

[Nilo S]

My first tank was a Red Sea Max 130 in 2008. By 2010-2011 my tank was beautiful, I really put a ton of time into it and I loved this hobby.

My tank in 2010-2011​

Then I started on college in 2012 and landed my first real job in 2014, it made the hobby extremely tiring for me, as I barely had any time for it. In 2015 I sold that tank, and by that time I had lost lots of corals.

In 2017 I came back with a 15g nano, but I didn’t really invest much on it and it wasn’t great, not even worth a picture here, but I still dreamed of having a nice tank.

Then, in July 2019, I got myself a Red Sea Reefer 250, went all out on corals and equipment and I’m finally getting close to that dream tank of mine.

My current tank​

If you need to, do take some time, you WILL come back

 

[ca1ore]

It’s a hobby, if you’re not enjoying it then get out. Finding a home for livestock isn’t hard. In 2009 I had very young children, a demanding job and very little time for my tank. I got out. Sold off almost everything (kept a few key bits of equipment .... just in case). In 2013 we went on a scout trip to the local aquarium and camped out next to the reef tank. A few months later I was back in. Glad I kept the equipment. Now when I feel that twinge of fatigue I plan a new project. Sometimes it comes to fruition, more often not .... but it eases my ennui.

 

[niQo]

Wow, such fantastic responses! Probably the best responses I've ever gotten on a reefing thread! Thanks to everyone

Though I agree with the above reply, I kind of want to know what is actually going on with your tank that is causing it to be so frustrating? I mean, "maintenance" doesn't actually take that much or long, maybe an hour once a week and few hours once a month to batch up some RO/DI and pre-mixed salt, clean out some equipment and give an actual scrape rather than mag-float or algae pad. So what exactly is happening at this point? Maybe there is a root cause, and if you fix that you wouldn't have to break down at all or even switch to FOWLR.





EDIT: I should clarify I appreciate the responsibilities you have. I currently am getting my degree in software engineering (albeit bachelors not masters) and am a single father with full custody of identical twin boys (8 years old) and also work. So I feel your pain on really not having enough time in the day for everything you hope to accomplish. Just figured I would ask what is causing the stress from the tank and hopefully get some answers on how to address that and then let you to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor and money thus far.

You are absolutely right, it does not take that much time to do maintenance, but I've lost most desire to do it. When I upgraded from 12 gallons to 50 gallons (current tank), I did a lot less water changes, because I was formerly always struggling with low nutrients (first mistake: don't assume the tanks will behave the same). On top of that, hauling buckets up and down a full flight of stairs just isn't that fun! This build has taught me a lot about what I may do different next time. For example, the maintenance needs to be more "convenient" (for the lack of a better word), it is hard to take certain things out of my (fairly high) sump for cleaning and maintenance. Also, I'm not sure if I ever want sand again. I think over the years I did not take proper care of my sandbed and now I am paying the price. It seems that every time I move sand around (thanks to the pistol shrimp), my corals start dying from some kind of bacterial infection. This has happened a number of times in the last little while when doing maintenance, which does not encourage me to do more maintenance. My tank has done the best, strangely enough, when I leave it alone.





Bottomline: even the thought of figuring out the issue does not really excite me at this point. After struggling for a few years the passion is just gone. At this moment I have zero desire to spend any kind of money on this tank... Not to mention with the future prospects it seems to make sense to take something off the to-do list or even make more mental space for other things!

In 2006 I had the almost exact same scenario. I worked full time, was finishing my degree (15 yr plan lol,) lost interest/time for maintenance and my fourth child was born. Had to step away until last year. I never lost the desire to have a cool reef tank just lost the time to do it. Now i’m back and it’s fun again. Take care of yourself and your family and the tank will be waiting for you when you have the time again.

Thanks, these are the responses that are encouraging to me!

I went the FOWLR way myself. I got stuck working forced overtime for a few years in one part of my life and in another I worked full time at night and went to school full time in the day.


Fish don't care if the tank is green and gooey. Many of them eat the stuff. All you have to test is nitrates and change some water when they get up there.





It supposed to be fun. If it is a burden then quit. No shame on you.

Right! It is supposed to be fun! There is still some of that, but not much unfortunately!

I am a lazy reefer, I don't want to deal with daily testing and dosing. Most of my corals are softies and mushrooms. I have corals without a lot of work. Maybe go that route.

See, that's a great idea as well. Sometimes you need to adjust your goals to what life is like...

Taking a break is fine, but why when you have to start all over again, just not worth it. Especially for those with a younger tank, finally get it nice and mature then throw it’s the towel? Might as well stay out or for a few years.





reefing isnt like other hobbies that you can pick up where you left off.

You are definitely right. That's one thing about this hobby... Although I usually am the most excited when starting a new tank.


Of course, the issue with my tank is that even after 2.5 years it sure isn't nice!

Yea, I took a break, from 1989 till 10/2017, wish I never did, take a break. But I'm back, have you considered smaller tank, and store the rest, for now. Let us know. Be safe





X

My tank is only 50 gallons, so that's just tiny compared to some others on here! I do not have the budget for something larger and I already dislike water changes and can't imagine doing them on a really large tank!

Changes in my life caused me to leave the hobby. I was extremely passionate and never considered leaving, but life had other plans. Things are starting to even out in my life, and I have begun researching my "dream build" my passion and desire are just as strong now as they were when I exited the hobby nearly 10 years ago. Life has seasons. You have a great deal going on in your life and from the sound of it, things that require your utmost attention. We get into this or any hobby because it excites us, relaxes us, makes us happy, because its a place that we can go to put the "other things" away if even just for a minute. If the hobby feels like a chore, if it isn't bringing the satisfaction that it once did, maybe a break will allow that passion to come back. For me it certainly has, and im excited to say... my passion and preparation has even excited a friend of mine to begin their journey in the hobby too. Regardless, even without a tank, you have things to learn and things to share and this community is a great place for that.

Thanks for sharing, this is great! In a sense I do still really like the idea of the hobby, I just need to gain some perspective I think as it doesn't excite me much anymore... I certainly do not want my hobby to become a chore, as I have already plenty of work to do!

I had a “crash” and went basically to a FOWLR, though I did have one mushroom and believe it or not, a BTA survive even though I made no reasonable attempt to keep coral. I had kids, moved, and then one day I looked at the tank and had a serious conversation with myself...





Was I going to do it right, now that things had settled down, or did I want to give it up?





After talking with my wife, and her saying that she really wanted to keep the tank and that it would be fun for the kids as they grew up, I decided, we’ll, if I’m gonna do this then I’m gonna DO this!





I re-researched EVERYTHING, basically re-taught myself out of old ways of thinking in this hobby, and bought a few new things. I made careful purchases based on careful decisions and now, I’m happier in the hobby than I’ve ever been.





Sounds like you’re having that same conversation with yourself right now. I went the FOWLR route, you don’t have to. If you take a break, there’s nothing wrong with that. Like has been said, you’re supposed to have fun with this hobby. If it’s not fun at all, then you may have your answer.

This makes sense to me as well, I've learned some things over the last 5 years and I think if I start over I'll know better what I want... I either want to go big and focus on fish. Or go 30-ish gallons and focus on coral!

I think animal keepers of all sorts know that feeling, it's kind of a soft burn out. II've felt that way about my animals at one time or another. You wonder why you're doing it, why you spend all that time and energy when it could be put towards to something else. There isn't really a good answer as everyone and everyone's situation is different.





I've certainly gotten in over my head with animals before wether it be care or amounts. It took a long time but for a while I had no choice but to not own any pets and it was a really rough time for me. It showed me that owning these animals inspired me to be the best version of myself- compassion, nurture and fascination and excitement were all tied into being surrounded by these marvellous creatures.





It wasn't a straight line by any means, I looked at my priorities and realized that a lot of the animals that I had didn't make sense for me. I rehomed the ones that didn't and kept the ones that did. I've made a few mistakes since then but as a general rule the feef tank is the highest maintenance thing I have and yet I'm confident that with where the hobby is today I can safely run a tank while continuing to pursue my passion for conservation and exploration across the globe.





But as others said there is nothing wrong with taking a break, again doing that was how I figured all of this out. To be frank this isn't for everyone and if you're unable to find happiness in it then it's very unlikely you'll give these animals the attention they deserve. I will say I see more people regret getting out of animals then being happy after but thats not to say you won't be. You know how much you can handle better than anyone else here does, I'd take some time to reflect on that.





Whatever the answer to your predicament is I wish you the best of luck and hope this helps.

The one thing that is holding me back at the moment from quiting right away is the fish. I've had two of them for 5 years!

Maybe can do less of everything for tank to take up less mental space.





Less water changes, less testing, less additives, less cleaning.





keep the ATO topped up, use some kalk, use a feeder, throw in extra snails and then let it ride for a while and see what happens.

I kinda feel like that's part of what I'm doing already... Don't really test the water much. Don't add much to the tank because not much is growing (fast).

Take a break, please come back when motivated. This is not an easy hobby, but it will be here when the bug bites again.

That’s what I’m hoping for!

I had a very similar experience. I was having constant issues with my 110 gallon and I never had to time to properly care for it. Eventually, I said screw it and transferred what few corals and livestock I had to a 20 gallon long. I could now easily take care of it with what little time I had.





Nowadays, I have more time (and more knowledge) and am currently in the middle of a 90 gallon build. 'Rona has temporarily stopped my progress but I'm eager to get started again.

This is good to hear! Except for the ‘Rona delays…

I love the hobby, but I recently broke down my tank for similar reasons, and I am not sure if I will ever get back in. I started the tank so I could have a relaxing piece of nature in my home, but the work and stress outweighed the relaxing moments for me.





I still participate on the forum and love to learn and see others succeed, but breaking down the tank was a huge sigh of relief for me.

I can really relate to this. I love nature, but I definitely think that for this tank it has been more worry than fun/relaxing. It makes me wonder if I’ll be relieved after breaking down the tank.

I can totally relate!!!! A few years ago I had to move and break down a FAVORITE reef tank of over 5 years and I was totally heartbroken but had honestly become a little overwhelmed with the maintenance. My husband gave me some really good advice. He said, "I know you feel responsible for your animals but it is a hobby, if it is not making you happy and contributing positively to your life then make some changes." And after a year off I have gotten to dive back in reinvigorated and it has been so great.





Good luck!

This is great to hear! I might eventually be in the same situation.

Its like having a girlfriend you don’t want to be with. So if you keep the tank you will feel forced and won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest. Break up with the girl dude. You will find the right one when the time is right.

This is both hilarious and full of wisdom! LOL!

I have been trying to setup my tank for the past 8 months and couldn't find the motivation do it. This was an eye opener for me in realizing that I was depressed and had been for a long time. I'm not saying that this is the case for everyone, but if you find yourself losing passion for something that brings you so much happiness, there are probably other facets of your life that are also off balance and it may be worth talking to your doc about it and getting help.

Thanks for the honesty! I do not think this is the case for me, but it can certainly be a good marker for some people to determine there is more going on than simply a loss of passion for a hobby. I hope you are finding the help you need!

I had a 72 gal years ago with mostly fish and a few easy coral. Did great but after years of always hauling water and fussing with it i got tired of it. Sold it and stayed away for a few years until i got the itch again. If told myself if i wanted to start up again it would be smaller so i could afford more better equipment for SPS coral. So here I am today with my expensive lighting and trying to succeed. Not always easy but I'm determined to have a nice tank that's not so much of a headache. Now i want to upgrade a little....lol.

It seems that many people that leave the hobby do eventually come back… That’s encouraging to me!

Nothing wrong with taking a break. It happened to me... I first got into the hobby 17 yrs ago. At 1 point I had multiple tanks combined 300 gallons of water in 3 FOWLR set-ups taking up 1 bedroom of my first apartment. I had moved twice in 5 years and with a recent promotion at work being forced to travel and work at different divisions 6-9 months at a time I just couldnt handle the breaking down reassembly not to mention being unfair to my fish & corals. I hit that wall and sold off all tanks fish, LR & equipment piece by piece and got out of the hobby til recently when my job has me firmly stabilized bak in NY. No need for shame or guilt. Life happens like u said. I will say I have been bak in the hobby for a month and it feels good. When ur ready u will come bak!

Yeah, I can’t really organize my life around my hobby… It has to be the other way around.

I was in a similar situation.





I decided to get rid of all of my stony corals. Sold them and made some cash! I am going 100% softies and ultra-low maintenance. Waaaay easier.

Great idea!

Exactly what I did!... Plus I was in a great position to do so. Working from home and cant leave the house wat better time to get bak in the hobby and set up all the tedious stuff now so u can enjoy later. Just lucky I had my contractor drop that dedicated extra 20amp GFCI in January where my tank went. Otherwise id still b waiting to get it done during this quarantine. Let me tell you guys, a real lifesaver. GENERAC GENERATORS. Saved my tank once already and been up and running less than a month.

Nice!

With the money you make after getting your master, you can build a new tank twice as nice.


Just a thought

This is absolutely hilarious! My Master’s is in the Old Testament, so the paycheque is not going to be much better than what I have now (I think). Haha!

The fact that I am aware that this is my last tank and that by 2040 at the latest, there won't probably be a single reef tank left on the planet, helps in keeping me motivated.





Back in 2013, after spending a couple of thousand hours looking into the souls of a few freshwater fish (I did a doc series about them) and having the opportunity to see them in the wild, I decided I no longer wanted to keep fish in captivity.





I had a 100 gallon reef tank at that time and I gave it to a friend, it was a very difficult decision because I had some of those fish since 2006.





In 2014 I found out he had the reef tank in his bathroom and I asked him to return it. It involved airtravel and I ended up with a 100 gallon cube in my hands again without really wanting a reef tank back in my life.





The feeling that these animals shouldn't be confined, specially in a 3 foot by 3 foot tank, made me get a larger tank last year. Once again, knowing the way the world is headed, made me decide not to wait until the time is right.





I was shocked by the amount of work a larger reef (200 gallons) required and at a certain point I was getting tired and I was questioning my decisions.





As the tank slowly finds its balance, it requires considerably less maintenance.

Yeah, I can’t imagine the amount of work a 200 gallon would be! Good luck!

I didn’t read all the responses, I’m sure you got some great feed back though. A lot of caring people on this forum. I just wanted to say I had the same feelings not long ago when I was pregnant with number two (congrats on#4 btw, what were you thinking?! Just kidding, kinda )I wish you the best of luck and hope you’re able to make the right decision for you and your family.

I was thinking: Having kids is just great! Haha! But way more work than any reef tank!

I moved and tore down my tank. The new house we moved to Needed a lot of work.


So setting up a tank wasn’t my 1st priority.


I got rid of all my corals and kept my fish and rocks.Fish only tanks are very easy to keep. I have a auto feeder and it feeds the fish. I do water changes once a month.





if you want to keep your corals. Going to a Small frag tank is also easier to maintain than a Full display. Frag tanks are very easy to clean. It’s like downsizing your tank.

Thanks for the ideas!

@niQo Good luck with your decision. I know its tough to think about, I started thinking about getting rid of my tank and soon it became all I could think about. I would get sad thinking about getting rid of my coral and inhabitants, and would pause that decision. I probably went back and forth for a year.


Finally I got rid of everything. It was sad at the time, but almost immediately it was a relief. I hadn't been actively enjoying my tank; the time I spent with it was on maintenance and tackling issues as they naturally arise.


I look forward to someday getting back into reefing with a different and better set up, new corals, new ideas. But for now, I don't regret the decision a single day and actually feel relieved it is not on my current responsibility list.

This very much feels like the position that I am in right now. The idea of tearing down this tank has been floating around in my mind for a little while now…

Yes in 2011 my mother in law (who lived with us) had a stroke and became bed ridden. I was immediately thrown into a full time care giver position. It was a big transition and I could see that my 120 gallon predator tank was not getting the care it needed so before I ended up with sick fish I chose to break down the tank and sell/re-home everything. For me it was the right thing to do as I was over-extended. I never regretted that decision.

You definitely made the right decision!

My sons are in their 20's. No way I could devote time to a reef tank when they were young. I did convert a100gal saltwater to a cichlid tank back then. But that was like 15 minute a week maintenance. Auto feed pellets, quick treated tap water change and glass clean and then off to soccer,. football, baseball, tae hwon do, lacrosse, swimming, fencing, basketball, play date, birthday party, doctor appt, scout meeting ....... etc.

Yeah… I can definitely see that as my kids get older there will be more time taken up with them and less time for a hobby like reefing…

Yup, happened to me, same story. I went the dramatic downsize option. From 3 tanks (180 w/sump on down) to a single 20L with a basic light and hang on power filter. Managed to keep my favorite fish and corals alive until my interest regained, somewhere around 7-10 years later. Now I am running a NUVO 40, so I am staying low maintenance and low bioload.

That is a dramatic downsize! But great that the interest came back!

For me, personally, if the time comes, I can see myself going FOWLR or at most, with the very low maintenance soft corals. That’s my plan anyway. Just some basic mushrooms and leathers and some of my fave fish. Nothing SPS or LPS (I don’t have the equipment for them currently). My single biggest investment other than the tank itself is the protein skimmer because I’m maybe 60% fish and 40% corals. One day when I am more settled maybe I’ll look into SPS and LPS but for now easy softies and hardy fish will do.

Yup, you have to make sure the demands of the tank fit your season of life. That’s what I’m wrestling with right now…

 

[Scorpius]

Go for softies if you want coral. Super forgiving. I don't have as much on my plate as you do, but I work many 7 day weeks at a time. I worked 34 days straight back before the Covidicus. I just don't have the time for fussy stuff, but I enjoy reefing. It's way more enjoyable not worrying about a glass box full of fussiness.