Your strengths vs weaknesses in this hobby

[Miami Reef]

This hobby is so vast. There’s so much to know and learn. As humans, we all have our strengths and weaknesses in life.

I want to know:

What’s your strength/interest?

What’s your weakness/difficulties?

My strength is the biology and understanding how things work in the reef to support coral/fish. I am very drawn into testing, parameters, how chemistry affects the reef tank etc.

My weakness: Technology/automation.
ATO’s, Controllers, chillers, ink birds, apex, automatic water changes etc.
I don’t have 90% of the above. So overwhelming and not fun for me. I do not like controllers and I never had one in my life. I hate depending on things that will eventually fail.

Making fail safes with technology is my blind spot. It’s a necessary evil, but I feel like it’s too complicated for me and I don’t even want to start with that. My experience with automation is limited to my dosing pumps, which I believe was easily installable, but I don’t think I’d ever get an APEX.

I use filter socks - not roller mats.

lol

What’s yours?

 

[WVNed]

I was going to say I am perfect. People seem to be lacking in the sense of humor department these days so I wont.

I guess long ago I was your opposite. I followed methods without understanding why. But that can work.
Make this parameter this by doing this. Not a problem. Make the system work without understanding why.
I still like making sure my ozone system is working better than testing though.

Now I just do it sort of automatically but the understanding came after reading enough. It was wonderful when internet searches brought you new things to learn instead of opportunities to buy.

 

[Danroo]

I’m fairly new to this hobby it’s been a year and three months since that time I’ve setup two nano tanks thinking it would be budget friendly but it costed me a fortune, but in the end every investment was worth it.

my strength was also understanding the water chemistry until I didn’t bothered with crucial water testing for my corals to thrive, now it’s my strong suit. Water changes are pretty easy for me I only do a water change if one of my tests is off (right now it’s calcium) or find an alternative. I’m doing pretty good with water chemistry both tanks are having the same level of nitrates and phosphates.

weakness: is understanding lighting, flow and placement mostly sps, I had three sps in my tank two of them are doing great, both are placed in the middle area, but slow growth. Seeing growth in lps and softies. First anemone refused to grow after 6 months in the tank, no matter how much I feed it. I’m struggling in these parts and hopefully will figure it out along the way.

 

[i cant think]

I don’t know what my strength is in this hobby but my weakness is how I get attached to these animals and sometimes the deaths get to me a ton.

 

[vlangel]

I am an older woman and have been in the hobby 25+ years. I worked for a pet store that had an excellent fish department, both fresh and salt. They taught me a lot of the basic biology. Eventually I serviced their maintenance accounts.

As a result of that, my strength is a well set up tank from a bio filter stand point and consistent, faithful maintenance. I always do water changes since I have witnessed tanks with consistent WCs operate for decades without a crash.
Another strength is I know what my weaknesses are! I hate doing full parameter testing so as a result I do not keep animals that that is important for their well being, (like sps). My reef is a softie dominant reef where observation is key to their health and WCs will probably fix the rest.
Another weakness is I am not tech savvy. I only in the last month upgraded to LEDs because they intimidated me with all the channels and intensities. High output T5s was so much simpler but I could not get 30" bulbs anymore for my fixture. Now that I have the LEDs and have figured out the programming, I wonder why I waited so long!

Again with a softie dominated reef, I don't need controllers, reactors, or even a protein skimmer since I have a fuge. I don't use a roller mat, a UV sterilizer or an ATO. I use Instant Ocean for salt and conditioned tap water. Mine is a very simple system but I have never had a tank crash. I have successfully raised both clownfish and seahorses.

Finally, I have learned that there are many ways to successfully keep a reef tank and each aquarists needs to find the way that suits their personality and strengths.

 

[Dburr1014]

Been in the hobby since mid 90's with a break here and there.

My weaknesses
Testing, hate it but must do it.
Programming my Apex, why won't this work... Suncrestreef, help! LOL.
Organized, you should see my basement sump, I never posted a pic of it. Never took a pic of it.
Strengths
Not afraid to take calculated risks. Yes, I have reused dsb on tank swaps, no losses. (more than once)
Embracing technology, has my Apex less than 15 months and my tank is more stable than ever = explosion in growth.
Always will to give/trade frags to members of my club. This hobby is expensive and we all could use a little love.

I'm sure I have more of both, as we all do.