Yup didn’t make it a year

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One other piece. Back in the early 90’s I got into the hobby for about 10 years. I never had a successful reef. Some things survived and I did ok with fish. Then my tank finally got leveled out and everything looked good. Was so excited. My cousin decided he didn’t have the time anymore so he gave me all his equipment and livestock. He had an ebli angelfish that was a model resident for him, but apparently he found a coral he liked in my tank and soon was eating them all. I couldn’t catch him until it was too late.

I had recently gotten remarried and it came with an instant family so my budget was greatly reduced. Around the time I got it running decent again I had a pump fail, and couldn’t order a new one. Lost everything and we moved before I got it started again. Always wanted to get them
Up and running and so last year I started up with a new tank. Now I have 6. Newest one is still battling cyano, but the others have settled in nicely. As stated before I only test nitrate and phosphate weekly. I watch the tank and test things if they look off. I do cheat and use apex trident for alk/ca/mg, but I don’t focus on the numbers and adjust my dosing very slowly if I think they need to change. It might take me two or three weeks to raise or lower a number to target as little changes are better than big ones and frequent changes are bad.

The rewards are worth it to me, so if you choose to stick with it, I hope you find great rewards too.

 

[BaliReefBox]

Ummm an empty wallet does.....

Nothing good in this hobby happens fast

 

[pixelhustler]

I think im done. That amount if time i spend testing, inspecting and adjusting things in my tanks is so time consuming. Like it’s annoying. This is the most frustrating hobby I’ve ever been into where nothing goes as planned. Its like going out on the boat but you literally always break down or you never catch fish.

I really don’t see how anyone is successful in this hobby. I have been so diligent in testing and keeping everything as perfect as i can but it is taking up a ton of my time.

My wife wants me to end it.

I had a 90 running transferred everything over to a new 90 no issues until last week. Levels tanked over 2 days and now have dinos. Everyone said i need a sump. I got a sump. All i do is keep adjusting the gate valve because the water level in the tank after about a 2 weeks it goes down. Like literally don’t get why its doing it. I literally hate my tank.

Had a fluval wanted a nicer tank so got a new IM15. Transferred everything over. It has dinos now and all the coralline on the rock is dying.

Im at a lost for words how terrible everything goes in this hobby. I want to succeed but everything is against me.

I didn’t read the whole thread, so this might have already been said but here’s my 2 cents:

1. Stock your tank based on level of effort/heartbreak/financial investment you want to go through. With corals, it’s essentially the three tiers: Softie/LPS/SPS dominant.

• You can keep a tank with clownfish, softies, and a cheap/low power light by just doing biweekly WC and little else. Don’t chase parameters if you do this.
• You can keep some easier LPS with WC only and minimal testing.
• On the other hand, an SPS tank (in my opinion) will need a lot of automation to prevent burnout: Apex/Hydros monitoring, auto top off, auto dosing, and preferably auto testing (Trident/Alkatronic/etc). As well as reactors for nitrate/phosphate control depending on your bioload.

2. Financial investment in automation will reduce your chances of burnout. It’s basically money up front vs. your time in the long run. My low maintenance system is an example:

• 75g water volume with sump is the sweet spot to achieve easy stability IMO. 15-30g are actually harder to keep stable for me.
• Hydros for general monitoring
• Alkatronic and dosing pump for automated alkalinity
• Automated Lanthanum chloride doser/reactor for Phosphate control
• Tuned/automated sulfur denitrator for nitrate control
• No water changes. ICP test every 6 months to make sure everything is ok.
• Auto top off and auto feeder for my fish

My maintenance
Daily: feed 1x frozen cube
Weekly: (could do biweekly) test Phosphate/Nitrate. Empty skimmer cup
Biweekly: test Calcium/Magnesium & adjust dose
Monthly or more: vacuum sand/sump, clean pumps or reactors if needed

It cost me a few thousand dollars to set up but it’s the only way I’m willing to run a reef tank. Anything else is far too much effort for me and would 100% burn out. I got here by starting with the basics, then investing in things that will save me time.

It will also take about a year of minimal changes to achieve stability. If you’re constantly changing things, dosing different amounts, changing water at different frequency/volume, adjusting light/flow settings, etc you’re resetting the clock in a way.

 

[KQuillan]

Please don't give up. I'm nervous about my tank more than I should be also. Seems the minute I relax, something goes wrong. Fix it and move on, to the next. I look at it this way, I am trying my best to do everything right, if it goes wrong, then I need to change my direction. I could end up with FOWLR, and I would still be happy. I know eventually, I would keep trying again. Just breath. Take a step back to lower your frustration and come back to try again.

BTW, your tank is beautiful.

 

[EagleEye121]

Ummm an empty wallet does.....

Fair

 

[doubleshot00]

One other piece. Back in the early 90’s I got into the hobby for about 10 years. I never had a successful reef. Some things survived and I did ok with fish. Then my tank finally got leveled out and everything looked good. Was so excited. My cousin decided he didn’t have the time anymore so he gave me all his equipment and livestock. He had an ebli angelfish that was a model resident for him, but apparently he found a coral he liked in my tank and soon was eating them all. I couldn’t catch him until it was too late.

I had recently gotten remarried and it came with an instant family so my budget was greatly reduced. Around the time I got it running decent again I had a pump fail, and couldn’t order a new one. Lost everything and we moved before I got it started again. Always wanted to get them
Up and running and so last year I started up with a new tank. Now I have 6. Newest one is still battling cyano, but the others have settled in nicely. As stated before I only test nitrate and phosphate weekly. I watch the tank and test things if they look off. I do cheat and use apex trident for alk/ca/mg, but I don’t focus on the numbers and adjust my dosing very slowly if I think they need to change. It might take me two or three weeks to raise or lower a number to target as little changes are better than big ones and frequent changes are bad.

The rewards are worth it to me, so if you choose to stick with it, I hope you find great rewards too.

I didn’t read the whole thread, so this might have already been said but here’s my 2 cents:

1. Stock your tank based on level of effort/heartbreak/financial investment you want to go through. With corals, it’s essentially the three tiers: Softie/LPS/SPS dominant.

• You can keep a tank with clownfish, softies, and a cheap/low power light by just doing biweekly WC and little else. Don’t chase parameters if you do this.
• You can keep some easier LPS with WC only and minimal testing.
• On the other hand, an SPS tank (in my opinion) will need a lot of automation to prevent burnout: Apex/Hydros monitoring, auto top off, auto dosing, and preferably auto testing (Trident/Alkatronic/etc). As well as reactors for nitrate/phosphate control depending on your bioload.

2. Financial investment in automation will reduce your chances of burnout. It’s basically money up front vs. your time in the long run. My low maintenance system is an example:

• 75g water volume with sump is the sweet spot to achieve easy stability IMO. 15-30g are actually harder to keep stable for me.
• Hydros for general monitoring
• Alkatronic and dosing pump for automated alkalinity
• Automated Lanthanum chloride doser/reactor for Phosphate control
• Tuned/automated sulfur denitrator for nitrate control
• No water changes. ICP test every 6 months to make sure everything is ok.
• Auto top off and auto feeder for my fish

My maintenance
Daily: feed 1x frozen cube
Weekly: (could do biweekly) test Phosphate/Nitrate. Empty skimmer cup
Biweekly: test Calcium/Magnesium & adjust dose
Monthly or more: vacuum sand/sump, clean pumps or reactors if needed

It cost me a few thousand dollars to set up but it’s the only way I’m willing to run a reef tank. Anything else is far too much effort for me and would 100% burn out. I got here by starting with the basics, then investing in things that will save me time.

It will also take about a year of minimal changes to achieve stability. If you’re constantly changing things, dosing different amounts, changing water at different frequency/volume, adjusting light/flow settings, etc you’re resetting the clock in a way.

I think if im going to stick with it im going to have to get a Trident. I already have an Apex so why not. I don’t like the while AWC thing as i have trust issues and would need to do some demo to the house to achieve this.

Please don't give up. I'm nervous about my tank more than I should be also. Seems the minute I relax, something goes wrong. Fix it and move on, to the next. I look at it this way, I am trying my best to do everything right, if it goes wrong, then I need to change my direction. I could end up with FOWLR, and I would still be happy. I know eventually, I would keep trying again. Just breath. Take a step back to lower your frustration and come back to try again.

BTW, your tank is beautiful.

Yes I considered a fowler and i am happy with how the tank looks but its a lot of effort.

Im the person that didn’t know what i was getting into once I started. If i knew dinos was a thing I probably wouldn’t have started this journey at all. This is a hobby where if you want to be seriously successful you have to do a lot of research. I never would have thought i need so much equipment non the less a microscope

 

[KQuillan]

Exactly. My first tank, I was young and dumb, didnt know a thing other than salinity and water changes. Tank thrived!

This time, doing everything I am supposed to and constantly checking, fixing, worrying, etc.
I'm about to go back to the old and dumb way. Lol

 

[TnFishwater98]

I think if im going to stick with it im going to have to get a Trident. I already have an Apex so why not. I don’t like the while AWC thing as i have trust issues and would need to do some demo to the house to achieve this.



Yes I considered a fowler and i am happy with how the tank looks but its a lot of effort.

Im the person that didn’t know what i was getting into once I started. If i knew dinos was a thing I probably wouldn’t have started this journey at all. This is a hobby where if you want to be seriously successful you have to do a lot of research. I never would have thought i need so much equipment non the less a microscope

You can do it! I think the biggest weight is trying to keep wifey and daughter happy with the tank which definitely increases the pressure. Give it a good cleaning today and hopefully things will turn around. I would also suggest adding beautiful real LR from the gulf. It will help your tank, add more life to the tank, and look fantastic in your tank!

 

[TnFishwater98]

Exactly. My first tank, I was young and dumb, didnt know a thing other than salinity and water changes. Tank thrived!

This time, doing everything I am supposed to and constantly checking, fixing, worrying, etc.
I'm about to go back to the old and dumb way. Lol

It makes it easier. Let the tank do it’s thing…

 

[doubleshot00]

You can do it! I think the biggest weight is trying to keep wifey and daughter happy with the tank which definitely increases the pressure. Give it a good cleaning today and hopefully things will turn around. I would also suggest adding beautiful real LR from the gulf. It will help your tank, add more life to the tank, and look fantastic in your tank!

I considered more LR to. Just put it in my sump and see if it helps.

 

[TnFishwater98]

Definitely a game changer… I bc wouldn’t put in sump…

 

[TokenReefer]

I think it does help a lot. When I started out I had all dry rock and a reefer friend dropped a big chunk of rock from his 10+ year tank in mine. It was covered with rhodactis mushrooms, sponges, coraline, sphaghetti worms, etc. The whole time my tank went through "the uglies" this rock was pristine. It looked exactly the way it did when he first dropped it in. No GHA, dinos, etc were even allowed to grow on this rock with all the life competing on it. The rest of the tank/rocks, looked like a toilet.... Just my anecdote but I think there is a lot to this

 

[doubleshot00]

Again another blow for the problems that keep happening. Now my tang thats been in QT has stopped eating. So last night i did a WC of about 80% and now just checked ammonia its over 1.2.

Like literally this never gets easier. Just more work and more work. You almost have to keep a QT tank cycled and running at all times to be 100% successful in this hobby.

What a pain. It’s literally always something.

 

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Again another blow for the problems that keep happening. Now my tang thats been in QT has stopped eating. So last night i did a WC of about 80% and now just checked ammonia its over 1.2.

Like literally this never gets easier. Just more work and more work. You almost have to keep a QT tank cycled and running at all times to be 100% successful in this hobby.

What a pain. It’s literally always something.

Are you dosing bottled bacteria like seed stability microbacter 7, also use some prime to detoxify.

I keep bags of matrix in my sumps and pull them to establish a cycle in a QT tank.

Generally you can keep ahead of one smaller fish in a fresh 20 gallon tank with some water changes and keeping feeding in check. But it really helps to have back up bacteria. After I use the bag, I soak in bleach/water then rinse with boiling water and dry. Then it goes back in a bag and back in the sump. I have several so I can keep ahead of it.

 

[doubleshot00]

Are you dosing bottled bacteria like seed stability microbacter 7, also use some prime to detoxify.

I keep bags of matrix in my sumps and pull them to establish a cycle in a QT tank.

Generally you can keep ahead of one smaller fish in a fresh 20 gallon tank with some water changes and keeping feeding in check. But it really helps to have back up bacteria. After I use the bag, I soak in bleach/water then rinse with boiling water and dry. Then it goes back in a bag and back in the sump. I have several so I can keep ahead of it.

I put a bunch of ceramic bio balls from my sump into the QT tank several weeks ago. And dosed bacteria every WC. Im doing a 100% wc as i type this.

Everything is against me.