Average Length of Time in Reef Hobby?
- Thread starter steamboat
- Start date
I hear yea I was to that's why I set up a 10 gal ato on both tanks so its only once a week. And I drag a goose from garage to fill up the ato and to do water changes no more hailing buckets for me. Cut my water changes etc etc to an hr with testing on both tanks. Keeps the wife happy and me interested.
I once read somewhere that the avg is 5 year cycles for most people. Obviously some get back in an others never do. For me I'll probably be a lifer. Such a strange hobby, when I started I saw that ole cliche over and over "Welcome to the addiction". In the beginning I thought nothing of that statement. I thought "yeah yeah" its like when someone says "its better than sex".
It wasn't long before I realized there is real truth in that statement. For the most part my time in this hobby has brought be frustration, heartbreak and financial woe with a few sprinkles of real enjoyment and satisfaction. Those few sprinkles of happiness and self fulfillment have been pretty damn powerful because I just cant seem to stop. My wife often get frustrated with me saying "why do you do this it just seems to **** you off all the time." LOL
I have had many hobbies and went balls out in every one of them only to get bored with it after 4-5 years. I honestly just cant seem to get enough of this hobby and I find it so amazing that I can go from being completely devastated one day to completely excited all over again the very next.
It wasn't long before I realized there is real truth in that statement. For the most part my time in this hobby has brought be frustration, heartbreak and financial woe with a few sprinkles of real enjoyment and satisfaction. Those few sprinkles of happiness and self fulfillment have been pretty damn powerful because I just cant seem to stop. My wife often get frustrated with me saying "why do you do this it just seems to **** you off all the time." LOL
I have had many hobbies and went balls out in every one of them only to get bored with it after 4-5 years. I honestly just cant seem to get enough of this hobby and I find it so amazing that I can go from being completely devastated one day to completely excited all over again the very next.
Been in for over 10 years, some of those years more active than others.... at one point I was doing water changes every 6 months and let saw blade calurpa take over my tank.... been a lot of ups and downs but I have found my love for the hobby again. This last year I have been a better reefkeeper than the previous 9....
I'm just coming up on my second year for saltwater. I've also been through 6 tanks in that time. I started small (10 gallons) with a fluval filter lol and every few months I'd find myself upgrading tanks and equipment. So far this tank is the longest I've kept and it's been such a PITA! I finally invested in a controller on black Friday and hope it will change everything for me.
This hobby is so involved and I love it for that. I'm always battling algae or pests, or trying to balance out my water chemistry or separate the fighting fishies... I mean there's always something to do and it seems like everyday I'm learning something new. I can't imagine life with out my tank even though I've wanted to give up in the past. I'm proud to say I'm a reefer addict and I couldn't have done it with out the support I found in this great club!
Thanks MASC!
This hobby is so involved and I love it for that. I'm always battling algae or pests, or trying to balance out my water chemistry or separate the fighting fishies... I mean there's always something to do and it seems like everyday I'm learning something new. I can't imagine life with out my tank even though I've wanted to give up in the past. I'm proud to say I'm a reefer addict and I couldn't have done it with out the support I found in this great club!
Thanks MASC!
I dreamed about it until I was about 24, dabbled for a few years, stopped and dreamed for another 10 (so I was dry but not sober, haha), then I got back on the addiction...
Water changes aren't too bad, no buckets involved for me. I have 75' of tubing on a hose caddy and a high power pump for changes. I can't plumb water to my tank without serious wall mod and demo, so that's as good as it can get for me. I'm planning an algae scrubber spec'd to my tank size at the moment, which I assume will cut major time off of water changes. My hobby objective right now (aside from trying not to kill any fish) is to cut down maintenance time to an absolute minimum.
Water changes aren't too bad, no buckets involved for me. I have 75' of tubing on a hose caddy and a high power pump for changes. I can't plumb water to my tank without serious wall mod and demo, so that's as good as it can get for me. I'm planning an algae scrubber spec'd to my tank size at the moment, which I assume will cut major time off of water changes. My hobby objective right now (aside from trying not to kill any fish) is to cut down maintenance time to an absolute minimum.
Ive been on and off since age 16, im now 39. Now that i have the 280 with a fish room and plenty of space for bells and whistles it eliminated all those tasks that seem to wear on you. I basically wipe the algae off my tank 2-3 times weekly and feed my fish. Water changes monthly but its basically turning a valve on and off to do it. Glad i took my time and planned it out as i enjoy this hobby more than ever.
I setup my first salt water tank (a 40 long) in 1982... and have been briefly out of the hobby twice since. The first time I sold everything.... then 6 months later ended up buying it all over again. The second time I learned to just sell the livestock. 
I think I've had at least one salt water tank running for over 18 years now... though the number has varied over time. I've also worked in the business a few times over that 30 year period. At one point I had over 3000 gallons of tanks in my home, now I'm down to a reasonable 600 or so.
Automation and simplicity is the key... that and a visit to Murdoch's for a couple of big Rotomold water containers. I can pump 105 gallons of salt water from the basement to the 2nd story using an Iwaki 100. I make water on demand using a PolyBio Marine Kold Ster-il filter slaved to a 50GPH DI system. Best investments I ever made.
I think I've had at least one salt water tank running for over 18 years now... though the number has varied over time. I've also worked in the business a few times over that 30 year period. At one point I had over 3000 gallons of tanks in my home, now I'm down to a reasonable 600 or so.Automation and simplicity is the key... that and a visit to Murdoch's for a couple of big Rotomold water containers. I can pump 105 gallons of salt water from the basement to the 2nd story using an Iwaki 100. I make water on demand using a PolyBio Marine Kold Ster-il filter slaved to a 50GPH DI system. Best investments I ever made.
