Does It Ever Get Easier

[emeralcrab]

Does this marine aquarium keeping ever get easier? I've been doing this for about 6 months now, had my ups and had a lot of downs. My 55 has never had a problem with nitrites or nitrates before, at least after cycling anyway. I have added a sebae anemone, a rock with hairy mushrooms and a green bubble coral. All doing great.....a few days ago I added some snails and a few more hermit crabs....I do think that a couple of snails died, can't find their bodies, coral bandit shrimp probably got them. Now the last couple of days, my nitrates have been up, about 20, and I just checked again and now nitites are .25....I did do a 10g water change two days ago because bubble coral looked a little under the weather. After water change she perked right up. All I have for fish are 3 little clowns and a lawn mower blennie.....it seems like I am always changing water, doing this doing that to my tanks....this tank has a skimmer, HOB filter, undergravel filter, and canister filter. My plan was to get rid of HOB, but just haven't yet because everything had been going great. I have about 30 more lbs of LR in QT to go in there, and then I want to add somemore corals. It gets pretty flustrating, between QT;ing fish, QT'ing rock, corals etc. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my tanks and my fish, but WOW, when will it level out? I will be so glad when I have all the fish I want in my tanks.
Sorry for going on and on, it has been one of those days. Mixing salt checking water etc.......going crazy :hilarious

 

[pohtr]

This is definitely not a hobby for the faint of heart!!!
Its been about 2 months since the last disaster and for the moment things are running smoothly. Does that count as "ever getting easier"?

 

[sharkboy13]

well to help u a little bit may i suggest using stress zyme? worked wonders when my tank crashed big time, brought ammonia down from 2 to 0.13, and trates down to nearly 0.

 

[poniegirl]

It DOES get easier!
When you reach a point when you have the tank stocked the way you like (at 6 waste-producers in a 55 you're about there) things will (should) hit a holding pattern.
You have added a lot of critters in those six months, you should give the tank time to catch up. Stay out of the LFS for a while

Keep doing a solid water change schedule, 20% each 1.5 or 2 weeks and top off ritually.

 

[n2theblue]

I always look at each "problem" as part of why I got into the hobby. I love tinkering with the equipment, researching livestock, and making plans about future changes. We all have those days when we feel overwhelmed, but any time spent messing with the tank can be enjoyable. Try to keep your spirits up. You're right about the time when a tank starts to mature and things even out. After that the amount of mucking you do is up to you (ie adding new corals, changing the rock). Happy Reefing.

 

[emeralcrab]

Thanks guys, I did another 10g water change and all water checks were back to normal. :jumping:
I do love messing with my tanks, but sometimes it gets a little ridiculous, oh well, I'll keep plugging along. I really didn't plan on adding anymore fish to the 55g except maybe a small angle fish, but way down the road. I have a porc puffer in QT with a lawn mower blennie, but they will go in the 150g...in hopefully a couple weeks.
If I would of know how much time and money this was going to cost........yip I still would of gotten into it. I love sitting and watching my fishy family.
Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[petjunkie]

It does get easier but as soon as you get one tank under control you'll want to start another and there goes more money and headaches

. I'm starting tank #3 after almost two years in this hobby but the other two are great now.

 

[emeralcrab]

Ha, I've already got THREE going....30 hex reef, 55 reef, 150 aggressive. I guess I wanted all the headache together...

Plus a 29 QT tank going...am I crazy? Or what? But I love it, even with the problems. Thanks all.

 

[nigerbang]

When something goes wrong I freak out about it...but when I fix it I think to myself.."yup Im glad I knew what to do" self boosting ego is what I call it..That I think is what makes this hobby great...It really never ends, always changes and something always comes up that will keep you on your toes..so just remember when you get mad a wnat to grab the ball bat..there is lots of time and cash in that to start over b/c you got mad and swung for the fences..maybe I am the only one who has wanted to do that though..

 

[tx reef]

It has never really been hard or really time consuming for me. I just set it up right and now the tank runs itself.
I am not at all lucky so don't say that. If you do things right the first time, the problems will be minimal.
This hobby is not at all difficult as many will lead you to believe. Failure and hardships come from human error (buying diseased fish, improper equipment, lack of patience, etc....).

 

[emeralcrab]

I've have tried to do everything by the book, I did have trouble with my well water, was at 6.68 ammonia, so never could get the ammonia down, until I tested the well water, was I shocked. That is the biggest headache I've had, but I do wish I would of got one tank up and going, then did the others. Although the 150 has been the easiest of them all. You should of seen the LFS people when they tested my water.....they looked at each other like this lady needs serious help....told me that I must be way over feeding them, way to many fish (3 tiny little clowns in a 55) change water, change water and a lot of water fast. Well the more I changed the high the ammonia would read. :notsure: Had me baffled, I knew I wasn't over feeding them. Got smart one night and ran a check on my well water. :scared: Needless to say I have been buying RO water by the 5 gals, until I can get my own unit. I've tried to go slow, I learned with my first fish to get a QT tank, although I don't think I would of had as much trouble if I would of known about the high ammonia, that stressed out fish big time and then of course caused problems. But those little clowns were tuff, didn't loose a one of them. AMAZINGLY :cheer: