Not enjoying this hobby yet

ricky1066

ricky1066

Member
Ok I don't want to be an old hag here but I have been at the salt water hobby for 6 weeks now and I am wondering when you get to enjoy it?
I am constantly looking to add to what i have Skimmer,ro/di unit.Sump. The right readings the salinty the water level the right light the correct the right food .
Now I am wondering how long before I can sit back and watch
I bought the pellets for the blenny yesterday algae pellets he went right past them I added seaweed vegetables for hinm after anhour of them going all over the tank Into the pump/
How long is it before you can relax or is it never?
 
geoj

geoj

Active Member
Look before you leap or research before you buy!
This may help you some.
Enjoy learning how to what most can’t do…
Keep going and in time it becomes second nature.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Give it time. The first few months are a lot of work getting the tank established but it does get easier.
 
C

curve

Guest
I have only been in saltwater for 3 months or so and I still work my tail off to make my setups beter, more efficient and quiter. That's what I enjoy doing and now I am starting to see the reward in it all.
 
groupergenius

groupergenius

Active Member
Originally Posted by Curve
http:///forum/post/2469225
I have only been in saltwater for 3 months or so and I still work my tail off to make my setups beter, more efficient and quiter. That's what I enjoy doing and now I am starting to see the reward in it all.

I have only been in saltwater for 30 years or so and I still work my tail off to make my setups beter, more efficient and quiter. That's what I enjoy doing and now I am starting to see the reward in it all.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
The question here is; What are you planning on enjoying? If you are planning to sit back and not have to do anything but look at the pretty fishies then it is not exactly like that. If you enjoy watching the ecosystem that you are building and enjoy watching the majestic way that underwater creatures move, while knowing that you are their care giver, then this is an awesome hobby for you! The saltwater hobby is wonderful, but you have to have an appreciation for it. You will love your tank, give it time and don't be in a hurry.
P.S. you will always be looking at levels and "What is that?" It is part of the hobby. It is also very relaxing, once the system is established, to know that all is well with your swimming friends.
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2469347
The question here is; What are you planning on enjoying? If you are planning to sit back and not have to do anything but look at the pretty fishies then it is not exactly like that. If you enjoy watching the ecosystem that you are building and enjoy watching the majestic way that underwater creatures move, while knowing that you are their care giver, then this is an awesome hobby for you! The saltwater hobby is wonderful, but you have to have an appreciation for it. You will love your tank, give it time and don't be in a hurry.
P.S. you will always be looking at levels and "What is that?" It is part of the hobby. It is also very relaxing, once the system is established, to know that all is well with your swimming friends.
BORING!!!

JK JK JK
thats what this hobby is all about
 
bessycerka

bessycerka

Member
I agree that sometimes, in the beginning stages, you come home from work tired, and have to test, mix water, siphon, re test, etc, etc, and it can seem to be a drag, BUT....once the tank establishes itself, you will be so happy that you'll add MORE stuff, and have even MORE work to complain about, PLUS, you will be spending MORE $$$$ than you thought. At that point, when you become stressed about catching up on paying your bills, you can always sit back and enjoy the calming effect of watching your tank
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2469347
The question here is; What are you planning on enjoying? If you are planning to sit back and not have to do anything but look at the pretty fishies then it is not exactly like that. If you enjoy watching the ecosystem that you are building and enjoy watching the majestic way that underwater creatures move, while knowing that you are their care giver, then this is an awesome hobby for you! The saltwater hobby is wonderful, but you have to have an appreciation for it. You will love your tank, give it time and don't be in a hurry.
P.S. you will always be looking at levels and "What is that?" It is part of the hobby. It is also very relaxing, once the system is established, to know that all is well with your swimming friends.
Ditto... half the fun is researching and understanding the science of it all. Testing and comparing results finding what works for you and what you dont really like. Almost a year in and I have had my issues, and have gotten frustrated a few times but I still love the hobby and never look at it as work.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
You will enjoy it after awhile, once your tank is balanced, your personal knowledge grows, and you see your fish thriving in a well balanced setup. You may (will) make some mistakes or lose fish but saltwater fish keeping is a sickness you will become totally into eventually. Yeah, it's a lot of work at first, but it does get better. Now that my 55gal FOWLR tank has been going for 6 years (yes, I know I'm still a noob) I find I don't have to do much water testing anymore (except salinity after every weekly water change) and aside from watching salinity, temps, algae growth, and cleaning filters as needed it's actually pretty low maintenance. It's relaxing to come home. feed the fish, clean the skimmer cup, maybe scrub a little algae from the tank, then just watch the fish swim around, especially the puffer who comes to the end of the tank and watches me while I'm on the computer.
You never stop learning in this hobby about how to better care for your fish, how to maintain your tank and advance your knolwedge. That and sharing with other hobbyists is a big part of the fun.
Keep it up and enjoy!
 
ricky1066

ricky1066

Member
oK SO i GUESS Iam not alone
Don't get me wrong I am not giving it up And I did research but it is alot more then you think
 
fats71

fats71

Active Member
I just startedd this last week so you have 5 or so on me... I love it. the looking at differennt fish ont he websites to watching the little dudes eat to finding out how much time the lights should be on. It is overwhelming annd im sure im screweing 90% of it up but it started as fun for me right off the bat. I think this is something you like from the get go and really want to do or your not gonna like it period.
It would be nice to have someone in my area that I was friends with that knew this stuff but since their isnt here I am..
 
lexluethar

lexluethar

Active Member
Give it time. It is a mixture of the tank routine and the tank becoming more stable. It really is more about getting into the routine of it more than anything. When first starting it seems like the tank took all of my time. Once a week water changes were a chore, and it was just a pain all around. Constantly scraping algae off, testing water every other day. The hobby was not fun at all.
After about 8 months you get into the routine of things, water changes become second nature. And as everyone else said, you find easier / better ways to do things. I'm to the point now that other than the hour or so for my water changes once a week, I don't have to do anything to the tank.
Give it time - but realize that this is more about you getting used to what it takes to keep a proper aquarium than it is about the tank actually becoming easier to maintain. You always have the option of hiring someone out to take care of your tank if you can't handle doing it yourself.
 
h2ointolerant

h2ointolerant

New Member
hey ricky you try that ball valve yet to stop the the noise? i posted some pics of mine in your other thread if you did how did it work for you.once the tank becomes stable and you get a routine down then you sit back and enjoy.
 
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