Who's sick of hearing that SW is hard?
- Thread starter susieq
- Start date
petjunkie
Active Member
I know! Everyone that asks me about my tank I tell them it's not that hard, 15 minutes here and there and about an hour or two for three tanks once a week. Every single person goes "Oh, that sounds like too much for me". God forbid people get off their butts for a little while once in a while to make something look that gorgeous. My tanks are nothing compared to the attention my ferrets need, lol!
lukeb321
Member
>>>you can do a 75 gallon freshwater tank for just a few hundred, but for salt that easily climbs well over a thousand...<<<
I disagree, if you buy used and dont live in Long Island.
I moved to FLorida and EVERYTHING is sooo much cheaper.
Bought used 55 gallon, with stand, skimmer, heater, filter and 90 pds live rock : 200
Light off that auction site: 100
Tomato Clown: 10
Bicolor angel: 20
4 Chromis: 12
Cleanup crew: 30
Test kit: 15
Food: 10
Total: $397
Not mention the maintence is much easier than my planted freshwater, years ago.
I do find it funny, when people say "Wooooooo, isnt that hard and expensive". But with anything if your smart, you can find a good deal. I bought a 2000 BMW 323 w/ 27k miles on it for $15,000 from my uncle. When I tell people Im a school teacher, they always ask how do you afford all these nice things, meanwhile they are driving a $20,000 honda and say oh I could never afford a BMW. I laugh at people all the time, you gotta look around, but there are some deals out there people.
I disagree, if you buy used and dont live in Long Island.
I moved to FLorida and EVERYTHING is sooo much cheaper.
Bought used 55 gallon, with stand, skimmer, heater, filter and 90 pds live rock : 200
Light off that auction site: 100
Tomato Clown: 10
Bicolor angel: 20
4 Chromis: 12
Cleanup crew: 30
Test kit: 15
Food: 10
Total: $397
Not mention the maintence is much easier than my planted freshwater, years ago.
I do find it funny, when people say "Wooooooo, isnt that hard and expensive". But with anything if your smart, you can find a good deal. I bought a 2000 BMW 323 w/ 27k miles on it for $15,000 from my uncle. When I tell people Im a school teacher, they always ask how do you afford all these nice things, meanwhile they are driving a $20,000 honda and say oh I could never afford a BMW. I laugh at people all the time, you gotta look around, but there are some deals out there people.
K
kalied20
Guest
Laughing till I fall off this chair......
I think that the hobby is great. I love my NANO's I am now looking for a larger tank around a 150 or so. Everyone thinks that this is an expesive hobby? WOW....This is the least expensive thing that I do.
Other Hobbies: Classic Cars....10's of thousands of dollars
Playing Poker....can win or lose with this one!
Traveling.....an average nice trip cost about 2 or 3 thousand
and it's only a week or two!
My investment in a 24 gallon Nano and a 20 gallon Nano so far.......$1200...and most was new equipment. I know better now....the 150 gallon will be about the same price for the complete setup.
I think that the hobby is great. I love my NANO's I am now looking for a larger tank around a 150 or so. Everyone thinks that this is an expesive hobby? WOW....This is the least expensive thing that I do.
Other Hobbies: Classic Cars....10's of thousands of dollars
Playing Poker....can win or lose with this one!
Traveling.....an average nice trip cost about 2 or 3 thousand
and it's only a week or two!
My investment in a 24 gallon Nano and a 20 gallon Nano so far.......$1200...and most was new equipment. I know better now....the 150 gallon will be about the same price for the complete setup.
sebae09
Member
This is the absolute best hobby in the world. it does cost a little money but everything in life isn't cheap just look for good deals thats what i do. Well i have to to keep up my sharks. but in the end when you all sit back and look at your tanks does it look like its worth it? because mine does to me.
bojik
Member
Oh its such a nussiance.
Yea its rather easy heh. I like the water we have huge buffer for alkalinity etc. It takes a massive amount of ph adjuster to get it to go below 8.2 8.3. With the chmeistry as it is add seasalt mix and there ya go
its great. just keep that adjusted and poor in reef trace elements occasionaly and no problems. And as far as some hobbies go, the larger tanks are spendy hobbies. THOUGH most of it is one time expenditures unless you have an equipment failure.
Yea its rather easy heh. I like the water we have huge buffer for alkalinity etc. It takes a massive amount of ph adjuster to get it to go below 8.2 8.3. With the chmeistry as it is add seasalt mix and there ya go
its great. just keep that adjusted and poor in reef trace elements occasionaly and no problems. And as far as some hobbies go, the larger tanks are spendy hobbies. THOUGH most of it is one time expenditures unless you have an equipment failure.
whitey_028
Member
I personally like people thinking that some things are difficult. If it where easy wouldnt everyone have one. If it was easy i wouldnt do all the work and just admire everyone elses tank. I put hard work into the maintenance of my tanks and appreciate the results, failures, success and everything else that goes with the hobby. People saying its hard makes me appreciate it that much more.
ophiura
Active Member
How many people read books? Get advice off this board?
Most people will not do this. Most people will not do the work, or understand what to do. And I would specifically TELL them it was hard when I worked at an LFS because they had no real business trying to keep one if the weren't going to do that.
For many people, it IS hard to do. It DOES require more than what they are willing to put into it. For many, changing the water in a betta bowl, and remembering to feed it is a lot of work.
If they think it is hard work, let them keep believing it
Save the fish they might kill
Most people will not do this. Most people will not do the work, or understand what to do. And I would specifically TELL them it was hard when I worked at an LFS because they had no real business trying to keep one if the weren't going to do that.
For many people, it IS hard to do. It DOES require more than what they are willing to put into it. For many, changing the water in a betta bowl, and remembering to feed it is a lot of work.
If they think it is hard work, let them keep believing it
anthropo
Member
i work at a pet store at the present moment until i get a real job(just graduated college), anyways i have to tell people on a daily basis almost that it's not as hard as you think if you're willing to put in the effort, money and time. i tell them that the hardest part is setting up the tank and a qt tank is a necessity. then i go into a bit more detail and explain why. to be honest i could talk about saltwater all day long, but i have to get the %$## out of that petstore and into a real job.
ophiura
Active Member
I sold people a lot of African cichlids. Color without the hassle
Many people I think wanted the joy without the effort. The hobby requires things that are hard for people - patience, self control, knowing your limits, dedication.
I don't consider saltwater to be hard, but it is far less forgiving, IMO than freshwater...and when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong, and you can lose a lot of money. Just read the frustration in some of the posts on this board, from people who may not think the hobby is particularly easy right now...more along the lines of this:
I don't consider saltwater to be hard, but it is far less forgiving, IMO than freshwater...and when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong, and you can lose a lot of money. Just read the frustration in some of the posts on this board, from people who may not think the hobby is particularly easy right now...more along the lines of this:
anthropo
Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
I sold people a lot of African cichlids. Color without the hassle
Many people I think wanted the joy without the effort. The hobby requires things that are hard for people - patience, self control, knowing your limits, dedication.
I don't consider saltwater to be hard, but it is far less forgiving, IMO than freshwater...and when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong, and you can lose a lot of money. Just read the frustration in some of the posts on this board, from people who may not think the hobby is particularly easy right now...more along the lines of this:
i'll agree with that
I sold people a lot of African cichlids. Color without the hassle
I don't consider saltwater to be hard, but it is far less forgiving, IMO than freshwater...and when it goes wrong, it can go very wrong, and you can lose a lot of money. Just read the frustration in some of the posts on this board, from people who may not think the hobby is particularly easy right now...more along the lines of this:
i'll agree with that
lt34
Member
This is the things I found hard about the saltwater tanks:
1. Removing 110 pounds of rock to catch the darn Damsels that the lfs had you use to cycle your tank. (Should have found the this site first and got more information)
2. Catching the Darn Damsels (Should have used a lionfish or puffer)
3. Moving the fish to a smaller tank, draining the water into trash cans, tanking out all the rock again, removing the tank, and turning the stand over because the idiot at my lfs installed the stand upside down because I never set one up before and had them do it.
4. Above all, HAVING PATIENCE!!! Going slow is driving me nuts!!!
1. Removing 110 pounds of rock to catch the darn Damsels that the lfs had you use to cycle your tank. (Should have found the this site first and got more information)
2. Catching the Darn Damsels (Should have used a lionfish or puffer)
3. Moving the fish to a smaller tank, draining the water into trash cans, tanking out all the rock again, removing the tank, and turning the stand over because the idiot at my lfs installed the stand upside down because I never set one up before and had them do it.
4. Above all, HAVING PATIENCE!!! Going slow is driving me nuts!!!