Do you Ever get Bored of your Tank?

[Rockfella]

I don't ever get bored of my tanks, I've been striving for success all along the road. When I arrived where I wanted to be I just kept trying to do better and each year. The fish become a year older and the tanks have been set up a year longer. This all adds to the success I feel. My Clown Loaches are 27 years old - the tank has never been torn down since it was set up in 1995. My Cardinal Tetra aquarium has been set up since 2008.

27!!! That is incredible!!!

 

[Thunder_o_b]

Do you ever get bored of what your tank looks like once you've decorated it? I heard that it's hard to move live plants once they are planted, so your basically stuck with how you designed your tank and can't ever really change it up. (Note: I've never had live plants, only fake silk plants). So to all of you who have live plants in your tanks, do you ever get bored of your designs?

I will mix it up every so often. Especially if I find plants I really like and do not have.

 

[CHJ]

Tank boredom is a way of life for me.
I like plecos. Plecos like to hide. I like happy plecos so there are plenty of places to hide. This means often a tank can look empty. I have added movement fish to the tanks so they look less empty.
Dats also like to hide. So does Mr Biteytubefish.

Then there are tanks that are empty and waiting for a cool new find at the LFS or a breeding pair/group of fish to go into them. No real excitement in an empty tank.

Then there are dwindling tanks. By this I mean tanks that I'm tired of and waiting for its residents to get old and die. If this happens with a group of fish I can just give them away. In the case of my haplo tank it is now dow to 2 male hoplos due to murder fish getting murdery. The remaining female decided to become a boy, this is something I didn't know hoplos could do until her pectorals were red and most of the way to male sized. With murder fish in the tank this was a fatal decision on her part. So we have 1 female hoplo in another tank. If she dies I'm out of the hoplo breeding game.
Murder fish looks like this. Hoplos, so cute until they decide it is mating time. Murder Fish defied all the advice I give to others. My surface was clear of everything and high flow constantly agitating the surface. The fish still decided it was mating time even though it can't build a nest. So it is now alone in a breeder.


That main tank also contains the eternal lambchop. 1 lambchop that I thought was 10 years old as we got it right after we move into the house. My wife says we moved in over 15 years ago.. You really can't give away a fish that is around 5x the species max age. I'm also not buying more, so I have a single immortal unhappy lambchop. As I was typing this I decided to again futilely try to get a picture of it. It looked like ironically, it might have died while I was typing about its immortality.. Nope, there it is!

Then there are tanks I'd like to swap fish out of. My emps are unfortunately ~18mo old now so I can't really sell them, I'd like to move in a different tetra to breed (I missed out on some cool ones a while back). In another tank I'm getting bored with the rainbows and congo tetras as movement fish. Man are those congos getting big.

Spot any plecos in that one? See it needs movement fish.

As for moving plants I move small ones or ones that have been dug up. I do not like moving monster swords that have huge root balls on them.
I also do not run any capped tanks. I imagine moving a plant in a capped tank is just a nightmare as when you pull it up it fills the tank with soil.

As a side note: I generally get bored with things quickly, so keep that in mind.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

My two larger fish reject any and all attempts to change things up. And I have ended up putting things back where they like them. So since they live in the tank, I figure my opinion on things boring or not, doesn’t out weigh their contentment.
I put a small container with matrix in it in their tank recently to seed for their tank upgrade. They cowered at opposite end of tank. Came out to eat then right back to cowering. Rejects it!

 

[devsi]

Just aquascape with rocks like I do.
A big group of well selected rocks look good just about anyway they are arranged and can be easily rearranged.

Do you have to use special "aquarium" rocks? Or can you use any type of rock?

 

[A201]

Just about any rock collected from an unpolluted area will do fine in an aquarium.
Rocks made up of calcium carbonate will up the PH, but won't adversely impact most captive bred fish. Stay away from grainy rocks.
I bought most of my rocks from landscape companies and local commercial rockyards.

 

[V1K]

My two larger fish reject any and all attempts to change things up. And I have ended up putting things back where they like them. So since they live in the tank, I figure my opinion on things boring or not, doesn’t out weigh their contentment.
I put a small container with matrix in it in their tank recently to seed for their tank upgrade. They cowered at opposite end of tank. Came out to eat then right back to cowering. Rejects it!

How do they express their rejection?

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

How do they express their rejection?

They will slowly slink side by side right up to whatever is rejectable and then quickly retreat and cower behind the sponge filter. The only thing they got over quickly was a mesh bag of matrix, a recent addition (seeding for tank upgrade). They also go hide under the other in tank filter when I do water changes in the other tank. Backs turned to the horror of change in all it’s forms. Lol.

 

[V1K]

They will slowly slink side by side right up to whatever is rejectable and then quickly retreat and cower behind the sponge filter. The only thing they got over quickly was a mesh bag of matrix, a recent addition (seeding for tank upgrade). They also go hide under the other in tank filter when I do water changes in the other tank. Backs turned to the horror of change in all it’s forms. Lol.

Wouldn't have guessed that goldfish can be so shy.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Wouldn't have guessed that goldfish can be so shy.

They are an enigma wrapped in fish scales. Lol. Most of the time they are just active and sassy and begging for more food. But these two are like set in their ways, Yondu the male goes to his rest spot at 9pm pretty much on the dot.

 

[Blacksheep1]

I’ve seen videos of hamsters being told it’s bedtime and running to bed with no other external input ! It’s definitely possible that goldfish react like this , despite the 3 second memory theory !

 

[BassaraAhara]

Do you ever get bored of what your tank looks like once you've decorated it? I heard that it's hard to move live plants once they are planted, so your basically stuck with how you designed your tank and can't ever really change it up. (Note: I've never had live plants, only fake silk plants). So to all of you who have live plants in your tanks, do you ever get bored of your designs?

I mean, I have basic designs in my tanks anyway, so its hard not to but I don't bother moving the deco so I don't stress the fish.

 

[TheAnglerAquarist]

Well, I always get bored of my tank. But then I remember I have Grover (my betta) and now Walter (my Bolivian ram) (yes it works!) and I can always do things to help out the fish

 

[CHJ]

The bronze machine bores me. It is also risky for the bronze cories in it. The reason is that it is in the bed room and the bedroom is brutally cold. So when a heater went out a few months back they were al paralyzed and tumbling while I panicked and looked for a backup heater. The cories all recovered, I was sure they were dead or that I'd see casualties.
So I'm considering getting rid of all my bronzes, cleaning the tank, and making it into a Red Tail Squirrel Loach tank. Bonus: I could see if the LFS can get Hisonotus Aky again.
Downside, no breeding Hisonotus Aky as loaches will loach (well OK, if I get to eggs first, I can put them in a tumbler or something). An ink birded heater can keep it a nice ~65F. If everything fails and I can't find a back heater fast they will live in the cold tank.

I got to try Red Tail Squirrel Loaches last summer and concluded they are easily the best loaches, before the heat killed them because I didn't have a chiller .That was a temp too far for "They will adapt".

 

[Goldseverum1214]

Yep. I always seem unsatisfied with how my tank looks I'm actually thinking about moving my 112 gallon and setting it up like a peninsula. Always wondered what the fish are up to when i can't see them in the back

 

[V1K]

So I'm considering getting rid of all my bronzes, cleaning the tank, and making it into a Red Tail Squirrel Loach tank. Bonus: I could see if the LFS can get Hisonotus Aky again.
Downside, no breeding Hisonotus Aky as loaches will loach (well OK, if I get to eggs first, I can put them in a tumbler or something).

If you want something to breed, maybe you can add some hillstream loaches too. On a quick glance, they seem to need the same conditions, and I've heard that provided good conditions and no predators they breed without any help or special feeding for the young.

 

[CHJ]

If you want something to breed, maybe you can add some hillstream loaches too. On a quick glance, they seem to need the same conditions, and I've heard that provided good conditions and no predators they breed without any help or special feeding for the young.

Oh, interesting. Many of those are quite adorable.

 

[fishkeepernewbie]

I don't ever get bored of my tanks, I've been striving for success all along the road. When I arrived where I wanted to be I just kept trying to do better and each year. The fish become a year older and the tanks have been set up a year longer. This all adds to the success I feel. My Clown Loaches are 27 years old - the tank has never been torn down since it was set up in 1995. My Cardinal Tetra aquarium has been set up since 2008.

Wow 27!!!! I found on the internet that they live more than 10 years, and can make it up to 25 with pristine water conditions , but it rarely happens

 

[Redshark1]

Wow 27!!!! I found on the internet that they live more than 10 years, and can make it up to 25 with pristine water conditions , but it rarely happens

Normally Clown Loaches are a consumer commodity. Probably 99.9% don't live a year.

A billion Clown Loaches (currently 50 million each year - which is unsustainable) have been officially (with paperwork) exported from Indonesia during the time I have owned my fish.

Mid to late 20s is their usual maximum life span (when my fellow dedicated owners reported their Clown Loaches dying of old age).

A consumer commodity is something that a person (the consumer) purchases in a store or online to be used at home or personally, and which is normally used up (consumed).

However, if you buy something retail for use in the home or for personal use but it’s not used up, then it is not a consumer commodity.

I am a fish keeper not a fish buyer.

 

[BlockHead1981]

Do you ever get bored of what your tank looks like once you've decorated it? I heard that it's hard to move live plants once they are planted, so your basically stuck with how you designed your tank and can't ever really change it up. (Note: I've never had live plants, only fake silk plants). So to all of you who have live plants in your tanks, do you ever get bored of your designs?

Have definitely been bored of my tanks, or wanted to try something new more like it. I've moved plants around as well, in fact in my latest tank I moved the hard scape around several times after I swore I was happy with it the first time. Moving stones meant moving plants, so it was part of the process. I've learned to have patience with my tanks over the years. I challenged myself with trying to get a full healthy carpet. I knew the process would take several months keeping me occupied and when and if I do achieve my goal, I won't just tear it down because it took so long. My tank keeps me plenty busy, dealing with spot algae, cleaning the stones, trimming the carpet. I'm waiting on replacement parts for my canister filter so I'll be dealing with that when they come in. I like having things to do, the journey. Eventually it will just be maintaining the tank and I can get started on my next build. I have a brand new 16 gallon tank waiting to be setup. I started out with just keeping fish, no plants, then fish and plants, and now mainly plants and inverts. I find that plants are more challenging, they keep me engaged. Once I get my carpet how I like it I'll probably add a school of fish to enjoy the tank. This way they don't have to deal with me sticking my hands in the tank as often. Its perfectly normal to want to try something new, although some people leave their tanks setup for several years! If you're bored of your tank then I say try something new with it, don't stay bored with it, keep enjoying the hobby. I never stop messing with my tank until I am absolutely 100 percent satisfied.

 

[FishDin]

I find that tanks constantly change on their own and I don't get bored with them. If they were filled with plastic plants and fake decorations, I would find it boring immediately. We all have our own tastes and preferences.

I may add a plant or 2 occassionally, but I have such trouble growing plants that I never move them if they survive the first planting for fear that I will kill them.

 

[MacZ]

I find that tanks constantly change on their own and I don't get bored with them. If they were filled with plastic plants and fake decorations, I would find it boring immediately.

I'd like to sign this declaration of good taste.

 

[Thunder_o_b]

We re-sacpe the aquariums every 2 years or so. Live plants and all. A bit of a challenge with 150 tall.

 

[FitSoldier]

I also get bored easily. My way around it is selling off fish I don't want anymore, trading in fish for other species or (in the case of a store) for store credit, or get something else.

I don't have an option to redecorate like some of you do; my tank never stays the same and changes every 2 days, though I still organize my rockwork and gravel every water change.

 

[DaniosForever]

My tank used to be a black molly only tank and I got bored of the design so I'm getting it ready to be a blackwater tank. The only reason im not bored of the tank in general yet is because of my cave because its placed in a way that i sometimes cannot see the fish in it and my apisto loves going in that cave and im like WHATS GOING ON IN THERE! The next few months should be not so boring since im going to see my corkscrew vall grow and maybe see my apistos breed. The cories are the only active fish in the tank.

 

[BPSabelhaus]

All the time. It's constantly chasing that fine line of happy fish and happy life. I might be happy with things the way they are, but are my fish? We have three Bettas. 2 males and one female. We have had 3 males total. Only one has ever blown a bubble nest. Is it just him? Or is it because he has access to Lily pads under which he builds his nest? The other male (and the prior) have access to pothos leafs in the same position as the lily pads, but they don't use them... I'm happy with the tanks, but should I give the other male a lily? Never happy lol

 

[KeepKeepingAquatics]

I ABSOLUTELY get bored with my tanks. But, for me the general cure is to change something: clean the tank, buy more plants, buy a new fish, move things around, rescape the tank, general maintenance tasks, etc. Generally just doing a deep tank cleanup clears me of my boredom (once it's done)

 

[fishywoo]

I don't get bored per say, but I do get unsatisfied if it's not working out. I want my tanks to be pleasing to look at, but also functional for my fish. I get so unsettled if something is going wrong or not working out, but once I work it out I just can't stop enjoying it. Plus seeing your fish happy with their world is a must for me.

 

[FishDin]

No, I don't get bored with my tanks, but my engagement with them ebbs and flows. Usually, if I'm very busy with other parts of life, my tanks take a "back seat" and get minimal attention from me (feeding and weekly WC). At other times, I am focused on them a lot. I rarely make big changes to them. I prefer to watch them as they gradually change.