Quitting the hobby

Just had a tank mishap and I'm pretty sure I'm about done with the hobby. Probably going to start posting craigslist ads for my setups soon.

Have any of you reached the point where you feel the stress outweighs the enjoyment you get out of fishkeeping? Between tank and stand mishaps, a nano reef that seems determined to spite me, apartment inspections constantly springing up out of nowhere (technically against lease), I've about reached my limit.

Just had my new 65 gallon leak (of course AFTER it's been going fine and I bought a new fish and tons of plants), and I'm about ready to press the reset button and find a new hobby.

Anyone been there? Did you quit?

 

Just had a tank mishap and I'm pretty sure I'm about done with the hobby. Probably going to start posting craigslist ads for my setups soon.

Have any of you reached the point where you feel the stress outweighs the enjoyment you get out of fishkeeping? Between tank and stand mishaps, a nano reef that seems determined to spite me, apartment inspections constantly springing up out of nowhere (technically against lease), I've about reached my limit.

Just had my new 65 gallon leak (of course AFTER it's been going fine and I bought a new fish and tons of plants), and I'm about ready to press the reset button and find a new hobby.

Anyone been there? Did you quit?

I don't know what to tell you, I feel so bad for you! That is really really sad. But I really hope you don't give up on your babies, they sound all so wonderful and I know it's super hard. I really hope that you don't give up. I'm really sorry all of this happened.

 

I have a 100, a 75, a 55, a 40, a 20 and two 10 gallon tanks. Every now and then on water change day I get stressed out and consider how much easier having one big tank would be.

 

I have had failures some can't even imagine ...
Leave the water running filling a tank and go to work !
Not only water for 3-4 hours but killed all the fish in that tank and almost the ones under it !
Stress of trying to hurry up or knowing you don't have enough time ..
I don't get inspected thankfully ,they would incarcerate me ..
Sorry you are low ..
The foster family is likely to change your kids names ….
You got to just roll with it and keep swimming man ...

 

If the sorrow outweighs the joy then take a break. If you ge the itch to start again there is no law that says you can’t start over.

 

Best case scenario I'm going to downsize to 1 tank. I really would hate to lose the goldfish as I really like them. But I don't have an emotional attachment to the rest of the fish. If I stick with it, I'm probably going to pony up more $$ for a tank for them (petsmart doesn't have another 65 anywhere local, and I'd have to pay the price difference and upgrade to 75. Best they'll do for me despite them selling me a **** product). I'll still likely break down the rest of my tanks though. I got in to this hobby because I love animals and I needed a relaxing hobby. But it almost feels like a near constant source of stress now.

 

In this hobby there are mountains and there are valleys. All in a zig zag line. Like this
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
You are in a valley. But remember you will always get to the top of the mountain again

 

I have had failures some can't even imagine ...
Leave the water running filling a tank and go to work !
Not only water for 3-4 hours but killed all the fish in that tank and almost the ones under it !
Stress of trying to hurry up or knowing you don't have enough time ..
I don't get inspected thankfully ,they would incarcerate me ..
Sorry you are low ..
The foster family is likely to change your kids names ….
You got to just roll with it and keep swimming man ...

I feel you bud. If I didn't rent I wouldn't feel so bad about it. All I could see as that water was shooting out the side was a $10k water damage bill.

I have a 100, a 75, a 55, a 40, a 20 and two 10 gallon tanks. Every now and then on water change day I get stressed out and consider how much easier having one big tank would be.

This seems like the path of least anguish to me. Might just upgrade the goldies and get rid of the other tanks.

 

As others have said, if it feels like work then downsize or take a break for awhile. I used to have 3 big tanks (years ago) and I stopped because it felt like it turned into a chore. I recently started again in the hobby and all I have is a 20 gallon right now and I love it. I think I’m hooked on small tanks and smaller fish

 

I think I'm hooked on large schools of small fish and big tanks.

 

When you have a hobby as fun as this even if you take a break you will want to come back to it as you ll remember the fun you had with it. I had a tank of fish pre sold for about 6000.00 and went to vegas for a few days and when I got back they were all boiled from a heater failure. Top that off the parents stopped breeding for about 3 years.
Sorry about your bad luck, I am sure it will turn around for you.

 

When you have a hobby as fun as this even if you take a break you will want to come back to it as you ll remember the fun you had with it. I had a tank of fish pre sold for about 6000.00 and went to vegas for a few days and when I got back they were all boiled from a heater failure. Top that off the parents stopped breeding for about 3 years.
Sorry about your bad luck, I am sure it will turn around for you.

What were they?

 

Zebra plecos and the real kicker for me was that mine were breeding year round which is not the norm.

 

I have a 100, a 75, a 55, a 40, a 20 and two 10 gallon tanks. Every now and then on water change day I get stressed out and consider how much easier having one big tank would be.

You should split them up and have 2 water change days per week! Do half the tanks 1 day and the other half the second day

 

YES! I have now quit reef-keeping for the second time and just posted everything for sale 2 hours ago (on Reef2Reef.com). I was 18 when I first quit, my entire 3 year old thriving tank crashed overnight because the anemone got sucked into the powerhead, I buried all my little buddies and never forgot that... and now 10 years later, I got into it again and my tank is going great (4 months old) but I just have so much anxiety about maintenance and things going wrong with a reef system that I don't feel the same joy I once did as a kid, so i'm getting out again. I think that one big crash did it for a lifetime for me. I feel your pain.. there certainly are other hobbies out there and this will always be here to try again. I doubt anyone is more emotional a human than I am so the time away will probably do way more good for you than it did me...

You should split them up and have 2 water change days per week! Do half the tanks 1 day and the other half the second day

that would equal 2 days of stress ead: (for me)

 

that would equal 2 days of stress ead: (for me)

Exactly!

I work seven 12 hour days in a row (then I'm off for 7), so I like taking care of it all at once.

 

As others have said, if it feels like work then downsize or take a break for awhile. I used to have 3 big tanks (years ago) and I stopped because it felt like it turned into a chore. I recently started again in the hobby and all I have is a 20 gallon right now and I love it. I think I’m hooked on small tanks and smaller fish

I have one tank, a low tech planted 10 gallon, and it's great! Sometimes less is more

 

Hey it happens. Leaks are the worst. New tank leaks just s##k!! Next up is canister filter leaks. I’ve been there. Had a 200 gallon crack and drop 200 gallon onto my basement floor. Along with 14 $200+ discus and a fully planted tank. This was in 2000. I pretty much gave up than. I kept a tank going but that was it. Took me 16yrs to start again. I went with acrylic tanks. They leak less (hopefully). Yes this hobby has its ups and downs. Sometime a break is good (away from the hobby).Get your head back together. Sorry but nothing worse than a new tank leaking. Seems to happen to often these days. Good luck.

 

If you're not enjoying it it's probably time to take a break. Maybe just break down the tanks, but keep the tanks and equipment for a while to make sure? You can always sell it if after a few months you still feel the same way.

 

If you're not enjoying it it's probably time to take a break. Maybe just break down the tanks, but keep the tanks and equipment for a while to make sure? You can always sell it if after a few months you still feel the same way.

That’s basically what I did the first time. good thing was my father always had a tank so he’d always offer to take the tank or when I was living home take over till I was ready to start over.

 

Had a 330gal not leak but explode gangster bullet style lost all the fish had to move out for 2 months to get house repairs done and had close to 50k insurance bill. The first few weeks got hard but we moved on and got the new tank setup and now have a second tank going, I know times get hard but it all comes around you will find the joy again

 

I’ve had so many ups and downs since getting back in to tanks 5 months ago.
I love the fish, the plants give me green growing life in the midst of gray winters which is good, and I’ve learned to almost become enamored with shrimps and snails.
But more nights than not I’ve pondered just halting my plans and finding a new home for at least 2 major tanks.
Keeping just simple tanks with 1 or 2 fish...

Yet I really miss all of my tanks when I’m away too.

It’s quite the balance. But good to step back now and then. Give yourself a rest.

 

I can't imagine what it would take for me to quit. I think it would have to be becoming homeless or having literally no money. That being said, a tank explosion would definitely be a big valley.

Maybe a lot of it is the number of tanks. Water change day would definitely put me over the top if I had too many tanks so I can see how that would be very draining for you. The apartment thing is the killer there. I don't think I could make my water changes much more automated than I have them right now as long as I'm still in an apartment. I can't wait to have a house so I can become a crazy fish guy with multiple tanks in every room set up with automatic water change systems.

 

This fishkeeping malarky can be very draining emotionally and financially sometimes.

We are guardians & carers for these animals and its an awesome feeling when you see babies scooting around but then when you lose animals, often without a definite cause, it can be absolutely devastating....you automatically go into self blame and every single possible "what if" and "if only" goes through your mind

Fishkeeping is often looked upon as an easy, cheap and sadly sometimes disposable hobby....the times I have stopped people flushing their fish just cos they got bored with it or they didn't realise just how much time, effort and money it takes to keep your animals in top condition.

I totally understand those like the OP who just reach the point of complete despair when things are constantly going wrong and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel....

This pastime is time consuming, it is financially tough at times, it is an emotional rollercoaster......its certainly NOT easy

I think it is almost essential to walk away from the hobby for a time just cos of the emotionally draining experiences that can and do happen

In the 30 or so years since I started this pastime it has changed immensely....some for the good and some not so good.....the pressure to succeed is high and it can get under your skin

These animals are a joy to watch, they are some of the most rewarding creatures on earth....but they are hard work....much harder than many people realise

 

I have been there. It was a different situation, but I felt the same way. For me, parasites got into my showtank! The one tank I was so careful about!!! It was devastating to have these in my main tank and I lost 7 of my precious cichlids I wanted to give up even more when Canada banned all fish meds. I would just have to let all my fish die if I didn't order a dewormer from the US, so I didn't know how Canadians could continue keeping fish alive if they come in with nematodes.

Anyway, I had a bunch of fish to try and save (since I got a dewormer from the US), so I consolidated a bunch of fish to my large main tank and dewormed everyone there. I dismantled the breeder tanks and still haven't started them back up (3 years). But I still have 20 adult angels, so when I feel they are safe, and I start raising angels again, I'll set up the breeder tanks again.

I took a break from breeding and I was just siphoning and changing water for a while, but eventually as I gained more confidence that the worm was dealt with, I could concentrate on my scape and plants for a while.

Now it's been 3 years since I've finished treatment and I finally feel better about it, not 100%, but better. I'm a few months away from starting the breeder tanks back up.

I feel for you, I've made so many mistakes and floods, luckily not the tanks, but messing up draining and refilling the tanks (my head was just so full of stress). So I also got to a point where I felt like I just couldn't do it and had to quit. But I just took a break and kept my tanks just going and now i'm glad I still have what I do.

So I like your idea to downsize and keep the equipment you can in case you want to restart them in a bit. I hope to keep seeing you around

 

Just had a tank mishap and I'm pretty sure I'm about done with the hobby. Probably going to start posting craigslist ads for my setups soon.

Have any of you reached the point where you feel the stress outweighs the enjoyment you get out of fishkeeping? Between tank and stand mishaps, a nano reef that seems determined to spite me, apartment inspections constantly springing up out of nowhere (technically against lease), I've about reached my limit.

Just had my new 65 gallon leak (of course AFTER it's been going fine and I bought a new fish and tons of plants), and I'm about ready to press the reset button and find a new hobby.

Anyone been there? Did you quit?

Sorry I acidentally put a "Like" down. You probably find that rude. I did not mean to put it down. so sorry. I feel really bad now.

 

Sorry I acidentally put a "Like" down. You probably find that rude. I did not mean to put it down. so sorry. I feel really bad now.

You can unclick it or even change it !
We all make mistakes ...That is how I know !!

 

Oh wow, time for my tragic backstory.
I recently lost my betta fish to swim bladder disorder after adding mislabeled nerites into my tank. I think they were actually saltwater snails, they didn't look like nerites at all but I thought If they were nerites could acclimate them to freshwater.
After the betta's death, I panicked and cleaned everything in my tank, down to the gravel. I knew this would upset the cycle but I didn't know how hard it would be to start the cycle again. I didn't know a lot about cycling at the time and figured fish food + time = cycled. I got three guppies about a month later and an ACTUAL nerite snail and they all died within a matter of days. Anyway, I'm still waiting on that tank to cycle again, but I've got plants in the mail and an order placed at my lfs for some CPDs. In spite of my fears that something will go horribly wrong, I'm not giving up yet.

 

You can unclick it or even change it !
We all make mistakes ...That is how I know !!

I didn't know you can do that.

 

Oh wow, time for my tragic backstory.
I recently lost my betta fish to swim bladder disorder after adding mislabeled nerites into my tank. I think they were actually saltwater snails, they didn't look like nerites at all but I thought If they were nerites could acclimate them to freshwater.
After the betta's death, I panicked and cleaned everything in my tank, down to the gravel. I knew this would upset the cycle but I didn't know how hard it would be to start the cycle again. I didn't know a lot about cycling at the time and figured fish food + time = cycled. I got three guppies about a month later and an ACTUAL nerite snail and they all died within a matter of days. Anyway, I'm still waiting on that tank to cycle again, but I've got plants in the mail and an order placed at my lfs for some CPDs. In spite of my fears that something will go horribly wrong, I'm not giving up yet.

Never give up.

 

Sucks that your tank leaked. I agree, if it becomes work then what's the point. I myself have not gotten out all together, but I did realize my tanks were becoming too much work for me. I went ahead and got rid of 2 of my tanks, my smallest 10 gallon which was a nightmare and my largest 55 gallon which was a little more work than I wanted. I also live in a condo, no inspections but limited space. I kept my 29 gallon and setup a 16 gallon as well. I later setup a 30 gallon tank as well. Personally, I find 29/30 gallon tanks big enough to stock some interesting fish and easy enough to maintain. I hope you don't drop fish keeping all together just find a setup that works, make water changes easy for you like by using a python or something similar, get some high quality filters to give you some more time between cleanings. Set yourself up for success, all my tanks are "overfiltered" and I get months before I even have to clean my canister filters.

 

Just thought i'd say I keep two large tanks and 6 smaller ones. I like my large tanks because I can keep all my fish in them if I have to. But that's not an option for a lot of folks and when I had my 33g tanks, they were such a synch to clean and I would do all 4 on the same day whereas I take one day to clean my big tanks (meaning i'm done after cleaning one of them). It's also the size of the tanks, I have to use a step stool to add the water and it's just more awkward to manage.

 

Just thought i'd say I keep two large tanks and 6 smaller ones. I like my large tanks because I can keep all my fish in them if I have to. But that's not an option for a lot of folks and when I had my 33 gallon tanks, they were such a synch to clean and I would do all 4 on the same day whereas I take one day to clean my big tanks (meaning i'm done after cleaning one of them). It's also the size of the tanks, I have to use a step stool to add the water and it's just more awkward to manage.

Yeah, the cleaning thing. I'm pretty much at my tolerance limit for the day after cleaning my 75g. Using buckets to fill I could also see causing someone to second guess getting a larger tank. I used buckets for my 55 gallon and I think that only lasted a month or two with my 75 gallon before I decided that wasn't going to be a long term solution for me. I now fill it up with a garden hose from my kitchen sink and it's much better being able to sit back and drink a beer while watching it fill.

 

Yeah, the cleaning thing. I'm pretty much at my tolerance limit for the day after cleaning my 75 gallon. Using buckets to fill I could also see causing someone to second guess getting a larger tank. I used buckets for my 55 gallon and I think that only lasted a month or two with my 75 gallon before I decided that wasn't going to be a long term solution for me. I now fill it up with a garden hose from my kitchen sink and it's much better being able to sit back and drink a beer while watching it fill.

I know, i'm too nervous to pump straight from the tap! I also don't like to use chemicals (so I use less Safe if I only treat the new water in resevoirs). And I prefer to off gas my new water so that parameters stay more consistent with a large water change.

 

I know, i'm too nervous to pump straight from the tap! I also don't like to use chemicals (so I use less Safe if I only treat the new water in resevoirs). And I prefer to off gas my new water so that parameters stay more consistent with a large water change.

I am a little bit cautious about the water in my new place. It seems to me like it has an awful lot of chlorine. But I dose way more prime than needed for the whole tank before filling.

 

Thanks for the support guys. I really appreciate it. I didn't expect such a response, I mostly just needed to vent. After cooling down, I don't think I'm going to quit completely, but there's still a chance I might downsize considerably. Assessing the situation and thinking what I'm going to do.

It's not so much the work that's stressful. I enjoy that part mostly. It's the constant worry about lease violations and water damage that's my main source of stress. Might just cut back to 1 or 2 tanks until I can buy a place.

 

Update: After a few days to cool down, figured I'd let you all know I'm not getting out of the hobby or getting rid of any of my tanks. But **** if that isn't the closest I've ever come. Still in the market for a new goldfish tank though. Petsmart couldn't replace that one because of course I bought the last one in any store around here -_-

 

Update: After a few days to cool down, figured I'd let you all know I'm not getting out of the hobby or getting rid of any of my tanks. But **** if that isn't the closest I've ever come. Still in the market for a new goldfish tank though. Petsmart couldn't replace that one because of course I bought the last one in any store around here -_-

So glad to hear it! Looking forward to seeing your new tank!

 

I was going to wait for petsmart to get a replacement in and buy that same tank. Rethinking that now though. Lots of bad reviews that mention leaks. Probably going to go with something different

 

I have seen the reviews. I took a chance on mine as I got it from my LFS. They look their tanks over well before selling them. Any idea what size you may end up getting?