Anyone bored of their reef tank?

[MarkoD]

It seems like there is nothing left to buy to keep it interesting and fun.

Anyone have any suggestions to reignite my interest?

[sphelps]

Try some stuff that people say not to do, that's always entertaining :biggrin:

[Nano]

I'm bored of my tank ;) but only cause I am aching to go bigger. like a 3x3 cube or larger.

[Snaz]

DIY - for me provides lots of extra entertainment value. Research, design, construction and endless tinkering and tuning. Look at the equipment critically and see if you can find a way to improve it.

My little protein skimmer I designed is fricken brilliant if I do say so myself, humble I am not!

[Reef Supplies]

Summer time blues!

Come September everyone will love their tanks again :-)

[Seriak]

Build a pond in your backyard. :)

[dc4]

"Nothing left to buy" is something I have never heard in this hobby................until today.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

[naesco]

Try some stuff that people say not to do, that's always entertaining :biggrin:


You mean the thread become more entertaining don't you?

[tlo]

i completely re-aquascaped my tank. It gave it a whole new look and worked for me when I was thinking about shutting it down.

[gobytron]

but a nano, start again.
repeat.

[Proteus]

Nothing left to buy. Wow. I could never imagine that. I am hoping to set up frag tank just so I can keep buying corals.

[FishyFishy!]

Just keep getting bigger and bigger and upgrading and upgrading!

For me it's the design and execution of the design that really makes me happy. Then when I have to start maintaining a tank.... it gets annoying. So I change my mind and buy and sell tanks all the time to fill the void.

[claymax]

Design the worlds most perfect auto water changer.

[MarkoD]

but a nano, start again.
repeat.

Just keep getting bigger and bigger and upgrading and upgrading!

For me it's the design and execution of the design that really makes me happy. Then when I have to start maintaining a tank.... it gets annoying. So I change my mind and buy and sell tanks all the time to fill the void.

That's exactly the same for me. But I'm gonna be moving in 6-8 months so no point in setting up a new tank till then

[MarkoD]

I kinda feel like if I had a fowler I could be changing my selection of livestock and even the aqua scape to keep it interesting.

But with corals, the kind of fish I can keep is limited and changing aquascape wouldn't be good for the corals

[reefgirl189]

I hear ya. I've been neglecting my tank lately. It's just so much work, you know? I do my monthly (if I even remember) w/c and feed the fish but other than that I'm finding it to be a chore. Luckily the tank doesn't seem to change one way or the other despite not getting much attention.

I feel like if I lived somewhere cool there would be a lfs or two to go check out and be inspired by. Then again maybe my wallet doesn't need any more inspiration..

[Bblinks]

Try zeovit, that will keep you busy day in and day out.....

[Coralgurl]

I changed around my 55 gl tank, and right now I absolutely love how it looks and is functioning. New livestock (fish/corals) and new aquascape have made a massive difference. Now my 180 is a different story, not bored, more overwhelmed, which is leading to frustration which is leading to regret at setting it up...so, today, I'm looking at Camaros....random right?

[MarkoD]

I just bought a new car.

[Coralgurl]

Next purchase - a boat???

[MarkoD]

I think I'm bored of my selection of fish. Id like to have a different variaty of fish. But it seems like LFS always have the same typical selection of fish.

[MarkoD]

Next purchase - a boat???

Na summers are too short here for a boat I think. Next purchase will be a house

[badfish!]

If you change up your fish you could try a predator tank. I've got 4 tanks, (2 90's, a 25 I'm upgrading to a 60 cube and a 5g nano, 1 of the 90's is mixed reef- sort of, and the other is predator). I started out with my own predator tank, but then I was babysitting some other predators but I think that now they've become mine and it is by far my favorite tank, there's always something going on in there.

[fishoholic]

"Nothing left to buy" is something I have never heard in this hobby................until today.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

+1 even after all these years I still find lots of things I want to buy. Which may also explain why I have six SW tanks :redface:

[MarkoD]

Predators without corals right?

[FishyFishy!]

Na summers are too short here for a boat I think. Next purchase will be a house


Don't do it!!! Owning a house sucks so much! haha. They are like a constant money pit. I thought my fish addiction was bad for the pocket book...

AND now that I have a house.... it's like more room to hoard random fish stuff that I don't even need lol I have tanks lying around everywhere just "waiting" to be used.

[FishyFishy!]

Oh yeah.... and then comes the "built in" tanks that cost even more money, and you end up destroying your house with floods and partial reno's.

[MarkoD]

Lol well I have to move out of my parents house at some point

[don.ald]

Lol well I have to move out of my parents house at some point

cant your parents just move out?:wink:

[badfish!]

Nope, I've got corals in my pred tank, mostly zoas and acans, they do really well in there, and the fish leave them alone (with the exception of my trigger constantly rearranging them on me, I go through a stick of the 2 part putty stuff every month or so)

[FishyFishy!]

Just start calling your parents "roommates" .... It makes you feel better and people around you think that you live in your own house!

[MarkoD]

Just start calling your parents "roommates" .... It makes you feel better and people around you think that you live in your own house!

Lol it's not a matter of what anyone thinks. It's that they drive me nuts

[gregzz4]

Teach your fish some tricks

[FishyFishy!]

Teach your fish some tricks


Jump Willy Jump!

[ScubaSteve]

It seems like there is nothing left to buy to keep it interesting and fun.

Hahahaha, oh man. Well, could try replacing all your livestock with ultra and rare pieces. That's always fun and wallet draining. Or if you've just need to part with money to make you feel better, I do take donations in the form of money transfer (email preferred).

Whenever I feel like this I have to stop myself and get my head back into the minutiae of reefing which, seemingly counter productive, means going hands off for a while. Start letting those newly acquired corals fill in and mature. Focus on pimping out the water quality, lighting and flow to tweak growth rates and colour. You've got all the bits needs to turn your reef into a work of art (from the sounds of it), so use those to paint an epic picture.

Here's a challenge for ya... Let's see your tank at TOTM-ready quality by the end of the summer?

[MarkoD]

Lol there's no way my corals could fill in my tank by the end of summer

[ScubaSteve]

Lol there's no way my corals could fill in my tank by the end of summer

Then you obviously still have room to buy more coral... :razz:

[MarkoD]

Then you obviously still have room to buy more coral... :razz:

But that's only fun for one day. Then I just lose interest in that coral cuz it grows so slooooooow

[ScubaSteve]

it grows so slooooooow

Hahahaha, buy some xenia. Grows fast and aftermath will keep you occupied.:razz:

You'll be surprised. Give your corals some hands off time and it'll start to grow faster. I have a blue/purple tabling-branching colony that, once I started to leave it alone, just took off in terms of growth. It grows about 1+" per branch every month and makes about 3+ new branches per branch per month. It's freaking nuts. You could probably sit there and watch it grow.

Tweak your growth and get it to fill in!

[Borderjumper]

cant your parents just move out?:wink:
Lol is this what your doing? :mrgreen:

[don.ald]

Lol it's not a matter of what anyone thinks. It's that they drive me nuts
Take it from a parent who has adult kids at home...they drive you nuts and they KNOW what they are doin:mrgreen:


Lol is this what your doing? :mrgreen:

Yes that's my plan!!

[MarkoD]

Take it from a parent who has adult kids at home...they drive you nuts and they KNOW what they are doin:mrgreen:




Yes that's my plan!!

no my mother is straight up crazy. she creates drama just everyone in the house would pay attention to her, and only her.

[don.ald]

no my mother is straight up crazy. she creates drama just everyone in the house would pay attention to her, and only her.

She can teach me afew things then.

[badfish!]

Haha, I think the older you get and the longer you stay at home, the crazier your parents get. I bought a house with my ex and that didn't quite work out so I'm back at home again (parents weren't super thrilled about all the tanks), but they're still just as crazy as the day I moved out a couple years ago. Now, if I'm in the basement (were my room and tanks are) for more than a few hours, my mom comes and checks on me to see if "the fish got me" (I have a stone fish)

[don.ald]

If your parents started to walk around the house naked, would that be crazy enough to get you guys to move out? Just askin:question:

[Madmak]

Design the worlds most perfect auto water changer.

2 please.

[badfish!]

Umm, I'm usually not home or in the basement, and my mom really only comes down there once in a while. The thing you have to figure out before you start that war is, how far will your kids go and how far are you willing to go? Have you ever seen war of the roses? Haha

[MarkoD]

My parents don't want me to move out. Their house has a walk out basement. I go in and out as I please

[Blue World Aquariums]

-Start a nano or a pico tank
-Try your hand at breeding fish
-Try new supplements and see how they affect growth and color
-Change your lighting
-Add some LEDs to supplement your lighting
-Upgrade to a light fixture that allows you to play with colors
-Start a frag tank and propagate some corals
-Design and build a tank you've never seen before
-Try new fish foods
-Upgrade your equipment
-Re-aquascape your tank
-Add a refugium
-Add gobies....always room for more gobies
-Add shrimp and nano-inverts...always room for those too
-Upgrade your tank size
-Start a jellyfish tank
-Start a cephalopod tank
-Breed cephalopods
-Grow live foods
-Start a NPS coral tank
-Buy a camera and learn to take great photos of your reef
-Take a bonsai approach to growing your corals
-Fill empty space with zoanthids
-Switch up your fish collection
-Start a small coral greenhouse
-Buy a bigger tank!

-Start a seahorse tank
-Breed seahorses
-Start a species tank for a mantis shrimp
-Keep a frogfish
-Automate your system
-Clean up and label your wiring
-Special order something bizarre. Keep it, study it, write about it.
-Experiment and try to find solutions for common pests. (Find out how to kill this stuff (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=86953) and I'll make it worth your while)
-Develop new reefkeeping techniques and share them

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

If your parents started to walk around the house naked, would that be crazy enough to get you guys to move out? Just askin:question:

Yes.

[Azzkr]

get a job out of town so then its always fun to come home and see how things are doing.

[badAZZlars]

If you're older than 18 and aren't going to school you shouldn't live with your parents.

[Proteus]

If you're older than 18 and aren't going to school you shouldn't live with your parents.

+100.

If you can afford this hobby you can afford to move out

[MarkoD]

If you're older than 18 and aren't going to school you shouldn't live with your parents.

I work and save money while living with my parents. I'm building my career. So when I move out I can put down 25% on a house and don't have to live from pay cheque to pay cheque while eating KD every night

I also like driving nice cars and I like being able to pay cash for them

[Proteus]

I'll take my dodge, MY house and eat KD. If it means not living under someone elses roof

[badAZZlars]

I work and save money while living with my parents. I'm building my career. So when I move out I can put down 25% on a house and don't have to live from pay cheque to pay cheque while eating KD every night

I also like driving nice cars and I like being able to pay cash for them

I'm sure your parents love that you can afford a nice car while living under their roof.

I left home the day after high school. My life had been awesome and independent. Have a nice house drive a new BMW. Wouldn't change a thing.

[sphelps]

I always thought nice cars and other things come after building a career not before. I've also seen pics of your car, more than enough "cash" there for down-payment which only needs to be 5% not 25%, which btw actually seems like an odd number seeing how 20% is all that required to avoid mortgage Canada, obviously little thought been put into this. Seems more like mooching to me but that's just an observation from someone that managed to build a good career on his own by saving and going to school while paying something called rent. I got a brother in law in the same spot as you, could rent but considers it a waste of money so he's "saving" while driving a brand new infinity. He's also under the illusion his folks want him to stay, they don't. Any parents that actually would are bad parents IMO and need to learn to let go.

:idea: If you're so bored get a job while you wait for this "career" to blossom, pick up a news paper and find a place you can actually call your own. Maybe then you'd appreciate the tank more and not find it so boring.

[reefermadness]

wow.....sudden hostility because the guy lives at home. Although it wasn't my route in life I'm not so quick to judge and give advice when not asked.

This is a fish forum ppl and it was a fish tank question.....why get so personal?

[sphelps]

Cause it's annoying seeing someones priorities so out of whack, and to be fair my advice should help his tank boredom problem.

[MarkoD]

lol i have a good job. and a good business.

my parents are old school european. they do like having me here. They dont speak or write very well in english and im a great asset to them in the house.

I graduated university less than 2 years ago. all which i paid for myself.

the only thing i dont pay for is rent. as per my parents advice; its better to save it and put it towards something that i'll actually own

[badAZZlars]

Cause it's annoying seeing someones priorities so out of whack, and to be fair my advice should help his tank boredom problem.

Yeah. Well said.

[MarkoD]

Yeah. Well said.

maybe you guys are just bitter cuz your parents kicked you out at 18 and you had it hard.

[sphelps]

maybe you guys are just bitter cuz your parents kicked you out at 18 and you had it hard.

LOL we left, it's called growing up. Life's short Marko, don't miss it.

[MarkoD]

LOL we left, it's called growing up. Life's short Marko, don't miss it.

I'm living plenty.

[sphelps]

I'm living plenty.

No career, no house, no wife, no kids. Your life hasn't even begun yet :cry:

[jorjef]

LOL we left, it's called growing up. Life's short Marko, don't miss it.

My wife's brother is fifty something and still lives at home. God help you when you are in the same boat in thirty odd years...don't laugh you might end up there...

[sphelps]

My wife's brother is fifty something and still lives at home. God help you when you are in the same boat in thirty odd years...don't laugh you might end up there...

So be it, at least I would have tried.

[Proteus]

Hey if I had the opportunity I may have done it this way. But I need my independence.

Each to there own as I could see your point on there barrier on english

[jorjef]

So be it, at least I would have tried.

I was referencing your call to Marko to live life....and for him the avoid regretting living at home for all those years..I'm sure my brother in law does.

[MarkoD]

No career, no house, no wife, no kids. Your life hasn't even begun yet :cry:

I have started a career, and have a successful business.
no wife, but a girlfriend.
no kids

I work 5 days a week for telus.
shoot weddings on saturdays. engagement and lifestyle shoots on sundays
during the NHL season i shoot every Oilers home game.

so basically "living" at home means "sleeping" at home

[lockrookie]

sticking with the thread topic i haveenet gotten bored yet .. built 3 tanks since i started in 2009... whats in store for next year lol... wife will kill me

[jorjef]

sticking with the thread topic i haveenet gotten bored yet .. built 3 tanks since i started in 2009... whats in store for next year lol... wife will kill me

Or kick you out which may force you to move home....lol...Just kidding:lol:

[Delphinus]

I can't relate to this.

My word of advice is that if it's not "interesting or fun" then maybe it's time to ask yourself why are you keeping at it? Maybe some introspective will help you discover something - be it a reason to keep going - or be it a reason to take a break from the hobby.

If you require that the hobby find a way to entertain you then you might have a bit of an entitlement issue. It's what you make of it. The day that I feel that it's no longer in my livestock's better interests to remain in my care will be the day I "retire" or take a break.

There are ups and downs like any long term activity. Over the years I've had to scale back, I've also built up, there is an ebb and a flow but I can honestly say I've never lost interest in things. That's a rather brutal thing to say. I'm sure you didn't mean it as how it comes across. If you did really mean it that way then maybe it IS time to toss the towel but if you find yourself resisting the notion to quit then maybe that's telling you it's not so uninteresting after all.

I hope you find your groove.

[MarkoD]

I still enjoy my tank and do daily mainance on it.

I still love it, I just feel like im in a rut. The design aspect and stocking aspect are more or less done.

I think what I'm gonna do is start replacing my livestock with rarer fish. So instead of a blue hippo tang, I'd like to get an Achilles.

[fishoholic]

no my mother is straight up crazy. she creates drama just so everyone in the house would pay attention to her, and only her.

Suddenly this explains a lot.......guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Have to admit a part of me thinks you started this thread just to see what others would say and to stir things up a bit.

[reefwars]

I still enjoy my tank and do daily mainance on it.

I still love it, I just feel like im in a rut. The design aspect and stocking aspect are more or less done.

I think what I'm gonna do is start replacing my livestock with rarer fish. So instead of a blue hippo tang, I'd like to get an Achilles.



at some point in tme you had to be excited about it go back to what that was or branch off from there again:)

[MarkoD]

Suddenly this explains a lot.......guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Have to admit a part of me thinks you started this thread just to see what others would say and to stir things up a bit.

How am I stiring up drama? I made this thread to see if anyone else feels the same. There was no intent to argue or create drama.

But it looks like your post had intent to do just that

[lockrookie]

Or kick you out which may force you to move home....lol...Just kidding:lol:

i will live in your garage looks cozy in there

[jorjef]

I still love it, I just feel like im in a rut. The design aspect and stocking aspect are more or less done.


I know what you are saying, I find it hard to be happy just sitting and watching my tank. I need to find "that" next coral. A person can only upgrade in tank size so much. Building a tank to a persons expectations be it livestock or size is what interests me, once I get there just watching it gets tiring fast..

[jorjef]

i will live in your garage looks cozy in there

My 19 year old is going to end up there if he doesn't stop coming in at 2:30 am on week nights ....Hey maybe he should move out!!! lol

[MarkoD]

I know what you are saying, I find it hard to be happy just sitting and watching my tank. I need to find "that" next coral. A person can only upgrade in tank size so much. Building a tank to a persons expectations be it livestock or size is what interests me, once I get there just watching it gets tiring fast..

That's exactly it.

[fishoholic]

How am I stiring up drama? I made this thread to see if anyone else feels the same. There was no intent to argue or create drama.

But it looks like your post had intent to do just that

Admittedly this thread isn't to bad but maybe you've forgotten that I've met you at Red Coral and you admitted to me that you like to start threads that "stirs $__t up" when your bored. In person you seemed kinda shy about admitting to that which I found interesting. Anyways I was just wondering if this was one of those times and I thought I'd call you out on it and see out of my own curiosity.

[jorjef]

you admitted to me that you like to start threads that "stirs $__t up" when your bored. Anyways I was just wondering if this was one of those times and I thought I'd call you out on it and see out of my own curiosity.

Sure it is, only problem is he's young and not very polished in doing it. He needs to learn to parry a little and not so much attack:biggrin:

[lockrookie]

My 19 year old is going to end up there if he doesn't stop coming in at 2:30 am on week nights ....Hey maybe he should move out!!! lol

hey i know this locksmith we can lock him out for fun.. i remember doing those things too....

[mexxedm]

Put bleach in your tank and see what happens!:twised:

[gregzz4]

I thought this thread was about tank boredom .......

[tang daddy]

If youre bored with your reef tank, try customizing your car, I spent lots on my tank, then my car, then back to my tank, then wedding, then car then tank and now car, I mean tank....

I have taken breaks from the hobby and sometimes its a good thing, just walk away and enjoy the 2 months of sunny weather, in the fall theres lots of time to get back into it.

[MarkoD]

If youre bored with your reef tank, try customizing your car, I spent lots on my tank, then my car, then back to my tank, then wedding, then car then tank and now car, I mean tank....

I have taken breaks from the hobby and sometimes its a good thing, just walk away and enjoy the 2 months of sunny weather, in the fall theres lots of time to get back into it.

Bought a car 2 weeks ago and I've already started modding it

[MarkoD]

Admittedly this thread isn't to bad but maybe you've forgotten that I've met you at Red Coral and you admitted to me that you like to start threads that "stirs $__t up" when your bored. In person you seemed kinda shy about admitting to that which I found interesting. Anyways I was just wondering if this was one of those times and I thought I'd call you out on it and see out of my own curiosity.

The only reason my threads stir things up is because some Canreef members specifically are sensitive to every little thing and can't take a joke.

[Reef Pilot]

That will create some excitement, guaranteed....

And unlike boats and cars, it is not a lost investment either, if you buy the right plane. I own 2 floatplanes, one is worth about what I have into it, the other a lot more. They are a bit like real estate, and will go up in price, as long as they are well maintained. I also own 3 hangars, one I rent out, which covers all my costs. And they go up too, just like real estate.

And Marko, sounds like you are doing pretty well actually. Many parents would be happy if their sons/daughters would just get a decent job.

Life is too short, make the most of it.

[reefermadness]

No career, no house, no wife, no kids. Your life hasn't even begun yet :cry:

Are you kidding! Wish icould go back to those days sometimes......sure felt a live.....very little stress and responsiblitiy.

[Snappy]

I recommend you take up scuba diving and try to do at least two tropical dive trips a year and you might just gain a whole new appreciation for your tank and just how cool it really is to have your own little piece of ocean. Having a reef tank also gave me a better appreciation for diving. It is very cool seeing stuff you have in their wild habitat.