Do sometimes you just want to quit?
 

Have you ever had one of those months where everything goes wrong? No the spelling isn't wrong, I do mean months. You get it figured out, then something else just goes wrong. I seem to be having one of those months (a few of them). Problems of leaky plumbing, noisey plumbing, algae outbreaks, another mystery crab, a suddenly dying new coral, a damel that won't quit burying everything with sand and now a light rack that won't go back together properly. I know it's not as bad as going to school hungry, parents that beat you and drink to much, or not having a warm home and someone to love you, but sometimes you just have to vent.

Yup, I hear ya! :) Does it help to hear things will get better? No, didn't help me either. But they will. We all have those days/weeks/months that just seem to grind us down, but it will just all come together one day. Really. Well, pretty sure anyway. I hope...:)

Ya sometimes it makes you just want to shut everything down. For me it always seems to happen right when I think I've finally got everything the way I always wanted it, then something happens and I'm back to repairing the damages and wondering why I keep going. But when it starts coming back together you forget about the crap you went through and begin to think that this time it will all come together. It is a new month though, so hopefully it gets better for you, and if not there is always next year (and low and behold it is only 29 days away).

Well, thanks for letting me vent. I know it will be better tomorrow. Funny though you wonder what will hit you tomorrow. I suppose that if this hobby was a take out of the box and follow the instructions, we'd all get bored and find something else. Nothing like a challenge to keep life interesting.

As well if it was a take out of the box thing and be done with it thing, the fish stores would all go broke, and we could not have that, it's only been in the last little while that more and more SW sections and stores have been popping up.

And with the looming recession, we are contributing to the economy.

Exactly, you know how it is, we're just doing our part to keep the economy going. Us reefers are like a stimulus package.

I've never been discouraged enough to quit, but i've always been careful and done tons of reading to hopefully prevent problems. I think I'm too addicted to quit.

Also I find having answers to problems makes the problems easier to deal with

I seem to think about quitting on an almost daily basis. But then I go to bed and start over the next day.

Will it get better? Um .. sure.

I find there are parts of the hobby that make me happy, and parts that .. uh .. don't make me so happy. Over time the highlights change. If I could just take the happy pill and be happy with what does seem to work then I'd be set. But I look at other people's success and I think "Oooh, I like that. Why can't I do that?" I mean seriously what the heck. People have SPS? Sure they do. So why not me?

Anyhow just thought I'd chime and say, see? It's not just you.

Hang in there though. I find serious consideration of quitting when things are down is like saying you are beaten. Quit on your own terms not the situation's terms.

Good luck.

I'm soooo with you Rocketlily. I consider quitting daily too. Sometimes it just gets to ya.

Well, quiting isn't really an option. I think I'm past the point of return. I guess that when it becomes an addition, knowing that you won't quit because you really don't have a problem.:lol:

I'm sure that tomorrow everything will go better and I'll be a little closer to my dream tank where everything grows and gets along.

I am so glad to know other people go through this too. Thanks for starting this thread, it's kind of encouraging to know I am not the only one who has problems and sometimes thinks of throwing the towel in.

I've been there. I also quit though. But next time around algae is going to LOSE.

I've quit a few times.. and then you just have to respend all over again... and your sitting there going "damn I wish I kept that" and I've only ever had nanos

But no quitting this time... Victory is MINE!

I think most aquarists experience this sooner or later. Been 35 yrs. for me. Took a small break for a few years in the late 80,s before starting a reef tank. Had near every size up to 225g.

Still hanging on with my nano, which at least keeps me involved in the hobby and all my boards. :mrgreen:

Wow after what I have been through already this morning I dunno if I want to even start my tank now :(

I know what the feeling is to, Just when it all is good things tend to screw up I have a
major love/hate relationship with my Eheim filters. We have them on fresh and all my salt
tanks. Last time I cleaned filters what I thought would be a quick job, left one tank my
FOWLER without a filter for a couple of days. As I could not seem to get it to fill after
cleaning the hoses. Anyone out there have eheim filters that could give me a tip or two?

Can't see what would make me quit but then I've been lucky enough any problems I've had been relatively minor.

Though things like cracking the 6x20" tube pretty much top to bottom of my reactor or finding a fish on the floor seem really serious at the time but balanced against all the years of me and the family enjoying the tank, I'll keep going.

I think we all get there from time to time. Twice so far for me, when I went through a bunch of equipment failures on my 75 and once again when my 265 cracked. I'm still holding on though. :biggrin:

Hunger for chaos
 

For me, the idea of shutting down the tank happens when nothing is happening... Let me elaborate, I actually enjoy the trials and trebulations that comes with salties. I had quit fw at the top of my game... It got to such a self sustaining state that I got bored and sold it. Anyone feels this way?

With that said I definitely empathize with everyones struggles and I really appreciate this forum and all the contributions that make this hobby less difficult.

Come on, join the club. You know you can do it.

Some months like that? It gets better????

I though that was just normal. :bad-word:

I've had two system crashes and I've lost every coral I've bought,also I destroyed my old landlords floor and had to pay her 1100$ and got evicted ,all this year.
Minor compared to some but I basically flushed about 5000$ down the toilet this year,but will I quit.......never

Heh thanks mate! I am really looking forward to it...Its coming together slowly but surely! I managed to find a glass canopy for my 33 gal tank yesterday but thats a post for another thread :)

This hobby is crazy! It is the most rewarding but also the most frustrating, IMO. I'm on my second go, and am unfortunately throwing in the towel again. I suppose you could say I am defeated in a sense, but I am just too busy to keep the tank in check and my livestock is being neglected, so I figure I should quit while I'm ahead and give my livestock a new home where they get the care and attention they need/deserve.

I figured juggling between being in school, work and in a band and amongst many other things I could keep it running fine.. but I guess not. SW requires so much time and attention, every day! And unfortunately for me, I can't do that right now. I will admit though, it is the most fascinating hobby ever and I am truly glad I discovered the salty world. I WILL be back, just not for quite some time now.