Anyone ever feel discourged?

[Adam Stone]

In the beginning loosing coral to cycling of the tank ect?

 

[Lourdes]

how new is your tank? It's hard to have patience but patience will save money and deaths..

 

[etszoo]

Oh yeah! But I know my time and patience will pay off.

 

[Moe_K]

Heck, yeah. I had a long running war with hair algae and almost gave up.
Then later I had a battle with dinoflagellates that almost got me to quit.

 

[this is me]

Yup, same here.I often asked myself why am i doing this and is it worth it or not. Spending alot of money and time into these beautiful yet very vulnerable creatures and knowing oneday, i'll come home to a dead tank.
But for now, i'm loving it!

 

[RobboT]

Everytime Ive lost a fish to my carpet anemone . . . even worse when my friend gives me a fish for my B-Day and it dies in the anemone within an hour.
The three times I had to redo my sump because of cracks and leaks
Everytime I look at the growing flatworm population on my sandbed

But then I look at the spectacular coral growth I've finally managed to achieve after lots of hard work or I see my clowns laying eggs and I get motivated to keep going . . .

 

[Scuba_Dave]

Part of life...and reefing....tomorrow the MH's will shine brighter & the tank will look better....

 

[Matt L.]

Tell us more about your tank, and we can offer assistance -- if your tank is still cycling, you shouldn't have any corals in there. Regardless, yes, it does only get easier as time goes on,

Matt

 

[Adam Stone]

how new is your tank? It's hard to have patience but patience will save money and deaths..

for about 2 months....my first coral was a plate coral and for like 3 days it was doing really really good then boom it started acting weird like something was wrong it ended up dying we think it was from too many changes too quickly. then i got 2 more frags a finger leather coral and a xenia and my tank hit 89 recently and i didnt know before hand but i knew something was wrong i checked the thermometer and there it was now i have half a xenia when there was 2 colonies and my finger leather coral looks better now... so much in so little time...

 

[Scarfish]

In the past month...

1. my clownfish committed suicide and didn't leave a note (only 4 days after I took the protective netting off)
2. one of my Greenbanded Gobies died mysteriously (all params were perfect)
3. my purple tip anemone got sucked into powerhead (has revived since)
4. Firefish saw new fish addition (copperband butterfly) and jumped-landed in the overflow
5. noticed my TANK HAS A CRACK. (yeah, you've seen my threads)

so, yeah, I've been discouraged...BIG TIME.

But I don't think I'll ever give up on this hobby. It's way too cool.

 

[Moe_K]

Way to stick with it, Todd.
It's gotta get better.
And boy, those copperbands are fierce looking, huh?

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

the only thing i'm discouraged about is how expensive this hobby is.

 

[shawn]

My "carpet anemone" has gotten two of my fish so far - and it's not even in the tank.

Learn, try again...

 

[IffersTankSlave]

It can be very discouraging at times...just have to stick with it. Nothing that is good is ever easy.

 

[KevK]

I think Tom Hanks put it best in "League of Their Own" talking about baseball. "It is the hard that makes it great"

 

[Adam Stone]

As it looks of now my xenia looks like its not gonna make it...Are they really sensitive to heat??? But my finger leather coral looks better since ive moved him to the bottom imo..

 

[Moe_K]

As it looks of now my xenia looks like its not gonna make it...Are they really sensitive to heat??? But my finger leather coral looks better since ive moved him to the bottom imo..

Yeah, most corals don't like temps above 85.
Xenia is easy to come by at a meeting though. Many a veteran will just give you a bag full. Just ask, once your temp is under control and the cycling stops.

 

[karl wagner]

There is a seasonality. Summer heat can decimate a tank.

I try to add equipment in the summer,
and livestock in fall and winter, spring if I have to have it.

 

[Adam Stone]

if there is only the finger leather coral in there should i be running the lights for 10 hrs?

 

[NateHanson]

Adam, It is much more important to keep the tank temp below 85 than to provide lots of light, IMO.

You could certainly dial back the hours on your 2x400W MH, and I think the leather would probably be ok with just your 2x96watt PCs for a while, or just on hot days if you want to turn off the MH completely. As I mentioned in your other thread, if you're really having trouble with the heat over the long term, I'll bet you could find someone to trade you some 250W ballasts and $$ for your 400 watt ones. You'd still be able to keep clams and sps without any problem. It's a 75 gallon, right?

As far as being frustrated? Definitely happens from time to time. I've been frustrated that I've got this hippo with ich, and I'm frustrated that I bought him in the first place, before I knew better, and I'm frustrated that I'm not sure I'll ever get him out! He's a wiley chap!
Let's see, what else frustrates me . . . tank temperature, cleaners that won't clean!

Things that make it more than worthwhile: Corals encrusting their bases, and growing at the tips, happy clowns swaying in the current, and my ever watchful goby, and his shrimpy friend!

Hang in there Adam. This too shall pass! And like Antimony said, take it slow and get advice from the good folks at BRS. Rushing and not planning are the source of 75% of the frustration in reefing (you just have to ride out the other 25%!).

That'll be a beautiful reef by the end of the summer, and you'll be one happy reefer!
Nate