Greetings

[Patriots2021]

Greetings,

I’m a long time lurker, but had to create a new account because I couldn’t remember my old account it’s been so long.

I’ve been keeping FOWLR tanks for 20 years, mostly in a 20 gallon. I recently stepped up to a 39 gallon two years ago and had been having great success with it as a mixed reef—fish, LPS, some SPS, softies, invertebrates, etc. with everything thriving and corals growing rapidly.

I lost AC for 3 days in August and suffered a devasting tank crash. My fish (2 yr old purple dottyback and a 10 yr old Randall’s Shrimp Goby) and a lone peppermint shrimp somehow survived through repeated large water changes after the corals deteriorated. Now, I have to move this week, so I'm trying to decide whether to pause on the hobby or somehow rise from the ashes. Looking for some guidance either way…

 

[ChrisV]

Greetings,

I’m a long time lurker, but had to create a new account because I couldn’t remember my old account it’s been so long.

I’ve been keeping FOWLR tanks for 20 years, mostly in a 20 gallon. I recently stepped up to a 39 gallon two years ago and had been having great success with it as a mixed reef—fish, LPS, some SPS, softies, invertebrates, etc. with everything thriving and corals growing rapidly.

I lost AC for 3 days in August and suffered a devasting tank crash. My fish (2 yr old purple dottyback and a 10 yr old Randall’s Shrimp Goby) and a lone peppermint shrimp somehow survived through repeated large water changes after the corals deteriorated. Now, I have to move this week, so I'm trying to decide whether to pause on the hobby or somehow rise from the ashes. Looking for some guidance either way…

One of the best decisions I made in the hobby was to push pause when life was complicated and the hobby started to feel like a chore.

Although I didn't have a tank of my own, I still lurked on the forums from time to time. About a year and a half passed and I was completely ready to get back into it. Since then I have been more engaged in the hobby and more successful than ever before.

Some of the live rock I dried out was originally purchased by me in...1996. When I took the tank down I felt gutted.

Only you can decide if you are ready to push pause. Just know that if you do take a break from the hobby, the hobby will still be here when you're ready.

If you don't decide to take a break from the hobby, I suggest that you double down and upgrade your tank as a part of your move. It will help reignite the enthusiasm that the AC failure destroyed.

 

[Patriots2021]

One of the best decisions I made in the hobby was to push pause when life was complicated and the hobby started to feel like a chore.

Although I didn't have a tank of my own, I still lurked on the forums from time to time. About a year and a half passed and I was completely ready to get back into it. Since then I have been more engaged in the hobby and more successful than ever before.

Some of the live rock I dried out was originally purchased by me in...1996. When I took the tank down I felt gutted.

Only you can decide if you are ready to push pause. Just know that if you do take a break from the hobby, the hobby will still be here when you're ready.

If you don't decide to take a break from the hobby, I suggest that you double down and upgrade your tank as a part of your move. It will help reignite the enthusiasm that the AC failure destroyed.

I love this—thank you, Chris. Pausing is probably best, but I hate to put my 10-yr old fish puppy up for adoption. We’ve been through a lot together.

 

[ChrisV]

I love this—thank you, Chris. Pausing is probably best, but I hate to put my 10-yr old fish puppy up for adoption. We’ve been through a lot together.

I know exactly how you feel.

When I shut things down in dec 2018 I had a powder blue tang and a royal gramma that I bought at Skipton's in 2009 and a 10-12 inch squamosa clam that I raised from 2 inches (bought in 2011!).

I moved the fish from Somerville to NC when I went to grad school in 2011, and back from NC to Swampscott, ma in 2017. Moving the reef from MA to NC was the right decision and I enjoyed the hobby while I was there. Moving it back to MA was the wrong decision, and I made it because it was inconceivable to me that I would go without a reef tank.

Ultimately I gave my fish and clam to a member here in hopes of them finding a good home.

I set my tank back up to celebrate getting my second covid shot. I'm having so much fun with it now. Almost every coral in my tank was sustainably aquacultured by fellow Boston Reefers Society members.

If you do decide to take it down, make sure you post here when you eventually set it back up. I'm sure our members can set you up with some cool frags at great prices.

 

[Patriots2021]

I know exactly how you feel.

When I shut things down in dec 2018 I had a powder blue tang and a royal gramma that I bought at Skipton's in 2009 and a 10-12 inch squamosa clam that I raised from 2 inches (bought in 2011!).

I moved the fish from Somerville to NC when I went to grad school in 2011, and back from NC to Swampscott, ma in 2017. Moving the reef from MA to NC was the right decision and I enjoyed the hobby while I was there. Moving it back to MA was the wrong decision, and I made it because it was inconceivable to me that I would go without a reef tank.

Ultimately I gave my fish and clam to a member here in hopes of them finding a good home.

I set my tank back up to celebrate getting my second covid shot. I'm having so much fun with it now. Almost every coral in my tank was sustainably aquacultured by fellow Boston Reefers Society members.

If you do decide to take it down, make sure you post here when you eventually set it back up. I'm sure our members can set you up with some cool frags at great prices.

Thanks again—it’s what I needed to hear. The goby is from Skipton’s… he’s had 3 or 4 pistol shrimp companions come and go and survived 12 moves in and around the city.

 

[Edward]

welcome back, I had a similar situation with my AC that caused a crash at the end of June. I stabilized everything and then crashed again =( I'm in a similar predicament but I'm not giving up! I decided to clean the rocks, get a bunch of them cycling for an upgrade and start over with a chiller

 

[Patriots2021]

welcome back, I had a similar situation with my AC that caused a crash at the end of June. I stabilized everything and then crashed again =( I'm in a similar predicament but I'm not giving up! I decided to clean the rocks, get a bunch of them cycling for an upgrade and start over with a chiller

I applaud your persistence, and if I weren’t also facing a move I probably would have rebooted immediately. After some sage advice from Chris, I made the tough call to give up my remaining fish and shrimp to a BRS member who picked them up yesterday. I’m sure I’ll get back on the saddle, but need to take a break for the time being. I did 30% water changes and scrubbed rocks for the last two months and it still looked like a wasteland, so I just need to step away for a bit. Best of luck!