Some thoughts on stresssing out

[Paul B]

Maybe it's me, I don't know. I sometimes sit in front of my tank for an hour and just marvel at the beauty. I look at the fish interacting with each other and even after a lifetime of doing it, it still facinates me. When I look real close and notice the tiny tentacles from the brittle stars or the bristle worms peering out from under a rock I am like a little kid. I try hard to see the copepods scampering over the edges of the glass where I can't clean and watch them running around bumping into each other. I wonder if they are interacting with each other, or just nearsighted. Do they pass by and wave? give a high five? or just say hello?
I don't worry about the little bit of hair algae, cyano, flatworms, bubble algae or slight tear on the tail of a fish. It's a hobby and if I did not see some of these things, I would get bored. If the corals seem to be thriving and the fish seem "happy" I never worry about any parameters. The fish will let me know if something is wrong.
I don't even have test kits. But if I see something out of the ordinary, I may buy one or have the water tested at an LFS. Let them buy the test kit.
I don't go crazy about the water temperature or salinity. It is "close" to what is is supposed to be. Close is close enough. That is also the reason I don't own a refractometer.
If I am away or out late, I don't worry that I can't feed them that day or two days. I know they will be fine, just a little mad at me.
I have no schedules as to water changes. When I have time and it seems like a couple of months go by, I change some water.
Just today my wife asked me if I did anything to the tank. I said no, why? She said because the corals all look so big and healthy. For some reason, today they are larger. Why? I have no idea but I know that tomorrow they will look small, maybe not. It all goes in cycles, I guess sometimes corals have good days and bad days, just like us.
When I read through some of these forums and see all the stress that some people have over this hobby I am amazed. It has never been a source of stress for me.
Maybe I am just older than most members. But I don't think I was ever stressed. Well, I was stressed but not from this hobby.
When I want to relax, I don't go on the forums. It is stressful, reading about all the stress.
Posts like "OMG" I see a spot on my tang" or "OMG hair algae on everything" or "Flatworms, where can I get flatworm exit", should I cook my rock?
"My temp went down two degrees".
Maybe it's me. But I am going to pour myself a nice glass of Merlot, put on some nice music. ( No, not Lady GaGa.)
and chill out while I wait for summer and boating season. rangehat

 

[44santababy]

i'm 4.5 months in this hobby and i'm completely stressed out!! Its because i'm new and truly care for all critters in my tank. My biggest fear/ stress is a power loss, i just cannot lose my whole tank. I have realized that i need to chill out a little and believe that will happen as i gain experience. Luckily i never had to deal with any disease/parasite with fish but lost tons of corals to brown jelly from MY hard handling. Everyday that goes by i understand that much more what is going on and what is NORMAL. I have also noticed in this hobby that their is a lot of death of species that i was ignorant about before i got in. I truly believe that we all should have a license to have a reef tank. Not going to lie, every night when i come home from work and turn the corner to see the tank, i prepare myself for the worst...and that's not cool and has to stop.

 

[Dre]

Some people don't understand what a reef ecosystem suppose to be in it's entirety. We live a fast pass life, we are too lazy to do research, too busy to notice or don't care. And if all else fail we can order a pill online ready to drop in your tank by the very next day.

 

[fishman1069]

My life stresses me out enough! Im going thru soo much s*it theres no way I'd stress about a tank/. Granted I dont have a sw tank setup right now because of the finacial bulls*it going on in my life. But I do still have a 20 gal FW setup and its the ONLY thing that gives some sort of relaxation. People need to freaking relax! That is why I try to help as much as I can on this forum atm, cause I have nothing better to do since I cant find a decent job in this sh*thole state my wife thought we be better off living in!

 

[exoticar]

That's why they have Johnny Walker BLUE !!!!! or black or red

 

[fishman1069]

I prefer kentucky whiskey!

 

[Paul B]

My biggest fear/ stress is a power loss, i just cannot lose my whole tank.

My reef is very old and has gone through many power losses. I think the longest it was out was 4 or 5 days. Nothing happened,

 

[44santababy]

i prefer seaweed...for my tangs and foxface:shhh:

 

[Mattl22]

I stress out but Nothing crazy the enjoyment. Plesure I get from this hobby far out weighs the stress but do admit I stress out when my sps lose color

 

[duke62]

Unlike you many reefers (not me) have spent hundreds of dollars on frags the size of your pinky nail.i to this day cant find the reasoning behind that madness but they do and losing a 300 dollars pin sized acro im sure brings on alot of stress.i for one do not like things in my tank that can sting and wipe out a coral so that is what i stress the most about other then that i enjoy watching my tank and giving noobs the corals that i no longer find desirable

 

[Mattl22]

If someone wants to spend 1 million on a frag I understand that it's there $ and can do what they want with it! But yr your right watching a $$$ frag does add a bit too stress

 

[bethzb]

I have to agree with the non-stress factor. The only real stress my tank gives me (aside from the bastard of a clown fish) is when we get a power outage in the middle of a winter snow storm. My favorite saying to my husband is "We can put on more clothes, the corals can't. Hook the tank up to the genny and leave the firdg and heat alone." Aside from that, I enjoy nothing more than just sitting and watching my critters grow. I have never understood wanting hundreds of small frags with funky names. I just want my piece of the reef like I had when I was a kid and could snorkle over it. I didn't mess with it then and I don't like to mess with it now. And beside....striper season is almost here.

 

[Paul B]

And beside....striper season is almost here.

Strippers, I love strippers.....Oh, you said stripers. Oh, OK. Ilike them also. :tongue1:

My tank also doesn't have a million tiny frgas and I don't have wall to wall corals. I just don't want to, but it is fine if that is what you like.
For me, I have enough corals now. I also have enough fish. But if I see something rare, something that I have not seen in years or have never seen, I buy it. I don't have any tangs or angels. Just too common and I have had too many of them. That is just me though because I am old and crotchety.:dead1:
I like wierd things like my strange decorator crab, I love that thing.

 

[peteyboyny]

People need to stop putting their ego's in their tank. It's not fair to the inhabitants.

 

[emmanuel]

I like to read your posts when I'm stressed Paul

 

[Paul B]

I am glad Emmanual.
I just wrote this somewhere else but it is appropriate here.

This morning I took my wife out to breakfast in this nice little place on the ocean, well OK the bay, whatever. (Port Washington) But to be near the sea in the winter is just so cool, literally. There are no leaves on the trees to block your vision and no boats sailing but most of them (including mine) are covered up for the winter. We watched the numerous geese walking from the sea to the other side of the street where there is a little lake. The geese would strool across the street and when a car comes by and slows down, the geese just sit there in the middle of the road. Then eventually someone has to get out of the car and shoo them across the street. A few minutes later, more geese try to cross the road.
After 3 or 4 cups of coffee my wife said to me, "Thank you for such a nice stress free morning" Usually I am rushing her toget home because I have an idea or invention started and I can't wait to get back to it.
On my workbench now I have small containers of water, some with electricity going through them, some with snails, some with electricity and snails, some with saltwater and different metals. These are just experiments that need to be done I can live in my workshop. And practically do

Of course that is if I am not making wine or building something