Any tips on balancing fish keeping time, family time, and work?

[Chicxulub]

"If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy"

Sage wisdom from my grandpa before I got married. Keep the significant other happy and take care of the kids (if applicable) and everything else will fall into place. I make sure my wife has everything she needs and wants and when it comes time for me to take care of something in the hobby, she makes sure I can do whatever I need to do.

 

[ecoli73]

You spend an hour daily feeding three tanks?


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[FishNCash]

Thanks Chicxulub. I like your advice.

You spend an hour daily feeding three tanks?


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four tanks. Half the time it's checking or taking out uneaten food, check to make sure equipments are working correctly, and watch the fish to make sure they are not sick. I don't like rushing through feeding and not check on the fish and tanks. These tanks are not in the living room so I only see the fish during feeding time.

I quit keeping bichirs and plecos for that reason. If they're kept in bichir only or pleco only tanks then its fine but its often tough to feed them in community tanks. I got tired of having to target feed them. Part of the fun of keeping fish is that they're smart enough to get food when you drop it in, but some fish need extra help and it becomes a burden.

I got rid of all my plecos and polys and now I spend a lot less time feeding my fish. You might consider selling yours too if you feel like they take up too much time to feed them.

NOoooooo! I love my bichirs! LoL I don't think I'll ever sell all my bichirs. I might move fish around to make it a bichir only tank but never sell. Feeding with a tongs can be fun sometimes because the fish will attack the crap out of the tongs. However it's very time consuming. I think I will stop feeding daily and have them adapt to a less aggressive schedule like 2-3 days a feeding

 

[dogofwar]

Feed your fish less frequently. I've kept bichirs and not found them to be particularly time or labor intensive...

Matt

 

[spotfin]

We have a 5 year old son, and fish time is greatly reduced now. But that's ok, family is more important. I spend about an hour a day on feeding and tank maintenance. It's usually in the evenings after he has gone to sleep. I have reduced the number of tanks, and just recently took down my reef tank due to lack of time to devote to it. I currently have my ray tank, pup tank, and 2 tanks with aquatic frogs. Soon the pup tank will be empty and the frogs will be combined into one tank. Will be easier to keep just the 2 tanks going.

 

[azmtns]

I have three children under the age of ten, and a fishroom with 120 plus tanks. I am heavily involved in killifish and that had to change with the arrival of my daughter (now 15 months). I just could not provide the livefoods that breeding killifish required. I still have killifish, but only my favorites and spend less time feeding them. My suggestion for making things work is to stock very lightly with heavy use of plants. Plants like pothos, etc. growing out of the tank, and Java fern, etc and floating plants in the tanks.

I have also cut down heavily on breeding my fish, because that is where the time goes. Keeping is enjoyable for me, so I use it as down time. I work nights at our local hospital and fish are a stress reliever for me.

Sponge filters, central pump. I use a sump pump to help drain tanks quickly. I have found that larger tanks require less maintenence and with lower stocking, even less maintenence.

Good luck, remember it is a hobby.

 

[D.Wolf]

I have two daughters under age 4, job, 120g and 240g tank - spending 30 mins per day for feeding and playing with fishes, 30min for gravel vac every other day, 2 hours on saturday or sunday for water change and other maintenance..
And still hardly waiting for getting two dogs its all about how you organise time

I would say cut off growouts and keep the fishes you like the most

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[FishNCash]

"If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy"

Sage wisdom from my grandpa before I got married. Keep the significant other happy and take care of the kids (if applicable) and everything else will fall into place. I make sure my wife has everything she needs and wants and when it comes time for me to take care of something in the hobby, she makes sure I can do whatever I need to do.

That is almost impossible to do. The significant other always has a list to do. By the time I complete the to do list, its very close to bed time. I squeezed in whatever time I can spare to feed the fish without loosing too much sleep.

I am currently on a 3 days feeding schedule but I feel bad that the fish might not be getting enough food. The upside of a less aggressive feeding schedule is the water is cleaner and I can go pass a week without the need to do waterchanges.

 

[dragonsblood]

"If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy"

Sage wisdom from my grandpa before I got married. Keep the significant other happy and take care of the kids (if applicable) and everything else will fall into place. I make sure my wife has everything she needs and wants and when it comes time for me to take care of something in the hobby, she makes sure I can do whatever I need to do.

Alot of wisdom there!

 

[dragonsblood]

That is almost impossible to do. The significant other always has a list to do. By the time I complete the to do list, its very close to bed time. I squeezed in whatever time I can spare to feed the fish without loosing too much sleep.

I am currently on a 3 days feeding schedule but I feel bad that the fish might not be getting enough food. The upside of a less aggressive feeding schedule is the water is cleaner and I can go pass a week without the need to do waterchanges.

Can you work out a schedule with your partner. Let her know that it's important to you, but not as imprtant as her lol.