So im sure alot of people on here know that ive gone through various fish over the past 2 years to find something that catches my interest again. I've gone to community fish, to oddballs,to africans, to predator fish, and cichlids. I keep all cichlids now but i feel lost and empty about the hobby. I'm keeping a grammodes pair, bellycrawler pike, devil parrot hybrid, and a la ceiba freddy growouts. In the other 2 tanks i care for(inlaws) severums, 2 gobys, a sveni pike, and a convict. I do there tanks because they know how serious i take the hobby and i want the tanks to look good. I also have 3 1 gallon betta tanks. I work very hard to keep all these tanks running and absolutely clean for the fish. But lately i dont feel like im getting anything outta the hobby like i used too.Back in the day I had a female jag and female jack dempsey together and i looked foward to seeing them everyday after i got home from college. My father cared for them while i left town when i transferred to another school because he new how much i love those 2 fish. These fish followed me anywhere i went in the room and would swim through my hands. Then I lost my jack dempsey to an infection after he got a gash when he got spooked. A year after that i lost the female jag to her mate. Tried another female and got a few batches of fry but sold them. I dont feel the same connection with the fish i have now. I love the grammodes and i new what they were like before I got them. Ihave had very skiddish fish before that hide but they came around. My tanks see traffic all day and the fish never get spooked but just hide. My freddies are aloways out just like the pike and devil are. The grammodes wont eat unless the lights are off or im away from the tank. I feel like im wsting my time in the hobby now and with a baby coming i know i cant have all these fish and thats why im downsizing to just my 75 and will continue to clean the inlaws tanks for as long as they choose to keep fish. But I have also thought about getting out of the hobby and keeping no more tanks for myself. I dont have the room for my 150 so thats at my dads house in storage which also bums me out a lil.
I'm losing my interest in the hobby, i think its because of fish ive lost in the past
- Thread starter AQUAMONSTER
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Have you try a peaceful planted tank with discus? The satisfaction you get out of raising Beautiful plants and healthy discus will be sure to get your interest back!
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sorry your feeling tired of the hobby,maybe when your home more with new baby,you will look forward again,i always found that the tank had a calming effect on young kids/babies.for me the hobby surges at times.i find as i search forums i get new ideas.i am always amazed at the wide variety of cichlids.maybe try some nano tanks?or africans? i want to do a FW shrimp tank soon,i always loved the look of SW nanos.good luck with whatever you chose!
Ive tried the peaceful thing and i found myself going back to the aggressive stuff. I did have plans on setting up a 5 gallon planted tank down the line tho
I love the reaction of kids with the tank. I find myself going over to my buddy Hellmans place and watching and enjoying his tanks more
You may need a little break or just a downsize. Try keeping an outgoing pair of cichlids in your 75 with a few schooling fish and part with the ones that are not satisfying you. Keep something that will live comfortably in the tank for life and then just leave things alone for a while. It's not much fun to keep these fish when it becomes more of a chore and an annoyance than enjoyment. I think you can stay in the hobby and enjoy your growing family at the same time. Certain species just may be too stressful for you to deal with at this certain time for various reasons. Keep it simple and you'll be much happier. However bummed out you may feel right now, the sight of your newborn child will quickly change that and put things in perspective. I can't imagine my life without my wife and kids. The fact that they enjoy our various tanks is just icing on the cake. I hope you can find a good balance that will allow you to enjoy all the passions of your life. Good luck and keep moving forward.
I agree with AQUAMONSTER that kids love fish tanks lol. Maybe you'll come back to them when your child gets a little bit older, it's alright to put the hobby on the back burner for a while especially when you have a child on the way. I know were in a freshwater section of the forum but maybe try saltwater for something different?
I think everyone has had valid points/suggestions in this thread. What you are going through right now is most likely due to the anxiety of you and your spouse becoming parents. I know I was freaked out about becoming a mom! You are in parent mode lol. Preparing for a baby can take the fun out of anything. Trust me, been there done that! Maybe for now downsize to just the 75 or take a break for a while. After the baby is born and you and your spouse get used to life with your baby you'll probably start wanting to get back into the hobby. For me I find that my fish and tank maintenance gives me a much needed break from being a mother. You may find the same thing is true for you once the baby is here. Also nothing beats a kids face when they get to see the fish, feed the fish or see fry on their first day free swimming. One of my oldest son's favorite things to do in the warm weather is to find worms for the fish to eat. Good luck whatever you decide to do. Kids are great but once you have them things like hobbies tend to get lost for a while.