Is It Worth My Time & Effort?

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Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 11, 2008
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Malaysia
Well, before you guys comment, please hear me out..
To start things off, I was born with spinal muscular atrophies disease which in my case I'm only able to use my left arm.. my right arm & both my legs are basically useless(scrawny).. I've loved fish ever since I was young & started getting in the hobby two years ago & have been maintaining a 65g + a 10g tank all by myself.. I know it sounds like an easy task but I would take around 2~3 hours doing tank maintenance every week.. & my flowerhorn fish is not showing any signs of potential either, however I'm not willing to let it go..
I'm kinda in a dilemma.. I just feel mentally exhausted..
 
you should tank a breack i would say keep them if they make you happy then yea but if they aint do anything for you just let them go i would say keep them. when i have a hard day i like to look at my fish and know they are happy wich makes me fell better
 
i would say keep your fish..everyone of us in the hobby have had days when we feel like we should just give..n then after a day or two we are back to buying new fishes and doing the regular fish stuff..if you think the task it too laborious and you can do it anymore then thats your personal decision.. and what do you really mean by your flowerhorn is not showing any signs of "potential"?
 
Toxic Fish 9999;3733686; said:
you should tank a breack i would say keep them if they make you happy then yea but if they aint do anything for you just let them go i would say keep them. when i have a hard day i like to look at my fish and know they are happy wich makes me fell better
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Yeah, seeing the fish swimming happily does make me happy as well..

smartlove_518;3733707; said:
i would say keep your fish..everyone of us in the hobby have had days when we feel like we should just give..n then after a day or two we are back to buying new fishes and doing the regular fish stuff..if you think the task it too laborious and you can do it anymore then thats your personal decision.. and what do you really mean by your flowerhorn is not showing any signs of "potential"?
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I'm done buying fish for now.. I've lost so many precious fish over the year due to my shallow knowledge in this hobby so now I'm settled with flowerhorn.. Personally I'm just frustrated the fish is not showing any improvements, no nuchal hump & no colours.. Whenever I think of getting a better flowerhorn, the thoughts of dead/released fish in my tank will emerge in my mind.. Deep down I know it has something to show, but guess it's just all in my head...
 
Well a lot of flowerhorns develop more intense colors as they age but then there are others that never have a kok(hump) or good colors and you can usually tell from when they are like 2-3 inches. If you are bored with him trade him in at a LFS and start with a new cichlid type......Dont give up on the hobby...I agree with what was said above where we all have times where we just kinda get bored!! When that happens for me I like to redo the aquascaping in my tanks. If the maintenance is wearing you out make sure you are using tools to make it easier.....Python water change system, and stuff like that.....
 
Some times downsizing does wonders to revive your interest in the hobby. I used to have 5 tanks and got really tired and frustrated. It became more like another job than a hobby to relax to. I downsized to 2 tanks and it's so much better.

Also getting a Python was one of the best equipment that I could've purchased. The Python is great. It drains the water and fills it up by connecting it to your faucet or garden hose (that's what I do). So when I drain the water, I water the plants. And turn on the hose to fill the tank. No mess. The only issue I have is the winter when the water is basically in the 40's coming out of the hose. At that point, I have to slowly fill up the tanks which can take me a few hours. Filling the tank up slowly prevents a drastic temperature swing in the tanks.
 
You can pick up a "python" or similar at just about any LFS. They do make water changes alot easier to deal with. If you are unhappy with your fish, I agree trading them in for something new is not a bad way to go. But if this is the first time you've had this "feeling" I'de agree waiting a few days or weeks until makeing a deffinate decision. My personal experiances with Hybrids is that they can be as sensitive as some of the more delicate WC species i've kept/seen. We've all lost fish. But you learn, and hopefully don't make the same mistake twice. But we learn new mistakes not to make. Unfortunately it's a part of the hobby.

If you like your fish, but simply aren't happy w/ the "potential" consider Why you like the fish. I have more then a few fish, and many others do as well I'm sure that aren't "perfection" But they are some of their favorite pets. I'll take a drab fish w/ tons of personality over the prettiest...boreing fish. Where others will take the pretty over the personality. It really is all personal preference.

My decision to get rid of a fish usually stems on how much do I really look at the tank? and not just maintain it? when it becomes a "chore" I know thats when to find the fish a new home, or re-evaluate the tank itself.
 
Another option might be to setup ease of maintenance solutions or automation. For example I have a siphon drain hard plumbed to my tank, and a water fill line ran. To do a water change is as simple as turning 2 ball valves. One to drain one to fill. The python is great too, I just like having everything setup so I don't have to drag hoses all over the house.

I love dogs, actually hard to say which I love more Dogs or Fish, any way I work strange hours so its hard for me to be home with a puppy. Many times I have come home to a mess or disaster, that no fish would ever cause; and I think Dang I hate picking up and never want a new puppy again. But when my dog died I didn't even wait 2 days before looking for a new puppy. I knew that in the end I got more joy out of it then I did heart ache.
 
Thx guys for the advices.. Really appreciate all the things said & will look to find a better solution in tank maintenance..
 
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