Am I to old??

[Ocean_Queenie]

Hello & Welcome to R2R!

 

[threebuoys]

You are NOT too old to start.

I'm 74. After an absence of several decades, I got back into the hobby 4 years ago.

Two issues to overcome,

1> corals grow more slowly than I like. It can be like planting a pecan tree.....will I live long enough to see it bear fruit (half joking, half serious).

2> How to care for the aquarium when I travel. Obviously I'm retired, so taking extended trips can be challenging.

Neither of these reasons make me regret coming back to the hobby.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[ahumbard]

Age is relative. I recently got back from a dive trip and I was paird up with a young lass of similar age. She was an amazing diver and a great person to be around. Still talk to her after the trip. My point is age is age and we can't stop it. Enjoy it while you can. Responsible of course, right? I mean Jack LaLanne never stopped, right?

My point in all of this as an older reefer, although a bit younger than you, is to just be smarter about things. I say this as when I started my display I was fine but a year or so after I had a hip replacement. That brings a bit of a challenge when working under the display, restrictions on some movement, etc. So had I known before I would have done things a bit different.

So we are talking about setting it up front to be age friendly. MAINTENANCE.

Display size such that you can reach all around to work front to back top to bottom. 18 - 24 inch, etc

Raise the stand so it is easier to work

Sliding trays - use silicon tubes when you can to attach return pumps, skimmer pumps, so you can have a bit of room to slide in, out, and work

Lighting under display, canopy to work

Enough space to reach around the sides and back of display should something fall

Pre-plumb water for ATO

Pre-plumb lines for auto water change. If not auto water change then easy water change system on wheels. Roll in, add water, salt, heater, power head, mix, rest. Get hose with siphon, output to container of same size, with markings, turn valve, empty to mark. Move siphon to new salt container, turn on pump, refill, roll away and empty, clean.

Step stool platform so you can walk left, right, side of display

Tools within reach - no leaning

Keep it simple. Make it easy for tomorrow. Above all once you are satisfied make a letter to a loved one. We should all do this. You write down what the equipment does, how it works, document what to do when to do it. Label everything. Plugs, timers, valves, equipment, food, dosing. You may go on vacation, you may get sick, you may go to the ED, etc. This way a house sitter or maintenance company can back you up while you are out.

Lastly see if there is a fellow hobbyist near you, or family member, or maintenance company. Talk to them about backing you up should something happen. I had to ask for help when I was out for surgery and recovery.

So TL; DR - you are not too old. Just plan a bit more than normal to make things more friendly for you tomorrow. Especially around maintenance and backup support should you need it. You will find it to be very easy once properly thought out.

All the best and welcome.

PS - sorry about the long post and formatting.

No apologies necessary on your post and in fact you gave me a get list of items to think about. Thank you so much!

 

[Oldreefer44]

Only a couple years younger, with a physical disability and I have a 180. Don't see a problem. Only recommendation I would have is to be careful that you can reach all areas of the tank.

 

[Sirlagzalott]

Absolutely never too old. We’re not talking an Olympic sport here. As long as you can physically keep up with a tank, I say go big my friend! On that note, you always design a certain level of automation and use tanks/pumps to avoid a lot of physical labor like lugging buckets of water.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R
I’m 73 and I think the main benefit is keeping your brain active. Sometimes the lifting can be tiring but I say go for it.

 

[ahumbard]

No apologies necessary on your post and in fact you gave me a get list of items to think about. Thank you so much!

I noticed in my reply a wrong word was used...get should have been great. As they say close but no cigars.

 

[Spare time]

I don’t think you are too old at all. However, I personally think 200 gallons may get a bit difficult. Water changes will require some heavy lifting and it will be a lot to maintain.

A smaller tank 20-40 gallons may work a bit better for you on my opinion and be way easier to maintain. Just my two cents.

Who says you need water changes

 

[dennis romano]

Welcome to R2R! I'm 68 and have to agree that a 200 is a bit too much to start. If you really get into the hobby, it's a good excuse to get a second larger tank. look at it this way, doing lifts with 3 or 4 gallons is good exercise.

 

[Fish Styx]

Greetings and welcome to the reef! You don't look a day over 68. I say go for it!

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R! You're only too old if you think you are. Are there things I do differently today than I did 40 years ago? Yes, but not many.

 

[ahumbard]

Welcome to R2R! You're only too old if you think you are. Are there things I do differently today than I did 40 years ago? Yes, but not many.

I appreciate your thoughts. Everybody that posted was very thoughtful. When I get going with a setup, I will always use this forum to post and use all of the ideas that are posted daily.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

A long time ago I had a reef tank like in the late 80s and early 90s. Life changed had a family and work all toke over. Now I'm 76 and can't do a lot of activities like golf and climbing mountains. I still like to be active so I thought maybe a Reef tank would be of interest. I thinking the size of around 200 gallons. Since it takes a lot of work and dedication I would want to keep it going into a least my mid 80s. I know maintenance is a big deal to be successful. I'm curious what people in the know thinks about this for a old guy.

No way man. In fact, reef keeping is an exciting hobby that will challenge you (as you already know) and make you feel good by having a hobby! 200gallons is enormous. Can I suggest something in the 70g range? Just lifting tanks and sumps for a display that size is hard for a younger person.

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[CKW]

A long time ago I had a reef tank like in the late 80s and early 90s. Life changed had a family and work all toke over. Now I'm 76 and can't do a lot of activities like golf and climbing mountains. I still like to be active so I thought maybe a Reef tank would be of interest. I thinking the size of around 200 gallons. Since it takes a lot of work and dedication I would want to keep it going into a least my mid 80s. I know maintenance is a big deal to be successful. I'm curious what people in the know thinks about this for an old guy.

Hell, I’m 83. Had tanks since I was 20. You’re not old you’re just getting started. Welcome back

 

[ahumbard]

Hell, I’m 83. Had tanks since I was 20. You’re not old you’re just getting started. Welcome back

Well, thank you sir. That was one encouraging statement.

 

[PharmrJohn]

A long time ago I had a reef tank like in the late 80s and early 90s. Life changed had a family and work all toke over. Now I'm 76 and can't do a lot of activities like golf and climbing mountains. I still like to be active so I thought maybe a Reef tank would be of interest. I thinking the size of around 200 gallons. Since it takes a lot of work and dedication I would want to keep it going into a least my mid 80s. I know maintenance is a big deal to be successful. I'm curious what people in the know thinks about this for a old guy.

You hold a lot of wisdom and patience at your age. One is NEVER too old to try something different. It just depends on how compatible your health is to the rigors of starting and maintaining a new tank. Keep in mind that you will probably have to have the crawlspace (if you have one) looked at to see if it will need extra support for a tank that size. DO NOT put it upstairs! Also, finances are a key piece of the puzzle. A tank that size will take a lot of money to set up. A lot. But if you have the means, you can automate your system to a great extent. There is SO MUCH MORE out there compared to even ten years ago. You're going to be pleasantly surprised. So, back to my first sentence. Your wisdom and patience are going to go a long way in this hobby. I say go for it.

 

[Homestarmy]

Welcome aboard! Like every else here I agree you’re never too old. I also agree that the 200 may be too much to handle, but that will ultimately be your call based on what you think you can handle.

I started my first reef tank last September (I had fresh water throughout college, my first, and into my current marriage) after six months of research. I ended up with a Red Sea (G2) Peninsula because it was the only tank I could find that fit the space I had. The display is 74 gallons, and the tank is a non-standard 3’x2’2’. I love the extra height and width over the 18” models. In our world, this is considered a small tank, and I struggled with it initially because bigger is better. I almost went with an IM custom 100, but the added foot of width brought it too far into the room. No, the 74 was it like it or not.

Turns out that, while I think I could handle a larger tank, I don’t want to. This one is a perfect size that doesn’t demand all of my time, so my time with it is more enjoyable. There’s something to be said for that balance. Good luck and enjoy!

Something to consider.

 

[ahumbard]

You hold a lot of wisdom and patience at your age. One is NEVER too old to try something different. It just depends on how compatible your health is to the rigors of starting and maintaining a new tank. Keep in mind that you will probably have to have the crawlspace (if you have one) looked at to see if it will need extra support for a tank that size. DO NOT put it upstairs! Also, finances are a key piece of the puzzle. A tank that size will take a lot of money to set up. A lot. But if you have the means, you can automate your system to a great extent. There is SO MUCH MORE out there compared to even ten years ago. You're going to be pleasantly surprised. So, back to my first sentence. Your wisdom and patience are going to go a long way in this hobby. I say go for it.

Thank you for your reply. I have a structural engineer set to come and have a look in our crawl space. I have a idea of what it will cost but I would be interested in what you or someone else could give a very rough estimate.