What is the most challenging aspect of the hobby to you?

[Paul B]

From experience I know there are some fish and corals I can't keep, so I don't. You can't set up a tank so that every species is happy as some fish and corals require different things, different levels of light, different food and different circulation.

 

[ronsonb]

There are so many challenges (especially as a new reeefer) but the one I’m currently dealing with… taking a vacation.

The fear I have taking my first vacation since setting up the tank is so strong.

 

[Smithrz]

Correctly diagnosing things like fish disease, and understanding why corals become unhappy, or die mysteriously. It just feels largely like guess work for me, as a new reefer.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Correctly diagnosing things like fish disease, and understanding why corals become unhappy, or die mysteriously. It just feels largely like guess work for me, as a new reefer.

You will definitely learn/get better over time.

 

[vlangel]

There are so many challenges (especially as a new reeefer) but the one I’m currently dealing with… taking a vacation.

The fear I have taking my first vacation since setting up the tank is so strong.

I can understand this one as I struggled with it years ago as well. However, I decided that I did not want to be a slave to my tank so I made some changes so that vacations were doable.

1. I started keeping lower maintenance animals. I chose hardy fish that were omnivore and that could live on flake for a time. I bought an Eheim automatic flake/pellet feeder.
I also chose softie/LPS coral that are tolerant of dirty water conditions.

2. I bought glass tops to cover most of the display to cut down on evaporation. Only the back 2" aren't covered with the glass top but rather a net cover with a hole where the auto feeder drops flakes.

3. I bought a simple dual float auto top off switch and I only use a gallon reservoir. With the glass tops, the gallon reservoir lasts 1 week. However, if there perchance is a mishap where water is called for continually, no more than 1 gallon is dumped into the 80 gallon system. I have seen too many tanks crashed with ATO incidents so this safe guards against that.

4. I have cheap Penn Plax battery backup pump to aerate the tank should the electricity go out. They come with a plug to plug into an outlet so they automatically turn on when the electric turns off.

5. I also have my powerheads and return pump coming from two different circuits in case one trips. That way the tank is still being aerated by one or the other.

6. Whenever possible, have a neighbor or friend check in on the tank once or twice a week. I went on a 23 day motorcycle trip to Alaska with this plan and the tank was in good shape when we got home. I always have some nerves about leaving my tank but it has gotten easier over the years.

 

[bearman88]

There are lots - seems like perfect flow and eliminating dead spots can be annoying when cyano/dinos pops up there!

 

[Macbalacano]

Dealing with bad hitchikers and pests. Bubble Algae, aiptasia, predatory worms, flatworms, etc.

 

[F4u-SuperCorsair]

To grow anything orange.

 

[Pistondog]

Weeding out the helpful ideas from the not so helpful. Like vendors trying to sell solutions to non problems.

 

[littlefoxx]

Corals in the tank… had a really good run but then the tank crashed coral wise when I got really sick last summer and had to have surgery and wasnt able to maintain the tank with water changes and stuff. They just went down hill really quick. Havnt been able to really get them going since. Slowly trying some zoas, a duncan, mushrooms and xenia in my nano to get back into them

 

[Z Burn's Reefing]

Wanting perfection, but having to accept the reality of occasional losses and downfalls with no clear etiology.