Jumping Ship

[Anonymous]

I was at the LFS recently when i inquired about their Fiji LR...the employee stated to me that most of it has been aquarists bringing it in, getting out of the hobby..He said he hadnt order LR if a couple months...Just wondering if this is a natural occurence this time of year.??? I also noticed they had several previously owned livestock available too! (theyre pretty cool not trying to rip ya off in that aspect, labeling it as previously owned)

 

[iphy]

Huh. I recently benefited from similar circumstances. I moved recently and moved my 55 long into a brand new 100. So, I am talking to my LFS about getting some bigger already cured LR pieces to put under my old rock so it'll be similarly close to the light as in the old tank, and the proprietor busts out with how he's getting 100lbs of LR from some guy who's tearing down his reef and getting out of the aquarium hobby. I also got some cool 'shrooms, clove polyps, and an awesome torch coral, all previously owned. Of course, at that point I had to give myself a lecture about adding too many alive things at once and control myself.

But, anyway, my LFS guy says this has been happening a lot lately. Of course, I live in the SF Bay area and a lot of folks are still leaving here after failing to get Tech jobs after the crash in 2001-2002.

 

[reefkeeper62188]

i think alot of people are downsizeing

 

[Ben1]

Even through the years I have spent on RDO I have seen sereral people go all out with their tanks and year down the line they are getting out of the hobby for lots of reasons.

Seems to me the reasons are usually,
#1: Money
#2: Time
#3: Space/moving

All well.

 

[krullulon]

i've known a lot of people with eyes way bigger than reality... they see awesome 180g tanks at the LFS, and don't have any clue what a major commitment it is to get a tank that size looking show-ready. so they drop a few grand and after a 6 months are frustrated and disillusioned because their tank looks like a 180-gallon algae farm and stuff is dying everywhere because they keep trying to force incompatible critters to live together and/or stock too quickly.

 

[CiXeL]

i would agree with the rest when i say i believe it has alot to do with economic conditions. i am trying to keep my 60 gallon tank running off unemployment checks. i use top off water from glacier vending machines. im pretty jaded. ive had job time and time again and seem to miraculously come onboard just as the company is downsizing. im going to stay on unemployment for awhile. im sick of california. i may move just to get a lower cost of living and so i can buy a house and start a family with my long term girlfriend. it just sucks so bad right now. i'll post if i ever need to liquidate the tank.

 

[monkeyboy]

It's also important to note that during the summertime, interest in the hobby drops, as is evident by very slow sales for reef shops and their suppliers. I don't think there's any one cause for people getting out of the hobby, and I doubt that the main reason is cost since prices are forever dropping due to recent outsourcing (think about the new Coralife Aqualights compared to the now defunct CSL fixtures) and the internet, which will now deliver live rock to your door for a couple of bucks per pound. I'd say that the people that leave do so mostly for individual, personal reasons, and that it's not just a trend.

 

[MelanieF]

Moving is one definate reason...

My husband and I (along w/ a group of close friends) are all moving from New York State to Texas before the snow falls this year. There is no way I'm going to jeopardize the health of my inhabitants by trying to take them with me so I'll be getting rid of everything inside the tank. The tank and stand will be going with me as I will definately set it up again once settled in Texas.

My LFS said they would take everything but suggested I might get more money for my trip by selling to some local hobbyists. Anyone in the area of Rochester, NY is welcome to email me for details at [email protected].

 

[shellshocked]

I have traded live rock to my LFS several times. I ordered way more than I needed as a newbie. My tank did well and the rock was covered in beautiful algae with mushrooms etc... For me it was just taking up space - the LFS probably gave me 1/2 (ok 1/10) of what he sold it for but hey I got some nice coral in the deal...

 

[Anonymous]

Cool..just curious thanx for all the replies..

 

[Mouse]

Summer comes, tanks get too hot, go green, people get fed up. Same story every year.

Also freshwater people who replace allot of evaporation in their tanks with tap water also kill allot of fish by the time the summers over by raising their PH unintentionally.

 

[Anonymous]

I was at the LFS recently when i inquired about their Fiji LR...the employee stated to me that most of it has been aquarists bringing it in, getting out of the hobby..He said he hadnt order LR if a couple months...

I first saw this thread a couple of days ago and I'm suprised that no one has spoken up with concern about this topic by now. I see some real potential for problem with this recycled LR from the LFS. Frankly, using recycled rock from an unknown source is akin to kissing a total stranger on the mouth, IMO. Who knows what could have been wrong with those hobbyists' tanks? Aiptasia? Bubble algae? Dinos? Massive RTN problems? Ick? Oodinium? Did the previous owner dump copper and other medications in the tank only to have it "adhere" to the LR? Etc., etc., etc...

I'm glad that the LFS honestly represented the rock as being "recycled from hobbyists' tanks" in this case. However, I really wouldn't want to recycle any LR unless I knew the previous owner.

JMO,
Lee

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm...I didnt realize the potential dangers?