Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Marrone, you are entitled to your opinion... I am in the hobby because I enjoy studying the animals in my care. I dont particularly care for water changes and the other mundane things that come with keeping a reeftank. Kinda like an oil change. I know how to do it, but I am not about to try to change my cars oil on a city street when I can get it done for $25 bucks in 10 minutes. (Oil, disposal of old oil and labor!)

Aside from health issues, I just dont have the time (or desire) to spend one day a month changing 40 gallons of water and fussing with the plumbing... Not to mention that I don't have room for the rubber maid containers I would need to change 40 gallons at one shot! (I live in a two bedroom apartment) It is great that I can count on someone (in this case Tim) to come by once a month with 40 gallons of water in buckets and a rubbermaid container to change water. It is also great that if I have a leak, go away for a weekend, get a migraine or have a tank emergency I can call on him and he will make it in a day or so.

Last week I had surgery- they removed my wisdom teeth and had to cut into my jaw, not pleasant. I was stupid and was under the influence of percocet and accepted my fathers invite to Aquarium Warehouse in NJ. (I paid for it later, it took a lot out of me!) Well... Found a fish I really wanted (Regal angel) that was eating like a pig and bought it. Figured he could give the large damsel a fair fight. Boy was I wrong (must have been the percocet- I should have known better) In my condition there was NO WAY I was going to be able to get the damsels out. A buddy came by to try and help, but I had no large plastic containers for rock, no buckets for water, and he tried, in vain, to catch the fish with a net.

Long story short, Tim was scheduled to perform some maintenance. He ended up spending several hours catching both damsels and rearranging my rockwork. If I would have done it I would have passed out from the stress and would have popped my stitches... ;-) Well worth the small fee I paid him to do it for me, dont you say?

Could I have asked for help here on MR? Probably, but while I contribute to the discussions quite a bit (lately) I have never gone to a frag swap and have only met a handful of you guys. Based on what I have seen, I am sure that I would have eventually gotten some help, but probably too late for my regal. (Hey, most of us work)

I spend about 15 minutes a day observing my tank, feeding the fish, fussing with the little things (like the poll about wet hands). But the little time I have free is precious and I would rather not spend two days to change my water when someone is set up for it and can do it in 20 minutes.

-Alfred
 

Deanos

Old School Reefer
Location
Bronx, NY 10475
Rating - 100%
194   0   0
Interesting turn, this "Success" thread has taken. I understand both Marrone's and Alfred's points of view.

I believe Mike is trying to say don't call it a "hobby" if you're not maintaining the tank. Anyone with the available funds can hire a qualified maintainence person. As Alfred stated, he knows how to change the oil of his car, but prefers not to. For someone who may not be into cars, that's how it is. Most car hobbyists I knew, when I ran in that circle, wouldn't let some "car techie", touch their vehicle. A major part of having a hobby, is being able to say: "I did that."

Now, none of this diminishes Alfred's obvious knowledge and experience, which I base from the contributions he's made to this site. Most of the creative work in his tank probably found its origin in Alfred mind. I don't see anything wrong with him sitting back now and enjoying it like a picture on the wall.

Dean
 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Deanos, well said. I designed my tank with the help of a friend (Craig Bingman) and over the years put a lot of "touches" into it. (i.e.: My oscilating return heads which I learned about from a fellow MR member- Giovanni!)

After two major wipeouts (blackouts) and serious health issues I just did not have the energy or desire to do the mundane stuff. Some people may be "purists", but I think there is a healthy middle road. If you know you will not have the time to properly maintain your tank you have three choices:

1. Let it crash
2. Pay someone to do it for you
3. Tear down your tank

None of the three options were for me. I love my "piece of ocean".

BTW: Did Giovanni move back to Italy?

-Alfred
 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Man... That damsel is one smart fish. Had to take EVERYTHING out of the tank! Finally got the damsel out and I actually like the way Tim put the rockwork back in! Looks nicer and I have an open space in the center of the tank. Not to mention much more surface area to attach corals!

-Alfred
 

Tim

Tim`s Aquatics
Location
Rockland County
Rating - 100%
25   0   0
Thank you Alfred for your kind words. I understand everyone`s point about the hobby.I do what I do not only to make some money but also to give people a hand and share some of my knowledge with them.I like helping people enjoy the hobby and often I try to get them more involved with it.I have even started some people out and after a couple of months of them watching and learning they no longer need me to do their service anymore. I guess that is not good for biz. but I don`t mind.Like I said I love this hobby and want to help out whenever I can....Tim
 

inkblue

Rice Planter
Location
Philippines
Rating - 98.6%
145   2   0
...bTw, herE's a better version oF ur avataR alferd0, in caSe u wanted it without the wHite bkgnd :yo: :shhh: :approve:
 

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nycmat

nYo
Rating - 98.2%
55   1   0
hey its all cool. if you want to pay some one oh well . enjoy your version of the hobby, i understand marrones point of wien as well. i try to do it all myself as well. but one thing i learned about this hobby is-----

that there is always something new to learn. I try to read as much as i can from everyone. but there is no set way of doing this hobby. i want to know everything and i try to get as much out of it as possible. enjoy tim-- good job time do aldredo right. but i find having more friends to help you out is more full filling and happier times are to come. i will eventually make my piece of the ocean the way i want it. just had a set back thats all

anyway happy reefing
 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Wish I had the time to do it all myself. (But I would still pay someone to do 25% water changes! My wife would not appreciate having containers and "stuff" laying around)

For me the hobby IS the learning. In the past month I have found three new things in my tank. For instance- Did you know that certain types of Nephthea have sweeper tentacles? Surprised me BIG TIME, it had been zapping my elegance coral when the sweepers came out at night- some were 12 inches long!

-Alfred
 

nycmat

nYo
Rating - 98.2%
55   1   0
hey its cool enjoy your piece of the ocean the one thing that is for sure is that you can control your own little world in your aqaurium to a point. and that is an enjoyment in itself everyone has there own way of enjoying the hobby. i understand the wife thing very much. its better to include them in it. show her more of what can be done and get her into it that way
 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Hey, it took me four years to convince my wife to let me get rid of the damsels. ;-) Her favorite fish was the bully because he allowed her to "pet it". She is still in "mourning" over it...

-Alfred
 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Too late. Besides, no room for another tank. I think she would be even more upset if I suggested another tank. ;-) Eventually I plan on getting a 12 Gallon nano for my office to have dwarf seahorses, but too small for the HUGH damsels.

She loves looking at the 180, the thing that made her agree to get rid of the damsels was when we added the Regal. They were relentless in picking on it HARD.

-Alfred
 

jhale

ReefsMagazine!
Location
G.V NYC
Rating - 100%
52   0   0
Alfredo De La Fe said:
Hey, it took me four years to convince my wife to let me get rid of the damsels. ;-) Her favorite fish was the bully because he allowed her to "pet it". She is still in "mourning" over it...

-Alfred

I think you need a cat or a dog. lol :)

 

Alfredo De La Fe

Senior Member
Location
Upper West Side
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
We have three cats. ;-) My wife and I each had one before we got married and Dante adopted us one day when I walked out in front of my building. One of my loving neighbors threw him out on the street...

Some of those 3am posts are actually Dante... ;-)
 

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