reigniting interest

[fordfish]

Has anyone else gone through a stage of loosing interest in there fish, i used to have about 7 tanks running with tangs, shellies, malawi and an american tank and then i started to loose interest.

I am now down to 1 5 footer with a cobwe colony that seems to have tolerated my neglect The waterchanges are less frequent, the general maintenance has slowed and i just am not getting any enjoyment out of the hobby.

I still love fish but just dont feel motivated anymore to go out of my way hunting down the fish to add to my collection, and i just let the fry fend for emselves and see who survives. My tanks getting pretty full and i know i should remove some but i cant even be bothered doing that.

Anyone else been through this fishie depression and what have you done to reignite the passion?

[mitch1983]

When i was thirteen or fourteen i had nine fish tanks in my bedroom!!! I was so interested, i collected tangs and malawi's and other bits and pieces!!! Then oneday i just stoped, sold all the fish and tanks!!!

About three years ago i was out with a mate at a lfs and saw some Lamp occelatus and that was the trigger!!!!!! I'm now keeping Tangs( sandsifters, featherfins and some shellies) and have a nice little fish room getting bigger all the time, currently have five six footers and two four footers and i can't get enough of it!!!!

From the time when i gave up to when i restarted i hardly thought about Cichlids at all(i'm now twenty five). I can't emagine my life without Tangs, but i guess that could change just like it did before, its hard to say what will happen you may all of a sudden regain interest and start expanding again!!!

[robdog013]

Its a vicious cycle, that only ends with tears

[kingtiger]

Very good question, I was close to giving up until I found some nice catfish and now I'm hook again and probably worst than ever....spending too much monies on catfish.

Cheers

hilton

[Richard]

Been through this afew times when i was younger. The trick which i have found is to buy only the fish you truly madly deeply love and are insane about and just keep them. The reason being that if you ever do lose interest theres still the thought of never being able to have these same fish again next time you decide to get back into it which will give you a push back into the ever loving hobby!

cheers,

Richard.

[cobaltcraig]

Hi All

I think we all go through stages like this

I really felt like giving it away last year and again this year

Since then I have started to re-model my fish room to make it a bit more user friendly and hopefully giving me more time

I have to young sons who demand my time and I give it to them gladly as I coach ,Manage the sporting teams they are in

Surpose what keeps me going is

1) A change like new fish re-vamping of the room ect

2 Great friends the hobby has thrown up These are split into two groups Shire boys Lee miller ,Waz,Andrew,

Neil, Dave,

These are friends that live close and we talk about fishie things and help each other out a "fishbrotherhood"

3) Club friends These are people you catch up with at meetings ect So many to name

4) Club meetings and get togethers We have a ball annoying and taking the wee wEE out of each other

Then theres the other thought what would you do with all the extra time you have when you dont keep fish

Maybe get fit Now thats a scary thought

Cheers

Craig

[fishdance]

Fish photography, aquatic plants, live fish collecting, aquarium related friendships (online, clubs, social events, holidays), DIY filtration - foods - stands - tank - lights - automation, natural habbitat re-creation, fish breeding, specialist fish breeding (genetics & line breeding), challenging fish breeding (hormones), specialist fish keeping - catfish, tank busters, pond fish, ancient fish, bettas, killies, live bearers, community, Aussie Natives, saltwater, live food culture, fish disease specialisation, amphibians, fresh/salt invertebrates, aquatic reptiles, aquarium article publication, aquarium related talks/presentations, micro tanks (nanotanks), monster tanks, multiple tanks, etc.

Then again why not get out of the hobby if it doesnt interest you? You can always return one day.

[MVP]

Fish photography, aquatic plants, live fish collecting, aquarium related friendships (online, clubs, social events, holidays), DIY filtration - foods - stands - tank - lights - automation, natural habbitat re-creation, fish breeding, specialist fish breeding (genetics & line breeding), challenging fish breeding (hormones), specialist fish keeping - catfish, tank busters, pond fish, ancient fish, bettas, killies, live bearers, community, Aussie Natives, saltwater, live food culture, fish disease specialisation, amphibians, fresh/salt invertebrates, aquatic reptiles, aquarium article publication, aquarium related talks/presentations, micro tanks (nanotanks), monster tanks, multiple tanks, etc.

Then again why not get out of the hobby if it doesnt interest you? You can always return one day.

Yeah agreed... Get out before you start having fish die through neglegence. Let the fire begin again on its own... Keep the tank just shut it down and sell off your fish or get rid of the lot and when your ready again go through the fun of buying it all again cause we all love the part of buying a brand new tank with all the accessories almost as much as purchasing the fish themselves.

Or, Get rid of the fish and resetup the tank again with something that you just MUST have.

[plastic31]

About two months ago i was admiring a large Saratoga at the local, it was 250 and was stunning, over the course of two weeks it dropped down to 130 and some bloke who kept turtles in a pond or something bought him.

within two days of introducing this Saratoga it was snapped up by one of the turtles and he found the head end of the fish floating on the surface.

I don't really want to give up my oscar unless i know where he is going, to much personality for a fish i reckon.

but my tank is becoming so boring, theres only so many combinations i can arrange my rocks before it all looks the same.

[Reillin]

Reignite interest?

I suggest a good clean of the glass. A new fluoro tube.

It really is amazing what a good cleanup and new light does. Brings out the amazing colours, which can ignite more interest. If it doesn't, the person coming to look will be impress and it'll help you sell the fish.

Cheers,

Vien.

[Frontosa Andrew]

I'm not sure whether I ran out of interest, but I sure a hell did run out of time, money and patience. I moved out from parents and was unable to take my tanks with me (not too many places can fit in a pair of 8x2x2's). While gone, silicone let go, filters carked and things generally turned south. I nearly sold up at that point. More recently I just didn't have time - 60 hour working weeks and two young children do that - and my Malawiian tank paid the price, I lost all but one C.Moorii. So I went up to some of the local creeks with the kids, the ex and a saw, collected some nice pre leached and water logged timber, and rebuilt both my tanks. The Fronts are happier than ever, my (now) Central American tank is looking good, and my passion for the hobby has reignited. I guess it takes a little adversity every now and then to snap you out of a rut.

[gingerbeer]

My first reignition was when I first moved to Sydney and walked into Lams. Got myself 2 four footers within 6 months and started grabbing some cool Malawi cichlids I hadn;t seen before. Also discovered Rod Wallace's shop - that I called the odd bod shop. Never knew what you would find - kinda like a garage sale.

Went tanganyikan after seeing lelupi for the first time at Flemington Store - before they started getting rid of there cichlids.

My next reignition was to go for a planted tank. Main tanks became planted with one for angles and one for discus. Got some beautiful German Blue Rams from Lams that were the best line I ever saw. Started breading them.

My next reignition was Apistos. Been on that track for a fair while now (over 6 years). (Had a few flirts with africans but get bored) (also bred a killie species on the way just for fun)

Now my son is taking over my tanks and has his geos in my 6 footer.

Don't be afraid to change tact - and look through Fishdance's list. Reminds me of how few fish I have kept. Go looks at some of the big stores you may have missed. (I class a good store as one that makes me stop and stare. A lot of stores in Sydney do that for me due to quality/ variety. Bit harder up here in QLD

[klw]

over the past 20 years i have made the mistake of selling off tanks,fish stuff etc.then i end up wanting it back again,so keep your fishy stuff aside somewhere cause believe me,you will start up again with great vigor.you will eventually go back to the hobby,its something that never goes away,it stays in ya! but as other posters are saying,have a look at big fish stores and maybe change form cobwe's to somethin else.