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Struggling With My Aquarium: Has Anyone Else Felt This Way?

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professorjimjam

Dovii
MFK Member
I feel as though I am becoming increasingly frustrated with my aquarium. Although I do enjoy it occasionally—it is located in my bedroom, and I find watching the fish relaxing—the maintenance and the constant challenges of managing water parameters, controlling algae growth, and other upkeep tasks are making me consider getting rid of it. That said, I am unsure how I might feel after parting with it.

Has anyone else experienced distress or sadness after selling their aquarium?

If you suggest I keep it, how would I go low maintenance? should I just keep a single fish?
 
I have a very laid back approach to my aquarium hobby, and most things in life.

I have 10 tanks set up with around 700 gallons of water between them. Most are lightly stocked. Most have simple filtration. I do weekly water changes but if I'm busy or tired I don't hesitate to skip a week. The only additives I use is dechlorinator.

I often get anywhere between bright ideas and corny thoughts to do something new with them. When I do, I try it. Sometimes I finish them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I recently decided to splurge and get several large tanks to replace several medium tanks. I'll take the same approach and I plan to keep my maintenance routine about the same.

After readying your other current thread, my suggestion is... Stop trying to be perfect. Your tank isn't overstocked, keep it that way.
 
^ I agree completely. Keep it simple, keep it fun, change water...a lot!...and enjoy your fish. Don't chase water parameters to get some special fish; get fish that like your water and just relax.

And don't try to correct problems by changing water; rather, prevent those problems by changing more water in the first place. Don't change dirty water; change it enough so that it doesn't get that way in the first place. Are you still carrying buckets? If so, invest in a Python or other water changer; they change not only water, but also your enjoyment of the hobby, for the better.

Don't worry, be happy! After more than a half century of fishkeeping, I now have only a small number of aquariums, only one that I consider large, and it is stocked with...feeder goldfish. I'm sitting in front of now, watching and relaxing. Fish are fun. :)
 
Thank you so much guys! I very much appreciate your help.

I am carrying buckets, and I am old man, I do not know how long more I can carry them. I never heard of python where can I buy one?
 
Pythons are sold in just about every aquarium shop in Canada and the U.S. I recall you are in Europe; not sure where it might be sold, or if there is a similar product that replaces it in the Euro market. Ask at your local aquarium shop?

All my tanks are drilled and equipped with bulkheads, all interlinked with a series of hoses, each controlled by a valve, and all feeding a manifold attached to a utility pump that in turn feeds a line that runs out of the house through the foundation. The old water can then either be run through an undergound line into an adjacent field or distributed to gardens and trees in warm weather. In winter a different valve sends the water to an outdoor spigot, from which a hose carries it out into that fallow field.

Refills are accomplished by a different series of hoses, fed either from a series of large storage tanks in the crawlspace of my house or from a mixing-valve/on-demand-water-heater setup in the fishroom. Aside from wintertime hose carrying before and after a water change, all other aspects of it are done by just opening and closing valves.

Buckets suck. :)
 
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Oh goodness! No one over 17 should be doing water changes with buckets.

Most decent sized fish stores should have the Python, or some other brand water change hose. I'm sure Amazon has them too. Search "python water change" on YouTube and I'm sure you'll find a few videos.

I'm somewhere between crafty and cheap, so I just bought a long hose and a fitting that fits my sink. I have one hose for draining and another hose for refilling. I spend about 30 minutes in the living room vacuuming waste in 4 tanks, then about an hour playing on my computer, occasionally moving hoses. Then the same thing in my spare room.
My fiancé gets mad as I talk about "fish maintenance" like it's work, but literally spend 2/3 of the time sitting on my butt. And that's changing 300-400 gallons per week.
 
Carrying buckets is good exercise dont you know.

Seriously as everyone has said keep it simple. Recently i was having similar issues, tank was a drag for me due to stock and it became neglected.
I rehomed the fish. gave it a full strip down and got some new decor and started from scratch. Even though i was sad to see a few of the fish go it was for the best. Now i have a very low maintenance tank with good old guppies and corydoras in it. I change 50% of the water once a week (with buckets) and thats it.
If i get bored on the weekend i hit the fish shops and see if they have any cool looking guppies to add to the collection and am constantly checking for a centrepiece fish but am in no hurry.
I am enjoying this tank more than i have any other in years. Funnily enough any visitor to the house loves it too which is sort of annoying after all the years of exotic cichlids and catfish that no one paid any attention to.
If you are not enjoying the hobby i would highly recommend doing something similar, it has reinvigorated things for me even though a few years ago i wouldnt even have considered such a tank.
 
I try to keep big aquarium, lightly stocked as mentioned above as well, I try to keep a bristle nose plecos or snail for algae control, I have put pothos on my heavily stocked tank, I have pump and pipe for water changes (I find it more convenient than python).
 
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