Taking a step back for a bit

[Steve]

I have decided to take a step back from the hobby for awhile at least. Recently lost my tank of super reds to a heater malfunction, then just today found another of the holding tanks which had about 12-13 fish in it all dead for no apparent reason as all water parameters are good 0ammonia 0nitrite and 20nitrate temp 78f. And on top of that now another tank which is currently holding about 5 really nice fish that were going to go into the big tank when it was ready looks to have some problem as they are acting funny and I see some red spots on my blue dolphin. Cyrrently just did another water change in that one and started treating with some prazipro but my hopes are not high for them from the looks of it.

Things like this are just too disheartening, especially when you know you do everything right with WC's and keeping things the way they should be, yet still have things that kill your fish and you have no idea why??

I'm still keeping my two main show tanks as well as the angel tank,and will keep the big 265 and work on that this winter. But all the smaller 10, 20, 29g tanks are going to go. Just too much trouble for now. I will still be around but most likely won't be as active for awhile. Just need to take a step back for now.

I'll be posting a number of items for sale soon.

[jcunningham0295]

Sorry to hear that Steve.  I had a similar feeling to be honest when moving tanks around last night and my 40 breeder broke in the bottom seams and started pouring what water was left in it while I scrambled to move my cyps and xenos into another tank.  When just before this I moved other tanks without an issue.  Sometime there are things in the hobby you just can't explain.

[Mission Man]

Sorry to hear the news Steve.  There are definitely "gremlins" which come and go.  That's for sure.

[Regalblue]

 It happens to all of us... Last night, I lost a 7" dovii that I was growing out for a wet pet, due to a heater malfunction.

[lohachata]

very sorry to hear this news Steve...i have had many setbacks in the 40+ years i have been keeping fish..about 5 or 6 years ago i lost over 35 young adult L-66s..apparently to septicemia...the only ones i had left were 2 males..which i still have..
never give up my friend...just take your time while recouping...when you are ready to return you will know it...

[Frontboy7]

Sorry to hear this Steve.  It was good to see you at the auction.

Pete

[Maize-N-Blue-D]

Steve - sometimes a step back allows you to re-assess what it is that you want from the hobby. No doubt about it -  Losing fish SUCKS, but when you get that itch again, you will be able to take that knowledge you gained and use it to do better things in the future !   Good luck my friend !   

[mibwb]

Sorry to hear that, I had lost over half my fish last December..power outage..had over five, 5 gal buckets full off losses.. if it wasn't for mom loving the fish so much...I might have given up... but I'm still going...

[Ron]

Stepping back is better than stepping out. 

I think most of us have been there and shared those feelings at some point.

[SKISWETPETS]

Stepping back is the way to go for sure. I lost somewhere between 40-50 fish in a few days in early spring. Almost drained everything and sold it all off. Did almost nothing all spring and summer with the fish or anything...  Just getting back into it really as of the last month or so. Last auction I brought home about 70 new fish... Thriving again.. Stick with it man...

[Steve]

Yeah no one get the wrong idea, I'm defiantly not getting out if it by any means, you guys aren't lucky enough to get rid of me that easily  I just need to step back and rethink the set ups is all and need to get the bad taste of what I just lost out of my mouth before moving forward. That way I don't just rush out and repopulate multiple smaller tanks and risk losing fish again.

Broke down about four tanks the other day and getting rid of them. So now outside of my show tanks I just have a 20g for quarantine purposes and a 20g with some pond fish overwintering in it.

I'm done with keeping fish for the 265g in small holding tanks that's for sure, that's just not working out. I plan to get the 265g up and running after I get back from a fishing trip this weekend and then when I get fish for that tank I'll just buy them 1-2 at a time and quarantine them for 2 weeks in the 20g and then they will go right in the 265g. No more holding them for 2 months or more in holding tanks, too much stress for the fish and I think that's part of the problems I am having. Stressed fish + small tank + marginal HOB filter = trouble waiting to happen.

Now that I have cleared out some space with getting rid of multiple smaller tanks I think I may just wait till after the holidays and get with Jon and have him help me set up a bigger tank like a 55g for breeding plecos. Something that has more water volume where it won't be so touchy (more room for error) and set up with some good sponge filters rather than the darn HOB filters which seem to always give me issues.

So that's the plan I think.   

[GrizzlysDad]

Hey Steve, have you ever thought about the possibility of chemical poisoning in the tanks due to all the projects you work on within close proximity?
Larger tanks with better filtration would be more tolerant to residual chemicals.
Something to think about.

Oh, and speaking as the king of stepping back....and back in again (and again) this too shall pass 

[Ron]

More to think about, IIRC, it was fall or winter-time when I encountered shifting water parameters from municipal water when I lived in A2. Might check the city water website to see if anything changed.

[Steve]

Hey Steve, have you ever thought about the possibility of chemical poisoning in the tanks due to all the projects you work on within close proximity?
Larger tanks with better filtration would be more tolerant to residual chemicals.
Something to think about.

I'm certain it's nothing to do with that Tony. Those tanks are separated from the work area by the office, plus a wall/door. And honestly I really don't work with a whole lot of chemicals very often.   Plus I have a tank right in the work area so if there ever was a tank that would be affected by anything it'd be the one in the work area. I'm pretty sure it's more to do with holding too large/many fish in too small a tank with too small a filter for too long a time. Because I only planned on holding those fish for a short time in those tanks, but since the 265 leaked they had to stay months in the tanks rather than weeks.

[Steve]

Well I'm starting to come out of my "dead fish funk" a bit now. One good thing is my sister just got a smoking deal on a 55g set up, so that means she does not need the 55g set up I was planning on giving her when I replace my 55g with the 75g I have. So I now plan to put the 55g in the basement to replace the smaller holding tanks with the one larger 4ft holding tank soon as I can get some room and get rid of these smaller tanks. That should help me maintain water quality much better than trying to keep up multiple small tanks.