Considering Leaving

[Nick16]

hi all, due to everything going wrong in the past 2 weeks. (2 filters breaking amounst other equipment) my 120L and 450L are looking worse for wear. i was unable to enter the ADA contest due to this and im seriously thinking about selling everything. All my gear.

It seems even if you buy 'the best' kit, it still breaks without me touching it!
From my point of view, the products are getting more expensive and yet the quality, practicality or performance is not. For example, about a year ago i bought 2 new TT EX1200's for £65 each including postage. Now excluding ebay, you are looking at £85-90. why is this? the product is no better, in fact, IMO many people have found it more prone to breakage/leaks in the last few months.

Seems companies just want the money and dont actually care about the people that use the kit.

i hope you all enjoy the planted game, its been good for me while it lasted. its a shame the whole hobby revolves around ridiculous amounts of cash for s**t products.

 

[lljdma06]

Nick, don't be so hasty to leave the hobby. I think you are an asset. I've been in this hobby for over 20 years without using any "expensive" equipment and have been keeping successful planted tanks for over 5 years, again without the expensive stuff. IMO, it's not needed. Don't ever feel that you must have ADA equipment to be successful. You really don't.

Having fancy equipment isn't an indication of success, growing healthy plants is.

Sorry you were not able to enter the competition, but you'll bounce back. We all have our setbacks in the hobby.

llj

 

[Nick16]

these prodcuts are supposed to be of higher quality and yet they last as long as my cheap HK products.

i would love to set up a non planted rainbowfish tank, like minx's 5 footer. (well perhaps some anubias)

i plan to breed my corydoras but i need to sort out some more equipment - that actually works.
i dont use ADA kit itself as its a rip off, but it seems to actually do well in the ADA contest you have to brag about how much you use their equipment!

 

[lljdma06]

i dont use ADA kit itself as its a rip off, but it seems to actually do well in the ADA contest you have to brag about how much you use their equipment!

If that's truely the case, then for me, it's not a contest worth entering. I'd rather be judged on the merits of my scape and the health of my plants, than on what equipment I used to achieve the results. Just my opinion, not knocking ADA, it certainly has its place, but the hobby shouldn't be inaccessible because there is an emphasis on a certain line of products. That is not how I operate here, you know that. Everybody has a right to enjoy the hobby, using whatever equipment grows them healthy plants.

If you want to take a break, take a break. The rainbow tank sounds great and breeding cories are fun, but both can also be achieved with planted tanks. Perhaps you just need to simplify the hobby a bit. Do a stint of low-tech tanks that would meet your fish-keeping goals, yet not cause as much stress as say the pressure of a competition. I don't compete. What for? I don't care what people think of my tanks. I keep them for me, not for anyone else.

 

[anshuman]

Nick, I can understand your sentiment (even though I havent bought any highend products and barely into this hobby).


Just look at the situation, it makes economic sense to manufacturers to make products that will break atleast within 2 years at max or much early. Thats how they can keep rolling sales, it will make no sense to them to make something lasting 5 years and say goodbye to customer, but i agree the price ADA demands, it HAS TO make something last longer than a year or atleast 3-5 years. Is there any ADA rep who can come here to chime and explain.


And before really giving up, did you try to contact the seller or maker? it would be justified if the maker or seller didn't reply you with proper answer and they too expect it to break down that easily. I suggest you try to pursue this a little further than just plainly giving up by announcing on this forum post, It looks like your art of fishtank keeping is appreciated here by old timers So i really encourage you to pursue this a little further.

 

[Nick16]

i have contacted a certian manurfacturer and explained my anger. been fobbed off by 3 different reps before getting through to someone who seemed to understand. maybe he actually keeps fish and understand where im comming from?

when asking to speak to the supervisor/manager i got 1x he's not in today and 2x its my first day.

Now either this company has a high staff turnover or im getting lies.

since then, i now have another filter breaking and consequently sick rainbowfish.

despite water changes galore, ive been running on only 1 filter on a 450L which has led to an algae fest and sick fish. IM fighting a losing battle.

Currently, im very tempted to follow lljdma06's advice and go low tech. Rip everything out and go for a crypt jungle. but its going to require yet another substantial £££ investment...

 

[anshuman]

humm.

Well, I use dry-ferts dosage and excel as co2 source and DIY CFL bulbs fro 2wpg lights on my two tanks, I guess this is totally low-tech? I am enjoying it.

A experienced person like you must be sitting on quite some knowledge. I really think instead of kicking everything to the curb you should go low-tech for sometime before you get extra $$$ and time to go back in high-tech tanks. might be worth it. or you can sell off everything and make peace with it.


Do what feels and makes you happy .