Getting Out of the Hobby

[NearMeBettas]

As some of you know about two years ago I got back into the hobby. I started breeding bettas, guppies, and snails and raising plants for sale. It's been a fun run, but it has been a lot of work. A lot of time goes into conditioning fish, maintaining extra tanks for breeding and fry raising, and feeding alone. Between work, living on a hobby farm, my flower bed that I am constantly weeding, my pets, my hobby aquatic breeding project, and school I am busy over 12 hours a day. I also need time for friends and family. I rehomed my rescue gecko that had been rehabilitated and I've sold a ton of fish, plants, and snails. I'm down two a 10-gallon and have 5 bettas leaving tomorrow so I will only have two bettas, my leopard gecko George, and a few snails left. I will be keeping George as I have had him for six years, and I will keep my live planted 10 gallon up. I also have a pair of hermit crabs which I am considering rehoming to the right home. I have a few more plants I'm selling, as my tank is constantly growing in thickly. If I'm spending less time on the forum, it's not that I forgot about everyone it's just that my life has been a whirlwind, not including other things I haven't listed such as death in the family, and my dream job opportunity this summer.

 

[Rocky998]

As some of you know about two years ago I got back into the hobby. I started breeding bettas, guppies, and snails and raising plants for sale. It's been a fun run, but it has been a lot of work. A lot of time goes into conditioning fish, maintaining extra tanks for breeding and fry raising, and feeding alone. Between work, living on a hobby farm, my flower bed that I am constantly weeding, my pets, my hobby aquatic breeding project, and school I am busy over 12 hours a day. I also need time for friends and family. I rehomed my rescue gecko that had been rehabilitated and I've sold a ton of fish, plants, and snails. I'm down two a 10-gallon and have 5 bettas leaving tomorrow so I will only have two bettas, my leopard gecko George, and a few snails left. I will be keeping George as I have had him for six years, and I will keep my live planted 10 gallon up. I also have a pair of hermit crabs which I am considering rehoming to the right home. I have a few more plants I'm selling, as my tank is constantly growing in thickly. If I'm spending less time on the forum, it's not that I forgot about everyone it's just that my life has been a whirlwind, not including other things I haven't listed such as death in the family, and my dream job opportunity this summer.

First off, I'm so sorry for your loss... I'm sure that was hard...

Im sorry to hear you have to end the hobby like that... Takes a lot to just let go.

But that's really cool you have a dream job opportunity! Congrats!

 

[10 Tanks]

As some of you know about two years ago I got back into the hobby. I started breeding bettas, guppies, and snails and raising plants for sale. It's been a fun run, but it has been a lot of work. A lot of time goes into conditioning fish, maintaining extra tanks for breeding and fry raising, and feeding alone. Between work, living on a hobby farm, my flower bed that I am constantly weeding, my pets, my hobby aquatic breeding project, and school I am busy over 12 hours a day. I also need time for friends and family. I rehomed my rescue gecko that had been rehabilitated and I've sold a ton of fish, plants, and snails. I'm down two a 10-gallon and have 5 bettas leaving tomorrow so I will only have two bettas, my leopard gecko George, and a few snails left. I will be keeping George as I have had him for six years, and I will keep my live planted 10 gallon up. I also have a pair of hermit crabs which I am considering rehoming to the right home. I have a few more plants I'm selling, as my tank is constantly growing in thickly. If I'm spending less time on the forum, it's not that I forgot about everyone it's just that my life has been a whirlwind, not including other things I haven't listed such as death in the family, and my dream job opportunity this summer.

Hello. Maybe I can understand your loss better, because I'm older. I've lost my parents now and one sibling. Do what needs to be done to reorganize and get things to a more stable point. I hope there's time in the future for this hobby for you. We have birds, cats, gardens and of course all the fish. The water keeping hobby has brought me a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction over the years.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

You do you, matey. Be happy. This hobby will be here waiting for you when you get that itch again

 

[NearMeBettas]

Hello. Maybe I can understand your loss better, because I'm older. I've lost my parents now and one sibling. Do what needs to be done to reorganize and get things to a more stable point. I hope there's time in the future for this hobby for you. We have birds, cats, gardens and of course all the fish. The water keeping hobby has brought me a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction over the years.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

Thank you. I'm hanging on to a 10-gallon and a few fish, because I know I will regret it if I completely leave the hobby.

I'm so sorry. It's been hard, she is really the only person I have lost that was close to me...

 

[NearMeBettas]

First off, I'm so sorry for your loss... I'm sure that was hard...

Thank you, we were really close. Family was really important to her.

Im sorry to hear you have to end the hobby like that... Takes a lot to just let go.

Thanks, I've had mixed emotions about it. It really will be a big relief though, and I'm still hanging onto that one tank. I know I will later regret it if I get rid of everything.

But that's really cool you have a dream job opportunity! Congrats!

Thank's, I'm REALLY excited lol.

 

[NearMeBettas]

Well, all five girls arrived at their new home today. Their new owner was excited. I put a divider up in the 10-gallon as Lola was being a jerk to my other female Jasmine.

Lola is a HMPK white dragon and Jasmine is a blue metallic CTPK.

 

[NearMeBettas]

Well great, along with everything else happening my hermit crab, which was around 30+ years old and the size of a softball, died. I found his buddy staring at him like what the heck? His buddy had just been sitting next to his old shell looking depressed. I found him a new home and he will be shipping out on Monday. On top of that my 10-gallon live planted tank cracked. Thank God I only had two bettas in it, or IDK know what I would have done. I spend an hour or two transferring everything over to my spare 5-gallon. I now have a SUPER heavily planted 5-gallon. I still have a divider up in it as Lola is a jerk. They bettas seem to be doing okay with the space change, especially with all of the coverage. I also had a Nigerian dwarf doe and her twins (who live on our family hobby farm with the rest of the goats) whom I had to sell because her teats were on the small side and harder to milk. I love this doe. I saved her when she was born unresponsive and she has been my baby for over a year. The owners did not communicate the feeding instructions we gave them. They EXTREMALLY overfed the kids making my doeling sick, and killing my parent's buckling that was sold with them. Thankfully we were able to talk to the one taking care of the goats and pass over the instructions. The doeling luckily made it.

I'm kind of freeking out. All I have left is a 5-gallon aquarium and my Leopard Gecko George. I will admit the extra space in my room is nice though. More room for my artwork and art supplies lol.

 

[Rocky998]

I'm so sorry! I really hope it gets better in time...

 

[Alice B]

you do you. I have a renegade tetra to deal with and water changes today and I'd much rather oil the sewing machine, but first things first. Congratulations on all you have going, and enjoy life.

 

[NearMeBettas]

Well, my hermit crab Cherry just arrived at his new home. The owners are supper happy. He made it through shipping alright and it eating and exploring.