A very interesting article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/04/health...tle/index.html

That'd be the TRUE test of how addicted he really is to My Little Ponies Multiplayer 2000 or whatever the heck he's into these days. Laurie attempts to move into his tank... does he step in?

My hunch is you'd regret it Laurie. You like your big fish a bunch from what I know. I had one hell of a time parting with my Big Mac and only had him 6 months. For the last month he spent in my tank I barely ever went down to watch him. The tank had been gutted of all its coral and I didn't want to see him knowing that I'd be losing him. You're far more invested into big fish than I was.

That's cause I was thinking of how much cheaper and easier it would be to maintain a 90g cube instead of my 3 big tanks. There are certain fish more then others that I'm attached to that I can't imagine parting with. That being said though I'd feel guilty/sad rehoming the others.

I recently went over my monthly budget and I'm over budget every month by $500 in bills. Explains why my credit card is jumping up by leaps and bounds instead of getting paid off. Kinda thinking I need to cut back on bills before I get more into debt, and shutting down my big tanks (I'm estimating) would save around $200 a month in power and water.

Funny you should mention "moving into" his tank as when I talked to him about downsizing my tanks his response was to completely shut his tank down as he rarely takes care of it and rarely looks at it. Sadly his tank still looks way nicer then mine :twised:

Not 100% sure I'd regret it, but most likely I would. Somedays I think about how much money I'd save and how I wouldn't have to feel guilty for not always taking proper care of the tank etc. etc. but then I think about this or that fish and how much I like them and how it's really not that much work to take care of it (just a matter of not being lazy and getting it done) and I change my mind once again.

my relief at being free of the monthly costs out-weighed my regrets i have to say. that and i could also tell from doing a few water changes larger than 50g weekly that the tank would look even better if i invested MORE into it to do bigger changes to both water and all the media. Feels great to be returning to a volume of water I have had before and i also know the associative costs that go with it.

I can relate to this as well.. It was really hard to shut down my 131g because I was really attached to my fish. Both tanks started to slide as a result tho. I still miss my clown tang, emperor angel and parrot fish and banana wrasses.. It is a lot easier to maintain the mixed reef with only 150g as opposed to 300+ gallons across two tanks though.

I think we all have a certain water volume that's the 'sweet spot' for us while taking into account our current lifestyle. If you move beyond your 'sweet spot' you risk overextending yourself. Mind you that 'sweet spot' can also change over time as your lifestyle changes.

you nailed this so accurately. that's exactly it! btw i ran into the current owner of your banana's tonight at Big Als. He's promised me pics they're doing very well he said.

Although my large tank was small compared to a lot of yours (180)
I found it unfeasible to keep it running with the associated cost. I know that I could have been leaner on it. But that wasn't me. I went from that 180 to a 26 now moving to a 35g and am more satisfied with my small tank. Cost vs time I feel I get more enjoyment out of the smaller tanks. Thats my sweet spot but that can always change down the road

That's the debate I've been having in my head: costs vs regret :neutral:

I can only afford (thanks to my mom helping me buy salt on boxing day) to do 60g water changes a week. Even then it's not enough to keep the water quality high :sad: But how to pick and choose between my fish IDK (except for a few certain must haves) and to say good-bye to all the large ones would be hard :sad:

Ya that is part of the problem, my tanks have been sliding due to lack of
maintenance. Not to horribly but they definitely could look better and have better water quality if the water volume wasn't as large. Been thinking about what to do........600g to attend to is not my sweet spot by any means!

I would think you need to be honest and decide if you really enjoy all the tanks or is the amount of work/costs causing you to resent them, as much as you love your fish. I think when the resentment starts, its time to reevaluate what you have going on and decide from there. Why not keep one of the 230's and one of the smaller tanks and blend your favorites. You don't mention how you feel about your reef (corals), so maybe keep the large fowlr and a smaller reef, best of both worlds, but half the costs.

Ya I've always cared more about the fish then the corals. My absolute must have no matter what fish is my thornback boxfish. However by choosing him first and foremost it limits the kind of tank I can have. Boxfish need peaceful tank mates and low flow. I've also discovered too big of tankmates even peaceful ones stress them out and the rock work has to be set up in a way they won't get themsleves stuck in it. I lost my cowfish from him getting stuck in the rocks so I want to be careful about that.