Too hard for a 17 year old?

[pacersfan09]

I was wondering about the workload it takes to maintain a saltwater aquarium and was wondering if i should just get a freshwater tank because its a bit easier and i have school and it will be easier to maintain in college in 2 yrs? I just wondered if anyone had taken a SW aquarium (obviously small one) to a dorm and was able to easily to keep the aquarium healthy there?

 

[ostrangeone89]

It can depend on how much you love your fish. Do you want coral, etc? I only have fresh water aquarium but I don't mind the work, and even when I have projects to do, I love none the less they make me happy. I am pretty passionate about my fishes, lol I love them! So doing the work is no problem, I'm 17 years old as well 18 in Sept. It's all about multi tasking. I've been able to juggle school and work/play I worked at a barn for two years I went out there after school by taking the bus. I took the bus and I didn't get to the barn till 5 o clock I did my stalls and then I got to ride, went home didn't eat till 10 o clock. But I still had time for my other animals, cleaning, attention, playing etc. If it's worth it, you can do it!

 

[pacersfan09]

i was planning on getting a 14 gallon biocube for a nano reef with only a few easy corals like mushrooms and zoanthias and a few fish as well such as a yellow clown goby and a firefish but i thinking mixing SW in a dorm is too hard and idk if there is a LFS near the college i would like to go to. I guess i could go with and 8 gallon biocube with those fish as well.

 

[david123]

Hi im new to marine and started to set my aquarium up 2 weeks ago - since then i have not really stopped messing with it - researching - checking out fish stores - asking questions - moving rock - topping up water - all kind of things - whether im doing it wrong or not i dont know but it is taking up a lot of my time at the moment but aparently it gets easier - i hope so! - you tend to find yourself staring at live rocks to see if any little creatures are in there and sort of come marine mental! - or maybe thats just me.

hope this helps - not trying to put you off but it has and will take some time for me to get my aquarium how i want it (i am trying to create a reef by the way not just fish only)

 

[pacersfan09]

yea thats what i am hoping will happen with mine when i start it but im not sure if i should just go with FW instead

 

[SigPiPup]

I set up my 10 gallon when I was living in the dorms and I still have it running six years later. You'll want to think about it though. I had to move the tank in and out of the dorms over the holidays and in between semesters. It was a pain.

 

[-LeG[A]cY-]

I don't see why age would have anything to do with keeping a sw tank. I'm 17 and I just set up my first sw tank.

 

[pacersfan09]

I set up my 10 gallon when I was living in the dorms and I still have it running six years later. You'll want to think about it though. I had to move the tank in and out of the dorms over the holidays and in between semesters. It was a pain.

i plan to get either a nanocube, aquapod, or biocube to make transportation a little easier and thanks for the information

 

[pacersfan09]

I don't see why age would have anything to do with keeping a sw tank. I'm 17 and I just set up my first sw tank.

how big is the tank and you dont think you will have time managing it during the school year i assume youll be a senior or junior

 

[Grins]

I'm really glad to see this question. 17 isn't too young for a tank by any means but I am glad you're putting full thought into you ability to tend to the tank in the upcoming few years. My son is 18, very responsible and he helps me with my tank a great deal. His senior year of high school was so busy that even I couldn't commit to my tank then. One of the mods here is in college and taking a tank to school but he is also working on a marine biology degree. It is possible to do but it won't be easy. Whether it is the right thing for you or not is going to be up to you of course. My suggestion is to talk to college kids with tanks and ask them how they manage their schedules and breaks from school.