Feel guilty - hobby taking too much priority

I'm sure this has been brought up before but for those of you with kids and a family, do you find yourself feeling guilty from the time this hobby takes away from them? I'm getting started up again after 4 years of getting out of it due to having my first kid. But now as I sit here and type and am on the computer constantly and trying to get this tank going I look at it and say is this worth the neglect from my kids or whatever else I could be doing?
Anyone else feel like this? I keep having mixed feelings of stopping the whole train now before I get to deep into it.. but then again I know once things get settled in the craziness will slow down a "little"
I know a big contributor in my negative feelings is my problem with Aiptasia as a few of you have been following here.

 

I have always wondered why some folks spend so much time on their tanks. I've got a husband and a toddler at home and I would be surprised if our tank took up more than a half hour of our time a day if that much. What is it that's taking up so much of everyone's time? Is it research? Maintenance? _____?

 

Socializing on web forums. ;D

 

it's "research" on 3reef taking all the time...

I've been in the hobby almost 2 years. The first 6 months felt like I was doing 100% tank stuff and 0% family stuff. That ratio has changed.

Nowadays, my tank is settled in, I have ATO, autodosing, etc... I mag float clean every couple days, feed occasionally, my params are stable so I test once a month and that's it... barely takes anytime anymore...

Just give it time OP... Once you're sailing along it gets much easier...

 

I honestly feel its my aiptasia problem that feels like a black cloud.

 

That's what work is for

 

I definitely am wondering how to re-structure my "tank time". I have a daughter (1st child) on the way in Sept/Oct & the tank will rightfully take a step back in terms of priorities. I took months getting everything up to my standards so once things get crazy (and they will ) there is less maintenence/upgrading. I basically have everything as I want it, corals, fish stock, light fixture, all equip. No more upgrading/tinkering for me for a loooong time, but everything is as good as I want it right now. The basic maintenence & feeding will take time but much less than obsessing over what I wanted for the tank.

I'd love for my daughter to be able to grow up with a cool tank in her younger years, I think it'd be great to sit & watch it with her.

 

I agree with Peredhil. I use to spend almost all my time working on my tank. Now that I have everything set up I find that the most I do is clean the glass once a week, feed the fish, make RO/DI water, and empty the collection cup of my skimmer. Only takes a few minutes. I don't even consider the making RO/DI time consuming. I put my bucket in the tub and the waste water tube in the tub. I leave for a few hours to do errands and what not. By the time I get back I have a full bucket of RO/DI water.

 

Thats the hard part, it seems like even when its kept simple and things should be running smooth problems always come up.

 

True, there will always be the curveballs but we just do our best to figure it out without going insane. I can def imagine making my RO/DI water at night when I'm up with the baby, that'll be fun!