HONEST ANSWERS ONLY!!!!

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hi Everyone!!! OK here goes----------!!
I would like the spouse/significant other of each reef aquarium owner who does not share the same passion as their other----------WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN THEY FIRST GOT INTO THIS HOBBY AND WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS NOW! Please have your spouse/significant other(who is not in the hobby) respond in her/his own words.
I will start this--------
Oh My God!! This is PatTheAttack and I thought Johnny was crazy spending so much money on what? Fish? And now as you should know I have my own little reef cause the more I saw this man (I'll call it work)on his tank etc. I fell in love with the fish and the reef. I have one over on him though--I talk to the fish and NOW AND THEN I catch him at it.ha!Think about the enjoyment of it all. Ok who is next-----------

[Doug1]

It was my wife falling in love with an orange spotted file fish and me buying a few chunks of live rock to try and keep it alive that started the evolution of Hell Reef. In all honesty she likes the tank better now that there is actually a fish in it(bicolor blenny) but she does none of the maint or operation and I have assigned oregon reeeeefers to come rescue it in case of my untimely demise. Not that I am planning on checking out early but I am REAL CLOSE to the big 50 and work brual hours( I may have a few bad habits) so I have made arrangements to have my tank dealt with in the event of my unexpected departure.

[JJGeisler]

This is JJ's S/O..I am not into reefs...but supportive. Periodically I get cranky and insist that he gets his life back in balance, like when he is spazing out over lab values. It is annoying sometimes when things need to get done or I ask him a favor and he is preoccupied w/ this site or his tank....but no big fights. This is his hobby and his money.....he stays on top of his bills....nothing goes unpaid because of the reef hobby. Our love life hasn't suffered. We still socialize with the outside world, see movies that have nothing to do w/ reef tanks. He still plays golf seriously. He is still in balance and the reef tank is pretty. He has done his homework and I am impressed with what he has done...but prefer to enjoy it as an outsider.
Checks and balances, separation of church and state, etc...:-)
My advice to others...get a hobby of your own that is different...brings balance to your home....mine is gardening. He grows fuzzy things on rocks...and I grow flowers.
He tests his water...I test my soil. He fights ick and I fight aphids...it works here!!!
JJ's Jan

[Doug1]

Jan thats a healthy response and a good course of action to take. You like lookin at the tank and he enjoys the flowers(even if he doesnt say so) actually involvement in reef stuff tends to foster an appreciation of other efforts like your gardening. Thanks for letting him play with us crazies

[ 05-20-2001: Message edited by: Doug1 ]

[Alice]

My husband was a little baffled, I think, that I was so fascinated by the idea of starting up a reef tank. But as he watched my son and I look at pics on the web, I think he began to understand. He finds it fascinating as well and has videotaped some of the oddities that have popped up in the tank.

Of course, he's never seen the receipts, either ;o

I have to admit, I didn't really consult him about buying the 125 from Dennis and he doesn't really understand my *need* for a bigger tank but he's taking it in stride.

~Alice

[TroyF]

I set our tank up as a present for my significant other as a valantine's present. It was intended to be a fish only with dead coral. She already had a tank and had kept salt water fish for years so I just had to get the hardware working. I was blown away when I spent nearly $500 to get it set up (little did I know what was coming ). One day we walked into a LFS that had a beautiful reef display. Now I'm a pauper. On the plus side it is an interest that we share but then again we can't afford any other interests.

[Doug1]

Troy, my hats off to all you reefers north of the US border between import laws and a less than faveorable exchange rate its amazing that reef keeping flourishes to the extent that it does

[TroyF]

Thanks Doug . Most people think anybody who'd spend the kind of money all of us reefkeepers do are missing their entire head. At least your just missing a hat . That is progress!