does your other half hate your hobby?? (tank)

Wife gets annoyed with the amount of time I spend reading/doing reefkeeping. But I always catch her admiring the tank!

 

Haha, this thread cracks me up. So many fun posts!

My adventure into this hobby started with my wife saying "honey, I want a Nemo" (how many people have heard THAT before?). We actually met at Finding Nemo (no joke), and it's been our favorite "couples" movie. After I informed her of how much a SW tank would cost, we settled for a 6 gal Fluval Edge with a Molly and a few tetras. That satisfied her for a while, but I started getting the SW itch. Long story short, a few more months pass by and here we are buying a SW tank. I think she's enjoying the process, and I know she'll enjoy the end result.

I intend on getting her involved in the livestock selection process. We've already selected what we want for fish, now I'd like her to look through corals and see what she fancies. We'll then design the reef around that.

 

The only reason I'm back in this hobby after 6 1/2 years is because of my boyfriend. I had talked about my tanks when we first met, but he didn't seem interested. I moved my old empty 38 gallon from the garage to the living room a couple years ago but it's still empty LOL. One day last October he was shopping on CL for something for himself, and saw a 55 gallon tank with stand, sump, & lights for $300 & asked if I'd be interested. An hour later, we were heading to go check it out LOL. A couple months and over a thousand extra dollars later (most of the equipment didn't work), we actually have hermits, snails, and emerald crabs in it, most of which I came home to after work!

Fortunately, he's as into the inverts as I am, so we're always both checking the tank out & making the cat jealous! He complains about the money spent, but he keeps spending it without even consulting me about it most of the time, so there ya have it...I created a reef addict! So much so that he joined one of the local SW clubs & we haven't missed a meeting since LOL.

 

lol my wife wants a nemo and a starfish. she says i have the wrong type of nemo. (i have maroon)

 

Wife hates hobby.

My wife hates my reef tank. She hates the money I spend on it and she hates the time I spend on it. She cant even stand to look at it. So I feel your pain. Whenever we fight about it, I show her the door. She is welcome to leave if she pleases.

I spent a lot of time in Iraq doing counter-insurgency patrols and I find my reef is very therapeutic.

It is a very petty thing she holds between us. Our therapist is trying to explain to her how irrational it is to hate a fish tank. I spend far less on my tank than she spends on shoes, bags, nails, etc. Some day she may very well leave, but if she does I will know we weren't meant to be.

 

HAHA!!! My husband said if I was to get a SW tank he wants a nemo fish. He had no idea what the real nor scientific name of a NEMO fish was. I educated him of course and now he is getting more interested and asking me all sorts of questions. He can't wait until livestock is added I think he got nipped by the bug:biggrinbo

 

I had several marine tanks in past years but gave it up about 15 yrs ago when the kids and life + divorce became too much to devote the time and $$$ neeed. I met my fiance 12 years ago and had always talked about getting a tank again someday. After we built our new house in 2009 she came home on my birthday with the back of the truck full of something under a tarp ;D. It was an AGA Megaflow 90 gal & most all the fixins.

After a SHORT while she started to hate the time, effort and money I spent on this thing but now that most of that has subsided some she is starting to appreciate it more. She's still a little jealous of the time & attention I put into it and wouldn't willingly admit it but she does love our little piece of the ocean and all it's inhabitants. She tries not to let me see her looking in the tank and I try not to notice it.

 

My wife and I met when I had my 75g and then I sold it before we were married. I was telling her a few weeks ago that I missed it and she encouraged me to get a small tank. I went with a 30 gallon and she's been encouraging and interested. It's been great for our two young kids too. They are learning alot about fish, the environment, etc.

My ultimate goal is to go full reef someday--we'll see.

 

I am with you on this one. I do everything on my own. He complains when I ask him to go to the LFS with me to get water (I don't have an RODI unit..) because I cannot carry the 5 gallon buckets. It's like I am pulling teeth to get him to help me. As long as he gets the water near the tank, that is all I care about. I like doing it all myself...I am kinda a control freak when it comes to my tank. But I would love for him to show some interest in it & not gripe.

 

Now that you mention it..I'm GLAD I don't have have to share my tanks with someone lol I'd be mad if I came home and something was different...or dead.