Patience and the Better Half

TheDean

TheDean

New member
I'm sure most of you have had an experience or two with a spouse who is not as "dedicated" to reefing as we are. There have been a few "discussions" over purchases, mainly after the purchase, right when they realize something "new" in the tank... lol

A blessing came into my life a few years ago, and she continues to endure trial and error in the reefing adventure within which I have dragged her. Although it is slowly growing on her, looking back at some situations, I realize the level of distain she had for setting up, walking into a fish store, the occasional fish tank smell, and numerous messes. I'd love to hear some good stories about "not so enthusiastic spouses" and mishaps within the hobby.

I think we owe it to our better halves, no matter if they're into the hobby or not. She'll never read this, but I need to say it anyway. Thank you for putting up with me, babe.

Below is a picture when I picked up a killer deal on a Solana. it had just been broken down after a year or so of operation. Imagine the smell. It was a twenty minute car ride, and about 95 outside. Damn good woman.
 

Attachments

  • Marsi's Patience.jpg
    Marsi's Patience.jpg
    78.1 KB · Views: 18
Good thread she looks pretty happy about that tank on her lap...

Over the years most of my girlfriends have all come around pretty good into the hobby several actually still have saltwater tanks I setup for them years ago.. My ex when I lived in chico would drive down to the bay area w me and do all day coral shopping trips.. Etc etc etc I love this hobby and am glad I've been able to get more people into it


Presently my fiancé is going to let me setup a 210 display in out new house we move into next month along with a small fish room I'm building in the garage which will house all the equipment a 125 sump/refuge a 125g water change chamber and a 4' 60g frag tank I love her to death... I'll also be setting up my 30g oceanic cube w 20g sump/refuge in my soon to be 5yr old step daugthers room to house her gold striped maroon clown and gbta... I was trying to talk her into a 360 but it's just not gonna happen maybe next time around
 
Oh and my girlfriend I lived in w sac let me have a 180g sps/Los tank and a 20g zoa and 20g qt in our apt we had in natomas and shed go to all the stored with me and frag swaps etc and even bought me corals and my controller-)

My fiancé also buys me fish and corals too.. I buy a bunch myself and usually when she notices the new ones I just tell her I traded for them-)
 
Bamm Bamm said:
Good thread she looks pretty happy about that tank on her lap...

Over the years most of my girlfriends have all come around pretty good into the hobby several actually still have saltwater tanks I setup for them years ago.. My ex when I lived in chico would drive down to the bay area w me and do all day coral shopping trips.. Etc etc etc I love this hobby and am glad I've been able to get more people into it


Presently my fiancé is going to let me setup a 210 display in out new house we move into next month along with a small fish room I'm building in the garage which will house all the equipment a 125 sump/refuge a 125g water change chamber and a 4' 60g frag tank I love her to death... I'll also be setting up my 30g oceanic cube w 20g sump/refuge in my soon to be 5yr old step daugthers room to house her gold striped maroon clown and gbta... I was trying to talk her into a 360 but it's just not gonna happen maybe next time around
Click to expand...

Dan want a 360 ?
Give you a killer deal buddy ! :wavehand:

As for better half's my ex wife was as bad as me with hobbies either it be reef's or reptile's so buying new stuff was never a problem we put up with each other.
Now some time's financially I don't know if it was good or bad we spent ton's of money on both hobbie's.
As for now it's me and my 17 year old son Paul the 3rd.
I almost got out of the hobby when he came back to live with me this last December after talking it over with him he wanted to stay in no matter if it meant eating hot dogs and Mac 2 to 3 time's a week.
He now is re building his 100 gallon reef which is slowing my 360 gallon reef project but he is worth it.
I'm just as excited about his 100 gallon T-5 -8 Tek system as I am about my other 2 project's.
It's great to have a hobby you can work on with the one's you love.
 
Funny enough it was a woman who got me into the hobby in the first place. It was long distance for a little while there, and I think she thought that if I had something to keep me busy while she wasn't around she wouldn't have to worry as much. She was a sneaky one.

A two years later the girlfriend is gone but the fish are still here. To her credit, when she came to visit and while she was living here she seemed to at lease tolerate things like sharing a towel because I used mine the night before to mop up a minor spill.

Sometimes relationships are too long, and sometimes they are too short. But keeping a reef lasts pretty much as long as you want it to.
 
Mine calls my tank the "bane of her existence."

I just upgraded from a 150 to a 210...Guess its a bigger bane now...ha ha ha.

Love ya babe! :thumbsup:


:lmao::lmao::lmao:
 
my wife likes to look of the tank but hates to do 5 gallon water changes when i'm gone for a few months. i felt bad when she ran out of water and had to get some from the store. she wasn't very happy lugging around 5 gallons of water thats slightly less than half her weight up to our second floor condo. then i get an ear full for tinkering with my tanks for too long especially on the weekends when she wants to take a short road trip out of town. i made it all worth her wile by finally painting our bedroom walls and ceiling, and seeing a movie this weekend, as well as last weekend going down to pacifica/half mood bay. crown molding is going in next weekend so the fish will have to take a backseat for a while. "give and take" as my dad would say it.
 
Paulca916 said:
I think Ben meant you need to get her some "Ring of Fire" Zoa's for the new tank :D
Click to expand...

Lol. She caught the comment instantly. I made the mistake of going to check on the tank when I walked in after work one night. Rookie mistake, she was sitting four feet away with her arms outstretched ready for a hug. The halides were in my eyes, babe! One day you guys will find me floating face down in my tank (better upgrade so I'll fit!)
 
My Better half

My Better half

I have to keep telling her That Won't Work in the tank, She Wants to add Everything... May have to setup another tank JUST for her,
her interest extends to my Freshwater tank.
If given unlimited funds & space,we would have so many tanks, we would have to hire someone just to maintain them. May have to wait till retirement, Unless I win the Lottery.
 
RonMidtownStomp said:
If I'm worried I might be spending too much on coral, I ask Dee and she picks out more that she wants wants :)
Click to expand...

I guess now I'll know that "is there anything that you want?" means "has she caught on to what this is adding up to yet?"

The fish hobby is somewhat my fault, but I only bid a 10 gallon freshwater tank, and somehow now we have 450 gallons of saltwater. It is definitely more his hobby than mine (thus his maintenance), but I get a ton of input so it still feels like my tank and avoids a lot of the resentment that I hear about. It is a good system of checks and balances, for the most part.

Unrelated - anyone want a 225 starphire fully equipped/stocked for $25? :love1:


+1 for ring of fire. Who can afford a diamond with a tank to support? (only partly joking)
 
MrsRonMidtownStomp said:
I guess now I'll know that "is there anything that you want?" means "has she caught on to what this is adding up to yet?"

The fish hobby is somewhat my fault, but I only bid a 10 gallon freshwater tank, and somehow now we have 450 gallons of saltwater. It is definitely more his hobby than mine (thus his maintenance), but I get a ton of input so it still feels like my tank and avoids a lot of the resentment that I hear about. It is a good system of checks and balances, for the most part.

Unrelated - anyone want a 225 starphire fully equipped/stocked for $25? :love1:


+1 for ring of fire. Who can afford a diamond with a tank to support? (only partly joking)
Click to expand...
Uh oh, Ron's in trouble. I'll take it for $30...:D i somewhat remember when you two had a 100 gallon plexi if I recall correctly, then a 240, then I left for a while and bam, there's an ocean in your living room and garage. (Envious)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Small Sump Leak - Worth fixing?
Replies
1
Views
122
griss
griss
B
Left Tank for a long time, now want to reboot
Replies
8
Views
371
SantaMonica
S
R
some random questions
Replies
1
Views
226
SantaMonica
S
Niven
I'm back....and ready to jump back in, feet first in the deep end, speedo, everything!
2
Replies
24
Views
741
griss
griss
J
Back into it!
Replies
7
Views
1K
jtroutt19
J
Back
Top