Do you "reef tank" your friends and family?

[Calm Blue Ocean]

You know, when you're talking to your spouse/co-worker/random acquaintance and their eyes start to glaze over and you realize they really don't care about how the peppermint shrimp stole food from the candy cane again or how the GSP is finally starting to take off on the back glass but you keep telling them anyway?

 

[davidcalgary29]

Before reading your post, my first thought was "I don't think that my friends and family are small enough to fit in my reef tanks, but I could try it out tonight and see".

And then I read your post, and my thought's pretty much stayed the same.

 

[A;exr54]

Yes!
My wife at least acts like she is interested at the start. Then i start getting technical and i lose her.
Most of my coworkers think im nuts.

 

[alain Bouchard]

nah, most of my coworker dont even know I got a reef. I keep it all for me...my preciousss! if they know, they try to steal! ;Nailbiting

 

[Uncle99]

For sure!
Shes not listening though….

 

[CalebWBrink2000]

Relatable. The day to day reef-inhabitant drama makes for endless entertainment though.

 

[Kraig]

Most definitely. I'm pretty sure my wife really enjoys the hobby, and that's all I really care about. I think some of my other family is mildly interested but they do seem to lose interest pretty quickly when I start getting too deep into talking about it

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I have a few co-workers, friends and family that reef or have high dollar discus tanks. This is never a issue, lol.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Most of my friends and family enjoy the tank and really like the aesthetic, but just like you said, their eyes tend glaze over when I get too far down into the details of running the tank. I typically get my "nerding out" fix with the owner of my LFS when I visit once or twice a month.

 

[Wen]

Or how about 3/4 through the reef tank educational tour ...when guests realize all “the colorful decorations” are actually real living corals.

 

[ZoWhat]

Before reading your post, my first thought was "I don't think that my friends and family are small enough to fit in my reef tanks, but I could try it out tonight and see".

And then I read your post, and my thought's pretty much stayed the same.

They'll fit if you cut off their heads and limbs

 

[jmichaelh7]

My wife listens because she is into the hobby. I make her feed while I’m working 16 hour shifts and that caused her to get an attachment I assume

 

[jcdeng]

my wife don't care about the tank, all she cares is how much I spent on it "again". My friends are usually wow'd by the fact that the corals are real and they eat things out of the water column.

 

[amygetsalife]

My husband and I just spent nearly 6 hours taking non stop about reefing. So nice to talk about something other than the kids and business!

 

[CanuckReefer]

Yes....and most of them glaze over, so now we capture the nieces and nephews instead. They do not, they are enthralled , for at least a little bit longer lol.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I try to get my wife into it but she doesn’t share the interest. She’s a good sport tho

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I try to get my wife into it but she doesn’t share the interest. She’s a good sport tho

Ex wife would scream it's a darn waste of money! I was only into FOWLER tanks at that time! Current girlfriend loves it.

 

[kiran]

I actually made some friends locally through the hobby. Got a couple of them coming over to help me setup my new build when it gets here.

 

[flagg37]

My husband and I just spent nearly 6 hours taking non stop about reefing. So nice to talk about something other than the kids and business!

Amy, sounds like you need to get a life.

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

You know, when you're talking to your spouse/co-worker/random acquaintance and their eyes start to glaze over and you realize they really don't care about how the peppermint shrimp stole food from the candy cane again or how the GSP is finally starting to take off on the back glass but you keep telling them anyway?

While out for drinks with the boys the other night, at the tail end of an easily 20 conversation over nitrates, phosphates, and their relation with algae, one my friends interrupts to mention to my other friend that we had an hour conversation a few nights before over something similar.

the wife makes the effort to check out new stuff I get, however she was not interested in my “hermit crab war” last night that I sprinted into the bedroom while she was putting the kid to asleep to grab my phone and film.

will this stop me from trying? No way