Do you get annoyed when people check out your tank?

[mistyw]

I love it when people enjoy my tanks as much as I do, and they’re always respectful.

 

[Klyle]

I totally feel the part about people touching the glass and all the annoying behaviors but i do enjoy when other people see my tank. It’s like yeah! I did that.

 

[Heather Kastory]

Not at all quite the opposite...love it. My favorite comment/question is..." What those aren't plants?!" And referencing my Bella Goby.."Umm it's eating sand" gotta love it all! Of course we have no rip roaring parties in my house and it was more challenging to teach my 2 kiddos respect for the animals and just to pull up a chair and watch. Because as i say,"they are our animals and we have to make sure they are taken care of, happy and healthy"

 

[mermaid_life]

I understand what you're saying. For me it's parents who can't/don't control/watch their children. I have to hide the seaweed clip and scraper. One kid was running his toy truck over the front of the glass....

 

[OfficeReefer]

I think I've felt that way at one time, but they were smaller tanks and weren't where I wanted them. It's not something that I care about now that I have several and in all the places I feel they fit. In fact, the one now is problematic because of the patience in getting things going right vs most folks expectations of watching "Tanked" and YouTube. I think videos like these and those LFS make to sell newbies to the hobby drives this more.

We all love videos to quick success. Many however, do not want to put in the effort to making the video itself a success.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Thankfully I don't have a lot of friends with kids, but they will come over and I'll let them look (but not touch). Long as they aren't tapping the glass, IDK. My niece and nephew have tons of questions (Finding Nemo generation) and I don't mind answering.

I guess I'm lucky my tanks are big enough and are high enough off the ground so that child disasters won't strike. Biggest pain is the prep for company, servicing the tank for show is more work than cleaning the house.

 

[miyags]

Thousands worth of neon corals..OOH- is that a starfish...AHH- look at the crab.

 

[fish farmer]

Thankfully I don't have a lot of friends with kids, but they will come over and I'll let them look (but not touch). Long as they aren't tapping the glass, IDK. My niece and nephew have tons of questions (Finding Nemo generation) and I don't mind answering.

I guess I'm lucky my tanks are big enough and are high enough off the ground so that child disasters won't strike. Biggest pain is the prep for company, servicing the tank for show is more work than cleaning the house.

Thankfully I don't have a lot of friends...

My parents were over last night and they don't even notice the tank, but we were enjoying the outside.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Thankfully I don't have a lot of friends...

My parents were over last night and they don't even notice the tank, but we were enjoying the outside.

My old man (dad) is my biggest critic, he's been reefing for 40+ years. It's 10,000 questions with him, when he stops by, lol.

 

[bnord]

teaching folks about the difference in soft/LPS/SPS corals, talking about the filtration systems, explaining the roles of the various CUC members and roles tangs, wrasses and bennies play, explaining dinoflagellates and what happens in a bleaching event in the reef, etc etc etc is part of the reason I have mine
Glass is rarely cleaner than it is when we have company. Carbon change out too

just the way I am and just the way you are...

Now I do ask them the hold their breath while they are in the room, and I do duck tape their hands behind their backs (smile)

 

[jason24365]

Maybe its just me. I don't like it when people go check out my tank , breathing up all the oxygen lol , putting finger prints on my glass, asking super silly questions that takes way too long to explain. When there's a party at the house, I try not to mention i have a reef tank , but someone always mention it and want to go check it out. While they are checking it out , i'm monitoring my PH level . Don't they know what we are trying to do here? lol

I mean a reef tank is suppose to be viewed but i prefer that person to be only me. lol maybe i'm too selfish

I am already thinking about getting a fish room, or a build a separate room just for the my reef tank.

uhm no lol infact im quite the opposite. dont you want people to learn and grow? someone else might see and here yours and it peek their interest the way it did yours before you had one. next thing you know your friend is setting up a tank themselves. i think this is a more internal personal issue than anything else man lol

 

[exnisstech]

My dog is tall enough that he gets nose prints on the glass. I forgive him tho because he doesn't let people in the house so we don't have to deal with guests

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

My dog is tall enough that he gets nose prints on the glass. I forgive him tho because he doesn't let people in the house so we don't have to deal with guests

My dog used to not allow guests in, now he's too old and deaf/blind to care. Now it's just the you feed fish, so feed me mantra.

 

[A Young Reefer]

I don’t get guests . But usually people beg me to stop talking about reef related stuff.
My siblings though, they once drew all over the glass with crayons. A friend of mine broke down his tank because his daughter poured a glass of milk in it, it was a disaster.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

I don't mind people looking at the aquarium and asking questions about it. That is, until somebody says "Nemo". Or taps on the glass. Or talks about the fun little green bubbles everywhere. In all seriousness, I'm happy that people look at the tank. Who knows, someone might get into the hobby because of it.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Maybe its just me. I don't like it when people go check out my tank , breathing up all the oxygen lol , putting finger prints on my glass, asking super silly questions that takes way too long to explain. When there's a party at the house, I try not to mention i have a reef tank , but someone always mention it and want to go check it out. While they are checking it out , i'm monitoring my PH level . Don't they know what we are trying to do here? lol

I mean a reef tank is suppose to be viewed but i prefer that person to be only me. lol maybe i'm too selfish

I am already thinking about getting a fish room, or a build a separate room just for the my reef tank.

I understand your frustration. I explain to the unacquainted my rules for touching, etc. Then I explain things in a very simple way, and try to compare it to something they can understand.

 

[ying yang]

Well if get guests over at my house ,I don't really say hey look this urchin or snail or fish .

Reason be I can waffle on for ages ,that old saying " you go all around the houses trying explain something"
Well I don't go around the houses ,I go all round the city lol ,then often forget what I'm on about ha ha.

But if they a want look the tank or touch the glass then no problem,I can get algae magnet scraper or a shammi leather to wipe tank and then sorted ^_^ and if they ask questions, I answer beat I can ,and if close to feeding time I will offer them to hand feed a few off my fish or feed my cbb with tweezers.
Life is to short to worry about the small things in life so just do my best to be nice and stay calm as can be as all will be ok .

 

[Ef4life]

I think one of the best parts of the hobby is being able to share your tank with guests and other hobbyists alike in person. I sell some frags on the side locally and get a lot of very new aquarists, They love being able to see a beautiful reef in person, quite a few have never have actually seen someone else’s reef in person before.

 

[i2ik]

I have been told that we have more information about the space than the oceans. Our hobby is not for everyone and it is a pleasure for me to show some of my knowledge and learn from others. I do not have all the answers to all the questions, which is also a way for me to search and learn more. The only thing I will ask is not to play with the cleaning magnet and scaring the fishes.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I have been told that we have more information about the space than the oceans. Our hobby is not for everyone and it is a pleasure for me to show some of my knowledge and learn from others. I do not have all the answers to all the questions, which is also a way for me to search and learn more. The only thing I will ask is not to play with the cleaning magnet and scaring the fishes.

This weekend, my wife had friends over. One of her friends just walked down stairs and looked at my tank. No problems there. But then she started taking my flipper scraper and started to clean my glass. I had to gently take it away from her with a smile. it was uncomfortable for me. We talked for a while and keep asking why my nemo can't have a Dory in there lol fun disussion. She is curious which is fine, but very touchy touchy.

Like vetteguy was saying, I need to set the rules.