Does your family/friends approve of this hobby?

[KingTideCorals]

Of course, before I say anything else.. us reefers are stubborn in our ways and will do what we want. We will have tanks no matter what, and we will find a way to fit them into the house too..

Now the question is do your friends and family approve of this hobby? Do they support you in your crazy endeavors? Or do they tell you ALL STOP whenever you start getting the itch for the next coral or tank you want? I love hearing stories of supporting families/friends so lets hear your experiences!

Come on share your stories! I know there are some good ones out there!

 

[zukihara]

Not sure, but my financial advisor doesn't.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Not sure, but my financial advisor doesn't.

 

[ying yang]

My mrs loves to look at the tank but if ask her to move seat while i do something on the tank then she turns into a MONSTER LOL.
she chips money into buying tank and upkeep of it but we only new but im sure it will continue.
Other family members who know i got tank think it brilliant and wish me all the best.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

My girlfriend is an enabler when it comes to reefing. My family thinks im crazy and should be saving this money for retirement.

 

[WVNed]

They know I bite if they say something like that so they don't anymore.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Approve? Lol Nobody approves what I do besides myself. If the wife doesn’t like my hobbies, find someone else. That’s what divorces are for lol

 

[RocksNStuff]

My son (13) and I work on the tank together. I've convinced him that it's his tank so he takes responsibility for it . That being said I do most of the dosing and testing but he helps with water changes and livestock selection. With this system, there's no way the wife says no to new additions

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Not sure, but my financial advisor doesn't.

As a financial advisor, I support this message!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

yes cause they think it relaxes me. But no one, not even the wife, knows how much I really spend. I'm sure if they knew how much I spent on this tank they would probably freak on me

 

[mattdg]

I am fortunate that my wife has always really supported me in the hobby and I think she truly enjoys the tank. Yeah, I know... My seven year old is proud that we have a real reef tank in our home and most of our friends and family are intrigued when they come to visit. Of course some of them think I am crazy. Hahaha.

 

[Quietman]

My wife absolutely supports the hobby. She also gets as frustrated as I do with GHA and dinos and all the other things that drive us to drink (it was a short trip for me ). She's sad when there's a fish loss and dissappointed when we lose a coral. She's also there to celebrate when for those brief periods of time, the tank looks great and thrives. She is also encourages me when I say things like "Hey, I think if we add an <insert whatever device/add on> that might make the difference", and says well then you should get one. In her view, being a reef junky is cheaper (at least so far) and more interesting than me being a motor head. She much prefers putzing around reef shops with me than being drug to car shows and races. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's much nicer for me if my spouse doesn't despise my hobby, particularly if it's an expensive one that requires decorating the living room around it.

 

[squidarcher]

My mom was the one who decided to pay for half of my first tank, because she thought it would be good learning. Currently teaching how to take care of a tank because she wants to try her hand with my old tank. Dad doesn’t understand how I can spend 1+ hours a day just watching fish

 

[G Santana]

My wife always sticks it to me when a new package comes but is very supportive of the hobby. Out of the five fish I have in the tank, she loves the algae blenny the best and frowns when the purple tang bullies anyone lol
Yeah she's gonna flip when I buy a calcium reactor and a hydro 4. But it's in good fun.

 

[ScottB]

My wife and kids are very supportive. My son got me into this mess a dozen years ago, so he remains engaged with all my systems even though he has moved out.

I only get grief when I spend to much time working on the basement coral farm and let the display maintenance slip. Or like right now, when I have a big UV strapped on the side of the tank for an iich outbreak.

 

[PeterC99]

Interesting that they approve of the hobby but not sure they really appreciate and understand what it takes to have a successful aquarium!

 

[Billdogg]

My Mom told me that it was all well and good, but a horrible waste of money for something I'd grow tired of in 6 months or maybe a year. That was 1988.

My wife was, at best, neutral about the whole thing but understood that the tanks were a part of who I am, so she begrudgingly accepted them. Then I foolishly took her to her first frag swap. We walked around and I bought a few things. I let her know that she was more than welcome to choose something too but she remained quiet. When we had seen it all I asked her if there had been anything she liked. Her reply? "I want it ALL!"

She has become my pest spotter and fully supports my hobbies (Reefs and woodworking)as I do hers (scrapbooking, tole painting).

 

[WVNed]

I have the worlds best wife that supports me in all things.
Well, except that French maid thing.

 

[Kongar]

Since I have a nano, and the cost has been reasonable - yes, my family loves it. The kids help me feed and maintain it, everyone stops at least once a day and looks at whatever cool thing is happening that day. My wife has bought me gear for birthdays/xmas. Parents even want to see the tank when they visit.

Yup, family hobby here.

 

[elorablue]

My lady is what I would call "cautiously supportive" . She was initially concerned with the depletion of wild reefs, a concern I share. We solved this by only buying captive bred fish and aquacultured corals. It isn't a perfect solution but is a compromise that works for us.