I think this hobby may be killing me...

sihaya · 07-07-2006, 11:39 AM

So, the other day I was thinking about how my life has changed since I started keeping my reef tanks. I did some math and I've lost 30lbs since I got this thing... and I haven't been dieting. It's all stress induced. I've had more headaches, stomach cramps, eye infections and mysterious rashes than I've ever had in my life. I've been nearly electrocuted twice... cried, screamed, been paralysed with fear, been bitten by things I couldn't see... and suffered so many electrical shocks that my hand now twitches when it comes close to the water. So I don't know if it's the expense, or all there is to know, or all the drama, or just the general difficulty and all the things that could go wrong and all the things that need to be tested and maintained... or maybe it's just all the life that's at stake in just 65g of water. But I swear there have actually been days were I've started drinking in the morning...

And yet I wouldn't give up my tanks for anything in this world. lol ::sigh::

wozza · 07-07-2006, 11:48 AM

hahaha thats one of the best post ive read on any forum ever.
i to have lost wieght since going in to s/w, not stress but just because i love reading about it and looking at my tank so much.
As for being shocked well be carefull im sure your fish need you alive, haha!

blue_eyes53813 · 07-07-2006, 01:11 PM

Maybe we all diet because we need the money to buy supplies, care for the tank... The heck with the groceries..

wozza · 07-07-2006, 03:19 PM

ill second that!!
see your fish swiming around happy is what counts!

Saltie · 07-07-2006, 04:12 PM

I dont know about your guys but I start playing with one of my tanks and before I know it, i have missed dinner! I have so much fun playing with the tank that I just forget to be hungry!

sihaya · 07-08-2006, 12:51 PM

lol Either that or after one good wiff of some phytoplankton and brine shrimp slurry and I lose my appetite for the rest of the day...

My2heartboys · 07-08-2006, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sihaya

lol Either that or after one good wiff of some phytoplankton and brine shrimp slurry and I lose my appetite for the rest of the day...

Hey, I hadn't thought of that as an appetite suppressant!! Gee, I think I will try it. If it works for me, maybe I can make a fortune on it!!!!!!!

Anne

**charlie** · 07-08-2006, 02:51 PM

I work on my tanks to reduce stress created by my job. I don't care what happens, it is nothing like the crap I have to put with at work.

**Poseidon** · 07-08-2006, 06:28 PM

^^^ Charlie is SO RIGHT! I used to work for SBC, and I think the tank SAVED my life.

Sarah, sounds like you need to post a before and after picture of yourself. I know a couple Drs are here on the board, and they could give a professional opinion!

sihaya · 07-08-2006, 08:25 PM

Haha... my husband is a doctor. But he's a neurosurgeon. So I can't exactly explain to him why I'm stressed out about much of anything. lol

sihaya · 07-08-2006, 08:38 PM

Oh, but I did recently take his surgical loupes to look inside my tank with. And that certainly seemed to stress him out... oops.

**Poseidon** · 07-08-2006, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sihaya

Haha... my husband is a doctor. But he's a neurosurgeon. So I can't exactly explain to him why I'm stressed out about much of anything. lol

Forgot about that!

I am sure it has to be something besides the tank though. If I sit and watch mine, I feel so much better. I do stress about the tank sometimes though, like when I hooked up the basement sump. Most of the time though it is just sit back and watch. I wish I had a BIGGER tank more and more often now though. I just don't know where I would put it!

sihaya · 07-08-2006, 09:54 PM

Oh, well, of course I do love relaxing by just looking in the tank. It's just everything I have to do to get to that point... and all the questions that fire through my mind every time I see something new... and then there are all the larger issues, etc. It's just all a lot to think and worry about. ::sigh::

Just look what happened to your lover Poseidon! I felt so bad I could hardly breath the rest of the day.

But it's cool. I still love it. I've just never cared about anything so much. It just makes me a little nervous.

It's easier now that the tank is over a year old though.

**Poseidon** · 07-09-2006, 11:18 AM

Ya, I know Aethra's event was stressful, but look at how well you handled it! This should give you more confidence in yourself and your reefkeeping abilities. You are VERY good at this hobby, and I am quite sure you can handle most anything it throws your way. Just keep that thought in the back of your mind, and it will make it easier to relax and watch the tank.

sihaya · 07-09-2006, 02:35 PM

Ah geez Mike... you got me all blushing now.

**Poseidon** · 07-09-2006, 04:44 PM

Just speaking the truth...

sihaya · 07-11-2006, 04:17 PM

Haha... well, thanks.

I will say, things have been easier since I stopped freaking out about every little thing. Like, last week I had this out break of some weird-butt algae I'd never seen before. It was like cobwebs wraped in boogers and it was just every where in my refugium (though oddly enough, hardly at all in my main tank). Now, normally I would have flipped out and done all kinds of water changes and what not... I might have even turned on my protien skimmer (god forbid). But not this time. This time I just closed my eyes and thought "I'm just going to pretend this isn't happening and maybe it will just go away." And it did! Amazing, huh?

**Poseidon** · 07-13-2006, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sihaya

It was like cobwebs wraped in boogers...

You truly have a gift for visual description!

Jasno999 · 07-13-2006, 01:15 PM

You should invest in some nice rubber gloves.

sihaya · 07-13-2006, 03:46 PM

Dude... if I didn't wear them during a year of ochem lab, I'm not going to start wearing them now. After all, I didn't marry a doctor for his money, but for the 24/7 emergency medical assistance. lol j/k

But you're right, I should wear gloves. Everyone should. But unfortunately it's probably not going to happen until I loose an arm or something.

07-07-2006, 11:39 AM	#1
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	I think this hobby may be killing me... So, the other day I was thinking about how my life has changed since I started keeping my reef tanks. I did some math and I've lost 30lbs since I got this thing... and I haven't been dieting. It's all stress induced. I've had more headaches, stomach cramps, eye infections and mysterious rashes than I've ever had in my life. I've been nearly electrocuted twice... cried, screamed, been paralysed with fear, been bitten by things I couldn't see... and suffered so many electrical shocks that my hand now twitches when it comes close to the water. So I don't know if it's the expense, or all there is to know, or all the drama, or just the general difficulty and all the things that could go wrong and all the things that need to be tested and maintained... or maybe it's just all the life that's at stake in just 65g of water. But I swear there have actually been days were I've started drinking in the morning... And yet I wouldn't give up my tanks for anything in this world. lol ::sigh:: __________________ ~namaste~ Last edited by sihaya; 07-07-2006 at 11:42 AM.

07-07-2006, 11:48 AM	#2
wozza Mayor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: uk, devon Posts: 886	hahaha thats one of the best post ive read on any forum ever. i to have lost wieght since going in to s/w, not stress but just because i love reading about it and looking at my tank so much. As for being shocked well be carefull im sure your fish need you alive, haha! __________________ Betta lifespace 16lts OH YEAH!!!! going live in sept

07-07-2006, 03:19 PM	#4
wozza Mayor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: uk, devon Posts: 886	ill second that!! see your fish swiming around happy is what counts! __________________ Betta lifespace 16lts OH YEAH!!!! going live in sept

07-08-2006, 12:51 PM	#6
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	lol Either that or after one good wiff of some phytoplankton and brine shrimp slurry and I lose my appetite for the rest of the day... __________________ ~namaste~

07-08-2006, 02:51 PM	#8
charlie Keeper of Willis Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: NW Montana Posts: 6,253	I work on my tanks to reduce stress created by my job. I don't care what happens, it is nothing like the crap I have to put with at work. __________________ 400 Gallon Reef Log Rome wasn't built in a day---neither is a reef

07-07-2006, 01:11 PM	#3
blue_eyes53813 Just Moved In Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 24	Maybe we all diet because we need the money to buy supplies, care for the tank... The heck with the groceries..

07-07-2006, 04:12 PM	#5
Saltie Tenant Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: California Posts: 94	I dont know about your guys but I start playing with one of my tanks and before I know it, i have missed dinner! I have so much fun playing with the tank that I just forget to be hungry!

07-08-2006, 06:28 PM	#9
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,495	^^^ Charlie is SO RIGHT! I used to work for SBC, and I think the tank SAVED my life. Sarah, sounds like you need to post a before and after picture of yourself. I know a couple Drs are here on the board, and they could give a professional opinion! __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

07-08-2006, 08:25 PM	#10
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Haha... my husband is a doctor. But he's a neurosurgeon. So I can't exactly explain to him why I'm stressed out about much of anything. lol __________________ ~namaste~

07-08-2006, 08:38 PM	#11
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Oh, but I did recently take his surgical loupes to look inside my tank with. And that certainly seemed to stress him out... oops. __________________ ~namaste~

07-08-2006, 09:54 PM	#13
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Oh, well, of course I do love relaxing by just looking in the tank. It's just everything I have to do to get to that point... and all the questions that fire through my mind every time I see something new... and then there are all the larger issues, etc. It's just all a lot to think and worry about. ::sigh:: Just look what happened to your lover Poseidon! I felt so bad I could hardly breath the rest of the day. But it's cool. I still love it. I've just never cared about anything so much. It just makes me a little nervous. It's easier now that the tank is over a year old though. __________________ ~namaste~

07-09-2006, 11:18 AM	#14
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,495	Ya, I know Aethra's event was stressful, but look at how well you handled it! This should give you more confidence in yourself and your reefkeeping abilities. You are VERY good at this hobby, and I am quite sure you can handle most anything it throws your way. Just keep that thought in the back of your mind, and it will make it easier to relax and watch the tank. __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

07-09-2006, 02:35 PM	#15
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Ah geez Mike... you got me all blushing now. __________________ ~namaste~

07-09-2006, 04:44 PM	#16
Poseidon Moderator Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Swartz Creek, MI Posts: 6,495	Just speaking the truth... __________________ Need a Photographer? Just say NO to CRABS Mike

07-11-2006, 04:17 PM	#17
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Haha... well, thanks. I will say, things have been easier since I stopped freaking out about every little thing. Like, last week I had this out break of some weird-butt algae I'd never seen before. It was like cobwebs wraped in boogers and it was just every where in my refugium (though oddly enough, hardly at all in my main tank). Now, normally I would have flipped out and done all kinds of water changes and what not... I might have even turned on my protien skimmer (god forbid). But not this time. This time I just closed my eyes and thought "I'm just going to pretend this isn't happening and maybe it will just go away." And it did! Amazing, huh? __________________ ~namaste~

07-13-2006, 01:15 PM	#19
Jasno999 Just Moved In Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 48	You should invest in some nice rubber gloves. __________________ I love all pets - as long as they don't bite me, sting me or make me feel ill.

07-13-2006, 03:46 PM	#20
sihaya Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: cleveland Posts: 661	Dude... if I didn't wear them during a year of ochem lab, I'm not going to start wearing them now. After all, I didn't marry a doctor for his money, but for the 24/7 emergency medical assistance. lol j/k But you're right, I should wear gloves. Everyone should. But unfortunately it's probably not going to happen until I loose an arm or something. __________________ ~namaste~

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