We’ve heard it called the Kitchen Pass, the Wife Factor and a host of other things but it is undeniable that in this fascinating aquarium hobby of ours, many of us need to have the significant other sign off on the size and number of our aquariums. Having worked at LFS for over ten years, we’ve seen first hand the delicate balance that some men (and women) have to play to get that fish or frag they want without getting in the dog house.
In some cases we’ve even been complicit in manipulating receipts so that a $500 black tang was represented with a receipt for a $50 yellow tang and another receipt for “$450 miscellaneous” purchase which was promptly discarded. Most of the time the aquarium obsession is a healthy one, but many people get understandably addicted and infatuated with certain aspects of the aquarium world, whether it’s the frags, the equipment, the freshwater plants or whatever.
This post was sparked by a great write up by Practical Fishkeeping’s Jeremy Gay who discusses how some people can get really out of control with their aquariums, causing tensions at home. In some cases the significant other is greatly understanding of our hobby, enjoying a couple aquariums, tolerating a few more but if our passions get out of control, everyone has their breaking point, especially when it seems like the aquariums are getting way more time, energy and resources than the person with whom you share your life and your home.
Having been an “aquarium guy” since child hood, everyone we bring into our life knows that corals, fish, plants and aquariums is part of our lifestyle and that it comes with the territory. But for those of you who are ‘regular people’ who happen to also love The Aquarium, how do you balance your hobby with making sure your special someone never feels like they are in second place? How do you enjoy the aquarium as much as you want but also make sure that your partner’s needs for time and attention are completely met?
