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View Full Version : The Stages of Reef Addiction... *fun*


Xtasia
11-21-2005, 08:28 PM
Phase one: OMG NEMO!!
Symptoms:
- Believe Clownfish (ocellaris' specifically) were the end all and be all of fishes.
- Smile affectionately when people calls clowns "nemo" in LFS.
- Do not know what LFS actually means....
- "air bubbles" for circulation.
- 20g is big.


Phase Two: Hello! Fish snob!
Symptoms:
- Don't understand people's obsession with corals.
- Fish are SOOOooo much cooler!!!1!1! Fish move!
- Believe corals are impossible to keep alive.
- Spend hours looking at Fish in tank. ‘Hey, look.. there's my nemo...’


Phase three: New Tang Syndrome.
Symptoms:
- See corals in LFS when shopping for fish. Interest peaked.
- Stock tank to the GILLS with fish. It’s 3 fish for every inch right?
- Parameters are always “good” but somehow new tank syndrome manages to occur.
- Key target of the Tang police. Buy 3 for the 20g anyways.
-50g is big.

Phase four: I <3 Xenia.
- Buy first coral.. xenia. of course....
- Start to feel mildly annoyed when people call all orange fish "nemos".
- Bookmark Reefcentral picture threads of unattainable and horrendously expensive corals.
- Begin obsessive hunt for new corals in LFS.
- Discover coral prices, faint.

Phase five: WTB Fish Sugar Daddy.
Symptoms:
- SPS are just those expensive “painted rocks”
- Buy some easy care Corals. Zoos, Mushrooms, and Leathers.
- Start to look to upgrade lights..
- Find out what a Sump, Fuge, overflow, and Kalkwasser Reactor is.
- Attempt your first DIY.
- 120g is big.

Phase six: Nemo who?
Symptoms:
- Visit canreef more than 6 times a day. (I know you are out there).
- Resign yourself to being poor.
- Start selling off your fish to make space for more Corals.
- Ripping out the Xenia which has infested your tank. Throwing it away.
- Nemo who? Sell off your Ocellaris and get a different type of clown. Maybe a Maroon.
- Always hunting for the ULTIMATE next coral.
- Must have Tunze wavebox.
- Must have the newest reef gadget on the market and am willing beta test up and coming products
- I can build that <insert gadget name> myself for a tenth of the retail price
- 2000g is big.

Phase Seven: Fragmart.
Symptoms:
- Become frag krazy. Love to frag corals. Love to trade with others.
- OMG Superman Danae! <3 SPS!!!
- Dropping $300 online for 2 pieces the size of a quarter is no object.
- On personal terms with EVERY LFS in town.
- Eat Soda crackers and Kraft dinner so that your fish may have tiger prawns and scallops.
- Justify each purchase by “I will sell off a frag of X to pay for it”…
- Binford powered DIY SUPER WAVEMAKER for flow.
- 20000k with 1000watts per gallon.
- Plumbing through walls, floors likely.
- The ocean is big.

Phase Eight: The Apocalpse
Symptoms:
- Run out of money.
- Significant other has threatened to leave you. (After Alimony payments and child support, you wouldn’t have any coral money anyways..)
- Crack in the tank.
- Moving to Siberia where UPS does not deliver.
- Boredom.

Any additions?

Murminator
11-21-2005, 08:37 PM
I fall in to each part of all the phases so it was tough for me to choose, except my 1st thing I bought was mushrooms and a hammer and my 1st fish was a firefish :mrgreen:

This will be a fun topic

Beverly
11-21-2005, 08:49 PM
Great descriptions :rofl: Actually know lots people who fit several of the listed categories :eek:

One category you forgot is the techno crowd, possibly fits into Phase Six...

- must have the newest reef gadget on the market and am willing beta test up and coming products
- I can build that <insert gadget name> myself for a tenth of the retail price

None of those actually describe me, but I do have three reef tanks :mrgreen: :razz:

christyf5
11-21-2005, 09:18 PM
I believe I am at phase 6.5-7 (waiting for stuff to grow), although I never had a nemo :razz: I did jump straight from phase 5 to phase eight late last year and the early part of this year (my apocalypse being dinoflagellates) but after a few people talked me off the ledge I restarted the tank and now am firmly entrenched somewhere at about phase 7 until my corals grow and then I'll be trading like crazy as my frags can't grow the way I have them all squished in there now :razz:

BTW I've always eaten soda crackers and mr. noodles. That way there's more money for frags :wink:

Great thread Ivy!!! :cool:

Ruth
11-21-2005, 10:45 PM
Oh this is embarassing but I can recognize myself in every one of those! It wasn't Nemo's it was Tangs that got me though......Look at the pretty colors!! Still there but now it is look at pretty colors of those sticks. I know that I am firmly in stage 7. Same as Christy I am waiting for my frags to grow so I can frag............or get yet another tank. Also no way 1000 w/g........maybe 800 tops!

DanG
11-21-2005, 11:01 PM
I'm about midway through stage 6.

Matt
11-21-2005, 11:53 PM
Gosh, I'm in phase 1,2,3,4,5! I have a "nemo" and I still think 120g is huge, but I've never bought a tang. I've never overstocked, and I <3 corals from day one. I love SPS (and have only a few), and still think that xenia is about the coolest looking thing in my tank. My tanks are small, but they do have good lighting...

EmilyB
11-22-2005, 12:01 AM
A definite 7, I look at my corals and see dotted lines through them...... :lol:

Joe Reefer
11-22-2005, 12:09 AM
I am a 6 now soon to be 7. :lol:

Xtasia
11-22-2005, 12:10 AM
I'm a 5.. and I wrote this thread :(

I'm soo behind!

marie
11-22-2005, 12:54 AM
I'm definitely in stage 6 and 7. Already have a hole in the floor I just need a plumber :lol:

christyf5
11-22-2005, 02:26 AM
I'm a 5.. and I wrote this thread :(

I'm soo behind!

you're behind?!? I just had to look up what the hell <3 meant :razz:

Johnny Reefer
11-22-2005, 02:31 AM
HaHa. Stage 6 and hopefully I'll stay right there, thank you very much! :mrgreen:
Major upgrading to 180g. Expanding to multiple marine tanks. (135g will become a Triggerfish tank). :biggrin:
Dipping into long term savings to help cover it. :cry:
There. 'nuf said, I think. :wink:

Cheers,

Samw
11-22-2005, 02:33 AM
I'm "Run out of money"!

BMW Rider
11-22-2005, 02:44 AM
I'm solidly into phase six (substitue Kenya tree for Xenia though). Man what a slippery slope, I was at phase three less than two years ago.

Cap'n
11-22-2005, 03:12 AM
Pretty much a five, with a few traits of other stages.

StirCrazy
11-22-2005, 04:22 AM
um... stage seven er..... and 1/2 of stage eight is vaguely familiar :rolleyes: :mrgreen:

Steve

Chaloupa
11-22-2005, 04:38 AM
Oh so sad....13 months ago I was a 1 and very proud of it with our new tank....now *sigh and gulp* I am a defineate 6 and dying to be able to frag to others and buying up all frags I can.... :redface: My husband thinks we are closer to 8.....hey the kids eat KD and are nice and healthy...the freezer is stuffed full of........frozen fish food :biggrin:

Griffin
11-24-2005, 08:01 PM
:eek: I didn't know there was a scale - a solid 6 with a couple slips into the 7 range. Is it true that starting a new nano tank subtracts at least 2 levels off the current rating because it is starting fresh again (except for the need to upgrade this stupid little light and if they make a skimmer this small) :question: :question: :question: :question: :mrgreen:

Rich

Funky_Fish14
11-27-2005, 07:29 PM
Well, I have traits of both 6 and 7, and its good that my mom is there alongside me lol.

I've always loved corals, infact, my tank was all about corals and other inverts at the start, the fish were my last thing lol. I still like them quite a bit though.

Skimmerking
11-27-2005, 09:58 PM
Well i'm s 2,3,4,5,6,7

i think that is bad.

reeferaddict
11-28-2005, 10:45 AM
My name is Jim and I'm addicted to reefs... :mrgreen:

Definitely a 7.... I have 3000 lbs of sloshing salt water consuming a full 3000 watts of peak power in close proximity, and I don't wanna think about the money... :eek:

And to think a year ago I used to think a couple hundred bucks was an expensive outlay for it... but lately things seem to cost a grand... HELP! :razz:

saltynuts
11-28-2005, 02:58 PM
i am just entering stage 7. ( superman ) need more stuff.
bigger tank . i need help can you help me. can i buy that from ya!