The Stages of Reef Addiction... *fun*

[Xtasia]

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]

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

This will be a fun topic

[Beverly]

Great descriptions Actually know lots people who fit several of the listed categories

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

[christyf5]

I believe I am at phase 6.5-7 (waiting for stuff to grow), although I never had a nemo 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

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

Great thread Ivy!!!

[Ruth]

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]

I'm about midway through stage 6.

[Matt]

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]

A definite 7, I look at my corals and see dotted lines through them......

[Joe Reefer]

I am a 6 now soon to be 7.

[Xtasia]

I'm a 5.. and I wrote this thread

I'm soo behind!