Anxiety

[kbielefe]

I believe I have officially gone crazy. I've read everything I could get my hands on and I'm still hyper anxious waiting for my first tank to cycle so I can put something interesting in there. Ammonia appears to have peaked, but nitrites are still way up there.

 

I first thought of names for the firefish and Hermit crab I'm planning to get. The best I could come up with was "Toby the Goby" and "Hermione the Hermit." Now I've been reduced to thinking of names for my live rock. "Rocky the Rock" was the early favorite but has been surpassed by "Iraq the rock."

 

I finally had some excitement today when I came home from Church to find a few spider-web style strands in the tank and tried to locate who might have created them.

 

What are your best and worst ideas for passing the time? Please help me before I start naming my substrate. At the very least, I feel a little better knowing that perhaps I have managed to bore some of you with this post. Misery loves company.

[Dustmop336]

Tis a thirst that can never be quenched.

[jeremai]

Thanks. I was bored, but this definitely helped.

 

As far as the waiting thing, I work a lot, so it's not really a problem.

 

I've heard Sudoku helps.

[Phil F]

I know the feeling. I am currently cycling a tank, and I am very impatient. I have so many plans and they all have to wait, but thats part of the game. I work alot too so I guess that helps, even though I find my self thinking about my tanks(and my future tanks) at work, is that normal?

[aquaman7]

^Phil F, its not normal but I bet everyone here does it too, including myslef... haha.

 

You'll find that patience is perhaps the most important aspect of this hobby. Perhaps the most nerve-wracking though.

[MrAnderson]

Do some non-reef related science reading.

 

Some reading/review of General Biology, Microbiology and/or Chemistry/Biochem pays huge dividends later in the form of greater understanding of the biotope in your house. You'll be surprised how much of it applies to your ecosystem.

 

You can't get this on the reefing forums.

[aquaman7]

^Yes, a good suggestion... there's so much info out there and so much more constantly being released you'll never be able to stop researching for your tank. Whenever you're on "stand-by" for your tank you can go into further and further detail researching how to make the best enviornment for your specimens.

[darkwaterdevil]

i sat and watched the pods and other hitchikers every night

[MrAnderson]

Some suggested topics for anyone interested:

 

The "Acid-Base Equilibrium" chapter in a General Chemistry text - You'll never look at kalk the same. It also clarifies Ca - carbonate - CO2 dynamics. Just helps understand the ionic equilibrium of seawater.

 

"Metabolism" in a General Bio text, focusing only on inputs and outputs, not every intermediate step - together with the above it will make clear the chemical interelatedness of living creatures with seawater. Include photosynthesis.

 

"Natural Selection" in General Bio combined with "Microbial Growth", focusing on the concept behind selective growth media, from a Microbiology text will help you to care for the bacteria in your tank like pets.

 

Just that will go a long, long way.

[johnxboi]

im starting to setup my first sw tank right now and cant afford to get rock! its so LAME comign home and staring at an empty tank! i think im just goign to add sand in there and just sit there and dream about the stuff that i cna get later on!

[Phil F]

^Phil F, its not normal but I bet everyone here does it too, including myslef... haha.

 

haha, That is what I thought

[aquaman7]

nano-reef.com a home for abnormal hydrophilic sentient bipeds.