# Driving non planted tank people crazy



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Anyone else drive your friends/family crazy by talking about plant stuff so much? Be interesting to hear some funny stories of their reactions when they know a plant speach is comming.


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## Faruk Gençöz (Nov 4, 2005)

In my class about psychopathology I was talking about human psychological stress. A student asked how she could carry out an interesting and practical study on stress response. To gave her an example, I talked about a study on the stress response of Daphnia pulex (water flea) when there is an approaching fish. While I was explaining I drew an aquarium, substrate, water layers, fish and daphnia. The students were listening with their mouths open. They were surprised with what they heard but did not go crazy. Rather, one of them asked how she could keep a daphnia in a tank.


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## Skelley (Mar 4, 2006)

the people at work always joke about it. they say that i must go home (i live alone) and tell my fish about my day, cook a nice dinner (they do eat better than i do), and jump into a teddy for them. unfortunatly they don't like it when i try to cuddle with them. the owner of the company couldn't believe i had live plants in my tanks..."but isn't that a lot of work?" i have even had friends that have said that they have decided against getting a tank because they see how much work it is.


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## ringram (Jan 10, 2005)

I try to refrain from getting too detailed when I tell people about my tanks. Even my wife isn't all that interested in hearing the specifics, so I generally keep those to myself or discuss it on sites like this one  Most of the time when people ask me a question about my planted tank, like how I keep them alive, they're not looking for a Nobel prize-calibur answer, so I try to keep it real simple. If they're interested enough(quite rare) to ask follow-up questions, I delve a little deeper. Its also to save me from sounding like a total geek.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

ringram i find myself doing exactly that, going into the details. I just can't help it, it would seem. Though i do try to say it in a way that gives some perspective on what i am babbling about. Generally they do like hearing about the details, but not for an extended period of time. 

How do you manage to keep it to yourself?? Whats your secret??


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## SnakeIce (May 9, 2005)

I find that I can keep my talk abou my hobby to respectible levels if I treat it like a child. You show a picture and maybe a name, and generally that is considered polite confersation. 

Unless you are tradeing stories or tips for dealing with the "wayward child" the picture and name is all that is given. I find it really helps to carry a wallet sized photo that is your favorite tank or fish. Just like kids it helps to update the photo from time to time.


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## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

Went golfing yesterday with my sister, Dad and soon-to-be brother-in-law. I'd "volunteer" to look for everyone's golfballs that went near a stream or body of water. I'd come back with their ball and a couple of plants (L. palustris is the only one I can identify so far). My BiL smiled and said "you're weird...." I made him carry some plants for me while we finished the round.


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## joephys (May 9, 2006)

I drive my wife nuts. I think most people drive their spouse nuts with their tanks stuff though.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I don't talk aquatics with the "non" people unless they ask. Even when they do ask, I'll give them a very basic answer like "that's a crypt". If they keep asking, then they're asking for it...  Our hay guy sometimes gets himself into a long spiel from me, but he keeps asking, so what's a gal to do?? LOL! I'm thrilled if someone actually shows an interest in what's going on behind the basics.

I guess the only other thing I do is start dawdling along if we're on a walk in the woods. I keep seeing all of these cool mosses, so I have to stop and envision what they would look like in a scape....


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