Tips for Thanksgiving Guests and Your Reef Tank?

revhtree · Nov 15, 2021

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I thought it would be a good idea for us to talk about tips for hosting guests in and around our reef tanks! A couple things come to mind quickly for me like visiting children and even just making your tank look really clean for people to enjoy! Let's discuss!

1. What are some tips for hosting people, kids, around your reef tank for Thanksgiving?

2. What are some things you like to do to get your tank ready to be viewed by visitors? Cleaning list, new stock, ect?

Tonycass12 · Nov 15, 2021

Sign on the front of tank "Thanksgiving is not "surf and turf" keep you digits out of the tank"

Dburr1014 · Nov 15, 2021

Definatly cleaning the tank and doing whatever to make it shine!
The grandkids always want to feed the fish so I get the stepstool out and give them each some food to drop in.

Goaway · Nov 15, 2021

No advise on this subject. We go over to the inlaws. 0 aquariums over there with 15+ people. Not one of them knows a penny about reef keeping. Not something they want to talk about either.

At least my house can be queit

Hydrored · Nov 15, 2021

I actually don't really like to talk about it, plus usually the "this must cost a fortune" or some sort of money questions come up or the fish must hate it being locked in a box.

Frankly, I could care less what somebody thinks about the tank. I do the hobby because I care for the animals first, and any enjoyment they provide me is a plus.

bmkid1997 · Nov 15, 2021

I know to always clean the glass, or the little kids comment "its gross and dirty!" I know buddy!
I also have to remind them not to tap the glass, but they love to feed the fish and watch.

MillennialReefer · Nov 15, 2021

Only to someone that seems interested in knowing about them. I'm more inclined to explain anything tank/fish/system related to someone that understands science/animals/engineering/architecture.. etc. But I tend not to explain to anyone that I know doesn't understand technicalities, it feels like I'm explaining about a goldfish living in a bowl and I feel they wont appreciate the time and effort it takes for a reef tank

Just John · Nov 15, 2021

It's a tossup between the enjoyment I get of people looking at it and the stress of making sure it looks good enough. My favorite comment from the last time someone was here: "how many of them are plastic?"

Eagle_Steve · Nov 15, 2021

Hydrored said:
I actually don't really like to talk about it, plus usually the "this must cost a fortune" or some sort of money questions come up or the fish must hate it being locked in a box.

Frankly, I could care less what somebody thinks about the tank. I do the hobby because I care for the animals first, and any enjoyment they provide me is a plus.

This right here with everyone else, but my dad. He is the reason I am in this hobby, but everyone else is the same ole thing. Money this, fish in a box that, etc.

ColoredRock · Nov 15, 2021

If you use a magnet glass cleaner hide it. .. hide everything

.. dont go all "nerdy".. know who the person you are talking to is .. Uncle Buck 4 drinks in, or Uncle Steve who is into fishing (and also might be 4 drinks in) .. also works in a technical field.

and would enjoy the complexity.

Most of all.. be proud of the hobby you love!

Ro Bow · Nov 15, 2021

revhtree said:
With Thanksgiving right around the corner I thought it would be a good idea for us to talk about tips for hosting guests in and around our reef tanks! A couple things come to mind quickly for me like visiting children and even just making your tank look really clean for people to enjoy! Let's discuss!

1. What are some tips for hosting people, kids, around your reef tank for Thanksgiving?

2. What are some things you like to do to get your tank ready to be viewed by visitors? Cleaning list, new stock, ect?

Nobody comes for thanksgiving at my house, my grandparents live in Czech Republic

fish farmer · Nov 15, 2021

I clean the glass and this year actually had to cover the sump area...been doing a kitchen remodel for about ten years, little trim here, little paint there...

No little ones to worry about, I'm more concerned about how the heck to fit 11 people...usually it is 9 and that is a tight fit already. I may do a "kid's table" for the coupled young adults. That will be closer to the tank and two are animal people, the new boyfriend is a groomer at Petco....maybe I can hook him into taking a tank I have sitting in the basement

.

I'm usually too busy with the "back of the house" when guests arrive, finishing the turkey and staging food. My wife runs the front of the house which is really showing off the dog and keeping the cats from harassing the guests.

mrlavalamp · Nov 15, 2021

Run the algae scraper and get the glass really clean, then mentally prepare myself for the fingerprints that are coming.

Weirdly enough I also get a lot of forehead prints, especially from kids.

I have a small binder that I leave on a table near the tank, it has basic details about all the fish/corals. This binder really helps when someone is interested and I cannot remember/keep up with explaining while also managing my part of the hosting. 95% of questions can be answered from the binder (what is it, where is it from, how big will it get, when did you get it, etc.).

Gtinnel · Nov 15, 2021

The only family that is coming over for Thanksgiving are my parents and niece who are regularly at my house and see the tank. We do have a family friend who brings their 3 year old over occasionally (not for Thanksgiving though) and he has a bad habit of slapping the glass, so when they're at the house I spend most of my time distracting the kid away from the aquarium.

I don't ecspecially like sharing my tank with others because all they care about is the stupid clownfish, which I might as well name Nemo because that is all they call it anyway. Nobody that comes to my house cares about reef tanks so sharing information about it is not fun since they don't care.

When guests that aren't at my house regularly come over I will usually clean the glass and wipe up any salt creep.

ZoWhat · Nov 15, 2021

Moments later when the cranberry sauce ends up in the tank

Jedi1199 · Nov 15, 2021

I don't generally have people over at my house at any time. I have a very small circle of friends that I interact with on any regular basis. My work keeps me busy enough that I am unable to do a family Thanksgiving kinda thing for my parents, who are the closest family to me and they are 2 hours away.

ColoredRock · Nov 15, 2021

mrlavalamp said:
I have a small binder

.... do share for the rest of us!... I like that idea.

blaxsun · Nov 15, 2021

1. Lock up or put any chemicals out of reach (the story of a child who poured an entire bottle of NOPOX into the tank was inspiration for this).
1a. Make sure that if your sump is open, it's inaccessible (the story of the kids who were peeing in the sump was inspiration for this).

2. Basic glass cleaning/scraping (Tunze for the win!) Wipe all the water spots from the exterior glass and cabinet.

PS. We canucks already had our Thanksgiving.

Mhamilton0911 · Nov 15, 2021

No people over, bah hum bug. Nah I like the holidays, in fact, it's my kiddos favorite holiday, they love the food. But no family comes over, I'm estranged from my side, and my hubs's side only has his father left, and he lives with us so he's a regular fixture in our house, we don't even count him as a 'guest', since he's as automatic as placing a plate for myself, or the kids

Dburr1014 · Nov 15, 2021

mrlavalamp said:
Run the algae scraper and get the glass really clean, then mentally prepare myself for the fingerprints that are coming.

Weirdly enough I also get a lot of forehead prints, especially from kids.

I have a small binder that I leave on a table near the tank, it has basic details about all the fish/corals. This binder really helps when someone is interested and I cannot remember/keep up with explaining while also managing my part of the hosting. 95% of questions can be answered from the binder (what is it, where is it from, how big will it get, when did you get it, etc.).

That is a really great idea! Especially when someone forgets all the names of their corals and fish and how big they get. (me)