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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Be it a perceived badge of honor or blight or one's personal pedigree, the attribution or imagined perception of self as a 'geek' bears consideration.
Thus far I have rejected the label whence it has been offered. Fact is that although I have 30 tanks (running), half of them are 10 gallon breeders and only 5 of rest are 40+ gallons (See? Am getting defensive already). I like my tanks, they keep me off the streets and largely out of trouble (more's the pity). That being said, to qualify as a 'fish geek' (and perhaps to insulate myself from some imagined personal slide into the realm of functional and cosmic irrelevance) I have assembled a list of behaviors and actualities that in my estimation would in sufficient abundance and practice certifiably qualify one as a 'fish geek'. Forthwith:
1) Uses CO2 injection;
2) Runs UV sterilizers;
3) Spends more than 15 minutes a week testing water chemistry;
4) Keeps live food cultures in the kitchen/family refrigerator;
5) Subscribes to that awful advertising vehicle masquerading as a hobbyist magazine that came in the ACA swag bags;
6) Maintains membership in more than 3 fish clubs;
7) Has fish related bumper stickers/decals on vehicle;
8) Thinks Mo Devlin is the Second Coming;
9) Spends more on fish/fish stuff each month than on utilities;
10) Freezes deceased fish in the expectation of having them analyzed to determine cause of death;
11) Does water changes more often than brushing one's teeth;
12) Has already scoped out travel routes and lodgings for next year's ACA;
13) Sets internet browsers so that they automatically open to CCA or other fish website;
14) Obsesses over things like vivipary, con-specificity and especially biowheels;
15) Finds pike or peacocks arousing;
16) Upon reflection realizes that live feedings are consistently the high point of the day;
17) Mentally assesses/redecorates other people's homes when visiting to determine possibilities for installing fish tanks;
18) Has the last name of Kelly and goes by Pat;
19) Maintains more than 719 gallons of total tank volume;
20) Equates the size of one's Mbuna with a corresponding measure of manliness.
While this is only a partial list, I am quite confident that others will do their part to make it more definitive, and in truth am almost gleefully expectant.
Thus far I have rejected the label whence it has been offered. Fact is that although I have 30 tanks (running), half of them are 10 gallon breeders and only 5 of rest are 40+ gallons (See? Am getting defensive already). I like my tanks, they keep me off the streets and largely out of trouble (more's the pity). That being said, to qualify as a 'fish geek' (and perhaps to insulate myself from some imagined personal slide into the realm of functional and cosmic irrelevance) I have assembled a list of behaviors and actualities that in my estimation would in sufficient abundance and practice certifiably qualify one as a 'fish geek'. Forthwith:
1) Uses CO2 injection;
2) Runs UV sterilizers;
3) Spends more than 15 minutes a week testing water chemistry;
4) Keeps live food cultures in the kitchen/family refrigerator;
5) Subscribes to that awful advertising vehicle masquerading as a hobbyist magazine that came in the ACA swag bags;
6) Maintains membership in more than 3 fish clubs;
7) Has fish related bumper stickers/decals on vehicle;
8) Thinks Mo Devlin is the Second Coming;
9) Spends more on fish/fish stuff each month than on utilities;
10) Freezes deceased fish in the expectation of having them analyzed to determine cause of death;
11) Does water changes more often than brushing one's teeth;
12) Has already scoped out travel routes and lodgings for next year's ACA;
13) Sets internet browsers so that they automatically open to CCA or other fish website;
14) Obsesses over things like vivipary, con-specificity and especially biowheels;
15) Finds pike or peacocks arousing;
16) Upon reflection realizes that live feedings are consistently the high point of the day;
17) Mentally assesses/redecorates other people's homes when visiting to determine possibilities for installing fish tanks;
18) Has the last name of Kelly and goes by Pat;
19) Maintains more than 719 gallons of total tank volume;
20) Equates the size of one's Mbuna with a corresponding measure of manliness.
While this is only a partial list, I am quite confident that others will do their part to make it more definitive, and in truth am almost gleefully expectant.