November 01, 2015

You CAN go home again.

So, I'm in that cool phase of setting up some new tanks at home...And with it comes the excitement, anticipation, fun...and a certain "Don't f*** it up" attitude!

I mean, I haven't created a new aquarium in my home for over 4 years. Oh sure, I've worked on a lot of tanks in that span, most associated with my other business, Unique Corals. Tanks of all sizes, ranging from nanos to 500 gallon reef tanks, a tank in my office, and of course, our coral growout facility, which encompasses more than 6 raceways and around 16,000 gallons of saltwater...Yeah, I've had my "hands wet", but when it comes to creating and managing a tank in my own home, it's been a while.

The "hiatus", if you will, was kind of cool- very good for me, actually. It gave me the chance to want it a little more- to sort of "crave" the whole personal aquatic experience that I missed out on for the past few years. It gave me a chance to sort of clear my head, so to speak, to rid my mind of preconceptions I had and maybe even purge some old bad habits I've accumulated during a lifetime of personal aquatic experience.

The thought of waking up on a rainy Saturday (gosh, do we EVER get them here in L.A.? We're supposed to get a LOT of 'em this winter!) and scrape algae, tweak my plumbing, adjust my lights, obsess over fish health, corals, and plants is looking so good right now...And it feels so right.

Really, I think for the first time in my life, other than a few brief years when I was in diapers, I experienced life without a tank in my home. And it worked for me...if only for a while.

But I don't think I'll ever do that again. The urge, the appeal, the enjoyment is too great to forgo again. There's nothing quite like being able to relax in front of your own home aquariums- your own little aquatic dreamscapes that YOU created, and feeling the connection to your animals. They say that only an aquarist understands the feeling- and I agree.

Yeah, sometimes it's okay to take a little "sabbatical", but it's only okay, IMHO, if it's for a short length of time...and only if it served its purpose- that being to refresh, revitalize, and renew your love and enthusiasm for the hobby. So if you feel you need a break- for whatever reason- go for it.

But come back.

And, if you're like me- coming off of such a hiatus with a new enthusiasm and feeling of excitement- there's a whole world to come home to!

So, I disagree with the expression "You can't go home again."

I'm proof.

I'm home.

So, until next time..

Stay wet (or dry, as the case may be).

Scott Fellman

Tannin Aquatics