HOW TO GET THE WIFE INTERESTED?

morgan175

morgan175

Member
Went on a little road trip on friday with my wife and did some shopping. I talked her into stopping into a couple of fish stores so i could look around. She asked if she could just wait in the car and I asked if she could come in and look around with me. When inside it was like I was in an Indy car race and she was by the front door in two minutes. I tried calling her back over and showing her my favorite fish a powder brown tang all I got was they want 59 dollars for that. I see that alot of women enjoy this hobby on here and was wondering off subject am i missing something? What can I do to peak her interest so I can enjoy this with her. Even tried showing pics of sea horses to spark interest it was nothing.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Morgan!
I have a wife too! lol Here's my experience...
I got interested in saltwater aquariums a couple months after I met her (6 years ago). I've owned over a hundred tanks, started a fish store, and worked it for a good long time. I set up tanks for her to look at - but there is absolutely nothing in it that has sparked her interest to keep up her own tank and to learn more and more about the hobby.
The most important thing is that you both support each other in your own hobbies. My wife absolutely loves crafts and scrapbooking. I go to the craft store and look at everything with her and let her get excited about everything and I buy her stuff. Then, when it comes my turn to go to a live fish store, she returns the favor. While she doesn't have the same interests as me - we both mutually respect and support each others hobbies.
You're either a recreational user (my wife) or an addict (like me) I haven't seen anyone want to learn more and more about the hobby with only a passive interest.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Is she an animal person by nature?
My husband started in the hobby long before I did, and now I definitely think I'm more hooked than him, although it's a close call.
I love that we share this hobby together, but we're also both really into cars as well. I'm not a normal woman when it comes to the whole, cooking, and arts and crafts, I'd rather drive a souped up fast car and feed my eels. LOL
It took me a while to really get into saltwater, partially because of the money aspect. I was a freshwater person, basic fish, nothing fancy. So I had no understanding of why saltwater cost sooooo much more. I always had a fascination with the ocean and coral reefs. They're beautiful, so once my husband really got our first tank going and showed me all the little critters, and explained how they all worked together (even the bristle worms and pods), I just started to get hooked. I'm better at researching than he is, so he used to ask me to look things up online for him, and as I learned more, I became more interested.
My advice, keep trying. It might never work, but it's worth it to at least try. I love that I share this hobby with my husband. Most of our reef club is men, and they're all jealous of him, hahaha
 
S

saxman

Guest
If you played the SH card with no results, I think Snake's thoughts are perfect. Let her do her thing, respect and support it and she should do the same.
Oh, and be careful what you wish for...Renee (Cranberry) and I share the same passion for the hobby, and even most of the same fish, which is REALLY dangerous as there's nobody to say "no" (we typically have a dozen tanx running at any given time).
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/389015/how-to-get-the-wife-interested#post_3434704
Oh, and be careful what you wish for...Renee (Cranberry) and I share the same passion for the hobby, and even most of the same fish, which is REALLY dangerous as there's nobody to say "no" (we typically have a dozen tanx running at any given time).
Soooo true! Mark and are a serious danger to our bank account. Our LFS's love us though!
 
gemmy

gemmy

Active Member
I have the exact opposite problem. I can't get my boyfriend interested. He thinks I'm just wasting my time and money with my tank.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
LOL...This is my hobby, but sometimes it seems my husband has to do a lot of the "equipment" work BAHAHAHA....he likes to look at the tanks...HATES to go to fish stores with me
BUT will help when I need him too......AGAIN THOUGH....FISH=myhobby HUNTING=HIS
both IMO are costly..only mine is a stay at home hobby and his is not
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
If all else fails, you could always try to do what this guy is trying: https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/389016/had-to-share-this lol
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
My wife is an animal person totally. I don't want to trade her for sps corals (HAHAHA) not worth it I love her, but always don't agree. When I had a tank earlier she was afraid my lionfish was going to get out and eat her pekingese. I'm jealous that some of you enjoy this hobby with your spouse.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgan175 http:///t/389015/how-to-get-the-wife-interested#post_3434726
My wife is an animal person totally. I don't want to trade her for sps corals (HAHAHA) not worth it I love her, but always don't agree. When I had a tank earlier she was afraid my lionfish was going to get out and eat her pekingese. I'm jealous that some of you enjoy this hobby with your spouse.
LOL, don't be too jealous, I'm sure your bank statement looks a lot nicer than ours!
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Well, don't get me wrong, my wife loves to watch my tank and ask me questions, but she's not on the same level with it as I am. Maybe it will take a little while for your wife to warm up to it. Who knows.
 
morgan175

morgan175

Member
Thanks to a new website I might be having some interest. She likes the red and yellow sea horses. I might have a shot. YEAH.
 
cipher43

cipher43

Member
I know my wife and i have a large interest in the hobby but ours is quite like snake said. She loves watching the fish and even feeds and cleans the glass while i clean filters and skimmer and building/buying things for our new tank.
I think on our relationship we started each other on the hobby by going to a friends house that had what i thought was an amazing tank (now that i look back at it he could have used some help cause he killed lots of stuff for no good reason besides mixing the wrong things and having too many fish) and started with a 10 gallon and moved to a 30 gallon and now are getting ready to jump to a 120. Thankfully the last upgrade was half her idea cause she wanted to keep some fish in our tank that we cant right now.
I also think the movie finding nemo got her hooked hence my clownfish only tank for so long lol
 
S

saxman

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by morgan175 http:///t/389015/how-to-get-the-wife-interested#post_3434804
Thanks to a new website I might be having some interest. She likes the red and yellow sea horses. I might have a shot. YEAH.

As much as some SH keepers would cringe at this pic, SH and small scorps/lions do OK together as long as they don't mind being a bit cooler (74*F)...

That particular scorp did move out of the SH tank as it grew, so there was never any danger of the SH being eaten, however there are scorps that stay small that would work if you wanted to kill two birds with one stone.
 
goingcoastal

goingcoastal

Member
my wife was always soso until we were in a shop she saw a starfish and i said u want it she was like yea and ever since she checks tank few times day etc..she is hooked now lol
 
ironeagle2006

ironeagle2006

Active Member
Morgan here is how I got my wife interested in it. I let her pick out her own fish for my tank. I just told her it had to get along with my fish. Guess what she picked out for her first fish. She picked out a Snowflake Eel. I had never had an Eel before I met her and now I still have one in my tank. She then decided she wanted her own tank and we set it up. She is the reason I still have my Saltwater fish and is getting me a Freshwater tank for Christmas she found me a 120 Drilled with filter and stand and all needed pumps and heaters for 300. I pick it up this weekend.
 
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