*** MARINER OF THE MONTH: February Edition! Sponsored by EShopps, Top Shelf Aquatics, Premium Aquatics, and SaltwaterAquarium.com! ***

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I'm nominating @00W for Mariner of the month.

Joel has welcomed many of us into his not-so-little corner of Reef2Reef known to many of us as The Smorgasbord! He has taken the time to bring reefers of all ages and backgrounds together. He's created a place where we can enjoy life, food, reef tanks, and each other's company. He is there with answers for new reefers and encouragement for people going through tough times. For those of you that knew @ESABOE , Joel's thread is where she was comfortable and spent a lot of her last days there hanging out with her Smorgasbord family. Thank you Joel for creating a place where we can come together as a family of friends!

 

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@luis angel is my next nomination!

For those of you that haven't met him, Luis is an awesome friend! He hasn't been reefing for long but the growth in this hobby he has had is outstanding! He went from a relative newbie to offering sound advice to anyone that needs it. Pictures of the food he's making makes all of us hungry but we love him anyway! Thanks for always helping keep us entertained Luis!

 

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@JoJosReef needs to be nominated!

JoJo is an awesome friend. His office tank journey is incredible! Another individual that is there with advice and offers to help. JoJo has a great sense of humor and is an amazing baker - although he only shares pictures and never sends me a slice of the cake… When it comes to Wrasses, JoJo is one that I go to with questions. He's always ready and willing to help answer anywhere he can and share his knowledge. I'm proud to be his friend!

 

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Alright everyone! That's a pile of nominations but there are so many more great and deserving people on here so let's see some more nominations and some more entries!

 

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My final nomination for tonight is @F i s h y !

Jason is #2 only to Frank! He's earned his place in the Cronies through his awesome attitude. He's always super helpful both online and offline. He's a giving and helping person that has driven hours to help fellow reefers when there's a need. He also loves Dad Jokes so that is definitely a plus! If you haven't met @F i s h y , you are missing out on a great friend. Ask his wife @Mrs.F i s h y , who gladly and willingly shares him with us.

 

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Ok, I lied! One more for tonight and then I have to go to bed because I have a headache.

@Fish Styx I nominate you sir!

This guy is truly a mentor! He has taken several young or new reefers under his tutelage on Reef2Reef and has helped them become more confident in their abilities. He's spent time helping them and answering their questions - and there have been lots! Another reefer I am proud to call my friend, he spends time with his little group of Heathens and has welcomed us into his Orange House. Entertaining us and sharing coffee.

 

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I don't qualify since I won last month but I enjoy these monthly questions so I'm going to answer anyways!

How does having an aquarium affect my everyday life?

Well, I'm one of those crazy fish people that you hear about. When I'm at work I love trying to relate my aquarium to things that are going on around me and I'll talk to people about my tank. Usually they just stare at me like I'm psycho (which maybe I am but who cares????).

For those of you that don't know me, I work for one of the local municipal water departments. Recently I decided I was going to go get more water certifications and I was due to test for my Grade III Wastewater Treatment certification. Not having a background in wastewater treatment I decided to go take a week long preparatory class. We were talking about the nitrification process throughout most of the class! I was telling them about dosing Trisodium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Ammonium Chloride, etc.! It was great! Finally a group of people I could talk water chemistry with and actually make sense!

Beyond work, having a reef aquarium helps me become more responsible. Freshwater tanks can more or less be set it and forget it until you have to add more water, but reef tanks require somewhat of a balancing act. Neglecting the tank for a time can have serious repercussions.

I love reef keeping and I love my tank - even with the ups and downs.