How Many Lights Does it Take to Screw Up My Groove?

So far, three and counting.  Yes, this is a FISH story, or more accurately, a coronary coral event.  This is tale worth telling.  My 36 gallons of world peace proceeded to decline into turf wars since my surgery on my foot.  My protein skimmer was a joke, and in frustration over the noise I cut it off.  The new canister filter was a dream.  I just managed to get the water a bit salty and my light fixture was going out.  I had ordered a Marineland T5 and Halide fixture that had all the timers built in.  People, I took my old jewelry to my jeweler to justify this outrageous light.  Two months went by and I finally hired that PAID PROFESSIONAL.  Whew.  He's great, and I manged not to start crying in front of him when he said that the light would have melted my tank had it been hung.  Praise the PIC for procrastination inclination!!  I ordered the light from Dr. Foster's.  I was so afraid they were not going to take the light back because two months went by.  Needless to say, customer service is alive and well because the lady that helped me was so kind.  Anyway, I went ahead and ordered a new fixture that Mr. Secret Reef recommended.  Oooooh, a Marineland LED, 36 inch fixture.  I was so excited.  The box that came in the mail was about a foot shorter than me.  WHAT!  It didn't fit.  Secret Reef made certain I ordered this size, I even had to make a second call because I ordered a smaller one...Anyway.  RULE TO REMEMBER:  Men do not come preprogrammed with the ability to look at any object and accurately cite it's size.  Á proverbial light bulb went off in my head and I fetched a tape.  Sure enough, a 36 inch bow front tank is 30 inches across.  What a killjoy to know I had ordered the right one and suffered the cancellation call for nothing.  It was alright though.  I called Dr. Foster's and actually miraculously got the same customer service person and she was wonderful again, and sent me another fixture.. which arrived a day ago.  It is wonderful.  It fits.  Only the actinic blue LEDs don't work.  I'm waiting again.  What can I complain about?  Actually, nothing.  For once in my life, a company has been gracious to me, a paying customer.  The first light I paid shipping on, the last two they did.  I am just so excited watching everything thrive in the short time someone lent me their time and patience.

Theory: The Paid Professional

I ply those in my sphere of influence with many tried and proven true lessons that others would discount as merely opinion or 'theory''.  My husband came into practice early in our relationship.  Everyone knows there exist entities known as professionals, who share highly prized knowledge for a fee.  Most people speculate about the actual knowledge of said professional and that paying them is worth the money.  My first experience came with deciding I wanted to dye my hair, but oh no, no reason to pay anyone.  I had pink hair under store track lighting.  I marched myself to a beautician and suffered the consequences of a six dollar box of hair hell.  From then on, when attempting beautification methods requiring chemicals and a license... I paid.  Great thing to know.  Use every day.  My husband came into this when we met.  I schooled him in the art of not breaking his hair off, and he didn't listen a bit.  Then again, I had to promise he was not getting a mullet for his first haircut in fifteen years (or so)... the beautician looked at his hair and verbatim told him the secret to having luxurious locks.  He believed her .. and I never cease to give him a hard time.  So anyway, I am using the same practice and WOW results.

I have a 36 gallon saltwater reef tank.  Corals are so different from fish TV of college.  After letting the tank sit for two months while my foot healed.. I began to stress losing my whole tank over my inexperience.  After much thought, I looked up a great guy at Secret Reef who offered to set up my newly purchased equipment and maintain it at a minimal cost.  I love how easy the weight of worrying I wasted close to a thousand bucks just fell away.  The bonus I was not expecting was his assessment of my purchases, set up and tank.  I AM NOT STUPID.  I HAVE GOOD CRAP.  I could have kissed the man.

He set it all up, will be back in two weeks and I am flabbergasted at the fact how quickly my tank recovered.  He wasn't lying.  I probably will not lose any coral.  I have peace of mind my fish and corals will be taken care of on vacation.. and just someone else doing the heavy stuff once a month and I just get to enjoy the hobby.

For minimum money I would have wasted on dead fish and unnecessary purchases, I have it all.  In three days my corals are thriving.  Plans are in the works for more rock, corals and fish.  I sleep three feet from tranquility that is quiet.  And I picked this setup out before him.  His stamp of approval.. PLUS telling me gently I could have burned my tank down with the light fixture I chose.  I wanted to cry.  THANK you SECRET REEF for being honest.

The light comes in two days.  I am excited.

Now testing water seems easy because I have a resource to answer all questions, find me new stuff and just be there.

PAID PROFESSIONAL is a great life tool.  Just find the right one.  Life becomes more user friendly.