Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations We could be worse...

To preface this story, you have to realize that I live (as Bruce Condello describes it) in "The world of people who think frozen oceanic invertebrates are a good b'day present" - just like many of you do. (Bruce stated this opinion after I told him I received 2 kilos of krill for my Birthday last weekend.)

My wife called me at work today to describe her lunch at a local diner. She stated she sat next to four guys having a loud enough conversation it was hard not to overhear...

"They were talking about feeding and aeration. It turns out they are shrimp farmers. They put nets in the bottom of their shrimp ponds before stocking, so they can harvest without draining the ponds. The shrimp that fall through the nets are too small to market anyway."

"To add on to their growing season and get the shrimp to a bigger size, they are putting plastic tents over their ponds. This offsets days with low temperatures at each end of the season. They have big fans to cool the tents off in the Summer when the ponds would otherwise get too hot."

"They are even worse than YOU are!"

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It's good to know I'm not as crazy as I could be. Now I've got to dig out my notes from Mark Cornwell's talk on aquaponics in Arlington last month and figure out how much it will cost to build a greenhouse over my pond. With great big fans.

I just spent all day cleaning fish manure off of the side of my tanks. For some twisted reason I actually "sort of" enjoyed cleaning that stuff.

I also fed some frozen oceanic invertebrates to my grateful fish.

I'm messed up.

You guys aren’t crazy or messed up, just warped to a large degree of familiarity.

We're all messed up together, Bruce.

Try explaining your obsession with ponds/fishing to an "outsider." They just can't understand.

This forum is like a support group. Hello, my name is David, and I'm a...pondmeister.

Admitting it is the first step. However, you'll never hear me admit that I need "help." Unless, of course, that help is on here and it is actually to fuel the addiction. In that case, I'm in desperate need of lots of help!

On more than one occasion, I've sneaked away from work, driven 140 miles round trip, to see what the rain had done, check a game camera, etc.
Hi, my name is Dave and I'm a pond junkie.

They're coming to take me away, away, away, away.

When I do a dipnet survey, the smaller the creatures I find in my net, the bigger my smile. A BG gets an "eh!", a minnow gets an "ah!" and a ghost shrimp gets an "Oh yea!!!" Is that a sign I'm messed up?

I recently threatened a 14 yo with death if my MEGA bull frog developed lead poison from a 22cal pellet gun, ………..lets see……….OH yea I told a neighbor if I caught him poaching my HBSB I would………never mind this is a family web site!

When your spouse asks you if you have a significant other because you are gone all weekend. The answer was - no I commune with the fish. No one would do that -- Right !! The reply , you can go with me anytime to work at the lakes.

How do you spell -- addiction. :p

I think I spend more social time on the forum than face-to-face with other people.

Do I have a problem? Do I need help?

I spend all my time at the pond, and have very little time for socializing. But that's not my problem. Everyone knows where my pond is located.

Need help sampling SMB?

Sunil....

The answer is 1)yes and 2)yes.

But you will have to get in line.....plenty of us qualify.

P.S. I love that new Jack-In-The-Box commercial. The guy has dipping sauce on his collar but tells his wife that it is lipstick from Jessica. Then Jack calls and changes his voice to act like Jessica.............

And my point was.................?

I set my alarm in the country 20 minutes before the fish feeder goes off so I don't miss breakfast.

And I thought I was a junkie...you guys are street junkies ,and I guess I am just a weekend user!!!

I'm beginning to think I'm the most sane person on this forum.
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How's that for a scary thought!

I excitedly told my wife I'd seen Redears mating in the pond. She was very supportive; told me she hoped I was very happy spawning with my fish.

I said the fish were doing all the spawning. All I did was watch. And take pictures. And post them on the Internet.

You may be losing all the good will and tolerance generated by your wife's overhearing the prawn farmers.....suspect spawning at your place may be limited to RES, GS, LMB, BG, and possibly CC, and will not soon include TG.

Lepomis voyeurism...have you no shame? What next? Redears Gone Wild ?

I've been toying with the idea of suggesting a centerfold for PB magazine. I guess I just did it didn't I?

I'll be making the 13 hr. round trip to check the pond temp. and see if the feeding time needs to be increased.

I HAVE A REAL CRISIS. If the temp is not at 78 degrees, should I go back and check it again in 2 weeks, or just go ahead and kick up the feeder?

The answer seems plain to me, Burger.