Caution - do you name your fish?

whosinpower · 11/02/2007, 01:20 PM

Thought you might be interested in the goings on of my saltwater adventure, such as it is.

"Hey luv, just LOOK at these guys. Aren't Oscar and Lulu just the most adorable fish you have ever seen?" My newest acquisitions are a mated pair of clownfish.

Hubby looked at me with a look of horror and amazement at the same time. " Oscar and Lulu? You named the fish?"
"No. I did not name the fish. I asked Dad to name the fish - and those are the names he picked and that is what we are going to call them."
"They look the same - how can you even tell them apart?" he asked rather sarcastically.
"Lulu is the female, and Oscar is the male. The females are always bigger, but the males seem to be bolder. See?" I asked while pointing to them, and Oscar came up to the glass to investigate my finger. I went on to explain clownfish behaviour, how shocked I was the first morning I checked the tank to find them both laying flat on their sides on the sand.....sleeping....how they are sexless until.......it was at this point that hubbie had enough.

He jumped off the sofa, threw up his hands and yelled at me.
"GET A LIFE! MY GAWD....THEY ARE FISH!!! IT IS PATHETIC, YOUR PATHETIC, and then he muttered something to himself about naming fish......Oscar and lulu....snail poop....oh she has to siphon out the poop, wouldn't want Oscar and lulu to sleep in snail poop.......... Oh my gawd" and then he stormed up the stairs.

Yep. Some people can view aquariums for hours and state how calming they are, how much they enjoy watching the fish and corals....but I think I drove poor old husband over the edge......not good for someone with a heart condition and has been in and out of hospital more times than I care to admit.

Note to self - in future keep obsessions under tight wraps so people will not see you are a total nutcase. Book appointment to psychiatrist to begin therapy and begin going to AA meetings. (aquarist anonymous) And finally....under NO circumstances, whatever I do, do NOT tell hubbie what the big green bottles in the fridge are for.

P.S. The path to healing is to freely admit one has a problem. I have a problem. There! Did it. I admitted it. Course.....admitting it via email to someone who often answers to the name of guppygodfather.....hmmmmm.....did that count?

Thinslis · 11/02/2007, 01:29 PM

My friends name my fish, so far i have Patron (some sort of drink) Tangery (Gin), and Jack (Jack the wiskey) =)

reefergeorge · 11/02/2007, 01:30 PM

All my fish have names.

GlobaLPimP · 11/02/2007, 01:30 PM

srry - dbl post

GlobaLPimP · 11/02/2007, 01:30 PM

interesting read

I only name the special ones - which is all of them

kaihonu82 · 11/02/2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Thinslis
i have Patron (some sort of drink)

patron is tequila
and yea, i name my fish too

Lt.Dan · 11/02/2007, 03:13 PM

My powder blue's name is porky and my diamond goby is named dumptruck.

papagimp · 11/02/2007, 03:16 PM

I let my GF name the fish, I just call them all "fish". Occasionally i'll do them the service of calling them "red fish" or "blue fish" but usually it's just "ugly fish".

Achapman · 11/02/2007, 03:49 PM

patron is the ****

Thinslis · 11/02/2007, 04:07 PM

I don't drink tequila so I wouldn't have a clue, I let the women name the fish...

acrodave · 11/02/2007, 04:09 PM

My clowns are mean so i call them Bonnie and Clyde

cloak · 11/02/2007, 04:28 PM

Livin and still livin. Bad joke.

Is this on?

slider162 · 11/02/2007, 04:29 PM

My wife names the fish. The clowns are Nemo and Nacho (dont' ask). The Majestic is Willie because he had popeye in one eye when we got him (one eyed Willie....). The scooter blenny is skipper. The only problem with naming them is that you get attached to them. When they die, it is poor Kenny died and so on.

seapug · 11/02/2007, 04:42 PM

my wife named the clownfish and anemone:

puddin', pie & jello. You figure out who's who.

super stooge · 11/02/2007, 05:03 PM

my mum named my 2 small clowns bubble and squeek

.

Sk8r · 11/02/2007, 05:06 PM

My three stonogobiops nematodes are named Raspberry, Teacake, and Poundcake---for obvious reasons.
[Poundcake is the largest.]

Pea-brain · 11/02/2007, 05:24 PM

Of course I name my fish. That one is Bigger jawfish, that one is smaller jawfish (occasionally called spitfire) and that one is orange spotted watchman goby. The adult molly is called stupid fat fish and all the tiny baby mollies that sit in my sump and eat algae and make waste all day don't get names

Dan

kathainbowen · 11/02/2007, 06:37 PM

All of my pets have names, so don't feel bad. You *SHOULD* feel bad if you allow friends or roommates to name pets and they come up with awful names. They had a cat named Sauce Pan. This should have been a warning sign, but I was running out of names after the early "trail-and-error" years of my aquatic husbandry (from 1st to 3rd grade when I would follow any LFS employee's advice, no matter how stupid, because they were grownup and grownups always know better).

They named my coral beauty angel Antigone Decepticon Frying Pan. I started fostering a turtle named Walton. That name quickly changed to Walton Turtlebot. They eventually convinced me to name a musk turtle foster Sir Thomas the Duke of Kent after a ren fest character.

After that, you would think I would be smart enough to either go without names or only allow less creative individuals suggest names. My Urban Dead comrads helped me name my cleaner shrimp Jacques Jemima Cousteau.

The good people my lj came up with Pookie King of the Deep for one of my perc clowns.

At the coaxing of fellow RVB fans, I currently have two male, crowntail bettas named Michael J. Caboose and Sarge. Yes, Michael J. Caboose is blue, and Sarge is red. No..... they don't like each other.

.... yeah.... from my perspective, naming clownfish Oscar and Lulu is downright tame and nothing to feel ashamed about. =P

saltymight · 11/02/2007, 06:41 PM

My girlfriends goes crazy when ever I talk about my tank or do something with it but she names every fish and a few inverts. even a hermit...

kathainbowen · 11/02/2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by saltymight
My girlfriends goes crazy when ever I talk about my tank or do something with it but she names every fish and a few inverts. even a hermit...

Because obviously the tank is inert and not alive, and is therefore, by default, both not-cute and boring at the same time. Critters are alive and potentially uber-cute! I mean, who doesn't think nudibranches that eat zoas, with their frilly backs aren't utterly adorable?!? And those giant mexican turbo snails that knock over all delicate frags and not-so-delicate things in their path are adorable by default because they're a pit dopey, and they're snails!

ACBlinky · 11/02/2007, 07:26 PM

Naming fish isn't at all unusual. Reef fish, to many people, are pets. Pets get names. Period. It's not just a dog and cat world - a fish, tarantula, iguana or even a giant hissing cockroach can be a much loved pet, and every pet deserves to have a unique name.

Clowns have amazing behaviour patterns and personalities, how could you not want to name them? My maroons are named Punch and Judy - they're obviously in love but always bickering, and Punch is forever pummelling Judy (he head-butts her in the side about 1,000 times a day); it suits them.

kathainbowen · 11/02/2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ACBlinky
Clowns have amazing behaviour patterns and personalities, how could you not want to name them? My maroons are named Punch and Judy - they're obviously in love but always bickering, and Punch is forever pummelling Judy (he head-butts her in the side about 1,000 times a day); it suits them.

You wouldn't, by chance, have read The Tragic Comedy or Comical Tragidy of Mr. Punch and Judy, have you?

zotzer · 11/02/2007, 08:43 PM

My clowns were Kismet and Mojo, but Mojo went carpet-surfing (yes...I lost my Mojo!), so now they are Kismet and Junior.

My Potter's Angel is named "Harry"; orange spot blenny is "Spot"; Candy Hogfish is "Sunshine"; and the LTA is "Medusa".

Mostly though, I tend to call them "little buddy" or "little dude". LOL

Tracy

sruiz · 11/02/2007, 10:04 PM

I've only named my yellow tang. And i call him "Putty Tang".

11/02/2007, 01:20 PM	#1
whosinpower Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 144	Caution - do you name your fish? Thought you might be interested in the goings on of my saltwater adventure, such as it is. "Hey luv, just LOOK at these guys. Aren't Oscar and Lulu just the most adorable fish you have ever seen?" My newest acquisitions are a mated pair of clownfish. Hubby looked at me with a look of horror and amazement at the same time. " Oscar and Lulu? You named the fish?" "No. I did not name the fish. I asked Dad to name the fish - and those are the names he picked and that is what we are going to call them." "They look the same - how can you even tell them apart?" he asked rather sarcastically. "Lulu is the female, and Oscar is the male. The females are always bigger, but the males seem to be bolder. See?" I asked while pointing to them, and Oscar came up to the glass to investigate my finger. I went on to explain clownfish behaviour, how shocked I was the first morning I checked the tank to find them both laying flat on their sides on the sand.....sleeping....how they are sexless until.......it was at this point that hubbie had enough. He jumped off the sofa, threw up his hands and yelled at me. "GET A LIFE! MY GAWD....THEY ARE FISH!!! IT IS PATHETIC, YOUR PATHETIC, and then he muttered something to himself about naming fish......Oscar and lulu....snail poop....oh she has to siphon out the poop, wouldn't want Oscar and lulu to sleep in snail poop.......... Oh my gawd" and then he stormed up the stairs. Yep. Some people can view aquariums for hours and state how calming they are, how much they enjoy watching the fish and corals....but I think I drove poor old husband over the edge......not good for someone with a heart condition and has been in and out of hospital more times than I care to admit. Note to self - in future keep obsessions under tight wraps so people will not see you are a total nutcase. Book appointment to psychiatrist to begin therapy and begin going to AA meetings. (aquarist anonymous) And finally....under NO circumstances, whatever I do, do NOT tell hubbie what the big green bottles in the fridge are for. P.S. The path to healing is to freely admit one has a problem. I have a problem. There! Did it. I admitted it. Course.....admitting it via email to someone who often answers to the name of guppygodfather.....hmmmmm.....did that count?

11/02/2007, 01:29 PM	#2
Thinslis Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Madison, Ohio Posts: 1,658	My friends name my fish, so far i have Patron (some sort of drink) Tangery (Gin), and Jack (Jack the wiskey) =) __________________ -B Current Tank Info: 40g breeder, ER-RS80, MP40w, 250w + 2xT5

11/02/2007, 01:30 PM	#3
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	All my fish have names. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.

11/02/2007, 01:30 PM	#4
GlobaLPimP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Palm Harbor, Florida Posts: 911	srry - dbl post __________________ This hobby is educational; it teaches you how to spend a lot of money in a hurry! Current Tank Info: 75gl, SPS, LPS, IceCap/T5/SLR, 2 modded Tunze 6045's, PCI 350 skimmer w/ Gen-X 2400, 95lbs LR, GEN-X 4100 return

11/02/2007, 01:30 PM	#5
GlobaLPimP Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Palm Harbor, Florida Posts: 911	interesting read I only name the special ones - which is all of them __________________ This hobby is educational; it teaches you how to spend a lot of money in a hurry! Current Tank Info: 75gl, SPS, LPS, IceCap/T5/SLR, 2 modded Tunze 6045's, PCI 350 skimmer w/ Gen-X 2400, 95lbs LR, GEN-X 4100 return

11/02/2007, 03:13 PM	#7
Lt.Dan Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 52	My powder blue's name is porky and my diamond goby is named dumptruck.

11/02/2007, 03:16 PM	#8
papagimp COMAS Rocks! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 8,185 Blog Entries: 2	I let my GF name the fish, I just call them all "fish". Occasionally i'll do them the service of calling them "red fish" or "blue fish" but usually it's just "ugly fish". __________________ 58g Softie & 75g Stoney Member, Central Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society Current Tank Info: 58g Mixed Reef Project - Started June 2011

11/02/2007, 03:49 PM	#9
Achapman Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kansas City, KS Posts: 265	patron is the **** __________________ 30x30x30 cube - 400 Radium w/Galaxy ballast - XP-2000 Skimmer - Reeflo Dart return - Tunze 6105's w/7095 controller Current Tank Info: 180RR w/55g sump - ASD 8.2 Skimmer - 3 Lumenbright Larges with 12k Reeflux on Icecap ballasts.

11/02/2007, 04:07 PM	#10
Thinslis Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Madison, Ohio Posts: 1,658	I don't drink tequila so I wouldn't have a clue, I let the women name the fish... __________________ -B Current Tank Info: 40g breeder, ER-RS80, MP40w, 250w + 2xT5

11/02/2007, 04:09 PM	#11
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	My clowns are mean so i call them Bonnie and Clyde __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

11/02/2007, 04:28 PM	#12
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Livin and still livin. Bad joke. Is this on?

11/02/2007, 04:29 PM	#13
slider162 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Orange City, FL Posts: 346	My wife names the fish. The clowns are Nemo and Nacho (dont' ask). The Majestic is Willie because he had popeye in one eye when we got him (one eyed Willie....). The scooter blenny is skipper. The only problem with naming them is that you get attached to them. When they die, it is poor Kenny died and so on.

11/02/2007, 04:42 PM	#14
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	my wife named the clownfish and anemone: puddin', pie & jello. You figure out who's who. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

11/02/2007, 05:03 PM	#15
super stooge Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: sydney australia Posts: 529	my mum named my 2 small clowns bubble and squeek . __________________ Dean A 240g + sump office tank Salty Sense YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMGmajiuOnA3ntKDPkGEqQ

11/02/2007, 05:06 PM	#16
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	My three stonogobiops nematodes are named Raspberry, Teacake, and Poundcake---for obvious reasons. [Poundcake is the largest.] __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/02/2007, 05:24 PM	#17
Pea-brain Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vassalboro, ME Posts: 1,661	Of course I name my fish. That one is Bigger jawfish, that one is smaller jawfish (occasionally called spitfire) and that one is orange spotted watchman goby. The adult molly is called stupid fat fish and all the tiny baby mollies that sit in my sump and eat algae and make waste all day don't get names Dan

11/02/2007, 06:37 PM	#18
kathainbowen Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Central Jersey Posts: 667	All of my pets have names, so don't feel bad. You SHOULD feel bad if you allow friends or roommates to name pets and they come up with awful names. They had a cat named Sauce Pan. This should have been a warning sign, but I was running out of names after the early "trail-and-error" years of my aquatic husbandry (from 1st to 3rd grade when I would follow any LFS employee's advice, no matter how stupid, because they were grownup and grownups always know better). They named my coral beauty angel Antigone Decepticon Frying Pan. I started fostering a turtle named Walton. That name quickly changed to Walton Turtlebot. They eventually convinced me to name a musk turtle foster Sir Thomas the Duke of Kent after a ren fest character. After that, you would think I would be smart enough to either go without names or only allow less creative individuals suggest names. My Urban Dead comrads helped me name my cleaner shrimp Jacques Jemima Cousteau. The good people my lj came up with Pookie King of the Deep for one of my perc clowns. At the coaxing of fellow RVB fans, I currently have two male, crowntail bettas named Michael J. Caboose and Sarge. Yes, Michael J. Caboose is blue, and Sarge is red. No..... they don't like each other. .... yeah.... from my perspective, naming clownfish Oscar and Lulu is downright tame and nothing to feel ashamed about. =P __________________ "So long and thanks for all the fish!" Current Tank Info: 3G picoreef, 18W 50/50 pc, AC20, stocked with assorted zoos, rics, xenia, and GSP

11/02/2007, 06:41 PM	#19
saltymight Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Clay, Ny Posts: 860	My girlfriends goes crazy when ever I talk about my tank or do something with it but she names every fish and a few inverts. even a hermit...

11/02/2007, 07:26 PM	#21
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Naming fish isn't at all unusual. Reef fish, to many people, are pets. Pets get names. Period. It's not just a dog and cat world - a fish, tarantula, iguana or even a giant hissing cockroach can be a much loved pet, and every pet deserves to have a unique name. Clowns have amazing behaviour patterns and personalities, how could you not want to name them? My maroons are named Punch and Judy - they're obviously in love but always bickering, and Punch is forever pummelling Judy (he head-butts her in the side about 1,000 times a day); it suits them. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

11/02/2007, 08:43 PM	#23
zotzer Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 346	My clowns were Kismet and Mojo, but Mojo went carpet-surfing (yes...I lost my Mojo!), so now they are Kismet and Junior. My Potter's Angel is named "Harry"; orange spot blenny is "Spot"; Candy Hogfish is "Sunshine"; and the LTA is "Medusa". Mostly though, I tend to call them "little buddy" or "little dude". LOL Tracy

11/02/2007, 10:04 PM	#24
sruiz Reef'R Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Searching... Posts: 1,381	I've only named my yellow tang. And i call him "Putty Tang". __________________ Don't forget your water change.