Lighting ever attract 'attention?'

Digitalelectric · 04/26/2012, 01:05 PM

So I had a fun knock on my door yesterday. Apparently some of the people in my apartment complex have been growing pot in their spare time. Well the cops saw my duel 250 watt radiums shining through the blinds...from across the complex...and naturally knocked on my door politely inquiring as to what the bright light was for. So I voluntarily gave them a tour of my tank. I think I actually added two more people to the hobby.

So has anyone else been questioned about their bright lights? haha

Salty Red · 04/26/2012, 01:12 PM

Never question and actually surprised I haven't. I've been waiting for that same knock at the door. Walking around my neighborhood, I can see it beaming from the next street over. Also at night I can see it reflecting off my neighbors windows.

KafudaFish · 04/26/2012, 01:26 PM

No but after a tool who was trying to elude the police and decided to end the car chase on my retaining wall had the time to call his uncle to meet him at my house.

The uncle asked if he could come in and see the tank because of the lights could be seen through the front door glass.

Psirex · 04/26/2012, 01:35 PM

not yet...

usatennisfan · 04/26/2012, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbickers85

So I had a fun knock on my door yesterday. Apparently some of the people in my apartment complex have been growing pot in their spare time. Well the cops saw my duel 250 watt radiums shining through the blinds...from across the complex...and naturally knocked on my door politely inquiring as to what the bright light was for. So I voluntarily gave them a tour of my tank. I think I actually added two more people to the hobby.

That is one of the funniest things I have ever heard!

Reefmedic79 · 04/26/2012, 02:15 PM

Had power compacts on my 125 about 6 years ago. When doing maintanance in the evening, I got the same knock on the door when I had the hood open. I knew it was only a matter of time because even with the blinds closed in my living room the tank lit my entire front yard in the evening.

I work in public safety and always know what the mysterious blue glow coming from some houses in the nieghborhoods I frequent.

Psyops · 04/26/2012, 02:19 PM

Hey! Now you can grow pot! The cops think you have a aquarium.

Zen685 · 04/26/2012, 02:44 PM

Sometimes I wonder if the neighbors think I'm cooking meth because of the saltwater mixing station in the garage. I'm always out there with the door open mixing strange white powders (2 part) or looking through a refractometer.

I always watch people on the walking path behind my house staring through the back window at my tank. They especially look when I have the hood open and 6 T5s blasting across the living room.

aleonn · 04/26/2012, 03:22 PM

No issues for me (yet) between neighbors or cops.

I'm sure the police would also question you when you trade frags in ziplock bags in a dark parking lot! =P

Voxboy · 04/26/2012, 03:27 PM

When I drive down my street...I can see the light from a block away through my basement rec room window. I often thought about that happening to me as well op.

Good one

Teddynola · 04/26/2012, 03:29 PM

Yeah, we always joke about that during parking lot swaps!

bamf25 · 04/26/2012, 03:32 PM

When I mailed cheato to a fellow reefer, I felt really strange packing the boxes at the post office. Looked like I was mailing something not just odd, but illegal.

Donkeykong · 04/26/2012, 03:52 PM

I have had that visit, wife came and got me from the backyard saying the Police wanted to talk to me. Didnt help that we had just got married and she had to be thinking I had hid some secret illegal life from her. After half an hour of show and tell they were on there way, but my new bride was curious as to why I was soooo calm when speaking with the officers. I told if you got nothing to hide you have no reason to be nervous.

sponger0 · 04/26/2012, 04:11 PM

Ive been waiting for it actually. My house when I get home from work at 8 at night has lights blaring out my windows. Im ready to just say, 'oh thats nothing. Im just a reefer' lmao

Pastor Salty · 04/26/2012, 04:21 PM

In my profession that would not be a good thing

Lynnmw1208 · 04/26/2012, 04:59 PM

I had a neighbor ask what the nice blue light was in our front room. I told her that I have an aquarium. she said she was hoping she could buy a similar light because she liked the color lol. I sometimes leave the blinds open so i'm sure people have seen the tank though and had their curiosities fulfilled.

jake koppen · 04/26/2012, 05:10 PM

i had my tank set up as a room divider with collected colored glass vases on top of the canopy for decoration. a neighbor came by asking to buy some weed cause he saw my "hyproponics and bongs through the window" lol. I'm sure we all could grow some serious stuff if we put as much effort as we do our reef tanks into something like that. haha. also i don't really give my address for people that are coming over, i just say my house is the one that is glowing purple (they're really confused until they see that it is really glowing purple)

tkeracer619 · 04/26/2012, 05:21 PM

I have a vaulted ceiling and no canopy. My lighting system illuminates the whole house including the upstairs windows. Litterally 9 of my 11 windows glow blue

Never had an issue but I do live in colorado.

Best part is my cat keeps breaking my blinds so it looks like someone is always peeking out the windows

Curious George · 04/26/2012, 05:24 PM

I would have asked them for a warrant. No; then get lost!

Donkeykong · 04/26/2012, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curious George

I would have asked them for a warrant. No; then get lost!

Except were I come from that is a good way to get them to cruise by your house looking for any reason to hassle you. Make nice and they will be nice, be rude for no reason and they will be rude for no reason. I had a disagreement with a neighbor, he was the "no warrant get off my property" type, I was the "come on in and look at the pretty fish would you like some ice tea?" type. Guess who they were willing to listen to and guess who they assume was just being irrational. Sorry for getting off topic.

AquaReeferMan · 04/26/2012, 05:55 PM

That's pretty wild.

Dont ever meet up in a parking lot and exchange a bag of kalk powder for a bag of macro algae. Believe me, you'll get some looks.

asonitez · 04/26/2012, 06:06 PM

posted once before.. long time ago

Once upon a time...

There was a fellow reefer that was building a 300 gallon Marineland tank in his basement in the suburbs of Montclair,NJ known as ReeferJohn (to protect names.) ReeferJohn spoke a lot to ReeferJoe (Me) for tips and opinions. Apparently through some posts on craig's list asking for things like

CO2
various Kati/Ani Recharching Chemical's (Looking for Distributors)
Various "Reactors"
Mentioning the fact that we were "Cooking 300lbs of Rock"
Were speaking to other Reefers
Were Trading ZipLoc Bags full of Seeded live Sand and others full of Culerpa (red/green/grape)
Meeting and Trading Large Skimmers and reactors after work around 7/8pm when its dark.
And Quick Baggie Hand Offs at his house of Frags of coral from our combined Mr.Coral.com order. Oh and the boxes shipped from Florida with "Rock" from Tampa Bay Saltwater

Apparently we were a sophisticated drug dealing ring.

Well Sunday night 9pm his house was hit first broke his door held him up searched the house and tank. Simultaneously I had cops at My door asking to speak with me and asking if I had any weapons. After Declaring my Licensed 9mm & Rifle & Collection of Samurai swords they came in and questioned me. Their first question was.

Them: Am I dealing Drugs.
Me: No. I never touched the stuff.
Them: Explain about cooking rock,reefer,and my high powered lights.
Me: Looks to the left at the 135gallon Fullblown Reef with 30 gallon Frag Tank next to it.... "Um I'm a Reefing Aquarist.."
Them: What bout the chemicals....
Me: I take them into my bathroom where the materials for recharging my Kati-Ani unit and the others for mixing Randy Holmes 2 Part are Stored.
Them: your not Kidding right...
Me: No sir.. But I think my fish get high off the reef chemicals i dose.
Them: Loled. ya... i think theres been a mistake.
Me: Yeah me too..

Meanwhile at ReeferJohns

John: dude thats my door.
Them: Do you have 300lbs of rock where is it stored.
John: Takes them to the basement which at this point looks like a lab with tanks chemicals, pipes etc.. Yeah 300lbs of Grade a Tampa Bay Rock.. (takes Cover off 2 Garbage pails plumbed together with LR cooking.
Them: Can we examine the rock?
John: Sure!
Them: Cop takes out one of the rocks and asks if he can crack it open. he does finds nothing except bristle worms and throws it back in. He radios the guys at my place.

ReeferJohn got a new door that same night and llike immunity from tickets for a while b/c he got so pany PBA cards its not even funny. He also got asked to help a few PD members set up tanks.

I spent the greater part of a hour explaining how my tank worked and amazing them by feeding my Snowflake eel and samurai swords. Ya I pulled a samurai sword on a cop and lived to tell about it.

Words of wisdom: Cop: - you guys should like wear T-shirts or something when you trade stuff because it looks like your a very organized ring of drug dealers.

I give to you ReefCentral

"Reefers against Drugs" - trademarked.

The End.

whats your story?

Ostara · 04/26/2012, 06:09 PM

Frankly I can't believe I haven't gotten this yet. None of my tanks have canopies because of the heat here and they really light things up. I love watching people stare at my windows as they walk by at night. So far no one has asked about it, but I'm definitely expecting that knock on the door at some point. I'm sure it would have happened already if there were ever police in our neighborhood.

Edit: Asonitez- That is hilarious! I guess they thought you were using your own code? Man, a quick Google search of those terms would have saved them a lot of time and embarrassment! How ridiculous.

thor109 · 04/26/2012, 06:09 PM

I heard a story where some guy had multiple tanks in basement running mh bulbs. Because of power bill and heat signature the cops raided his house. I guess they kicked in door and stormed the place. Must of been embarrassing to find a bunch if fish

dunc101 · 04/26/2012, 07:43 PM

My tank also lights up the entire dining room at the front of the house. I've also had a couple of neighbors ask me what all of the light is from.

04/26/2012, 01:05 PM	#1
Digitalelectric Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 422	Lighting ever attract 'attention?' So I had a fun knock on my door yesterday. Apparently some of the people in my apartment complex have been growing pot in their spare time. Well the cops saw my duel 250 watt radiums shining through the blinds...from across the complex...and naturally knocked on my door politely inquiring as to what the bright light was for. So I voluntarily gave them a tour of my tank. I think I actually added two more people to the hobby. So has anyone else been questioned about their bright lights? haha

04/26/2012, 01:35 PM	#4
Psirex Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 1,934	not yet... __________________ SALINITY NOW....

04/26/2012, 02:15 PM	#6
Reefmedic79 Life and Reef Saver Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Tavares, Florida Posts: 6,202	Had power compacts on my 125 about 6 years ago. When doing maintanance in the evening, I got the same knock on the door when I had the hood open. I knew it was only a matter of time because even with the blinds closed in my living room the tank lit my entire front yard in the evening. I work in public safety and always know what the mysterious blue glow coming from some houses in the nieghborhoods I frequent. __________________ ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>¸. ·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º> How much deeper would the ocean be if it didn't have sponges? P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sid Current Tank Info: 40 Breeder, 20L Sump, 10G Fuge, JBJ A.T.O, 4" Reef Octopus, DIY Stand & Canopy, RapidLED Dimmable 36 Kit on 3 6" MakersLED Heatsink, MP10es

04/26/2012, 02:19 PM	#7
Psyops Still Learning Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Where my wife decides Posts: 714	Hey! Now you can grow pot! The cops think you have a aquarium. __________________ GOT REEF! One tank short of a trial separation. Current Tank Info: 180 Gallon reef. Just starting to convert to mainly SPS.

04/26/2012, 03:27 PM	#10
Voxboy Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sault Ste Marie Posts: 410	When I drive down my street...I can see the light from a block away through my basement rec room window. I often thought about that happening to me as well op. Good one __________________ Like my Grandfather...I wish to die peacefully in my sleep....unlike the screaming passengers in his car Current Tank Info: 130g mixed reef.

04/26/2012, 01:12 PM	#2
Salty Red Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 44	Never question and actually surprised I haven't. I've been waiting for that same knock at the door. Walking around my neighborhood, I can see it beaming from the next street over. Also at night I can see it reflecting off my neighbors windows.

04/26/2012, 01:26 PM	#3
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	No but after a tool who was trying to elude the police and decided to end the car chase on my retaining wall had the time to call his uncle to meet him at my house. The uncle asked if he could come in and see the tank because of the lights could be seen through the front door glass.

04/26/2012, 02:44 PM	#8
Zen685 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Grapevine, TX Posts: 241	Sometimes I wonder if the neighbors think I'm cooking meth because of the saltwater mixing station in the garage. I'm always out there with the door open mixing strange white powders (2 part) or looking through a refractometer. I always watch people on the walking path behind my house staring through the back window at my tank. They especially look when I have the hood open and 6 T5s blasting across the living room.

04/26/2012, 03:22 PM	#9
aleonn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 4,041	No issues for me (yet) between neighbors or cops. I'm sure the police would also question you when you trade frags in ziplock bags in a dark parking lot! =P

04/26/2012, 03:29 PM	#11
Teddynola pod wrangler Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 301	Yeah, we always joke about that during parking lot swaps! __________________ 75g Oceanic RR mixed reef in progress, 40b sump. Current Tank Info: Black occ pair, lawnmower blenny, scooter dragonette, yellow tang, male and female green mandarin, one spot foxface, flame hawkfish, fire shrimp, harlequin shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp, harlequin starfish, with softies, sps, lps.

04/26/2012, 03:32 PM	#12
bamf25 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,419	When I mailed cheato to a fellow reefer, I felt really strange packing the boxes at the post office. Looked like I was mailing something not just odd, but illegal.

04/26/2012, 03:52 PM	#13
Donkeykong Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Grover Beach CA Posts: 1,847	I have had that visit, wife came and got me from the backyard saying the Police wanted to talk to me. Didnt help that we had just got married and she had to be thinking I had hid some secret illegal life from her. After half an hour of show and tell they were on there way, but my new bride was curious as to why I was soooo calm when speaking with the officers. I told if you got nothing to hide you have no reason to be nervous.

04/26/2012, 04:11 PM	#14
sponger0 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 6,659	Ive been waiting for it actually. My house when I get home from work at 8 at night has lights blaring out my windows. Im ready to just say, 'oh thats nothing. Im just a reefer' lmao

04/26/2012, 04:21 PM	#15
Pastor Salty Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Massillon Posts: 393	In my profession that would not be a good thing

04/26/2012, 04:59 PM	#16
Lynnmw1208 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Brunswick, Ohio Posts: 3,306	I had a neighbor ask what the nice blue light was in our front room. I told her that I have an aquarium. she said she was hoping she could buy a similar light because she liked the color lol. I sometimes leave the blinds open so i'm sure people have seen the tank though and had their curiosities fulfilled. __________________ equipment: Eshopps psk-200 skimmer, Mag 12 pump, 30gal sump, 2x 300w Finnex heaters, glass-holes 1500gph overflow kit with 3/4" return kits, 72" 8x36w t-5 AquaticLife light, 66lbs of LR, 150lbs of tropic eden reeflakes, 2 Koralia Evo 1400, JBJ ATO, BRS dual GFO/carbon reactors, Hydor smartwave Current Tank Info: 125gallon

04/26/2012, 05:10 PM	#17
jake koppen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: lakewood Posts: 593	i had my tank set up as a room divider with collected colored glass vases on top of the canopy for decoration. a neighbor came by asking to buy some weed cause he saw my "hyproponics and bongs through the window" lol. I'm sure we all could grow some serious stuff if we put as much effort as we do our reef tanks into something like that. haha. also i don't really give my address for people that are coming over, i just say my house is the one that is glowing purple (they're really confused until they see that it is really glowing purple)

04/26/2012, 05:21 PM	#18
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	I have a vaulted ceiling and no canopy. My lighting system illuminates the whole house including the upstairs windows. Litterally 9 of my 11 windows glow blue Never had an issue but I do live in colorado. Best part is my cat keeps breaking my blinds so it looks like someone is always peeking out the windows __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

04/26/2012, 05:24 PM	#19
Curious George Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 748	I would have asked them for a warrant. No; then get lost!

04/26/2012, 05:55 PM	#21
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	That's pretty wild. Dont ever meet up in a parking lot and exchange a bag of kalk powder for a bag of macro algae. Believe me, you'll get some looks. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

04/26/2012, 06:06 PM	#22
asonitez Floodicus Maximus Flooris Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,643	posted once before.. long time ago Once upon a time... There was a fellow reefer that was building a 300 gallon Marineland tank in his basement in the suburbs of Montclair,NJ known as ReeferJohn (to protect names.) ReeferJohn spoke a lot to ReeferJoe (Me) for tips and opinions. Apparently through some posts on craig's list asking for things like CO2 various Kati/Ani Recharching Chemical's (Looking for Distributors) Various "Reactors" Mentioning the fact that we were "Cooking 300lbs of Rock" Were speaking to other Reefers Were Trading ZipLoc Bags full of Seeded live Sand and others full of Culerpa (red/green/grape) Meeting and Trading Large Skimmers and reactors after work around 7/8pm when its dark. And Quick Baggie Hand Offs at his house of Frags of coral from our combined Mr.Coral.com order. Oh and the boxes shipped from Florida with "Rock" from Tampa Bay Saltwater Apparently we were a sophisticated drug dealing ring. Well Sunday night 9pm his house was hit first broke his door held him up searched the house and tank. Simultaneously I had cops at My door asking to speak with me and asking if I had any weapons. After Declaring my Licensed 9mm & Rifle & Collection of Samurai swords they came in and questioned me. Their first question was. Them: Am I dealing Drugs. Me: No. I never touched the stuff. Them: Explain about cooking rock,reefer,and my high powered lights. Me: Looks to the left at the 135gallon Fullblown Reef with 30 gallon Frag Tank next to it.... "Um I'm a Reefing Aquarist.." Them: What bout the chemicals.... Me: I take them into my bathroom where the materials for recharging my Kati-Ani unit and the others for mixing Randy Holmes 2 Part are Stored. Them: your not Kidding right... Me: No sir.. But I think my fish get high off the reef chemicals i dose. Them: Loled. ya... i think theres been a mistake. Me: Yeah me too.. Meanwhile at ReeferJohns John: dude thats my door. Them: Do you have 300lbs of rock where is it stored. John: Takes them to the basement which at this point looks like a lab with tanks chemicals, pipes etc.. Yeah 300lbs of Grade a Tampa Bay Rock.. (takes Cover off 2 Garbage pails plumbed together with LR cooking. Them: Can we examine the rock? John: Sure! Them: Cop takes out one of the rocks and asks if he can crack it open. he does finds nothing except bristle worms and throws it back in. He radios the guys at my place. ReeferJohn got a new door that same night and llike immunity from tickets for a while b/c he got so pany PBA cards its not even funny. He also got asked to help a few PD members set up tanks. I spent the greater part of a hour explaining how my tank worked and amazing them by feeding my Snowflake eel and samurai swords. Ya I pulled a samurai sword on a cop and lived to tell about it. Words of wisdom: Cop: - you guys should like wear T-shirts or something when you trade stuff because it looks like your a very organized ring of drug dealers. I give to you ReefCentral "Reefers against Drugs" - trademarked. The End. whats your story?

04/26/2012, 06:09 PM	#23
Ostara Keep Calm and Reef On Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: California Posts: 302	Frankly I can't believe I haven't gotten this yet. None of my tanks have canopies because of the heat here and they really light things up. I love watching people stare at my windows as they walk by at night. So far no one has asked about it, but I'm definitely expecting that knock on the door at some point. I'm sure it would have happened already if there were ever police in our neighborhood. Edit: Asonitez- That is hilarious! I guess they thought you were using your own code? Man, a quick Google search of those terms would have saved them a lot of time and embarrassment! How ridiculous. Last edited by Ostara; 04/26/2012 at 06:17 PM.

04/26/2012, 06:09 PM	#24
thor109 Registered Member. Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Plainfield, Indiana Posts: 822	I heard a story where some guy had multiple tanks in basement running mh bulbs. Because of power bill and heat signature the cops raided his house. I guess they kicked in door and stormed the place. Must of been embarrassing to find a bunch if fish

04/26/2012, 07:43 PM	#25
dunc101 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 758	My tank also lights up the entire dining room at the front of the house. I've also had a couple of neighbors ask me what all of the light is from.