I may have told a little lie...

To start this off I am going to say that I am an adult.

My brother has recently come home from the military so he is staying with us, and he considers my fish hobby to be a huge waste of money, time and my efforts. He's also upset that I prefer small peaceful schooling fish to large aggressive cichlids like he would want to see in my tanks. Anyway, I am disabled and do not drive and it has gotten to the point that I have to sneak around his back to even get my mail anymore, because any package or box is another rant about how I need to stop wasting money on fish stuff. Regardless of what the mail even is!

The other day I walked up to my post office box and got my mail, I had been waiting on some "small" marimo from the UK and they had arrived, my brother was out of the house - timing was perfect. Naturally my brother at some point last night came into my room and saw 2" marimo in my tank (I had ordered quite a few) and wanted to know where they came from....

So I told him that I was growing them in the dark tank in the corner. The one that's less than half full of water, cycling for an upgrade.

My brother is now convinced that marimo grow and multiply rapidly, he spent hours ranting about how I had brought tribbles into the house and they were going to take over the neighborhood.

This is only even funnier to me because I had a bucket full of duckweed that he insisted was going to try to murder me in my sleep only a few weeks ago.







They might look cute and innocent now, but in three weeks you'll be overrun!

 

why are you letting him be such a bully? tell him to mind his business or find his own place to live. it's your home, your life and your hobby to enjoy. have fun with it.

 

why are you letting him be such a bully? tell him to mind his business or find his own place to live. it's your home, your life and your hobby to enjoy. have fun with it.

It's my mom's home since we are both disabled and live together. She tells me to just ignore him and let it roll off my back, since he has having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life once again. Moments like these just help me take it in stride much better!

I hate lying and I know I shouldn't, but at times it is literally the only way to keep my sanity in this situation.

 

well i'm pulling for ya. just draw a line in the sand and let him know he's out of bounds if he crosses it. you have a right to enjoy these little things without somebody making it stressful for you.

 

Lol you should keep ordering more and tell him they only multiply at night.

 

oooooh, I like that idea, mess with his head!

 

Lol you should keep ordering more and tell him they only multiply at night.

That is brilliant! Ideally I want 1 per gallon and I'm closer to 1 per 2 gallons, but I was planning to just split the ones I have since they are MUCH bigger than I anticipated (what's a giant if a SMALL is 2 inches?!)

 

A giant marimo barely fits.in a 5 gallon by itself lol...

 

Just start putting them in vases and jars all around the house. Lol that will freak him out

 

My brother is now convinced that marimo grow and multiply rapidly, he spent hours ranting about how I had brought tribbles into the house and they were going to take over the neighborhood.

This is only even funnier to me because I had a bucket full of duckweed that he insisted was going to try to murder me in my sleep only a few weeks ago.


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They might look cute and innocent now, but in three weeks you'll be overrun!

I have two baby Marimo Tribblets in my tank. I can hear them at night terrorizing the other fish, and a few times I even heard them jump over into the QT to harass the male congos I currently have in there. It's absolutely horrible! I once threatened the tribblets and told them I was going to flush them down the toilet, but they double dog dared me to do it and then bit my pinky finger off. I'm now petrified and don't go near them anymore.



All kidding aside, and I know it's easier said than done but ignore him. Do what you want and enjoy your aqua babies. Don't go feelin guilty either. It's your life, do what makes you happy.

 

I would start selling them way before it reached that point!

It was just surprising since the nano is smaller than my fingernail! I did get two different sizes when I ordered smalls, a few of them were about half the size of the majority, maybe .75" rather than 2"

Oops that should have been a reply with quote to monkeypie

 

I would put one in a jar outside his bedroom door every morning with a little post it that say WERE COMING FOR YOU LOL

 

That's halarious.

But yea... he needs to stop being a jerk. Disabled or not isn't an excuse. I know.

 

I would put one in a jar outside his bedroom door every morning with a little post it that say WERE COMING FOR YOU LOL

Unfortunately he's in our living room which has no door.... maybe I should sneak in at night and set a small tank (I have a few spare 1 gallons) on the TV stand. It'll be the first thing he sees when he wakes up >

I have plenty to spare, I could just add one a day until he really thinks they are coming for him!

 

if there is a end table next to where his head lays put the jar on that table LOL

 

winglessicarus a little gift for you.

 

winglessicarus a little gift for you.

I should make that my new signature

 

I would go to a craft store like pat catans and buy a couple hundred of those little fabric fuzz ball puffs for crafts in a bunch of diffrent greens and after he fell asleep I would just cover the floor with them he would wake up and freak LOL

https://www.quill.com/Chenille-Kraf...llow/cbs/222981.html?cm_mmc=SEM_PLA_OS_222981

those but in a whole bunch of diffent shades of green and then youtube his reaction for everyone here to see you would be famous LOL

I grew up with 2 sisters I was the prank king in my house growing up LOL

 

put some in clear glasses on the various tables in the living room while he sleeps. and move them frequently.

 

You guys are too funny.

Don't be too hard on him. Being in the military messes with people's minds. As hard as it is, try to ignore him. Maybe see if you can find something that you can agree on. Set as the differences (if possible).

That said, it would be fun to bug him some. Change the lyrics from "The Blob" to something with moss balls and play it when he's going to go to sleep.

 

Put them in the toilet, he shower, the sink, anything with water...

 

Put them in the toilet, he shower, the sink, anything with water...

Lol how freaky would it be to fill the toilet with them hahaha

 

It is loads of fun messing with siblings, especially when they are pestering you. There are some great ideas here too!

With that said, as a military spouse, it is very hard on a person. Adjusting to civilian life in general, and especially after a deployment. They can easily get irritated at someone for complaining that it's too hot when they have had to be outside everyday wearing body armor in temperatures 30 degrees hotter, or at someone complaining their pillow hurts their neck when they have slept leaning against a ruck sack on the ground in the pouring rain for weeks at a time. These are just some of the smallest issues, and they are not likely to share with you what is bothering them. Try to be understanding and give him a bit of a break. It can take years for them to feel "normal" if they ever do at all.

However, he does need to learn to respect your boundaries, like maybe your room. Just remember that whatever he says, don't let it get to you, he's likely just dealing with his open issues and can't begin to understand you or the hobby that makes you happy right now.

Good luck

 

You people are really funny!

I love marimo's but unfortunately haven't been able to keep mine more than a month or two - they turn black & disintegrate. My 10G has only been up about 6 mos. Will check water again when I get my new test kit. Do they prefer certain conditions?

Yes, winglessicarius, do enjoy your hobby. It's done wonders for my well being!

 

You people are really funny!

I love marimo's but unfortunately haven't been able to keep mine more than a month or two - they turn black & disintegrate. My 10G has only been up about 6 mos. Will check water again when I get my new test kit. Do they prefer certain conditions?

Yes, winglessicarius, do enjoy your hobby. It's done wonders for my well being!

No, they're pretty easy to keep. I'm not sure why yours did that ???

 

It is loads of fun messing with siblings, especially when they are pestering you. There are some great ideas here too!

With that said, as a military spouse, it is very hard on a person. Adjusting to civilian life in general, and especially after a deployment. They can easily get irritated at someone for complaining that it's too hot when they have had to be outside everyday wearing body armor in temperatures 30 degrees hotter, or at someone complaining their pillow hurts their neck when they have slept leaning against a ruck sack on the ground in the pouring rain for weeks at a time. These are just some of the smallest issues, and they are not likely to share with you what is bothering them. Try to be understanding and give him a bit of a break. It can take years for them to feel "normal" if they ever do at all.

However, he does need to learn to respect your boundaries, like maybe your room. Just remember that whatever he says, don't let it get to you, he's likely just dealing with his open issues and can't begin to understand you or the hobby that makes you happy right now.

Good luck

Yeah, I do get that.... and there is a lot of "Oh, you're complaining, here's what I went through." I try to be understanding - frankly it's not something I really want to get into great detail about on a public forum such as fishlore, but I would be more tolerable of his attitude if I wasn't his only target. My hobby is expensive and wasteful, their's aren't etc.

You people are really funny!

I love marimo's but unfortunately haven't been able to keep mine more than a month or two - they turn black & disintegrate. My 10G has only been up about 6 mos. Will check water again when I get my new test kit. Do they prefer certain conditions?

Yes, winglessicarius, do enjoy your hobby. It's done wonders for my well being!

I've heard of them surviving in closets!

 

Yeah, I do get that.... and there is a lot of "Oh, you're complaining, here's what I went through." I try to be understanding - frankly it's not something I really want to get into great detail about on a public forum such as fishlore, but I would be more tolerable of his attitude if I wasn't his only target. My hobby is expensive and wasteful, their's aren't etc.

I know, I totally get it, I've seen them do some things seriously out of line. Some people did things way out of line before hand too, but some were never like that before. It's hard either way, I sure do not envy you. That is a very challenging time for anyone to go through. Good luck and keep up your fishies and fuzz balls, they sure are awesome!

 

I know, I totally get it, I've seen them do some things seriously out of line. Some people did things way out of line before hand too, but some were never like that before. It's hard either way, I sure do not envy you. That is a very challenging time for anyone to go through. Good luck and keep up your fishies and fuzz balls, they sure are awesome!

Yeah it doesn't help that he doesn't have space of his own because he's in our living room. We don't have an army base here so he deployed from the other side of the country, and the cost of living is so much less there he's having an issue finding somewhere to move that fits his expectations and intended budget.

He also started smoking when he joined the army, so now he's in the process of quitting which makes him even more stressed out. Just quitting smoking alone is challenging enough, so going through all of that at the same time is unbelievable.

I think it would be a lot easier on him if he didn't have a "fix it" personality. Things were fine when he came home, but we're not living the way *he* wants us to, so he is in constant need of "improving" our lives. With no job and no place of his own he just bought my mom a flat screen TV, simply because we don't have any - we were perfectly happy with our TVs, it was an unnecessary expense to "fix" something that doesn't need fixing.

It's why I try to find humor where I can, like threatening his very existence with marimo

Lol how freaky would it be to fill the toilet with them hahaha

Sadly my sister has a habit of using the bathroom without checking first and flushing whatever might have fallen in there... We had taken the whole area apart because I dropped a API Test cap down the open drain and my sister ignored the whole mess and used the sink - flushing it away forever

So that would just be asking to lose my marimo!