Biggest reefing issue???

[jasonzacher4224]

What is THE single biggest issue negetively affecting our hobby?

IMHO it is poor advice coming from money hungry LFS owners/staff. Just think how many more animals would survive long term if all LFS workers gave real correct advice all the time!!!!!!! Newbies would be buying books before corals and putting there first live stock in FULLY CYCLED aquariums. Im not an expert but ignorence and stupidity makes me so rediculously angry and the more forums i read i keep seeing threads about bad LFS.

What is your opinion?

What can we do as a reefing community about this issue?

We cant just ignor it i know that much.

 

[Gdevine]

I couldn't agree more! But the reality is the LFS has to make a living so they will sell whatever they have to the unsuspecting...it happens all the time in the "free trade society" so why not here.

Learning by mistakes is just part of the process...unfortunately the animals in our care suffer or dye...again part of the process.

Believe me...I hear you LOUD AND CLEAR and AGREE!

 

[ghandidawgg]

jason, I have been in the saltwater hobby for 3 years now and pretty much still a newbi. I have kept freshwater cichlids for 12 years now. I search this forum all the time for more info and want to learn this hobby as much as my brain can take. You probably read some of my "stupid" questions. anyway, I totally agree about the LFS's. I have been taken so many times by them. Even though I ask the right questions to them, they provide me with wrong info. ie I saw an angler... asked about him... they said he would do just fine in my 29g where a $200 pair of true percs lived peacefully.... said to feed him silversides... nxt day the male perc is gone... day after... female is gone...
You catch my drift. Not sure what we can do as a reefing community to stop that but my best advice for a newbie is to really do your research. do not buy a fish cause it looks COOL or a new coral cause its colors are breathtaking. ASK questions, RESEARCH the fish or coral, make sure it is compatible with 1) the size of your tank and 2) your other livestock. I found out that buying from other members of reef central is not a bad idea either. prices are better than LFS and people IN the hobby are more serious about this stuff than the guy at the LFS that is just trying to make some kind of profit at the end of this month. I have found 1 lfs in my area that I trust, the staff is great and very knowlegable. The price is ok... could be a little cheaper but what the hell... anyway this is just my opinion.

 

[fishysteve]

I would have to say the biggest problem would be people that blame other people for their impulse purchases. Do you believe everything you hear? Research before you buy.

 

[nikon187]

+1, if more people did their research then there would be less problems all around.

 

[hicmndr]

+1 for research.

 

[ludnix]

Accessibility to good information, in my opinion. Although there is a ton of good information all over the web, it's extremely scattered and contradictory which makes it difficult to learn.

 

[1DeR9_3Hy]

I think the whole wild cought vs. captive bred issue is starting to gain momentum.

We really NEED more CB fish in this hobby.

 

[luther1200]

I also think it is the extreme variety of "right" way to do things. There are so many different ways to set up and maintain a tank. And every one you ask says there way is the way to do it. Then you ask the next guy and get another sugestion. Like running a DSB vs. a BB, niether way is wrong. But if a newbie askes somebody most people lean 1 way or the other and will give advice towards what has worked, or say what didn't work.

 

[RichConley]

Re: Biggest reefing issue???

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14782851#post14782851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jasonzacher4224
What is THE single biggest issue negetively affecting our hobby?

IMHO it is poor advice coming from money hungry LFS owners/staff...Newbies would be buying books before corals and putting there first live stock in FULLY CYCLED aquariums. I.

IMO, the books aren't any better than the LFS owners. They have the same outdated 20 year old opinions.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14785523#post14785523 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nikon187
+1, if more people did their research then there would be less problems all around.

The problem is, most of the research material is junk. When you go to see a professional, which an LFS owner is, you expect someone who knows what they're talking about. The average buyer expects to get good advice from them. They ARE doing research.

 

[Gtstricky]

LFS are not in it for the animals. It is a business. When someone comes in and says "look at that cool fish" they are going to find a way to sell it to you. I don't fault them for it.

I would love to see more schools with marine tanks as part of their biology and chemistry departments. Local clubs should step up and volunteer to help with the maintanance.

 

[O'Man]

Biggest reefing issue???

Hair algae

 

[THE ROOK]

^^ Couldn't agree more. lol

 

[SirVilhelm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14787081#post14787081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
The problem is, most of the research material is junk. When you go to see a professional, which an LFS owner is, you expect someone who knows what they're talking about. The average buyer expects to get good advice from them. They ARE doing research.

I agree, and when I asked my LFS owner I thought I WAS researching! But live and learn I guess...

 

[Alaskan Reefer]

Deteriorating wild reefs / stocks due to collection methods, or invasive species introduction due to disposal methods.

Money hungry LFS? Um, you can shop elsewhere if you don't like the advice or methods -- easy fix. The reality is that impusive reefers buy stuff they shouldn't, often against the LFS advice, and then blame the LFS for selling it to them -- pretty common in "no personal accountability" modern America. In a hobby as complicated as reefing, anyone with a decent head on their shoulders will do their own research rather than believing a minimum wage college kid just trying to put beer in the fridge.

 

[The Saltman]

I would have to say the "bias" opinion that you get from lfs owners and other hobbyists. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good hobbyists and owners always willing to give some good advice, but a lot of them have other motives in mind. You just have to be carefull who you trust and learn from your own experiences with the hobby. Take advice, but always take it with caution because your situation is not the same as someone elses. The more you educate yourself, the more you will be able to separate fact from fiction.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I think my biggest obstacle is my own ignorance. I stopped believing what the LFS said about compatibility of fishes. However the days of spontaneous impulse buys are over for me and I try to do research before buying anything. Saves money in the long run!!!

 

[S_Stoney_S]

money common can't believe no one has put high costs down.

General ignorance is a close runner up for me.

Someone I know just got into the hobby and decided it was best to make his own tank. Which he did beautifully, nicely made 6x2x2 glass tank. He was very happy until I pointed out that the 6mm glass used probably wasn't going to keep the water inside for very long.

Here we have cost and ignorance together

 

[PogoMonogo]

I see the future biggest problem being... how everyone thinks they know everything, and they blame their LFS for all their problems. The simple fact is, while the internet is a great resource its not an end all be all. And what people don't realize is that their LFS actually brings in a lot of new hobbiest, more than any internet site would. Without the influx of new hobbiest who like to buy leathers or mushrooms or other things that some advanced aquarist look down on, they will have a MUCH harder, if not impossible time get their hands on all the super cool goodies they seek out today. The bottom line is, if the hobby isn't growing, it will become stagnant. Sorry for the people who have a crappy LFS, but they aren't all bad. Hell, I would even venture to say MOST aren't all bad. No, I don't own a store.