Problems

[snorvich]

I have spent quite a bit of time reading the forums over the last couple of days. I am curious as to what your strategy is:

A. Be optimistic and solve problems when they occur (OR)

B. Avoid problems

Tell us what your strategy is and why . . . and thanks for participating.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Avoid them if reasonably possible. Problems in this hobby can be too difficult and/or expensive to fix. Quarantine all incoming fish and prophylactically Medicare with PraziPro and Cupramine. Avoid situations and circumstances that can produce a flood. I take calculated risks such as fish not getting along where there is a basis for thinking it might work.

 

[davelin315]

Problems tend to work themselves out. There is one person who was posting a lot but people were pretty rude to that person which I think is ridiculous. There's a difference between being rude and being blunt and many were crossing over into just being rude. This is a hobby and everyone makes mistakes. A lot of the time people shoot from the hip but then again, a lot of people shoot from the hip with a chip on their shoulder because they've given advice many times. Patience is important when moderating (I moderate my club's website, too) and more often than not, things will eventually work themselves out.

Now, if you're talking about fish, solve problems when they occur and avoid as many as you can.

 

[jhentr]

I did A before and that gets expensive so now I follow B.

I FW dip and QT now for 4 weeks, when before when I was impatient and introduced new fishes into the DT causing disease outbreaks and wiping out most of my fishes. At one point, I had to battle ICH for 1.5 years before finally giving into QT. Now I'm stress free as my fishes are disease free.

 

[snorvich]

There is one person who was posting a lot but people were pretty rude to that person which I think is ridiculous. There's a difference between being rude and being blunt and many were crossing over into just being rude.

If you are talking about a recent person who posted in the forums, and was not wanting to listen, many people got upset with the amount of posts that were repetitive and did not reflect what that poster was being told. There is a fine line between trolling and between asking for information. The person I am thinking about wanted validation for a collection of unfortunate decisions and that philosophy often draws "sharp" and increasingly blunt replies.

 

[vwwanksta69]

First B and then A if need be...

 

[snorvich]

First B and then A if need be...

Sounds reasonable. So given that, do you keep an arsenal of problem solving solutions? For example, battery powered air pumps? Various medications?

 

[nikon187]

I own a fish store so Im going to say both.. Try to avoid as much headache as possible with proper planning but if something comes out of left field i have an access to pretty much anything i would need.

 

[vwwanksta69]

Sounds reasonable. So given that, do you keep an arsenal of problem solving solutions? For example, battery powered air pumps? Various medications?

UPS for backup power for a single powerhead. Should last around 6hours if not a bit more. I would suggest only having medications that are needed for urgent matters. If its a medical issue that dosnt need to be dealt with right away I would suggest just buying it once the issue has been seen. Now if I had a fish that is worth 500$ which I dont, then I think I would purchase everything I could possibly ever need. :lolspin:

 

[snorvich]

I own a fish store so Im going to say both.. Try to avoid as much headache as possible with proper planning but if something comes out of left field i have an access to pretty much anything i would need.

Which makes life a bit easier. While I try to avoid problems, I am also aware that things happen so I try to keep redundancy for some equipment, and solutions for problems such as the recently increasing power outages.

 

[curlykid]

A. i make sure to fix problems right away. i also like to help people with their problems, as long as they want help, and it's an actual problem.

 

[snorvich]

i also like to help people with their problems, as long as they want help, and it's an actual problem.

Yes, we have noticed that.

 

[nikon187]

Picked up 6 5500w generators for work. We lost power for 32 hours last year when a car slammed into our transformer box and exploded and the 3 i had wouldnèt cut it for that long. I do keep battery powered air pumps at home as well as extra powerheads, meds, salt ect. for emergencies and one gererator.

 

[namxas]

We try to have everything we need (and then some) on hand to either avoid trouble or to be able to handle it if it arises. Of course with as many setups of special needs fish as we have running, we kinda HAVE to do this.

I totally agree with Steve...when people are trolling for validation instead of information, folks get testy. Some folks don't mind helping noobs with the same stuff over and over again if they LISTEN to the advice given and LEARN something from it. IMHO, it's a way to give something back to the hobby we love, and I remember way back before there were great websites with sharp folks on them...it was a real PITA to get help as a noob, as we all know how some LFS employees are.

 

[Allmost]

I try to avoid them, and list the possible problems. so when something goes wrong, I can go back to my list ... it helps me keep up with all the systems I have ....

BUT .... through my mistakes, and sometimes lazyness, or just bad luck, Issues do happen, so I have to keep all sorts of medication and ... on hand .... ppl always ask if I need all those ...

in my view, you have to be logical, think before you do anything, and be optimistic !! it pais off !!! I am not going to go as far as saying thinking positive will have an effect on the fish or coral or system ... but it kinda does lol it could be that when I am thinking positive, I try harder or ...

 

[auem]

most of the people who understand this hobby always try to avoid problem..but they are minority among number of hobbyist....for example quarantine a fish before sending it to display tank is ALWAYS best practice..few people do that from start,a good many learn the lesson by experience(like me) and even more never learn..

 

[curlykid]

Yes, we have noticed that.

lol!

 

[wrasse123]

B ) Try to avoid.

Agree with Allmost on the lazy, bad luck thing though so I find it is best to keep whatever you can on hand. Battery powered pumps are a must, especially with storm seasons.

 

[snorvich]

The situation that prompted me to post for discussion was QT using hypo. That is fine (although not that easy to maintain correctly) for ich (MI, or cryptocaryon irritans) but will have no affect on Velvet (oodinium) or Brook. I am starting to think we should develop the makeup of a fish introduction kit for QT to handle the various problems that might occur. Then too, last night was my fifth power outage of the season! Although I have a autostart generator, many/most people do not. Battery powered air pumps are inexpensive and can really save the day. Sure Tunze or Vortech backups are great too, but I am not sure how long they last. We have had power outages this season that exceeded one day.

 

[snorvich]

Here is what I think would help fish introduction:

Q: What equipment do I need to setup a QT?
A:

* Tank
* Heater
* Powerhead(s) for oxygenation of the water
* Thermometer
* Ammonia Alert Indicator and/or Nitrate & Nitrite test kits
* PVC pipe segments or other hiding places for fish
* Live Rock (QT only not hospital)
* Light (optional for fish-only)
* Skimmer (optional)
* HOB Filter (optional)

Q: What are some medications I should have on hand?
A:

* Copper or Chloroquine - for ich and other external parasites
* Praziquantel - for flukes and worms
* nitrofurazone - for open wounds or sores
* Metronidazole - for intestinal and other protozoa
* Formalin - for brook and other external parasites
* Erythromycin and Minocycline - for bacterial prevention/treatment

Anyone want to add?
* Food enhancers such as Selcon, Vitality, and Eco Garlic