What Fish Should I Get? - I hate those threads

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Boy, did you miss my point. Don't know where you got that. I'm saying with the 'net, there's no excuse for ignorance. I've been in dozens of shops dozens of times when customers tell me they don't know what kind of fish they have - although they have access to the 'net. It's the people too lazy to use the 'net that tick me off. Not just fish, but any living thing. And/or they purchase an animal BEFORE they know anything about it. And the animal suffers.

I think you're missing my point, too. How are people supposed to know everything about all these fish? Why is admitting your ignorance, and asking questions online or in pet shops, not a valid way to learn? This thread is about people who go online and ask for help coming up with a stock list. How do those people qualify as "too lazy to use the 'net?"

Being informed is good, I agree. But none of us were born experts. I also agree with you that people who buy on impulse before doing ANY fact finding at all are putting the animal at risk, but I didn't think that was the point of this thread. And at least they came back (to the pet shop or online) and asked questions, or else you wouldn't have overheard the conversation or seen the thread, right? So they're trying. Marine aquariums are complicated, and that's not always how they're presented to complete newbies - a lot of these people are probably ignorantly ignorant, they didn't realize there was so much to learn because they were a quick sale for the LFS, instead of an education opportunity. They may be lazy, sure. Or they may just not know any better. Instead of blaming the person, we should consider the bigger picture.

I get that we all need to sit around and complain some times. But we can also all go do something about it. If you overhear a conversation from someone new to the hobby, point them to the forum. They might not know about it, or they might have been talked into thinking marine aquariums were easy and are just now realizing they're in over their heads. Or just answer their questions right there in person. Maybe some day they'll be like us old farts with decades of experience, but we were all brand new and making mistakes once, too. When I started the hobby, I certainly didn't realize I'd one day "need" to be an expert on things like calcium dosing or microbiology or DIY'ing LED lighting.

Or if you're bothered by the types of threads in the forum, go start a thread on a topic you find more interesting. Go hang out in one of the specialty subforums instead of the reef discussion forum The forum is just a collection of it's members. If it's not what you want, go be part of the change to get it there.

 

[Dmorty217]

Some of us posses the ability to skip over a thread entirely and not post something... sounds like there needs to be a class on this :debi:

 

[CHSUB]

Blue Throat Trigger!

 

[o2manyfish]

So, what fish SHOULD I get?

I have a question. Are all of those fish currently in your 400 gallon? That's...maybe too many fish and not possible? You'd need some sort of quantum fish superposition to fit them all.

Question 1 - Well the list includes my display tank and my frag tank.

I did not include the fish in the 250g rock sump / refugium. It's got over 600lbs of live rock so never sure what's really living in it.

Maybe 6-10 Yellow Tangs
Maybe 12-25 Assorted Damsels
2 Copper banded butterflies
Giant Female Marroon - 15+ years
Tomato Clown
A few Bangai Cardinals
File Fish
Some kind of Giant 8" goby
Some kind of assorted tang
3 Sailfin Mollies
And who knows what else....



Question 2 - How did I fit them all in....

Well I had my display tank built with an entirely open top - No center braces and no lids - So I put them in through the top?



Now back to the thread....
1) I'm shocked by how far off topic some people got, and how much seriousness went into steering away from my original sarcastic intent

2) It's interesting that so far the majority of the people posting are older members.

3) My intent was not to point out stupid people, or people not willing to research their purchases... But people that get into a hobby with not knowing what they want.


Again - I have no problem answering a question like I have 4 clowns, a damsel and 3 clown gobies - Should I get file fish. Or what would be a good fish to add that's red.

But its these blind questions - Of my tank is cycled what do I get?

The clothes analogy with the the daughter is kind of on point - Other than I am sure your daughter and her friend know when they are heading to the store that they aren't buying a tuxedo, she's not going to the army surplus store (and if she is I'm not judging (please laugh at this)) and your daughter probably won't be going to buy a $1500 women's business suit.


I relate it more to a person that walks into Carmax (if they existed 30 years ago) and a guy smoking a cigar wearing a lime green polyester suit comes sauntering over and the customers says - "Hey I got a license, I got a shopping bag full of cash, what car should I get?"


And yes there is so much information available to hobbyists these days. And since they are able to post these questions which 'annoy me' that does mean they have the ability to type a question into Google.

I mean part 2 of my fervor is the question I see at least every 24 hours of someone posting a photo of their tank - "Hey my tank is 1 week old, what is this brown stuff all over my sand, rock and glass?" What do I do.


Now these people are so lazy. Every single online users group - that doesn't limit members by making them proove they have 3+ years of experience and 5 figure credit card debt directly related to this hobby - has this same question posted every single day. And these people post without scrolling, searching, or even reading the post 25 minutes eariler asking the same darn question.


And my last addition to the Rant... There is no such thing as 'Ich'

I have been in this hobby for 4 decades. I have travelled the country and the world meeting hobbyists and their aquariums.

And every time someone shows me a fish that has what they think is ICH. I cure ICH the same way - I make them clean their glasses and wipe down the front of their tank- And the ICH always goes away -

Turns out ICH isn't a fish disease - It's an abbreviation for ICKY when your glasses or aquarium glass gets dirty and dusty and your fish don't look good.

But now with the Internet this ICH becomes the excuse for why some people keep killing their fish.

---- If you took all that seriously - please find a post it note and write - "Do not ever read an o2manyfish post ever again" and stick it to your computer screen.


Dave B

 

[tonysi]

Titan trigger.....but id rather go with a pair of golden angels, joculators i dont think are as pretty to me anyways.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Dave, I think you need to just start eating your larger fish and replacing them with the same species. Then you can get some turnover with species you already know will work.

 

[hkgar]

Whatever fish you want.

 

[HippieSmell]

Question 2 - How did I fit them all in....

Well I had my display tank built with an entirely open top - No center braces and no lids - So I put them in through the top?
Dave B

Why didn't I think of that? Do you have pictures somewhere? I'm having difficulty envisioning how it would work.

 

[Jekerry]

Border collie!

Actually that would be the worst. Stick to griffs. Such cute and funny dogs.

Jane

 

[heathlindner25]

Border collie!

Actually that would be the worst. Stick to griffs. Such cute and funny dogs.

Jane

Get a real dog:wavehand:

 

[Fredfish]

So, when are you getting the dolphin?

 

[HippieSmell]

Get a real dog:wavehand:

Is the dog in your avatar real? Because if so, I want to dress him up in a little suit.

 

[Dmorty217]

Is the dog in your avatar real? Because if so, I want to dress him up in a little suit.

My pit looks exactly like his avatar picture, although he doesn't walk around like that much though...

 

[heathlindner25]

That would be weird,a few of mine..

 

[heathlindner25]

Blue and red are 6 months old, black one is mama.

 

[WVfishguy]

Some of us posses the ability to skip over a thread entirely and not post something... sounds like there needs to be a class on this :debi:

You're right. From now on, when I see certain posters I'll avoid any comment. :fun5:

 

[o2manyfish]

Titan trigger.....but id rather go with a pair of golden angels, joculators i dont think are as pretty to me anyways.

No triggers for me... LOL


The Golden angels are coming. I will end up with a trio or 4. I had a trio prior to a power outage massacre at the end of June. I had 2 of the 3 Goldens for many many years. Last year before MACNA (2016) while having some friends over to celebrate Jake Adams birthday 2 of my Golden angels came out and started spawning.

A friend who runs one of the large coral farms in Bali was here and was amazed to see the spawning Goldens. He wrote an article that was published in a French Magazine this summer they same week the power outage hit.


The Golden Angels are special to me. I was present when the first Golden Angel came into a wholesale in the United States. They are so shy and cryptic. Even with 3 in my tank It could be months without seeing them. Years ago we had a Kalk accident and lost most of our tank. 18 months after the Kalk wipe out, while editing some photos of corals I had shot there in the back ground of the photo were the Goldens. 18 months and not a single glimpse - and there they are.

I have one Golden in now, and am waiting for a friend to collect some more for me in Bali. Hopefully get a few more before the end of the year.

The Joculators on the other hand are at least always out and visible.

Even with all the high dollar fish, a Bicolor Angel to me is a pretty fish. But Bicolors and Reefs - Don't work for me. So at only 100x the price the Joculators for me are like a 'Poor Man's' Bicolor.... Haha -- I am an addict


Dave B