Why so many Problems?

[Paul B]

I am on here once or twice a day and almost all the posts are about problems.
I just searched on here for "problems" and you get about 879 pages about all sorts of things that either went wrong, are going wrong, are wrong now, or they knew someone that everything went wrong, it's just wrong.

Then I searched for the word "fantastic" and I came up with things like "my new Chrysler is fantastic" My girlfriend is fantastic, My wife is a fantastic cook, my feet look fantastic, Christie Brinkley was fantastic, American Idol is fantastic, I just ate a salami hero that was fantastic, but no one comes on here to say that their tank is fantastic with no problems.
Why is that?

Isn't this a hobby? And should we join a hobby that is nothing but problems?:uhoh2:

I don't have problems, Never. Why? Because I don't perceive these occurances as problems. They are part of my hobby that I wanted to be a part of so anything that happens is just part of the hobby.

99.9% of the stuff that is perceived to be a problem is our fault. Those fish in our tanks were happily swimming in Tahiti minding their own business when some Jaboni with a net scooped them up to sell to us so we can complain that it got "pop eye", "cotton wool leasions", "Black ich, white ich, pink ich, ich ich, velvet, satin, felt, cordoroy, dropsy or swim bladder disease.

Do you know why fish get these things? Because they are sick and tired of hearing us complain. They are fed up to here, (my hand is under my chin)
with "problems" and just want to live in piece.

 

[thor109]

I update my build ever few weeks with videos and pictures saying things are going good, rarely does anyone comment. If you ask what is killing your what ever or why algae won't go away hundreds chime in. It's like reading reviews, people are more likely to act when ****ed off than when happy.

 

[sponger0]

I update my build ever few weeks with videos and pictures saying things are going good, rarely does anyone comment. If you ask what is killing your what ever or why algae won't go away hundreds chime in. It's like reading reviews, people are more likely to act when ****ed off than when happy.

Maybe there are jealous that your tank looks good, and all they have a is a glass filled container with problems lol.

No such thing as a problem, but an opportunity to be better.

 

[Digitalelectric]

I think a lot of people log on and like to give advice. I know I do. When you see threads about someones tank being successful then there is obviously no need to give advice Plus theres nothing I cant stand more than seeing a pic of someones reef followed by two hundred "Nice!"s

 

[Paul B]

I think a lot of people log on and like to give advice. I know I do

I sometimes give advice but I have been severly limiting that lately. Too many arguements. I no longer go on ich threads, hair algae or ground probes.
I am trying hard to stay away from DSBs also.
Most people don't like my advice anyway, too Geezerly, they sneakily send me PMs if they are interested in something that I may have an idea about. :worried:

I guess people don't search for an answer before they ask something that has been posted hundreds if not thousands of times, things like feeding mandarins, how much to feed a tank, how soon to put in corals, how many fish to a gallon, does my fish have ich? It is covered in spots and breathing hard and twitching? Can I keep seahorses in a one gallon tank?
What is the best substrait, how much water to change? Does Paris Hilton have a fish tank? etc. :hmm3:
I just don't feel all of these things are problems but a chance to learn.
I have a thread on here I started in 2005 and I don't think there are many problems mentioned. But I forgot most of it so I can't swear to it.
No, don't go on it to read, it, it is old and forgotten about, even by me.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1576983&goto=nextnewest

 

[Digitalelectric]

Yea I try not to give advice on anything that Im not 100% on. For instance you brought up grounding probes. I know for a fact that I lost a couple hundreds bucks in fish due to loose current. I couldnt figure out for the life of me why I could keep SPS corals and a deresa clam happy as a clown, yet lose all of my fish. Finally one day I was barefoot and stepped in a puddle and had a cut on my finger, zapped the crap out of that cut when I touched the water. Went and got a 9 dollar grounding probe and connected it to my ground. Got new fish, and 3 months later theyre fat, dumb, and happy.

So I try to only give experienced advice. Now when I see a thread like whatshisface that swore by algae turf scrubbers a few years back, I stay the heck away from those threads.

 

[Paul B]

So I try to only give experienced advice

I do also which is why I don't go on ground probe threads any more. I consider myself experienced on ground probes being I was a master construction electrician in Manhattan for 40 years and have grounded everything from antenna's on the top of the Empire State Building to little gold fish ponds and many fountains, waterfalls and pools in buildings.
So I figure I know a little about grounds but you get so many stupid arguements that I just opt out now.
GFCI's also or as we call them in the trade GFIs. When the things were invented I had to go to school for them by the first company that sold them so I also have some experience there. I installed thousands of them. But again, too many arguements so I just let people duke it out and hope no one gets electricuted.
I am "not" real good about dosing or mixing chemicals so I don't go there. I know what I do and I know what works for me but I let the "experts" get into that. (I also don't dose anything but calcium)
I think in the fifty plus years I have kept every fish that has ever been sold and If I have had luck with a particular fish I will give advice about it. Not if I have only had one of that type of fish, but many. Then someone who started in the hobby on tuesday will argue that their mandarin looks great after 3 days and he feeds it spaghetti or that their 3 week old bubble coral looks so good because his whale oil lamps provide just the right spectrum or that a moorish Idol is such an easy fish because he has one for a month and he even eats cardboard. They all eat cardboard, but I won't tell him that.
I love this stuff. :lol:

 

[mistacheese]

Paul, you make me laugh. I really enjoy your posts, and find your questions of the hobby thoughtful.

I find it amusing how hopeful most are that they will have a TOTM or as I like to call it 'Reef Art' without any headache. It really seems that one figures they won't have the time or headaches that others do, and when something about their 'reef art' looks off they panic. It's as if someone just painted green across their Monet original.

I have truly been made a better reefer thanks to you. I mean that. In the beginning I too was after my "Reef Art" perfection. It wasn't for about a year and a half that I realized I had it all along, it was just different then I had expected.

Now every single thing that happens in my tank is watched with wonder. I don't think I could have appreciated the challenges I experienced getting here, if it wasn't for seeing your patience, approach, and attitude.

ANYWAY, thanks for keeping us on our toes! Nothing better than a discussion about, well, really anything. Wait, one thing better then that, a discussion over a beer about anything...

Mista Cheese

 

[thor109]

Paul, I'm pretty sure you wrote a post I read about 6 months ago about not panicking. I don't excited about anything. I just watch and deal with things slowly. It's funny to see people get so worked up about little things. Every tank will go through every problem, its easier if you just except it and wait for it to happen. What's that old saying something like , "this too, will pass".

 

[seapug]

I suspect the reason is the wise hobbyist knows that the quickest way to curse yourself is to come on here and brag about how awesome your tank is.

If Uncle Murphy gets wind of it, you will be immediately punished with jumping fish, bleached corals and endless fields of wrist deep bryopsis. :fun2:

 

[Paul B]

Paul, you make me laugh

Are you calling me funny looking?

and when something about their 'reef art' looks off they panic.

Right now my clam is up side down and laying on a SPS frag, the urchin re arranges things like that. I am sitting 6' from the tank but don't want to stick my hands in there right now so that clam will have to be patient for a while. There are also some long stalks of hair algae hanging on some gorgonians but I told them the same thing I told to the clam, be patient, I will get to it. One large gorgonian is laying across the baby brine shrimp feeder and the mandarins and scooter bleeny are scratching curses on the inside of the glass with arrows pointing at me because they can't get to the feeder. I am bigger than them so they don't scare me.
A giant mushroom is growing over some small acropora frags but they are glued in and I don't feel like breaking them off. There are others that will grow just fine, survival of the fittest.

A little while ago I was watching a large bristle worm in my surface skimmer (that feeds my protein skimmer) I knew he was going to crawl into the protein skimmer inlet and clog up the pump. Yep, thats where he is and the thing just about stopped. I will let him think about his actions until tonight so he learns not to go in there again.
When I open the thing up I am sure it will also be full of those little brittle stars, they also need a lesson.
These things are not problems, nothing about a fish hobby is a problem as long as nothing is leaking, that is a problem especially if you are married, if you are not married just put a bucket under it and go out for a beer.
I don't spend time peering at the fish looking for paracites, there will be none.
When I was in Viet Nam it was a court martial offence if you got malaria.
My fish know the consequences if they get a paracite, so they never get any.
I have a picture of a toilet bowl suspended over the tank just to remind them where their next stop is if they are not careful. :sad2:

I tested the nitrates today. I almost never do that but someone gave me a test kit so I feel bad about not using it. I am a little bored today because our daughter is due (yesterday actually) to have a baby so we didn't go out on the boat today expecting to go to the hospital. I will have to go to a LFS after this just because I can, then the owner can tell me al the problems he has. :dance:

Look at all the hair algae I had in the tank in this picture. I don't remember how old that picture is but it can't be over 18 years old as I still have that fire clown. I didn't see this as a problem, I just figured I was a really good horticulturest.

 

[sponger0]

I have a picture of a toilet bowl suspended over the tank just to remind them where their next stop is if they are not careful. :sad2:

I will have to go to a LFS after this just because I can, then the owner can tell me al the problems he has. :dance:

I just figured I was a really good horticulturest.

Lmao thanks for the good laugh...I needed it today

 

[Paul B]

I just bought some blue zinia, or Xinia I forgot how to spell it.
I got a good buy and they are looking happy. The urchin is eyeing them up and trying to figure out if he can lift it. It is fairly heavy but I think he can do it and tomorrow I will glue it to a bowling ball so he can't move it. It is about as big as a baseball.
I also bought some blackworms, I don't know how you guys keep fish without feeding worms.
I know many people have problems, or at least sincerely feel they have problems with their tank but I feel there are much more important things to have problems with.
If I think I am having a fish tank problem, I go to a bar.......... In Bora Bora

 

[thor109]

My 75 is looking pretty good now a days.




I have some hair algae growing behind this shelf. I've been watching it for a couple months, nobody wants to eat it. I maybe I should stop feeding them for a few days.

 

[Paul B]

I kind of like it just where it is.

 

[ReefDetective]

Paul B. You are an inspiration to me and many others on here. If you can keep a reeftank in the 70's with limited equipment and information, then we should be able to now. It just takes persistence, and you are the most persistant reefer I know!

 

[b0bab0ey]

Most of my "problems" seem to begin and end with fish diseases. Pretty much every fish I've bought over the past 2 years has had something I had to treat for in QT. Some I saved, some I lost. Right now I have a flatworm outbreak in my coral/invert QT. I don't like using chemicals unless I absolutely have to, so I would love to just put a wrasse in there to take care of the problem. But, of course, I have to QT one for 2 months first, or he'll probably get sick and die in there.

Paul, these fish diseases are really zapping all the fun out of the hobby for me.

 

[Digitalelectric]

Sounds like your LFS sucks.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I think a lot of people log on and like to give advice. I know I do.

I think this is the reason for extended threads about problems. People like to help.

 

[dzfish17]

Paul, I have a problem with you not having any problems... now, go get a problem and let us try to fix it. I'm not quite as old as you (Im 48) but Ive been around long enough to see exactly what you are talking about. Im in construction too (painter for 30+ yrs) and have dealt with plenty of real "problems".

My parents divorced when I was 13 and I got kicked out of the house at 16 and had to fend for myself. Ive been through a lot of things that most of the folks on here will never have to go through. Ive been addicted to drugs and alcohol and managed to quit both... although I did lose two younger siblings due to drug abuse. After you go through something like that you are just glad to be alive. Lucky for me, I found a great woman that took the time to help me get my life turned around. With her help I got my contractors license and have done pretty good.

I do think its a lot easier for folks like us because we have seen and dealt with so many real "problems" that the fish stuff just becomes "easier" in comparison. Guys like us (you more) have also been around aquariums for so long that we approach things with a little more patience than the "new" aquarists. Most of the folks on here that have an "emergency" now, will probably look back in a few years and wonder why they made things so complicated.

Keep having fun you "old geezer"... and congrats on the grandbaby.