View Full Version : Fish Keeper Stereotypes?
jac8724
06-15-2007, 3:14 AM
So my husband and I were watching TV and saw a commercial for a new horror movie. Arent there so many that seem to be coming out lately? who is watching all these films? Him, being a entrepreneur, and marketing guru, led us into a discussion over what kind of people watch these horror movies...young male teenagers? Older single guys? My response was "nah, i bet theyre like people who keep fish, totally random. People from all across the board."
His response was "No way! Fish keepers are control freaks. They need their own little environment that they can control." Then i thought about all the people i know who keep fish, only a small handful, but i was like, omg, maybe we are control freaks. Has anyone every thought about this? Is he right? Do you consider yourself a bit of a control freak?
Reefscape
06-15-2007, 5:00 AM
to certain degree yes, i would say that fish keepers are control freaks when it comes to their tanks. Because if we were not in control of what is happening to our systems, with regards to things going in or things coming out, it simply would not thrive and flourish and be the beautifull systems that aquarists have.
Just an opinion
Niko
Dwarf Puffers
06-15-2007, 6:47 AM
Ummm... Not really... I try to set up my tanks the best so my fish will show their best colors, thus be the happiest, and the next goal is breeding :idea:
I dunno... maybe a little.
I try to have my tanks work with as little attention to them as possible BUT also with keeping the best conditions for my fish as possible. I don't think I'm a control FREAK but I do like things to work out the way I like.
Q
lazyNode
06-15-2007, 7:44 AM
"No way! Fish keepers are control freaks. They need their own little environment that they can control."
LMAO. I always say, my aquarium is my own little eco-system.
I don't think I am a control freak in general. But when it comes to my aquarium, I have strict rules about it. Like how my mum wants to add an oscar to the tank. My answer is a firm "no". Or how my partner wants a dwarf gourami. I'm doubtful about adding a gourami to the tank with my existing angels, so I've convinced her that we can add platies to the tank. I've held off adding platies for 2 months now. Hee hee.
Does that make me a control freak?
I know many of you will say, of course not, it's common sense not to add an oscar to a community tank. But maybe to my friends and family, they probably think that I am a little obsessed with my tank. Just a little. ;)
Oh, and in other aspects of life, (there's more to fish-keeping??)... Yeah, I can be a control freak if control is needed.
DarkSoul
06-15-2007, 8:35 AM
I would have to say that I guess I am a little bit of a control freak. With my tank setup it would be hard to argue otherwise.... I want to know whats going in the water, and whats already in it etc. two dual TDS meters, 3 pressure gauges, a UV sterilizer pre-filtering water feeding my 6 stage RO+DI unit says im a bit of a control freak :)
I do like to have control over most aspects of my life, and im a nut for timing(IE if you say your going to be 5 mins, it better be 5 mins... same goes for me) but im fully aware that I cant control everything...
I say I'm not.... everyone else in my life says I am. Just for that, I'm not making them dinner. :silly:
J double R
06-15-2007, 10:42 AM
what? my temp is 2 degrees off? I'll be right back..
WHO CHANGED MY HEATER SETTINGS?~!
captaincaveman9
06-15-2007, 10:48 AM
what?!?!?! me?!?!?!? controling? nahhhh ;)
legendaryfrog
06-15-2007, 10:59 AM
I'll admit to being called "controlling" more than a few times in my life.......
THEJRC
06-15-2007, 11:54 AM
depends on the type of control freak I suppose.... I'm an IT consultant, in my business there are a billion things you cant control and a few million or so that you can.... so you play more of a balancing act than a control freak. Requires thinking, planning, and the ability to act quickly when nothing goes along with your thinking and planning.
I'm noticing my reef tank is starting to get similar, it's a challenge but it's not a challenge that ever ends. Think of a video game, eventually you end up amazingly good (or not) and thats that, even the online ones that never really have an ending have a development cycle which is typically much slower than the user curve. With my tank I have the challenge of re-creating mother nature and playing balancing act along with a whole slew of new project capabilities to satisfy my DIY tinkering urges.
and realizing that I stopped in the middle of typing this to adjust a power head because it just wasnt right tells me that everything I just said is 100% BS and I am in fact a control freak.....
KnaveTO
06-15-2007, 12:10 PM
hmmm... control freak... okay maybe
tank perfectionist... definately
Malbri
06-15-2007, 12:18 PM
Well we all know im just a freak in general.......
mostlycichlids
06-15-2007, 12:36 PM
Controll freak...No, Perfectionist ...yes! And on the horror movie note, I Love Horror movies but a lot of the new ones are PG-13. Now why the F*** would anyone make a PG-13 Horror movie. I like to be in controll I guess you could say!
jac8724
06-15-2007, 1:02 PM
hehe great to see the replies.
Keeping fish has to say something about our characters.
We all have to have something in common deep in our psyche that makes us want to do this!
Keeping fish seems to have nothing to do with age, gender, goegraphic location. And i think the statements about being perfectionists is totally accurate and necessary for this hobby!
Dwarf Puffers
06-15-2007, 3:11 PM
I'll agree that you need to have more than a hint of perfectionism to work this hobby right :cheers:
247Plants
06-15-2007, 4:19 PM
When the scape just doesnt look right and you spend 8-10 hours redoing it until its just perfect.....then spend 4 hours thinking "Should I have put this over there?" before changing it again....
If thats what you mean then I probably fit into that category.
I dont think i'm a control freak... not at all... i have no problem going out on a friday night and not having an opinion on what we do and just going with the flow...
...but among my group of friends i'd been nominated "the decision maker" which is okay with me cause i can make sure things are done right... and our weekends arent a drag... although i recently retired from this position with the aquisition of my girlfriend... sorry guys.
haha... so i guess in a sense i am in certain situations.
mee-mee
06-15-2007, 7:26 PM
I am known to many of my friends and co-workers as a freak...hey that is okay...but when it comes to the 80 hubby is the control freak...the 29 is my domain....we like our waters to be clean and have healthy fish...perfectionists to the tanks well heck yeah.....
Weezer
06-15-2007, 7:34 PM
The fish are controlling, we feed them{they eat better than we do} at a certain time{they know} we vacuum there homes, give them baths{water changes} give them light, build houses for them, filter there environment, WHO'S LAUGHING NOW ---- THEY ARE ......:headbang2:
jac8724
06-15-2007, 9:09 PM
The fish are controlling, we feed them{they eat better than we do} at a certain time{they know} we vacuum there homes, give them baths{water changes} give them light, build houses for them, filter there environment, WHO'S LAUGHING NOW ---- THEY ARE ......:headbang2:
HAHAHAHAHAHA love it:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Fungi
06-15-2007, 10:54 PM
When the scape just doesnt look right and you spend 8-10 hours redoing it until its just perfect.....then spend 4 hours thinking "Should I have put this over there?" before changing it again....
If thats what you mean then I probably fit into that category.
That sounds a lot like fish OCD