When I reply to a thread...

[OrionGirl]

Just curious how many people are responding with personal experience, research, reliable source, and rumor.

For me, it depends on the question. If someone is asking about fish behavior, I answer only if I have experience with that fish or a closely related species that has similar behavior. For questions on products, I will indicate if I have abrand preference, or specific experience with the product in question. For tank maintenance, cycling, and such, I use my own experience in combination with the research and reliable sources I've found. If I have no idea, I do not respond unless I know of a good source of information that may help out (ie, planetcatfish/fishbase for ID'ing fish).

So, what are your habits?

[demon_surfer]

I cant vote cause i use a combination!

usually its either personal experience or research but it is also sometimes something i heard from a trusted source.

Im alittle ashamed to say but I do sometimes even do the vague rumor thing...but I always try to say that Im just saying this as a possibility that you might want to examine before you do this. If you know what I mean!


and you forgot to include the - I respond with complete gibberish to confuse and annoy!

and the - to provide little facts to show off how much of a smart *** I am! *cough*chilldawg*cough*cough*

jk dont hit me omg!

[stoopid]

I usually spin the wheel of morality. Sometimes it's cause I've learned something about the topic/question. Sometimes I just want to know a fish suffered because of my bad advice :p.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by demon_surfer
I cant vote cause i use a combination!..... Exactly, I can't either..

I do know I am not a Biologist, nor would I attempt to impersonate one! Which will soon bring about an R/O - TDS question I'm dying to ask the experts! :)

(edit)----
Awhile back I do remember asking the SeaChem company about clarifying a question or 2 about one of their great products, and the CEO of the company showed up here and verified a point I was trying to make.
Research is good... :)

[mogurnda]

Well, I am a biologist, but much of what I do for a living is irrelevant to fishkeeping. Most of the time, I try to post from personal experience. I have tried a lot of stuff, and I can even remember some of it.

If it's something I have read about extensively, or it happens to be something that I am involved with professonally (e.g., arthropod physiology/neurobiology/genetics) then I figure my opinion is also worth something.

I will occasionally spout off about something without checking the source, and usually regret it. (is that the confuse and annoy box?)

I try to let people know where a particular opinion comes from, so that they can decide for themselves what it's worth.

[OrionGirl]

As indicated, I understand that most people use a combinatin, depending on the topic, but I am interested in your primary source. IE--most frequent source, not exclusive.

[demon_surfer]

well for that Im gonna say research...but in that I am counting reading these and a couple of other boards and talking to my LFS owner as research :D

[ChilDawg]

I'm going with research and then throwing in an irrelevant fact or two...Did you know that Barbus pentazona juveniles are used to make a fish sauce?

Seriously, I read a lot, and I try to help enlighten with what I have read. Sometimes that flies directly in the face of the experience of others, but I know mostly generalities and very little about individual cases (except with regard to Bettas).

[delmore]

I try to post using first hand experience. If I don't have the first hand experience I make that very clear in the post.

[Cearbhaill]

If "combination" is a bad answer, I'll go with equal parts personal experience and research.
Personal experience because I have some :p :p :p
And research because having Google in your toolbar makes it so easy.

[RTR]

I prefer personal experience, research or historic info only if I have really dug ito it for validation. When I know I'm spouting something controversial I'm likely to pepper IMHO, IME, YMMV into the post, or cite the refs. But I'm most comfortable with the things I have done myself.

Once upon a time I was biologist, although technically a physiologist/biochemist, but I'm afraid now that it was long ago in a different galaxy.

[WolfPup522]

I read - alot. Most of the info I give is through research because I've only been fishkeeping for several months. Some suggestions are experienced based, but for obvious reasons, not many. When I do pass on research, I try to say "I read...." to clarify that I have no experience on the particular topic.

[Matak]

Like the others, mine is a a combination of the above. If I am at all doubtfull, or nor even sure, I will qualify it by saying 'as far as I remember' or 'I'm not 100% sure of this but' or 'would an expert on this topic please sound off about this'.

[Slappy*McFish]

I gaze into my crystal ball.

[Dangerdoll]

I usually start from personal experience and then If I feel a little vague about anything, I do a little research.... I find that sometimes all the reasearch in the world doesn't match up to personal experience in some cases and I'd more trust personal experience over anything else.

[125gJoe]

Originally posted by Slappy*McFish
I gaze into my crystal ball.

Hah!

Where did you find an aquarium shaped like that!? :D

[Pink Pat]

I use experience. Like Robert, I started in this hobby long, long ago. Back in the day there was no internet for the rapid exchange of information. I used seriously outdated library books by Herbert Axelrod to get enough information to start my initial foray into the hobby and it was 'touchy-feely' from there on out. A lot of what I know now is because of what I didn't know then.

Of course, like many of you, I've learned a tremendous amount of information by participating in boards like this one, but I usually won't comment on those things I do not have actual, hands on experience with.

You asked.

PP

[Matak]

One thing I think that we can all agree on is that a lot of the info we get from the LFS needs to be qualified. My LFS is run by a terrific pair of gals yet they still believe that amquel is the solution for everything. :rolleyes:

[Dahlia]

Although I am constantly researching I usually don't post unless it comes from my own experience. Sometimes I'll post a website address or list a book title if I know a great one on a subject someone is asking about. If that is the case I mention that it is a website I found and not something I have firsthand experience with. Because I've found so many publications to be untrue, only true some of the time, or incomplete, I usually like to have seen it for myself before I give it as my personal advice/opinion/fact.

It all depends on the question... and I think I ask more than I answer!

[carpguy]

I'm a reader (my stacks still outweigh my humble tank by quite a bit, although I'm hoping to correct). I checked research before reading through the thread, knowing that it was a combo but liking to think I try to stay on solid ground. Even so, I've learned quite a bit out here by being corrected.

I research. I've researched most heavily in the areas I'm most interested in. Researchwise, I know more about the fish and the conditions and the circumtances I have experience with. Research and experience tend to correlate. These are also the areas where I've sought out the advices of a trusted third party.

My only trusted third parties are (some of) you folks :D. I don't know anyone else who keeps fish (I know a few others who own fish, they just don't tend to keep them ;) :( ).

[Dabbler II]

I have done alot of research, but I only give info on what I have done and what works for me. We all have different habitats and different equipment in our homes and what works for me may not work for you. Our water is different ( from well water to city water) It all has its own varables. One can only try things out with an educated guess:cool: