I'm new here, but I think a lot of confusion starts at the very beginning when the newbie goes to the big dept store to look at fish, and you see these huge 6" goldfish, probably 8-10 in a 10 gallon tank. When you ask about it, they might say, 'We just got our shipment yesterday, most will sell by the end of the week."
When enough people walk by 'admiring' these fish, it gets into their heads that this is what a tank should 'look like' (over-crowded).
I don't know what kind of filtration system these dept stores have or how they keep their fish alive in these crowed conditions, but to the new guy,-if the store is successful using this technique, then they figure they should be also. Most new people to the hobby model their decisions based on what they 'see' going on around them.
On to another subject that maybe should be in the newbie forum- I read that a goldfish's memory is only 3 minutes long. That doesn't seem right to me AT ALL. How would my fish remember that it's me that feeds them? - they do a dance & make eye contact with me each time they see me (which is NOT less than every three minutes). And they react to the fin-nipper before he ever even nips them, because they 'remember' who & what he is.......
There is so much conflicting information out there. Fish, IMO, are probably the most mismanaged pet(s) in the USA, and I think it stems from the way fish are treated and housed by the middlemen. These are the examples that the public sees. They don't get to meet, talk to, and see the actual fish experts.
Maybe something I said here will help to change the staus quo, or possibly implement some kind of hands-on mentorship program for beginners.
Thank you for providing a great forum!
~Dawn
When enough people walk by 'admiring' these fish, it gets into their heads that this is what a tank should 'look like' (over-crowded).
I don't know what kind of filtration system these dept stores have or how they keep their fish alive in these crowed conditions, but to the new guy,-if the store is successful using this technique, then they figure they should be also. Most new people to the hobby model their decisions based on what they 'see' going on around them.
On to another subject that maybe should be in the newbie forum- I read that a goldfish's memory is only 3 minutes long. That doesn't seem right to me AT ALL. How would my fish remember that it's me that feeds them? - they do a dance & make eye contact with me each time they see me (which is NOT less than every three minutes). And they react to the fin-nipper before he ever even nips them, because they 'remember' who & what he is.......
There is so much conflicting information out there. Fish, IMO, are probably the most mismanaged pet(s) in the USA, and I think it stems from the way fish are treated and housed by the middlemen. These are the examples that the public sees. They don't get to meet, talk to, and see the actual fish experts.
Maybe something I said here will help to change the staus quo, or possibly implement some kind of hands-on mentorship program for beginners.
Thank you for providing a great forum!
~Dawn
