I try to only ask for help, rather than feedback or suggestions, when I simply can't find anything about the topic anywhere else. For example, I asked a question about screw-in LED light bulbs in aquariums, back when these were still rather a novelty. (By the way, this forum is great for questions about electrical issues since there are many people who work in that field on this forum!)
When a fish is sick, you can read and read and still be uncertain what to do, or if you've done the right thing. I understand the desire to post an urgent request for help, but I find it's usually much better to make as educated a guess as you can based on literature (such as: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwdistrbshtart.htm) because it is really no help at all to post something and then have people give you all sorts of conflicting advice as to how to proceed. It's quite different when you are asking "is what I did ok?" vs. "what do I do now?"
There is a wealth of information in books and reliable websites. You'll notice that it doesn't tend to disagree with each other very much either, and if it does, then err on the side of caution for the best success. If one book recommends a minimum of a 30 gallon tank for a firemouth cichlid and one recommends a 55, which do you think would be better? Also, just use your common sense, people...put a ruler against a 30 gallon tank. Does it look like a 6" fish will look right in a tank that is 30" long?
Seriously Fish is one place where I trust the profiles given without question. I wish there were more websites like that, however a website like that takes a lot of resources to create and maintain, so it's not surprising that there aren't too many of them (vs. dime a dozen forums, no offense to this one).
Everyone who is old enough to write essays and term papers ought to know how to distinguish good websites from bad websites. I encourage everyone to find a reputable source of non-dynamic (aka already written) information and stick with that, rather than latch on to one forum or one particular group of posters for advice, because for one thing it doesn't help you learn to think critically to ask questions and wait for answers. I can't believe the amount of "HELP PLZ NOW!!!" sort of topics that are posted, usually with someone writing "anyone??" like half an hour later. Are you SERIOUSLY waiting [hours sometimes] for someone to tell you what kind of medicine to buy, instead of researching it yourself?
When a fish is sick, you can read and read and still be uncertain what to do, or if you've done the right thing. I understand the desire to post an urgent request for help, but I find it's usually much better to make as educated a guess as you can based on literature (such as: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fwdistrbshtart.htm) because it is really no help at all to post something and then have people give you all sorts of conflicting advice as to how to proceed. It's quite different when you are asking "is what I did ok?" vs. "what do I do now?"
There is a wealth of information in books and reliable websites. You'll notice that it doesn't tend to disagree with each other very much either, and if it does, then err on the side of caution for the best success. If one book recommends a minimum of a 30 gallon tank for a firemouth cichlid and one recommends a 55, which do you think would be better? Also, just use your common sense, people...put a ruler against a 30 gallon tank. Does it look like a 6" fish will look right in a tank that is 30" long?
Seriously Fish is one place where I trust the profiles given without question. I wish there were more websites like that, however a website like that takes a lot of resources to create and maintain, so it's not surprising that there aren't too many of them (vs. dime a dozen forums, no offense to this one).
Everyone who is old enough to write essays and term papers ought to know how to distinguish good websites from bad websites. I encourage everyone to find a reputable source of non-dynamic (aka already written) information and stick with that, rather than latch on to one forum or one particular group of posters for advice, because for one thing it doesn't help you learn to think critically to ask questions and wait for answers. I can't believe the amount of "HELP PLZ NOW!!!" sort of topics that are posted, usually with someone writing "anyone??" like half an hour later. Are you SERIOUSLY waiting [hours sometimes] for someone to tell you what kind of medicine to buy, instead of researching it yourself?
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