I've been following a number of posts lately in the newbie and coldwater forums...
Okay....just out of curiousity, why don't some of the people who frequent this board answer the original question before lambasting the person for having too many fish in the tank? For example, I saw someone recently ask about a simple physiological aspect of goldfish, instead of a simple answer, the first 5 posts were telling the person her fish were going to die if she didn't get them into a bigger tank FAST! Her question was pushed aside, and labled "the least of her concerns". If it wasn't a concern, she wouldn't have posted it. Maybe they are in the process of setting up a new tank/getting a new tank/thinking about seperating the fish as they get older. Maybe growing them indoors BEFORE putting them in a pond outside. We don't know any of the details, nor are we willing to give the person the benefit of the doubt. We just know the tank is overcrowded and we fall upon them like the fabled cow who was eaten by piranha.
Okay, so if the tank IS overcrowded, and the person DOES need advice about that, but every question they post does NOT need the header similar to "Your tanks is too crowded your fish are ALL going to die!!". Tone down the accusations and remember, that we aren't all expert fishkeepers and may have made the error of relying on the advice, however misguided, of our LFS staff and friends who once had fish.
We have the possibility to change the way new people care for their aquariums, but let's remember that we all were once in their same shoes, sometimes misguided and worried about our fish. I've seen this same problem a lot recently. New people come here for questions and advice, not to be bombarded every time they post. Let's educate and not guilt-trip the uninformed. They have to have a chance to learn, not put off by our own overzealousness.
Okay....just out of curiousity, why don't some of the people who frequent this board answer the original question before lambasting the person for having too many fish in the tank? For example, I saw someone recently ask about a simple physiological aspect of goldfish, instead of a simple answer, the first 5 posts were telling the person her fish were going to die if she didn't get them into a bigger tank FAST! Her question was pushed aside, and labled "the least of her concerns". If it wasn't a concern, she wouldn't have posted it. Maybe they are in the process of setting up a new tank/getting a new tank/thinking about seperating the fish as they get older. Maybe growing them indoors BEFORE putting them in a pond outside. We don't know any of the details, nor are we willing to give the person the benefit of the doubt. We just know the tank is overcrowded and we fall upon them like the fabled cow who was eaten by piranha.
Okay, so if the tank IS overcrowded, and the person DOES need advice about that, but every question they post does NOT need the header similar to "Your tanks is too crowded your fish are ALL going to die!!". Tone down the accusations and remember, that we aren't all expert fishkeepers and may have made the error of relying on the advice, however misguided, of our LFS staff and friends who once had fish.
We have the possibility to change the way new people care for their aquariums, but let's remember that we all were once in their same shoes, sometimes misguided and worried about our fish. I've seen this same problem a lot recently. New people come here for questions and advice, not to be bombarded every time they post. Let's educate and not guilt-trip the uninformed. They have to have a chance to learn, not put off by our own overzealousness.
