What this hobby can do to you!!!

IceH2O,

Saying that keeping fish is more for an old person does not offend me. But to claim that people cannot understand what they are saying because they are old is absolute bullcrap.

Used that way, being old is the same as being stupid. If you agree with that then we obviously cannot agree on this issue and should leave it there.

PC crap be damned. Whipped by what? The youth of our culture (that includes my young *** generation) think that old people don't know anything. You think that if I don't agree with that statement I should grow up? Only the ignorance of children think that people with far more experience then them can not be near as intelligent as they are. So who is the one that needs to grow up?
 
I'm 38.

I pointed out that you thinking it was meant that way you should grow up.

You don't know how it was meant, you took it one way and thats the way you believe it was meant when in actuallity it could have been meant in a totally opposite way.

Its hard to read into the attitude that a post is written.

edit:

Reread the post and its not you who thought the person meant old as an insult. I don't know who you were referring to when you brought that one up. I'll have to look back again.
 
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I think that the word "old" is being read into way too much!

I don't think that anyone is trying to be offensive.
 
Iguanamom : Your last comment.

What are YOU talking about?


Anyhow, welcome back (to the hobby that is). ;) :D
 
I come from a family of fishkeepers(father,Uncles,grandfather)I had guppies at 4 and my first 10 gallon tank when I was 6.So i have been keeping fish for 22 of my 26 years
This hobby has taught me patience,resposibility,and a deep love of nature,Its taught me how to look up information and to listen to the opinions of others,its taught me to respect animals not abuse them,its taught me my elders just might know something and to listen to what they have to say.its taught me to evaluate information and to double check much of it and finally its helped make me the mature and resposnible adult I am today-Anne
 
Well said, Anne. :clap:
 
Does this hobby tie you to the tanks and mainteinance: yes
Will this cost money: yes
Do you require patience: yes
Can your imagination allow you to enjoy your hobby more, with less time required on mainteinance and less money in the effort : yes

For example, I decided a few month ago I wanted a bigger tank. I took my (used bought) 70gl tank apart and used it to assemble an L shaped 250 gl. tank. Bought some wood and built the stand. Now I had a bigger tank for less money then the original 70gl. would have costed.

For the filtration, I got a 55gl. barrel for around 10 bucks. Used a plastic jar as the filter media holders and threw a submersible pump inside and did some PVC plumbing. A 1000+ gph wet/dry filter for around $110.

Tank mainteinance was getting boring, since it took me about 3 hours to make the 120+ gallon water change every other saturday. Went to the hardware store and bought some T conector, and a ball valve and added a syphon drain to the already existent plumbing. I spent $3, 15 minutes for the glue to dry and now I can take out all the water from the tank in about 10 minutes. While it's draining. I refill the filter sump with clean water, add the dechlorinator and as soon as it's filled, start the pump and here we go. If I'm doing a 25% change, the whole process will take now around 15 minutes. For a 50%, 25 minutes.

It was an improvement.
 
raymond_h2002 said:
There is a lot of information you can read about that has nothing to do with what you're bored of seeing (mistreatment, walmart, etc). So you must have a good grasp of biology and chemistry, how to maintain a planted tank, CO2 injection, the kH relation to pH, fertilization, breeding, raising fry... and I haven't even mentioned marine yet. How about a nano-reef for a challenge?

Money a limiting factor? How about DIY projects? Craigslist? Within a month of looking, I've already got 3 tanks for free, including a 30g with a stand and a magnum 350 for $20. Gravel/sand can be bought in 50lb bags for a few dollars if you're willing to look for what would work. Fish can be obtained from people who don't want them anymore. People who maintain planted tanks often have clippings they're literally throwing away. Split a 2L of excel with some plant nuts, build your own T8's, get some dry fertilizer, and you can maintain any planted tank under 30 gallons for over a year, all under $50. You can piece together anything. Test your creativity and ingenuity!

Maybe I'm too new to this, but I don't see the limits of this hobby being breached by anyone. I got sick of the walmart and mistreatment threads within the 3rd post I saw, so I simply stopped reading them, and moved on to more interesting things. If you're getting sick or bored, it's because you're sticking to what you already know. Learn more chemistry and biology! Test conventional knowledge and push the known limits so that you can lay claim to new boundaries.

We are in the golden age of biology. The genomes of several organisms have been sequenced, leaps are being made in stem cell research, incidences of cancer are in a decline for the first time in like 80 years.. and humans are finally beginning to understand the impact we have on our environment. Learning to balance the ecology of your mini-fishworld can have the beneficial side effect of helping you understand these important issues surrounding our lives.

You're already king of your pond; get out and explore the ocean!
Click to expand...

Wonderful post! Very inspirational!
 
just my $0.02, but I look at it almost like keeping bonsai. things need to be micromanaged and it helps you develop patience. it's almost like a form of meditation for me.

to me the key for the expense is to know when you hit the wall. this is an expensive hobby, but most people with a serious addiction to any hobby will spend a lot of money anyway. model building, gardening, any kind of pets, trading cards, building computers, or anything else will cost a lot of money if you really enjoy it and get serious about it.

I guess my overall point is that I'm sorry you aren't enjoying it, but some of it is to be expected (the expense) while othe aspects help to develop the qualities in the hobbyist that it requires.
 
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