Why the hard questions?

[Wippit Guud]

About that car analogy...

My outlook has always been kind of like if I know how to drive the car, add the gas, check the oil and do basic troubleshooting, I should be okay. I don't need to know how the whole car WORKS.

All well and good... but if you don't know how to use the car, you're going to go and kill something.

And for the newbie who's worried about the term 'water parameters test', it works the exact same way as a pregnancy test, expect you get a value, not a staight out yes or no.

(oh, and to beat the jokers to the punch, you use the aquarium water )

 

[wetmanNY]

Originally posted by Darkangel
I think there is a danger here of portraying the hobby as being more complicated then it is.

That's the essence of Darkangel's sensible point. It's a good innovation to have a separate Freshwater Newbies Forum-- we should all gear our responses to the forum we're responding in.

 

[Finzzup]

Originally posted by Wippit Guud
All well and good... but if you don't know how to use the car, you're going to go and kill something.

I know how to USE the car -- I just don't need to know about things like how the gas makes it run, what the spark plugs do, what the belt is for, etc., etc., etc.

I know how to tell when the car is out of gas and I know what to do about it. I know how to check my oil and when to change it. I can do the basic maintenance on my car (and on my Harley) and so far, I've done just fine. (I won't mention the accident... it was NOT my fault! )

It's the same thing with the aquarium to me. If I know what all these levels are supposed to be at and steps to take to get them there, I can deal with it. But try and explain HOW the ammonia gets into the tank and WHY I shouldn't do this or that, then you lose me and the whole idea sounds like a bad day in science class which I hated in the first place.

Eventually, yes, maybe I'll figure out more, but just to start out and want to have a few fish in a tank -- it's scary to read all this info!!!

I'd been reading for awhile and when that newbie forum popped up, I finally felt as if I could ask some questions! So I will continue to READ the other forums and stick with posting in the newbie area.

 

[O-man21]

RTR's got a point, I agree with him. I usually have to ask the same questions too.