SWilkins

This question has bugged me on several occasions and I just have to bring it up.

Most everybody that sees you keep fish think you have loads of money. Why is this? Is this just because we have a severe case of MTS and have fish of many different sorts.....hummm? Yes I am getting a fish room and I have worked really hard to get this IMO. I do love to raise fish and I think it is the greatest hobby to have. I also list things on Aquabid and Ebay occasionally but nothing major and nothing that is going to make me a millionaire by any means. I am sure I spend more on Aquabid than I sell by a long shot! Yes I do raise Electric Blue Jack Dempseys but I do it for the challenge of it and the love of those fish and not for money. If they only knew how long it really took to get these fish to a decent size!!! I have actually had people ask why I work when I have all these fish. Hee hee. I guess they think I run an LFS I don't know. One of my favorite things about this is sending fish or whatever to friends and I can tell you which friend sent me which fish in this or that tank...those are my special babies!

Maybe this is just me letting off some steam but I was just curious as to how you all felt about this and if you get the same reaction? I think only the true "fish person" will understand what I am saying here. Don't get me wrong I would love for this to be my job that would be the greatest job in the world but I just don't see that happening. Or maybe I am just crazier than I thought I was all along?

eiginh

Not sure why, but it's always good to blow off steam

iloveengl

I guess on a similar note is how people criticize us for spending money on our tanks (and cats). My husband and I are beyond broke. My teacher's salary and his 9-5 job barely cover our school loans and other bills. We buy thrift and second-hand and live off a food budget in a tiny apartment so that we can make a nice life for our pets - and we like it that way. No, we don't go out to eat, or to movies, or buy fancy things, but we don't care about that stuff! We have three cats and three tanks and we love them all. I'd rather spend $16 on a 3 pound bag of organic nutritious cat food without by-products and corn meal or spend $8 on frozen blood worms if it means my animals are going to be healthy and live long lives.

*Sigh* Sorry. Solidarity rant? I guess it's just that not everyone understands financial priorities of pet-lovers.

TFA101

I've been asked if I'm a spoiled child, get allowance, or if I'm rich, all those answers are no. All of my setups are cheap. I have 3 simple setups, a 5, 2.5 and 20 gallons, nothing fancy. plus, most of the fish i have are family, the few adults i do buy breed very often in the tank (excluding the bettas in the 5 and 2.5 gallon). Then people ask why i don't sell my fish...

... maybe if there was another solitary soul in this town with a tropical fish tank I might consider going into a breeding buisness. unfortunately, people don't understand my passion and they lack aquariums of there own, and so therefore, they should refrain from attempting to manipulate my fishkeeping plans.

I agree SWilkins we're in this together

SWilkins

I guess in looking around yes I do have a lot of tanks but as we all know Craigslist is just great for cheap tanks. Friends that have given up the hobby have passed tanks on to me knowing that I would make very good use of them. And some other friends that had collected loads of tanks to repair (they know who they are) and never got around to it just gave them to us. Tommy takes the broken tanks and repairs them so that we can use them. Not to mention the great deals you can get on tanks, plants, and fish at auctions. Most of my fish foods come from Kens and we know what great deals you get on foods there.

Nate McFin

Yeah its just the Salty folks who are loaded.

ilikefish

agreed

Slug

You will be amazed at how the salties really arn't anywhere better then us. A certain percentage of them sure, but salty folks generally are much more ingenious then FW folks when it comes to DIY projects. And coral frags can be bought cheap, grown and fragged again so its really not that big of a profit anywhere.

Agreed though. I hate this too, especially connected with certain species like Discus or Plecos. It can be a nice income for a hobby generated thing, but its definitely not anything huge. I'd love to breed discus one day, but not for the money. I'd rather give away 10 of my discus to a younger hobbyist wanting to keep discus then sell 10 somewhere else. Its all about the fish for me. I have big plans once i start breeding again. Lots of donations (fry/fish) for club auctions proceeds to the club, younger members wanting to get into discus, etc.

Some of you might remember Dino and Chiefwaterchanger that used to frequent this site a while back. 2 of the NICEST and best guys in the hobby today. They've never done it for the money and have given away many fish on more then one occasion. Dino handed me a bag of 13 Albino BN plecos one day at the local club auction just for the fact that i stated i wanted to get some. We need more hobbyists like this.

I'm only 23 but i'm huge on the younger hobbyists. They are our future, and the future of this hobby so why not help them out the best we can. If i have the means to, like extra fish or tanks i'm not using, i'm more then willing.

aquarist48

Good morning. Good thread! Many people just don't know how to shop. Chef and I clip coupons (like you wouldn't belive) an example: Three years ago Chef and I kept track of every penny that we saved by using coupons, grocery store VIP cards, buy 1 get 1 free, we kept every receipt that said "you saved" this amount for 12 months. I wrote a check for every amount we saved on the receipt and opened a special checking account. By the end of the year we had saved $1,200.00! Now that is a nice chunk of change It sooo came in handy at Christmas that year. Too, we rented a car and took a road trip to see my family for the holidays. Chef can shop like no man I have ever seen, when it comes to savings. He checks every sale paper, matches coupons to the sales and we're off to the stores. We don't just go to 1 grocery store when we go shopping we go to 3 before all is said and done. The cashiers usually have to call for the manager to insert the special little key due to the fact that we have saved so much money.So we hold up the line a bit. BooHoo Now days it's even more important to "save" as much as possible when shopping. Not just for food but clothes and everything else. It's getting to the point that Thrift Stores prices are getting higher and higher as well.
Some people thought I was nuts to enclose my creek front porch and block the view of the water, just so I could have a new, larger fish tank. There is absolutely nothing going on across the creek, nothing but woods. Now I have something that keeps me entertained hours on end. The view always changes and you never see the same thing twice. Too, we still have the screened porch upstairs for the view and it's much nicer up there as far as the view is concerned. I saved for 3 years to have enough money to do this project. By doing so I was able to pay cash for every bit of it. It wasn't just handed to me and I didn't have to borrow it.
People have said you must spend a fortune on your fish and tanks. Well, it is a hobby. When it comes to fish keeping if you aren't willing to make it a hobby then you're just wasting your $. They don't realize that most of the money spent is in the initial set up. Until I started my new fish room I hadn't bought new fish in over 5 years and my tanks were stocked.
My point...save save save
Have a good day today!
Ken

bolivianbaby

SWilkins, this thread nails it!

My mother wanted to know when I'm going to start breeding something I can make money with. I explained to her you just don't make money breeding fish. Of course, let's be honest here, I don't "breed" anything. Livebearers and convicts are "just add water" fish.

My father swears I'm spending more money than I actually have. He doesn't realize how important Craigslist and garage sales are when it comes to fishkeeping. Plus, paying off the expenses of setting up one tank before setting up another keeps it from becoming a financial problem.

Nate McFin

Very true about Craigslist! I would not have been able to consider putting together my new planted tank project without it. I bought nearly all used equipment. Tank & stand from Craigslist,co2 from another hobbiest, the rest of the stuff I spent hours upon hours researching the best product for the lowest price. I could have gotten a part time job and had someone set up a tank for the amount of research I have in it. But what fun would that have been.
BTW I was just kidding about the Salty people. Sure it costs more but there are always ways to do things well on the cheap.
Ken, my wife clips coupons for groceries and restaraunts. too. I cant remember the last time we ate out that she didnt have one. LOL

CHoffman

I agree Sherry..I don't spend much on my tanks. 120 excluded but I'm sure I spend more money then I should..lol...It's all about priorities. Everyones are different.

redlessi

Most people dont keep fish and those of us who do love it!!!

Jaysee

I UNDERESTIMATE how many tanks I have when talking to family - I say I have several I've spent a lot of money though....gotta stop!

Shawnie

+2 and very well said matt!!!
ive shared MANY fish with members and non members...ive never charged anything either ....and by helping educate them, we can pray that the future is much better in fish keeping knowledge then when I grew up...

I just love giving away healthy fish that were created and cared for with love and compassion like you sherry!! I educate them and even have helped set up many tanks...its just what we do for our love of the hobby...

and we are loaded!!!!!!! with fish LOL

TedsTank

Well it all boils down to, that people who don't keep fish always see us running to the fish store!!! I go to just look...mostly. But then again when I want something I get it.
All 5 of my tanks were free, 4 from FreeCycle and the 55 from a friend. Loaded I don't think so.
Now I have to get another tank ready for when Matt starts giving away baby Discus...lolol

Tony G.

I agree Sherry. most of the comments i get on my fishtanks are:
" wow you waste alot of money"
"why do you like them?"
"they dont need that"

The truth is, i do it for the fish. At first i just wanted something to keep me entertained. Boy was i in for an obsessoin.

my famiy has never really been wealthy. We get along fine, but sometimes we have to cut back on things. for example, when i first started my tanks, i didnt have enough $ to get a 3 dollar syphon. So i made it myself. Ofcourse there are some things that just arent possible. when i started my 32g i spent HOURS searching for a good tank. If not ask Bolivianbaby, whenever i found something interesting i would pm her haha

Ever since i started my tank, it has been great. THe only thing is i have to cut back on movie, dinners, and lots of stuff, but i am happy.
We dont even have a car!
i do admit i would love one!

Yes... most people think we´re crazy, but we understand eachother!

Also, i have also gotten the comments... " Why dont you breed them and sell them ?"

Again, like said above, i would rather give my fish to someone who is wiling to learn and start the hobby than sell them. The other day my couzin saw my tank, and she got interested in it. I told her i would set it up for her and give her some of my fish...
We understand eachother ALL the way!
Great thread Sherry!

Butterfly

Yep Sherry I'm right there with you. People who are not hobbyist only see $$$$$$. Nobody is going to get rich breeding fish Sorry. I get more ENJOYMENT (that's what a hobby's for) sharing plants and fish with fellow enthusiast.
I do trade fish for supplies with a LFS and occasionally come out even but not often.
Carol

Shawnie

I keep saying ill do that !!!!!! gosh knows it would help!! but i have yet to find a fish store thats worth my fish...grrrr ...im glad you have one you trust..maybe someday we will !

Butterfly

they take great care of my babies but I would much rather share/trade with friends
Carol

SWilkins

Well I see this struck more people's nerves than just mine...LOL. So you all get this not just me. I have to agree with everything in this thread. If people only knew. I mean I was a single mom with two kids, two jobs, and going to school...I can clip a coupon and can hit a sale wide open. You just have to know how to save and where to save. Yes I do sell some things on aquabid and ebay but I spend waayy more on there than I sell hee hee...kinda like the auctions. This is my/our fun...I would rather do this than go to the movies. I can watch a movie at home surrounded by my fish, in my PJs, relaxed on my couch with dogs piled all over me...how can it get any better than that. Dino and Ross are the ones who we got a lot of tanks from that Tommy has repaired, they had collected them with the intentions of repairing them and they just never got around to it.

I have the most fun taking care of these fish, watching them interact with each other, pair up, lay eggs, and raise the babies or for the livebearers they just have babies. For me to be able to share something that I have put my heart into means the world to me especially to be able to share something I love with my friends. I have helped people start up tanks, get them running and cycled, and even given them fish and plants to put in them.

I know that if I get overloaded with this baby or that I have friends that would like to have some of at least one kind of them. I have one LFS that I trust and they will take a small supply of some things they have a hard time getting. And if I get really covered up LOL I am not that far from Dino and Ross and I am sure they could always use some more fish.

And I thought I was just blowing off steam.

Tony G.

i think any LFS would be delighted to get some of your babies

Gouramiguy17

Don't suck up to her, I doubt that she will send fish all the way to Mexico JK
If I was a fish store I would buy your fish anytime

Tony G.

haha we already talked about.... ehem... some plastic toys

SWilkins

Hee hee. That shows we are true hobbiests and friends right there. My daughter lives in Texas and is planning a shopping trip in Mexico. If all goes as planned Tony will have some of the babies raised here. As soon as I get a date from her I am going to be shipping stuff to her for Tony.

Tony G.

see! hmmm have to send you a pm now

bolivianbaby

You two HAVE to keep us posted on this. Woohoo, Tony

Tony G.

pm sent.. im waiting on the reply

MizRamzi

If I see someone driving a Lamborghini, I think hmmm they got da money! If I see someone with five tanks, I think hmmmm they aint got no money

SWilkins

LOL...do you know what all kinds of fish stuff we could buy with the money from selling a lamborghini