Fish Keeping Is Not For Fools

Great message
I to began a quest 6 months ago and found it very hard to find good information, real information. I ended up talking to a group of pros who run a fish shop and aquarium. They do research all over the world.
They told me a lot of useful info to get me up and running.
The problem I found with online was the amount of people who loved to tell you how much they knew about everything. It was hard to separate the ones who knew their stuff and the ones who thought they did.

I’m writing this post as a warning to all people who are looking to get into fish keeping.
I hope it finds you before you make the same mistake that I did... thinking that there was nothing hard about owning fish.

First off let me start by prefacing that I’m a pretty darn responsible person, I value the life of all living creatures, think I’m fairly smart, and thought I knew what I needed to know.
I’m embarrassed that I viewed it all so lightly.

I will not get into every tragedy that is befalling my adventures in fishkeeping, (the list is long and some (I know now) are pretty text book ignorant
I wish I knew then what I know now:
Fish keeping is not for fools,
education is essential before you start.
If you’re going to enter this realm, Science, math, and an extreme level of commitment are at play every single day here.
You are going to have to study like crazy, and just when you think you’ve solved a problem, something else will pop up that starts you researching and studying again.
You’re going to watch YouTube video after YouTube video on subjects you thought you’d never have to think about - like how start a siphon or the health of your fish poop.
You will dream every night about fish
You will wake up with a pit in your stomach about fish...

Fish keeping is not easy!! Please don’t ever let the people at the pet store make you think it is!
It’s been about 4 months of this, and truth be told is that I’m pretty exhausted, I’m spent.

But I’m not quitting.

I’m confused as to why they call fishkeeping a “hobby” - the word brings a lack of seriousness to what is in essence a job which requires a high level of dedication and responsibility.

Please Don’t sign up if you aren’t ready to commit...
You’ll regret it.

t

 

because this is the only thread that the OP has ever participated in and if we were helpful, it would make no sense because he didn't have any problem that we solved for him or anything like that that would make us seem helpful to him.

Agreed, the OP never asked a question...just maybe delighted in us having a debate about his post and our responses to it...interesting,,,

 

Agreed, the OP never asked a question...just maybe delighted in us having a debate about his post and our responses to it...interesting,,,

My guy, she could have read threads that relate to her situation. You don't necessarily have to engage in a thread to find one useful. Please, stay on topic

Just so you know - one does not have to engage in a thread to learn from a thread... I’ve learned a ton from reading other people’s concerns, issues and topics of conversation... this site is my number one go to out of them all... never did I ever think my first post would spawn such chatter... thank you to those members that had supportive and helpful words! I appreciate the help!!

 

because this is the only thread that the OP has ever participated in and if we were helpful, it would make no sense because he didn't have any problem that we solved for him or anything like that that would make us seem helpful to him.

Agreed, the OP never asked a question...just maybe delighted in us having a debate about his post and our responses to it...interesting,,,

I've been on various forums for a decade plus now. Some people are lurkers. I'm betting the OP is one. The OP brings up valid points. This isn't something to underestimate. I'm a pretty technical guy and find the lack of definitive answers troublesome. Everyone is always...."it depends." And often the "it depends" is something only you have...


EDIT. And as I was typing, confirmed lurker!

Just so you know - one does not have to engage in a thread to learn from a thread... I’ve learned a ton from reading other people’s concerns, issues and topics of conversation... this site is my number one go to out of them all... never did I ever think my first post would spawn such chatter... thank you to those members that had supportive and helpful words! I appreciate the help!!

Don't give up yet, maybe it'll get easier....that is my thought!

 

Just so you know - one does not have to engage in a thread to learn from a thread... I’ve learned a ton from reading other people’s concerns, issues and topics of conversation... this site is my number one go to out of them all... never did I ever think my first post would spawn such chatter... thank you to those members that had supportive and helpful words! I appreciate the help!!

Exactly! It turned out to be a great thread...thanks Shanjen !

 

It's not that difficult. I started in 4th grade when a friend of my friend sold me 2 baby guppies for a nickel each. They were in a little bowl. My mom laughed when I pointed them out and said "those are fish?" I was told to use zip drops... that was it! Next my mom bought me a 2 gallon tank. We way over stocked. My fish lived, had babies and next I got a 10 gallon, then two 10 gallons. One housed gold fish I won at the school carnival. When my tanks were dirty I cleaned them completely with dish soap. I did know to rinse them thoroughly. My fish lived and had babies. I gave my 2 gallon tank with fish to my cousin for his birthday. I've almost always kept a tank without testing water. Biggest problem I've encountered is fish aggression. The tank I have now is 75 gallon dirted and heavily planted tank that's been established for 8 years. I highly recommend dirted tanks. There are so many possibilities and the plants make fish keeping even easier.

 

I have been in this hobby since the begging of my third grade year in elementary school. I learn that fish are cool, and then I started to keep mbunas cichlids in a 55 gallon community tank, I did no research on them, I had not even one that died on me, the reason for how I was so successful without knowledge of how to keep them was because they were just a breeding pair of leleupeI cichlids as it turn out, and they bred and bred and bred. I thought they were mbunas, but they weren't yet it did make me want to know more about them as I want to keep more cichlids with them, and I did research on them, and I added julidochromis to the tank, but then the tank was old and the fish were old and I was not in elementary school any more and the eventually all died of old age, but they somehow lived in the aquarium when I never had any surface agitation. I even used some cotton balls to scrub off the algae that would build up on the glass.

 

I lucked out. I wanted a pet 3 years ago and my mom said a betta. No research at all, just looked at tanks at walmart and bought a 3 gallon kit with no light or heater. Then a month later I wanted another betta, that's how I knew I was in the hobby. Now here we are with many heaters and safe sponge filters! I can't believe I just walked in picked up something that looked fine and that I did zero research. Now I spend months researching before buying something.