The use of "Getting conflicting information"

Only want to vent my personal annoyance about this and get it of my chest.

More and more often these words are used in threads. The conflicting info NEVER has to do with a tank that is too big, waterparameters that are like the natural ones, fish that have been proven to be suitable to keep together, etc... etc..... It is allmost ALWAYS about info the OP doesn't like to hear or read on here. Then "suddenly" there is conflicting info which tells the OP that against the advise given the internet says it IS possible.

I think, if we're honest, we all know that as long as we "Google" long enough ANYTHING is possible and is done.

In none of the "it is possible info" the circumstances are exactly the same, we don't read the longterm effects and outcomes, advise is sales-based, etc.....etc......

"Our goldfish thrived in a one gallon bowl and got 5 years" in fact means "Our goldfish survived a 1 gallon bowl and died about 20 years to early having had a terrible life".

I think the mentioned conflicting "it is possible info" is one of the main reasons and causes for animalabuse. "Yes it is possible to keep a lion or a monkey in your two room apartment at the 10th floor. The internet says so.

At this forum we try to give fish the best possible life and that is what all advises are about. Please stop searching the internet for conflicting info to proof these advises are wrong. They aren't and we ALL know it.

If one tends to believe the conflicting info on the internet be my guest but then don't ask the question on here and don't start to argue the advises on here are the conflicting ones. They aren't and are given with the best possible knowledge and intentions.

Differences is advises and different opinions on something are a complete other level to me.

Greetings, Aad

 

Thank you!

"Conflicting information" is also often due to
a. differences in fishkeeping standards in different places.
What's deemed ok in a country that's still in the "stone age" phase of the fishkeeping hobby, is for sure not acceptable in a country where the hobby has reached baseline high standards.
b. outdated information regurgitated again and again.
Anyone still perpetuating the boiled pea thing? Salt is a wonder cure against everything? Cleaning the filtermedia is helping in a nitrite peak? "Swim bladder" is a disease? Fish can get depressed? Nope to all.
c. advertisement.
Yes. It is. The advise you get from any Youtuber that either sells stuff themselves or is sponsored will ultimately culminate in one thing: You buying stuff ou likely won't need or can get for much less in a hardware store /garden center.
Here also some misinformation originates: The cycle does not crash below 6.5 pH. Just the bacteria you just bought won't work in it.

I speak to all the usual suspects here on the forum if I say:
Please don't get entangled in somebody wanting to do something you know is a too big bite to chew or simply impossible.
It's one thing to think about how to solve a problem and make things possible. But much to often people are trying something we all know will not work out for the n-th time and this is the point when it's time to stop being ok with any opinion. Angels in a 29 gallon, Mbuna in a 55, trying to lower pH with IALs in a 10°KH tank... Just to give some examples.

You can't just say things like thermodynamics or water chemistry are based on opinion. Neither can you say the prediction of behaviour of a certain fish is based on opinion. Of course there are things that can be based on opinion. But a lot simply don't.

Please, draw the line when you know something won't work out. Just because we want to be nice to people does not mean we have to agree all the time or tell somebody their plan will work out just to not hurt their feelings.

In our hobby the LIVES of animals depend on us. If you make the wrong choice this life is snuffed out faster than you might expect.

And the life of an animal in our care outweighs the feelings of someone simply incapable (for one reason or the other) of maintaining a tank.

Now I'm done. But it felt good to get that out of the system.

 

Thanks to DoubleDutch and MacZ.


I tell you it does gets very old to hear the same thing year after year. People coming here not wanting help but to be told their mistakes are right, and when you tell them the truth learned from decades of fish keeping you are told you are wrong because of youtube, and pet store sales people.

One of the reasons I took a break from the forum for over a year. I had planned not to come back. But there are too many people here that I truly enjoy interacting with.... AND learning from.

 

Some people need Winter to end.

 

While I'm sure there are some people who cite "conflicting information" when they just want affirmation, or don't like the advice given, but I don't believe that's always the case. There really is a lot of bad information out there, and not everyone is experienced enough to differentiate good from bad.

 

While I'm sure there are some people who cite "conflicting information" when they just want affirmation, or don't like the advice given, but I don't believe that's always the case. There really is a lot of bad information out there, and not everyone is experienced enough to differentiate good from bad.

I am not talking about people that ask for confirmation but I mean the people that don't like the advises given here.

People that search google as long as is needed to find info that something can be done though all the advises and other information are saying it can't. These only ask for confirmation they like to hear.

 

I’d like to add my .02… we started our tank close to 5 years ago and I made many mistakes in the beginning. I found this forum and got help from a lot of great people. I didn’t follow every bit of advice all the time cause as someone said one situation can work in one area while it may not work in another area. But taking the important advice givin from this forum has allowed us to successfully keep ( was 7 tanks ) but cut down to 5 tank going great for close to 5 years. That’s all. May be relevant may not be. All your inhabitants wet and dry rely on you listen to the majority and you will have years of success and satisfaction!!