Do you guys think the aquarium hobby is growing or dying out?

[aussieman57]

My 2 cents. Screw the animal rights activists they are a bunch of clowns. You don't want to see your local fish shop go under support them. Even if they don't carry the more interesting species (and a lot don't because the average Joe has no idea what they are and tends to buy the more common stuff) you can still buy some dry goods from them. Or you can shop on the net and kill the mom and pop shops. Here in SW FL we have some really good shops and several great fish farms. And we don't have all the crazy nitwits shutting everything down.

 

[SharptoothBass]

Sure forums are dying, but online discussion of aquariums is way more prevalent than its ever been.

Reddit has hundreds of thousands of people, and facebook and instagram have over a million.

There are over 7 billion people in the world what does a million people on Instagram and Facebook mean. Facebook and instagram are full of lying people portraying false lives I could care less about that. Everyone with a fish tank is not a hobbyist. Can you please list some of the online places you say are thriving. I can speak for where I live the Washington D.C. are the hobby is dying maybe some places are doing good. So please post the thriving online places for us to see.

 

[SharptoothBass]

My 2 cents. Screw the animal rights activists they are a bunch of clowns. You don't want to see your local fish shop go under support them. Even if they don't carry the more interesting species (and a lot don't because the average Joe has no idea what they are and tends to buy the more common stuff) you can still buy some dry goods from them. Or you can shop on the net and kill the mom and pop shops. Here in SW FL we have some really good shops and several great fish farms. And we don't have all the crazy nitwits shutting everything down.

I'm not gonna waste my money on something I don't want to keep a store open that's the dumbest thing I ever heard. I'm not losing any sleep about the fish hooby dying out. I'm fine with dogs and I have multiple tanks with my favorite fish.i bred what I like no need to buy anything if there is nothing new or interesting

 

[PhishMon84]

Qt allowed people with money to focus on their homes but many more people were struggling. The guy I mentioned was struggling with his store is in one of the wealthiest counties in Maryland and he did not do good in the pandemic. Every place is different but you can look at vendors like aquascape online and see how the stock looks weak compared to the past. People buying goldfish and glowfish who will move on when things open up is not the hobby to me. Last time a looked around I didn't even see a fish worth buying after 30 years of keeping. https://youtube.com/user/amiidae I'm looking for stuff like this not convicts from a different location it's still just a convict. I have one kid in elementary, one in middle school and one in high school and their is almost zero interest in fishkeeping from their peers. When I was young everyone had a fish tank or reptile. Also sites like this itself that used to excite people now scare them away with all the your tank is to small talk. The game has changed and not for the better.

You’re absolutely right (especially the 2nd to last sentence) everyone’s experiences with differ. I actually picked up a part time job and started the same week as mask mandates. With gave me weird optics into the whole situation, on the one hand M-F I sell a software that essentially aids in patient throughput and frees up acute beds quicker, my clients were nurses, doctors, CMO’s and CFO’s- I personally got 400 skilled nursing homes in New York City live on the software, without cost, in late spring 2020. But on the weekends I was budtending at a medical dispensary in the countries most educated county, our patient population grew.
My point being, my experience was unique and nowhere near as bad as others. I did lose an aunt, uncle and cousin to the virus. Everyone was effected, everyone was effected differently. It’s been a terrible two years but I always look for silver linings otherwise I’d be miserable all the time.
I hope you all are healthy and well and continue to be so.

 

[SharptoothBass]

You’re absolutely right (especially the 2nd to last sentence) everyone’s experiences with differ. I actually picked up a part time job and started the same week as mask mandates. With gave me weird optics into the whole situation, on the one hand M-F I sell a software that essentially aids in patient throughput and frees up acute beds quicker, my clients were nurses, doctors, CMO’s and CFO’s- I personally got 400 skilled nursing homes in New York City live on the software, without cost, in late spring 2020. But on the weekends I was budtending at a medical dispensary in the countries most educated county, our patient population grew.
My point being, my experience was unique and nowhere near as bad as others. I did lose an aunt, uncle and cousin to the virus. Everyone was effected, everyone was effected differently. It’s been a terrible two years but I always look for silver linings otherwise I’d be miserable all the time.
I hope you all are healthy and well and continue to be so.

I totally understand I was fortunate enough to not lose anyone in my family to covid. We also were able to save alot of money but nothing changed for us other than we stop wasting money. We will be moving out of the city to the country (somewhat) with land for the kids and room for me to start breeding dog's again. I stop buying clothes because we do strict quarentine here and I wasn't going anywhere. Stopped buying fish from the lfs. Stopped eating out as much. And a few other things and I can tell you I'll never go back to spending how I was before. I use Amazon as much as possible and I love it. On the other hand I know people who have lost their lives, family members, homes and businesses. We wear mask everywhere outside of the house and won't be stopping anytime soon. Alot of young people don't realize when things are not what they used to be because they honestly don't know how things used to be but I know for a fact this hobby is not the same. Stay safe and continue to be successful.

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

Yea a bunch of people adopted dogs during the pandemic now that things are opening up lots of those dogs are being returned https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...urned-months-after-their-adoption/5038295001/

Yeah of course we knew that was going to happen. Disposable to many ignorant folks. Its like this every summer people dont want to deal with boarding animals or paying for care they dump them at shelters. If I didnt have a psychotic Bengal determined to murder her housemates with fur and fins (fin kind she has a high kill count) I would be fostering for local rescues to help the strain to help on my end here. Its so sad ?

 

[aussieman57]

I'm not gonna waste my money on something I don't want to keep a store open that's the dumbest thing I ever heard. I'm not losing any sleep about the fish hooby dying out. I'm fine with dogs and I have multiple tanks with my favorite fish.View attachment 1481011View attachment 1481015View attachment 1481017View attachment 1481018View attachment 1481019View attachment 1481020View attachment 1481021View attachment 1481022i bred what I like no need to buy anything if there is nothing new or interesting

Well aren't you special. LOL

 

[dr exum]

I feel like it’s gaining / steam popularity….

pet business is huge, fish are pet ?

the online footprint helps -

cheers all!

 

[PhishMon84]

Yeah of course we knew that was going to happen. Disposable to many ignorant folks. Its like this every summer people dont want to deal with boarding animals or paying for care they dump them at shelters. If I didnt have a psychotic Bengal determined to murder her housemates with fur and fins (fin kind she has a high kill count) I would be fostering for local rescues to help the strain to help on my end here. Its so sad ?

Be careful I’ve “foster failed” twice over the years so far. I still offer to transport for a group but that’s usually just 2-3hrs.

 

[Friller2009]

I'm not gonna waste my money on something I don't want to keep a store open that's the dumbest thing I ever heard. I'm not losing any sleep about the fish hooby dying out. I'm fine with dogs and I have multiple tanks with my favorite fish.View attachment 1481011View attachment 1481015View attachment 1481017View attachment 1481018View attachment 1481019View attachment 1481020View attachment 1481021View attachment 1481022i bred what I like no need to buy anything if there is nothing new or interesting

What are those fish in the last few photos? Sleepy cod?