Annoying (to me) phenomenon.

[duanes]

Having kept cichlids for about 60 years, and always knowing what I wanted, I also find these questions a little irritating, but somewhat intriguing.
I suppose someone sees a tank on TV, or a friends house and thinks on the spur of the moment, that's cute, that's what I want, without realizing the hole, or what they're getting into.

What bugs and amazes me more are people wanting and thinking it's OK to keep large fish in puddles,
or.......
even more, are those who after some dabbling into research, buck the common knowledge, and do what they want anyway, even when warned it won't work,
and then show up in the disease section crying about, or surprised about their HITH scarred oscar, or sick, or dead fish, or amazed that their gar ate their neons.

But I must admit I like it too, because over the years I've picked up lots of dirt cheap tanks on Craigs list, or even on the side of the road.

And.....my Mrs divorced me instead, happiest day of my life.

 

[tlindsey]

Wow...it sounds as though she thinks she has you all figured out.

Well...actually, it sounds as though she really does have you all figured out...

It's funny to me because of hearing the same statement of going to look at fish. Yes my wife has me figured out

 

[jjohnwm]

It's funny to me because of heard the same statement of going to look at fish. Yes my wife has me figured out

Always...always...keep her guessing and off-balance.

If the fish room is wife-unfriendly...and I strive to keep it so...she won't visit often and won't stay long enough to count up the tanks or the fish.

If you always pack a cooler and airpump in the car before a trip into town...even though, in most cases, you aren't taking fry to trade in...she will become accustomed to it and won't ask...so, if the cooler has a bag of fish in it on the way home, who's to know?

If you always have a pair of rubber boots, some rope, a saw, a shovel, an axe and all the other accoutrements of driftwood-collecting in the truck...she'll just stop asking.

Finally...and this is important!...all tanks in the fishroom or elsewhere, whether or not they actually contain fish, must be kept full of water and bubbling at all times! Some decor...which suggests that there are fish in there hiding...is essential. This serves multiple purposes: it gives you places to store and soak driftwood to get it waterlogged; it gives you instant access to emergency tanks for quarantine, for hospital use, for fry growout, etc...plus, of course, it keeps my wife in the dark about how many fish and other creepy-crawlies are actually in the house at any given time.

The basic idea is that you are attempting to create a sense of "exhausted resignation" in your spouse's mind. You know what I mean; it's just too much trouble to actually figure out what's going on, so why bother trying?

My new book, "The Married Aquarist - Tips, Tricks and How-to's" will be available shortly.

 

[esoxlucius]

And.....my Mrs divorced me instead, happiest day of my life.

Lol, this is brilliant. I bet towards the end you were like a pair of aggressive cichlids sharing a home which was wayyyy too small, butting heads and generally aggravating each other. Lol.

If you always have a pair of rubber boots, some rope, a saw, a shovel, an axe and all the other accoutrements of driftwood-collecting in the truck.

Yes, that's all very well, until you get pulled over and get accused of being a serial killer, lol.

 

[tlindsey]

Always...always...keep her guessing and off-balance.

If the fish room is wife-unfriendly...and I strive to keep it so...she won't visit often and won't stay long enough to count up the tanks or the fish.

If you always pack a cooler and airpump in the car before a trip into town...even though, in most cases, you aren't taking fry to trade in...she will become accustomed to it and won't ask...so, if the cooler has a bag of fish in it on the way home, who's to know?

If you always have a pair of rubber boots, some rope, a saw, a shovel, an axe and all the other accoutrements of driftwood-collecting in the truck...she'll just stop asking.

Finally...and this is important!...all tanks in the fishroom or elsewhere, whether or not they actually contain fish, must be kept full of water and bubbling at all times! Some decor...which suggests that there are fish in there hiding...is essential. This serves multiple purposes: it gives you places to store and soak driftwood to get it waterlogged; it gives you instant access to emergency tanks for quarantine, for hospital use, for fry growout, etc...plus, of course, it keeps my wife in the dark about how many fish and other creepy-crawlies are actually in the house at any given time.

The basic idea is that you are attempting to create a sense of "exhausted resignation" in your spouse's mind. You know what I mean; it's just too much trouble to actually figure out what's going on, so why bother trying?

My new book, "The Married Aquarist - Tips, Tricks and How-to's" will be available shortly.

You are a genius

 

[jjohnwm]

Lol, this is brilliant. I bet towards the end you were like a pair of aggressive cichlids sharing a home which was wayyyy too small, butting heads and generally aggravating each other. Lol.

This ^ is perfect!

Yes, that's all very well, until you get pulled over and get accused of being a serial killer, lol.

It's all circumstantial evidence...they've got nothing on me!

Lol, I have a few assorted actual skulls in various tanks...but none are human...yet...

 

[wednesday13]

IMO… no1 can do anything for them selves these days lol… its “whats cool” or “tell me what to do”… i dont get it either. Everyone is afraid to try something new, or “try” at all for that matter. Trail and error and live and learn were lost some where haha…

 

[Chet E.]

afraid to try something new, or “try” at all for that matter. Trail and error and live and learn were lost some where haha…

Agreed, very true.

 

[FINWIN]

Right, I'm just going to come out with it, it's been on my mind for basically the entire time I've been a member on here, which is just over 7 years now. It absolutely does my head in, it winds me up so much, surely I can't be the only one who thinks this way. I'm likely to get lambasted for what I'm about to come out with it but I need someone to explain to me one of the most annoying, to me anyway, phenomenons that regularly occur on this forum.

Here goes....

You decide to get an aquarium, of whatever size. You've been given the go ahead from your partner. You know whereabouts it's going to go in your home/fish room. You've pretty much decided on your filtration, and your decor, and your lighting. You've put a lot of thought into the planning of it all, and then, and then, and then...........you haven't got a single clue about what you're going to put in it. Absolutely no idea whatsoever, not a scooby doo!

The single most important, most exciting part of the whole process, stocking your new tank, hasn't even registered. We see thread after thread after thread asking, "what can I stock my new tank with?"

To me, you know what fish you want before you've even got the tank! It's an absolute no brainer. It's the whole idea of the whole thing. And yet we continually see these threads popping up.

This whole phenomenon doesn't register in my head, I do not get it at all, not even the teeniest little aspect of it.

Is it me just being old and grumpy or does my argument carry some weight, or make sense to anyone?

You're just 'seasoned with full flavor.'

 

[Chet E.]

This morning's devotional looked at the greek word hupomeno, to endure under a heavy burden. The author said, "Starting anything is always the fun, easy part of a project, whereas finishing requires a commitment..." With direction and a gentle shove we can only hope they'll endure.
Perhaps they be young.