…and I’m not talking about America’s favorite west coast rapper. Many of you know me as the ever so indecisive teenager unsure about everything. You’ve seen my posts, my fire sales, my fish, and my life. As I sit and write this, I realize MFK has watched my grow up in the last three years. The person I was coming into the scene is not the person I am today. The purpose of this essay is simple: to enlightened the disenchanted and misinformed. Let’s call it The Game.
If you’re reading this, you are probably a lot like me. I possessed a passion for all things aquaria at a very young age. My curiosity soon manifested itself into a passion, and my passion was what led me here, to what might be the most influential website on the net, monsterfishkeepers.com. I remember flipping through past issues of Tropical Fish Hobbyist at work (at my local aquarium shop, mind you) seeing these grandiose advertisements depicting fish I would have previously reserved for a fantasy novel. Checking the website became a monotonous routine: I would key in the address, only to be disappointed as the same ‘coming soon’ message popped up for MONTHS! What was this website all about? Why hadn’t I heard of it earlier. WHY DIDN’T I KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON?
Before I knew it, a simple vbulletin forum graced my ‘favorites’ folder on my personal computer. The beginning was slow, but I quickly realized that what was evolving and growing right before my eyes would change The Game forever. I won’t bore you with the history of MFK as I’m sure a simple search will unearth anything you can imagine. Rather, let’s talk about how the entire hobby was revolutionized by a small group of men and a website.
Prior to MFK, I felt a 55g was huge, and a 125g was reserved for the rich and famous. Even working in the hobby, I knew that the vast majority of America (or at least northern New Jersey) shared the same sentiment as myself. A typical stocklist pre-MFK consisted of an overwhelming number of livebearers, a fair amount of African cichlids, neons, plants, and the like. No one had any idea what a bicher was! In a matter of months, our humble shop was flooded with fish I had never heard of before. We began to pick names from our wholesalers’ stocklists at random, as tank busters began to fill our tanks. Essentially, an entire industry, a market was created overnight. MFK’s reach on the hobby stretched far beyond its members. 180g aquariums became industry standard as more and more custom tank manufacturers arose to provide hobbyists with an outlet for HUGE aquariums at affordable prices. In an instant, casual and diehard hobbyists found themselves in a perilous struggle to keep up with the Jones’. Herein lies our dilemma.
Almost as quickly as the hobby was changing to accommodate a new breed of fish keepers, there emerged a disparity between the extreme and the informal. A select few hobbyists found themselves in the forefront of the flexing battle, controlling demand for certain species based solely on their personal tanks. Without tracing every such fish, we can all at least name a few: the shortage of datnoids, the outrageous price of Brazil rays, the market for deformed fish, etc.
In order to be ‘competitive’ in this game, it seemed I had to essentially abandon my roots. I got my start in the hobby from my father and I was always about the fish. Providing naturalistic environments and spacious, well maintained, aquariums were my trademark. I never considered housing fish that would only be suitable for public aquariums. Fast forward to today, Rubbermaid tubs, troughs intended to satiate cattle, and bare bottom aquariums more suitable for a laboratory than a living room are commonplace. Had we sacrificed our souls to feed an insatiable desire? Had we abandoned the responsibilities to the fish? Had we lost sight of what’s really important? For a long time I felt we had. I became increasingly discontent with the direction the hobby was heading. Whether fueled by personal hardship or an animalistic nature to care, I cannot be sure.
I never imaged I’d find the answer to my dilemma in a dictionary of all places. Anthropomorphism is a term used to describe the action of applying human characteristics to animals. The simple fact is that as long as long as an animal is fed, sheltered, and maintained, they are happy. They can do without the bells and whistles that have become all too common in this hobby (treasure chests, skulls, neon lights, etc). Almost overnight, I found myself invigorated, enthralled, with the direction the hobby was heading. Just because someone houses their fish in $5 Rubbermaid containers is no reason to believe the fish aren’t thriving. This changed everything.
I realized my discontent and dissatisfaction stemmed not from the actual process of fish keeping, but from my exclusion from the elite. It became obvious that this hobby, like any other, is dominated by money. I hate to reiterate a household cliché, but money actually does talk and bull**** walks. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t get by based solely on talent. In my relatively short stint on this planet, I’ve relied on sheer talent to compensate where monetary contributions lacked. Whether wrestling, surfing, racing motocross, or riding FR/DH, money was a miniscule part of the equation. I grew frustrated as I wasn’t able to keep up with the front runners in the hobby. It was a hard idea to swallow, as admitting to mediocrity isn’t one of my strong points. It took a long time for me to realize what I’m really doing here in this hobby.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized we all have different reasons for our actions. Whether you’re spending $10,000 a year on fish, or simply enjoying a humble 10g aquarium in the living room, we are all here for personal enjoyment. Who cares about the path we choose? The satisfaction we get when we settle down in front of our aquariums after a stressful day at work/school is universal. The fact that MFK can unite some 27,500+ hobbyists is awe inspiring. I can sit here and comfortably state that I LOVE WHERE THE HOBBY is heading. We are heading in a global direction, as captive breeding, habitat preservation, and illicit trading, are topics of fierce discussion and action amongst hobbyists.
I had intended to write an essay describing The Game, but its obvious this is but a mere rant/revelation. Take it for what its worth.
cant wait for part 2 
