I started with a 30gal did research and knew wht i wanted. I wanted 2 tiger oscars. I bought them like 2-3". I knw some but not alot. I didnt knw i had to have good bacteria rdy in my tank. I went to my lfs and bought the fish. The kid probly 18 yrs old asked me if i had my tank rdy and had bacteria i said no. He said well i can sell u this sponge filter(used with good bacteria) and air filter and all i need. So he helped me. Not all fish stores or workers are uninformed. And if i came on here and posted how happy i was about my fish i wlda been flamed. Im 15yrd old when i get alot of older more experienced ppl yellin at me i worried how much trouble im in. And i wlda gave up there period. But i got help now i am supplyin my oscars with good engh homes for them and good feedin. And i am wantin to explore the salt side of the hobby and do a 30gal salt tank. I never wlda made it this far if i wlda been flamed. I understand ppl who buy sharks and bigger fish rnt sure wht there doin but u can simply tell them there wrong and need to take the egg or pup back. U dont have to scare them outta this hobby. We r here to help others from experiences not scare them outta the hobby because they made a mistake. And i bet u most ppl who buy dogs knw nothin about the breed like where it came from or how to be sure u five it a good home. U may say dogs wht does that have to do. But think of a collie a rlly energized dog living in a hotel room. It cant get out and get the exercize or play like it needs to. And basically we all made mistakes we clda been flamed for so dont flame others because u probly wldnt bee here if u got flamed.
LARGE sharks and aquarists
- Thread starter capo larzo
- Start date
Ya I think you need to be reasonable with people, tell them whats wrong and how to fix it.
Example post: I have a 1' black tip reef shark in my 500g, I know they get big, but it will only grow to the tank size. Why wont it eat the massive amounts of goldfish food I put in there? I thought it could'nt see it, so I put i lb. in there. Im going to try bread tomorow (wholegrain because its healthy). It looks really skinny and is being lazy.
Example reply: First, you need to feed it fish. Preferably live. Sharks are carnivores and need MEAT. If you can't get live herring, try to get frozen ones (at a bait shop) you can also try grocery store fish (salmon, canned sardines, if you have to, peeled shrimp).
Second change your water FAST. it sounds like your tank is really polluted, and it will build ammonia fast, which is harmfull, even deadly to fish (and, well...everything). Make sure to use salt water, if your not famaliar with it, some lfs (fish store [preferably not the one that probably told you to put it in a small tank]) can help you, or will have pre-mixed stuff. do a 50-75% water change (by volume)
Third, and this is really important, NO animal grows to the size of its tank, you probably heard this from your lfs and they are LYING. Ive personally seen fish 80%+ of their tank length, and heard of/ seen pics of fish literally growing so much they busted their tank. A blacktip shark needs a POOL or larger at full size.
Notice I started with most important thigs, and on most positive stuff (DO do this that you arent doing, not DONT do this you are doing). You want to keep as much as possible positive, but you cannot always do that.
Also, I didnt attack him, or his kin. I implied it was his lfs' fault, and "he said this" is never an excuse, but I dont want him mad and discrediting everything I say. Remember people form 90% of their opinion on you on their first 10 sec. of contact. Thats why you always start your post and keep your wording in the posotive. It's not like the only way he will get it is if you yell at him (IN TYPE I MEAN). Try to leave out the really complicated issues, so you dont scare them away, or into giving up. Try to adress the issues one at a time, in order of importance.
P.S. Sorry for my rant. It just kills me to see cool people being drivin out of the hobby.
Example post: I have a 1' black tip reef shark in my 500g, I know they get big, but it will only grow to the tank size. Why wont it eat the massive amounts of goldfish food I put in there? I thought it could'nt see it, so I put i lb. in there. Im going to try bread tomorow (wholegrain because its healthy). It looks really skinny and is being lazy.
Example reply: First, you need to feed it fish. Preferably live. Sharks are carnivores and need MEAT. If you can't get live herring, try to get frozen ones (at a bait shop) you can also try grocery store fish (salmon, canned sardines, if you have to, peeled shrimp).
Second change your water FAST. it sounds like your tank is really polluted, and it will build ammonia fast, which is harmfull, even deadly to fish (and, well...everything). Make sure to use salt water, if your not famaliar with it, some lfs (fish store [preferably not the one that probably told you to put it in a small tank]) can help you, or will have pre-mixed stuff. do a 50-75% water change (by volume)
Third, and this is really important, NO animal grows to the size of its tank, you probably heard this from your lfs and they are LYING. Ive personally seen fish 80%+ of their tank length, and heard of/ seen pics of fish literally growing so much they busted their tank. A blacktip shark needs a POOL or larger at full size.
Notice I started with most important thigs, and on most positive stuff (DO do this that you arent doing, not DONT do this you are doing). You want to keep as much as possible positive, but you cannot always do that.
Also, I didnt attack him, or his kin. I implied it was his lfs' fault, and "he said this" is never an excuse, but I dont want him mad and discrediting everything I say. Remember people form 90% of their opinion on you on their first 10 sec. of contact. Thats why you always start your post and keep your wording in the posotive. It's not like the only way he will get it is if you yell at him (IN TYPE I MEAN). Try to leave out the really complicated issues, so you dont scare them away, or into giving up. Try to adress the issues one at a time, in order of importance.
P.S. Sorry for my rant. It just kills me to see cool people being drivin out of the hobby.
Ur lucky. When I set up my first (heated[real]) fish tank I got like 2 fish and I was all " can I get some gravel too?" he just looked at me funny "for the BB in my tank." he was all wtf? And then he caught my fish, and dropped the gravel on top. I was all nooooooooooo!! but they were fine. What was my point? Oh yeah this site and others were really important to my learning and stuff when I was younger. If I had posted on here and been flamed for a live fish cycle I would have lost a great source of info. This site and others have saved many a fish with "artificial experience" IE advice. Its kept me from learning (much) the hard way.fishy12;3779255; said:
