The difference between a tropical/cold water fish hobbyist and...

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Redearsunfish

Redearsunfish

Piranha
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2009
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A nice lake full of game fish!
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I was in my LFS and i took notice of the throng of people. I realized most of the people in the shop were casual fish keepers and not tropical/cold water hobbyists. Then I got to thinking - why in the world would you want to keep a fish tank as a piece of furniture or decoration? I mean, if you can't afford the service or don't want to pay for the service of keeping a tank, why would you want the trouble of keeping a tank if you wern't a hobbyist?

People ask me all the time... "isn't it a lot of work with all those tanks?" and I answer, "yes, but I love doing maintenance".

Weird to me, so many many casual "fish keepers" out there.

It's not like there are causal reptile keepers out there right... but I guess that's why there are so few dedicated reptile shops...

Now I'm rambling... the casual fish keeper is a strange being to me. :)

I think i'm going to become a casual farm animal keeper, like a cow or a sheep or a chicken.

By the way, if one more person at petsmart asks me "what size tank do you have", i'm going to scream. just kidding. they are doing a good job by asking. however i love saying that i'm going to be putting the fish I buy in a bowl to see there reaction.
 
haha thats so funny im using that bowl thing next time I go into petsmart. But people at petsmart are not to bright them selves some guy at petsmart by my house told a family you can house an oscar in a 30g for life. I had to correct him he must have felt really dumb but anyways I feel that causal fish keepers are those that want to keep there children happy. Not everyday your going to walk into a kids room and see a monster tank with a 2 foot rtc and tons of gars,aros,and ect. They are quit strange but who knows mabey we are the strange ones. I always get a funny look when I go into a lfs and a ask for a huge fish or a fish no other person in the place knows about. Just my opinion on things hope you enjoyed!
 
karaig19 said:
haha thats so funny im using that bowl thing next time I go into petsmart. But people at petsmart are not to bright them selves some guy at petsmart by my house told a family you can house an oscar in a 30g for life. I had to correct him he must have felt really dumb but anyways I feel that causal fish keepers are those that want to keep there children happy. Not everyday your going to walk into a kids room and see a monster tank with a 2 foot rtc and tons of gars,aros,and ect. They are quit strange but who knows mabey we are the strange ones. I always get a funny look when I go into a lfs and a ask for a huge fish or a fish no other person in the place knows about. Just my opinion on things hope you enjoyed!
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Agreed. When I ask for a specific fish in a tank of many fish the people look at me crooked. Most people just point and say "ooooh give me one of the shiny blue ones!"

And yeah, the industry is driven by people buying fish for their 9 year old kids.
 
Redearsunfish said:
Agreed. When I ask for a specific fish in a tank of many fish the people look at me crooked. Most people just point and say "ooooh give me one of the shiny blue ones!"

And yeah, the industry is driven by people buying fish for their 9 year old kids.
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I love telling people at chain pet stores the kind of fish I keep. Some know but the vast majority know nothing. They consider oscars difficult lol


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The fish keeper buys $1000 100gallon reef tank already set up and stocked or a 20gallon because it will look nice (insert random place in home) and because its a decor idea. Or because the kids wanted one. Then pay someone to maintain it, take their water to petsmart to get it test ask them what magical chemical do i need to buy and they buy and thats the most effort they did in months.

The hobbyist spent $1000 to set up the perfectly filtered, aquascaped 55g himself. Then cycled it themselves, or seeded the filter from their other 6 tanks (hobbyist remember) then spent another x amount of money stocking this tank carefully by the ways the forum of other hobbyist told them was the best stock list. They then have their own water test kits and watch their tanks carefully, already know what to do about nitrate, ammonia and so on. The hobbyist is also the one that has a 100gallon with no decor but a clay pot and a breeding pair of (insert fish youve always wanted raised out f0 adults here). The hobbyist has more frozen seafood in their freezer thats not for human consumption. The fish keeper buys tetra min because the employee said "heres our tropical fish food"


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Redearsunfish said:
I think i'm going to become a casual farm animal keeper, like a cow or a sheep or a chicken.
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I'm a fan of this, who doesn't want some random chickens running around, it'd kind of be like living on Kauai; plus if you got hungry you could train like Rocky and chase one down.

Back on topic... :)

I will have to agree with what has already been said: I think a lot of times the "casual fish keeper" ends up buying a tank and stock purely for someone else in their house hold. I was one of these people not too many years ago, my wife, girlfriend at the time wanted a tank and the 10 gallon we bought spawned into what she now calls my obsession.

As far as buying a tank and fish purely for decoration, well thats along the same lines as buying a painting just because it matches your couch.
 
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