Years in aquarium hobby
7 posts
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DanDman18 - Posts: 115
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:56 am
Years in aquarium hobby
I was curious on just how many years everyone on here has been keeping fish.
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natalie265 - Site Admin
- Posts: 746
- Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:48 pm
Good question. I hope people respond. My ten years doesn't include a ten gallon tank i had as a kid growing up. I had no idea what i was doing then, and it's amazing my fish didn't die faster and more regularly than they did.
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DanDman18 - Posts: 115
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:56 am
I know what you mean my father had a 20 gal and when he told me what he did to maintain it i was surprised they survived more than a week, let alone 10 years as some did.
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Okiimiru - Posts: 275
- Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:19 pm
Since 2007.
But I don't think how long you've kept fish has anything to do with how much you know about the chemistry that keeps them alive. You don't have to know anything about beneficial bacteria to know that your fish died more when the tank was new compared to after it had been set up for a few months. You don't have to know a thing about aquatic plant biochemistry to know that your tank with live plants in it keeps the fish alive longer than the tank with all plastic decorations. You don't have to know what your pH and DH are just because your fish are spawning. Only a person with knowledge of the biochemistry behind the aquarium knows enough to be able to fully understand the tank and to optimize it to better increase your success. You'd have to know that your pH was 8 before you could understand why your neon tetras weren't spawning, you know? Only then could you use RO water and peat moss, bring it down to pH 5.5, and get the fish to spawn. Years keeping fish do not equal knowledge about the chemistry behind fish.
I mean, that's why you hear of confused "experienced" fish people transferring all the water from their old tank when they move to 'cycle' it, even though the nitrosomonas and nitrospira bacteria lives on surfaces and not in the water column. Keep your filter media wet, drip acclimate your fish to their new pH, DH, KH, & temperature slowly, and pour the old tank water down the drain instead of hauling it with you. Ya know? Experience is not equal to knowledge.
But I don't think how long you've kept fish has anything to do with how much you know about the chemistry that keeps them alive. You don't have to know anything about beneficial bacteria to know that your fish died more when the tank was new compared to after it had been set up for a few months. You don't have to know a thing about aquatic plant biochemistry to know that your tank with live plants in it keeps the fish alive longer than the tank with all plastic decorations. You don't have to know what your pH and DH are just because your fish are spawning. Only a person with knowledge of the biochemistry behind the aquarium knows enough to be able to fully understand the tank and to optimize it to better increase your success. You'd have to know that your pH was 8 before you could understand why your neon tetras weren't spawning, you know? Only then could you use RO water and peat moss, bring it down to pH 5.5, and get the fish to spawn. Years keeping fish do not equal knowledge about the chemistry behind fish.
I mean, that's why you hear of confused "experienced" fish people transferring all the water from their old tank when they move to 'cycle' it, even though the nitrosomonas and nitrospira bacteria lives on surfaces and not in the water column. Keep your filter media wet, drip acclimate your fish to their new pH, DH, KH, & temperature slowly, and pour the old tank water down the drain instead of hauling it with you. Ya know? Experience is not equal to knowledge.
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DanDman18 - Posts: 115
- Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:56 am
Not to knock what you are saying, but i never said years means knowlage, i was simply just wondering how long peole have had aquariums.
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Alasse - Posts: 993
- Joined: Sun May 09, 2010 5:35 am
- Location: QLD Australia
Yrs experience means a lot to me.
I know about chemistry, BB etc. I also go a hell of a lot on my experience as a fish keeper. I do not test regularly, i have no need to, why because i can 'just tell' if things arent right, and i dont mean by fish dropping dead *L*
Knowing all about the chemistry etc still doesnt answer ALL questions that i can assure you. Learning by experience can fill in many a gap!
I know about chemistry, BB etc. I also go a hell of a lot on my experience as a fish keeper. I do not test regularly, i have no need to, why because i can 'just tell' if things arent right, and i dont mean by fish dropping dead *L*
Knowing all about the chemistry etc still doesnt answer ALL questions that i can assure you. Learning by experience can fill in many a gap!