Seems that people have forgotten where they came from? We did not all wake up one morning with a tank in our living room and all the knowledge that went with it. We all started from somewhere, It?s not about how many tanks we have, how many fish we have breed and sure not about all the money that we have all made. It?s all started because we feel in love with the hobby and it seems like we have all forgotten that. For me it all started at the age of 9, my Parents had tanks. They were nothing special, but give us something to do together and help me forge a better relationship with my father. After he passed away I went and got a fish tank, because I wanted to reconnect with my past. We did not have all the answers; went to LFS and asked allot questions, watch YouTube, purchased an aquarium dummy guide and went on road trips to see what others were doing. Most people where open to helping and other acted as if we were out to take over there aquariums. We tried to take a little something from every one we came in contact with and head home to try it out. Pain or pleasure feast or famine, I did my best to figure it out.
Until that one after noon we went over to meet Jon and Jan Miller. We went there just to stop over say hi and see his fish room. Figured we would be in and out in less than 15 min. Boy was I wrong, Jon and Jan took us to each of their tanks explained everything in full details and provided us with enough information to fill a book and that 15 minutes turned into 4 hours. Still to this day I talk to Jon and Jan weekly and they have become more then fish folk, but very important part of our family. That is what make this hobby what it should be about helping one another, because the last time I checked there was no popularity contest that goes along with fish keeping. Promoting the hobby in a positive productive manner helps to keep this hobby alive, and I feel we need to go back to basic with our self?s and with helping others grow in our community.
This may seem like a rant or a soap boxes catch all, but what have you done today that has helped someone else in the hobby? ???
NOTE: This is not intended at any one person on this forum. Just my observations of local happenings...
Aron, I can feel your pain. I've been working on a journal post about this very topic for the past several months. I have found it a very hard topic for me to explain, but you address some of my own feelings very well.
While I have not noticed this attitude here at Mugwump's or at my own local club here in central Ohio, it is prevalent in many other areas of our hobby. Spreading the joy that is fish keeping is a very big part of the hobby to those who truly love it.
Dennis
Excellent post and even though I've never met the folks on this forum I refer to members as "my fish friends". ;) Jon and Dennis are running a great forum with a friendly atmoshphere that's unmatched on any other I've been a member of. No one here has a needy ego.
There was a post on another forum addressing inexperienced experts who are essentially parroting things they've read elsewhere. That's another extreme we run across and, sadly, can cause the truly knowledgeable folks to stop offering advice. While I don't feel qualified to offer advice from first hand experience in all but a few areas of fish keeping its generally easy to recocognize the "posers". ::)
I try to help others in any way I can with free fish or supplies for beginners and by offering requested advice with caveats, i.e. links to more info or who to contact for additional guidance. However the people who really enjoy the hobby and caring for their fish are a joy to be around be it on forums or in person.
The only time I come across people like that is when I'm at the GCCA events. I think they have a hole group of people that think it's there job to make others feel stupid. I can say that if it wasn't for Jon and Jan I wouldn't of ever thought about breeding anything. I also went over to pick up a few bn's from Jon. I couldn't imagine that anyone would have a fish room before I met Jon. I was almost in shock. It was the first time I ever seen fry. I knew I wanted to try it the first time I seen it. It took me some time to learn what I needed to know and Jon was there every step of the way. I not only got the bn's Jon also gave me a beautiful pb clown angel. I didn't even Know there was more than one kind of angel. I was so touched by his generosity that I knew I wanted to pay it forward. I like to help out when ever I can. I don't think I know as much as some. but I'm happy to tell people what I do know about our hobby. I think I have given more fish away than I have sold. and for some people like Jon I couldn't charge. I'm just flattered that he would want any fish of mine. Also what he has given me in knowledge I could never repay.
I started keeping fish when I was 9 years old. My family moved into a new neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY and I saw there was a pet shop about a block away from my house. I went in and saw all kinds of animals that I never saw before. They had everything you could imagine from hamsters, birds, snakes, turtles, dogs, cats and of course fish. I remember taking the little bit of money I had and purchasing a fish bowl and a gold comet at this store. Needless to say that comet did not last very long but I knew then that I would have a passion for this hobby that would last a lifetime.
Except for a period of time when I was in the army I've always had a couple of tanks in my house. My kids would bring their friends over to look at the fish and I would end up giving them advice, fish and equipment.
On many occasions I would go to their houses and set up their equipment while giving them and their parents "pointers" on aquarium maintenance(There was a time when we advised people to never change the water just change the filter floss and add to add water for evaporation). LOL ;D.
My interest in this hobby has spanned over 50 years. When I retired recently I was able to devote more time to the hobby and have expanded the types of fish and equipment that I have. I soon became an "accidental breeder" of angelfish and Jon and Jan have provided me with plenty of advice and fish to expand my knowledge base. For that I am truly grateful.
I have been able to spread the joy of this hobby with my neighbors to whom I provide free fish and equipment for, and too many others that I am able to provide low cost fish for.
I am very thankful for all of the folks on this forum and others that have helped make this hobby so enjoyable for me.
It doesn't happen here as far as I can see. Here I give advice when I have advice to give, and ask advice when I need it. But here, unlike on some other forums, people who know nothing don't pretend to be experts. On Simply Discus (which I often refer to as "simple") it happens all the time. I offer advice to reasonable people, but I don't let the blow hard's and phony's get away with it. I can't help it. I hate blow hard's and phony's and I just can't let it slide. Over there my signature is "Mama Bear". For me, it all depends on the type of person I'm dealing with.
Just had to do it... Thank you all for the inspiration to do this video..
Well said and well done.
When we first started I had never had a fish tank other than a bowl with a gold fish that died and never got another!! So everything was new to me and still learning tricks as we go along!! But a huge thank you to all of those that opened their homes and fish rooms to us through the years to teach!!!!
I got started in 2001. A dear friend and former employee who passed away over a year ago gave me a 29 gallon set up from Walmart as a Christmas present. I thought that tank was HUGE! I had a hard time with the cycle. I didn't know a thing! Once I got hooked on fish I decided on Discus. I learned the basics at Simply Discus.
;D
Not at my local clubs, but at alot of the local breeders, they all kinda treat you like you are some nitwit who doesn't know anything. Many will try to charge you some ungodly price for their fish.Hell i'm just the opposite. People come over and i try to explain everything i know to them, tell them about the different fish i have ect.. Most people leave here with fish, equipment, different food to try all for the grand total of zero dollars and zero cents. Hell i feel good about it and am happy i could help them out
And that is what really made us feel like Jon and Jan cared and wanted to share their knowledge....making sure that we knew what worked for them may not work for us!!
While I've been keeping fish about 50 years I find that I am still learning something new everyday. This past year I have learned a heck of a lot about Angels from Jon and Jan (thanks J&J ;D) who live about 20 miles down the road from me.
Whenever I get a chance I take the opportunity to help someone get started in the hobby. I am always happy to give away fish to someone I know will do their best to care for them.
;D
So do we
Very nicely done Aron. I love than new logo you have too.
Dennis
Thanks Dennis, That was something lori and I did while waiting for her dad to get out of surgery.... something just clicked and there is the end result....