Really Stoopid Questions?

[Alien Anna]

This was just a mad thought that passed through my brain: what is the stupidest fish-keeping question you've been asked for real?

I thought if we gave some of these newbies an idea of what a really, really stupid question is (i.e. one that even they'd know was stupid), they'd at least feel superior to someone! But if that fails, at least we'd be able to have a laugh at someone elses expense (I'm thinking here of laughing at people not on this forum, in case anyone's worried about me sparking flamewars!).

Here's a couple I've been asked in Real Life:

1. "Does it suck the blood of other fish?" (points to common plec sucking to the front glass of the display tank).

2. "Have you put those little fish in there to feed the big one?" (question asked when admiring my small tank with black neon tetras and a betta).

3. "Is that a baby piranha?" (points to black neon tetra).

4."Why don't people eat koi carp?" (They probably do somewhere, but who'd pay 2 grand for a fish supper?).

 

[Calusa]

maybe it doesn't apply, but I bet somebody somewhere asked this about a fish.

I have a friend in the marine mammal care business, and he was asked how often they bathe the whales...

 

[CFC]

I cant recall ever being asked any really stupid questions but i do have a work mate who has some really stupid ideas about fish keeping.The most famous of these is that he believes and will not allow anything to change his mind about it, that water changes are bad for your fish.When i tried to explain how nitrates an other toxins build up in a aquarium over time and the only way to remove them isby doing water changes he told me i was talking rubbish and had obviously read too many books that are only there to try and make us spend more money,and besides no one changes the water in the rivers and lakes do they and fish live just fine in there ???
He also dosent believe in nitrobacter bacteria and regularly washes his filter media under the tap to clean it,he honestly believes there is no such thing as benefitial bacteria because "bacteria are germs arent they". How his fish have stayed alive i dont know,he has a oscar and some large catfish that must be the hardiest fish on the planet.