The beauty of fish keeping.

[Obsessed with fish]

Fish keeping is different to ANY other hobby. Its not like card collecting were you just chuck some rare cards in a box and show them of to your friends. You have a responsibility, you actually have to care and look after them. People may argue, or say people cant look after fish, but as long as you know the truth you should be fine. If someone has not actually seen your fish and say your a bad fish keeper, just ignore them . Im not saying not to take there advice, only ignore them if there being mean.

Anyway, fish keeping is like an adventure. There's endless information and your constantly learning new things. I learn at least 5 new things a day, most off this forum. Fish keeping has really taught me to force myself to do things that take patience and things you may not want to do, and i learnt to love them. At first, i have to admit i hated it, but after i while i learnt to love it. Now i get exited on maintenance day when i need to clean the tank and change water.

Recently i learnt something called cycling. At first i did not want to cycle it, but i forced my self to, and hey, now i have a 15 gallon tank cycling and i have no problem with it. there are always positives, for example now i have more time to research my fish im getting. Tell me what you think?

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

But surely you DO have a responsibility to look after the rare cards and not just chuck some into a box? I actually know some real card collectors and they would blow a complete gourd at the thought of just tossing them into a box!

People may argue, or say people cant look after fish, but as long as you know the truth you should be fine.

Knowing the truth is one thing...actually applying that knowledge is something different all together.

Thing is, assuming you've done everything right, you should end up with a completely effective little ecosystem, that should need very little input.
I believe that it is still true that an appropriately established tank should take only 30 minutes a week maximum to maintain.
In other words, all a good tank will need is looking at.

So what else do you do, if you're incapable of simply staring at the thing and enjoying what you see?

This is where the MTS strikes, or bored, fidgetty fishkeepers insist on tinkering with the aquascaping, essentially upsetting that balanced ecosystem, they've previously spent many, many months to establish.
Or they get complacent...and begin to overstock the tank.

Then, of course, the diseases and problems will emerge, complete with 'mystery' and 'unexplained' deaths and, basically, lots of previously content and thriving living creatures find themselves increasingly stressed and suffering.

 

[Ellebrius]

I think you have learned to open up your mind and are now accepting advice and applying what you have learned. You are doing things the correct way because you want to care the best way possible for your fish. I believe you will enjoy all that fishkeeping entails.
What do I say? Bravo!

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

How old are you?

 

[AbbeysDad]

For many. many years I have questioned whether fishkeeping is really a 'hobby'. I mean, in essence, they are pet fish.
I have a dog but don't consider her care a hobby.
Abbey has a couple of rabbits and a guinea pig (that I clean cages and feed every day) - are they hobbies?

In any case, I've enjoyed fishkeeping for many years. I especially enjoy the self satisfying DIY related projects and 'inventing' better ways to manage the aquariums and live food cultures. It's a series of on-going experiments and learning. I breed, grow out and sell fish - about 350 last year. I joined a fish club, became editor of the monthly bulletin, culture live fish foods, created a website/blog of about 100 articles (and growing) about fishkeeping ....
Hobby? - more like a calling!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Fishkeeping, for many is a passion really.

It’s a ‘hobby’ but at the same time it’s all consuming sometimes.

Every day I learn new things even though have been in this hobby for over 10 years and I still simply love reading about or learning about something new that’s proven to be effective and good for the aquarium and livestock.

The DIY side of things do interest me greatly, using and making do with what you have gives me great pleasure to do, especially if it works really well for a fraction of the normal retail costs and as we all know and learned, this is not a particularly cheap ‘hobby’!

It’s always nice to see someone new to this fishkeeping lark showing lots of enthusiasm and eagerness to learning more.

 

[FishHobby99]

For many. many years I have questioned whether fishkeeping is really a 'hobby'. I mean, in essence, they are pet fish.
I have a dog but don't consider her care a hobby.
Abbey has a couple of rabbits and a guinea pig (that I clean cages and feed every day) - are they hobbies?

In any case, I've enjoyed fishkeeping for many years. I especially enjoy the self satisfying DIY related projects and 'inventing' better ways to manage the aquariums and live food cultures. It's a series of on-going experiments and learning. I breed, grow out and sell fish - about 350 last year. I joined a fish club, became editor of the monthly bulletin, culture live fish foods, created a website/blog of about 100 articles (and growing) about fishkeeping ....
Hobby? - more like a calling!

Much truth in what you say, but many don’t consider fish to be pets. I will never love mine the way I do my cats and dog and parrots.
I do see fish as a hobby of sorts.

 

[itiwhetu]

"an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure" is the definition of a hobby. That I think is exactly what fish keeping is.
It can be all consuming at times and completely frustrating as well, that is why so many fish keepers stay with this wonderful hobby for a life time. It is very similar to the game of golf.

 

[FishHobby99]

Sounds good to me!

 

[Obsessed with fish]

How old are you?

Couch, chair and table.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I think you have learned to open up your mind and are now accepting advice and applying what you have learned. You are doing things the correct way because you want to care the best way possible for your fish. I believe you will enjoy all that fishkeeping entails.
What do I say? Bravo!

Thankyou, I will definitely enjoy fish keeping with multiple tanks.