underlying causes of MTS...

[Magnum Man]

I was looking around my tanks today, and almost all of them, look like the vision I had, in my minds eye... nothing left to buy here... nothing left to create, no room for new fish to acquire... they are "done" and I'm kind of bummed...

I "need" to set up another tank, to satisfy my needs to create, to shop, for both plants and hard scape, and there are so many fish I find interesting, that I don't possess....

it takes a lot of time, and money... but doing so, nurtures something in me... what do my fellow MTS brothers and sisters get out of setting up a new tank???

 

[gwand]

My MTS drive is motivated by an urge to be around what I consider beautiful fish with or without interesting behaviors. I spend several hours a day in my office/fish room and derive considerable pleasure viewing my fish. The challenge surrounding breeding my fish is also an activity that brings me pleasure.

 

[GaryE]

58 years later, I have some things figured out. Not many, but some.

It's where @Magnum Man we differ for now - but I know I can't make a state of the art, automated 900 tank gleaming fishroom/laboratory. I'm not rich and not as young as I used to be. And it would bore me. I like fish watching, but looking through the glass doesn't catch me as it used to. I want my hands in the tank.

I'm no longer into collecting fish. I've been working on adding to my killie set up, and the two species I may have tracked down are ones I've had before, recently, and one is descended from eggs I sent to another breeder. It isn't novelty anymore. I'm looking to be on no cutting edges. I want fish I need to use my brain and my hands to work with. I'm into pretty puzzles.

Breeding is what matters to me now - breeding and distributing fish to other local aquarists. I've even agreed to breed some bread and butter fish to help out a friend with an aquarium store expand his offerings. I don't really care about the money, although I plan to get fishfood in return. Every new tank becomes "what can I produce out of here".

I used to avoid buying cardinal tetras because I thought I'd lack the skills to breed them. Then I taught myself how, with help from many other aquarists who shared their experience. Now when I set up a new tank (and all my aquariums are least 10 years old) it's functional. What can I do with it, and how can I set myself challenges and start projects with it? I don't buy fish that can't be bred in captivity, but I have bred a number of fish that hadn't been bred in tanks before, so I look at my chances. Then I set up to maximize them.

 

[Magnum Man]

there are lots of varied reasons we suffer MTS...
with living on "the farm" I get the breeding part out of the way, with larger animals, but I'm guessing a large amount of the hobby ( at least that post here ) are trying or successfully breeding fish... not sure if starting this thread will reduce the amount of hobbyists that suffer from this... but feel free to post your reasons...

 

[plebian]

Breeding is what matters to me now - breeding and distributing fish to other local aquarists.

Have you ever heard of Project Piaba? Check out this link for starters:

 

[GaryE]

Project Piaba has been around for a very long time. It's a good initiative.

They're working in "out of someone's house" conditions.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

"So many tanks, so little time. Since you cannot get more time, you may as well get more tanks."

I have donated to Piaba I am pretty sure, but did so for CARES and IctioXingu for sure. Over the years, starting after I began working with zebra plecos in 2006, I have tried to support orgs and sites which do good things for all of us in the hobby. This includes conservation and research as well as free sites and hosting events.

@GaryE
I have not been at this anywhere near as long as you have nor with as many different of species. My very first fry was a swordtail and it was the very first time I did the happy fish dance. I am into my 25 year now and I still do the dance whenever I see new eggs or free swimming fry.

edited for my usual typos

 

[GaryE]

When @Magnum Man talks about living on the farm - I wonder if somehow our instincts have been twisted into us 'hunting' for interesting fish species, then trying to 'farm' them? I have a friend who bird watches, though not very seriously. When he gets a photo of a new to him bird, he looks remarkably like I do when I see a 'new' killie or dwarf Cichlid.

I find it interesting that in the bleak postwar years of industrial jobs, slums and factories, so many people in my family had canaries and fishtanks.

My gut feeling when I caught aquarium fish in exotic (to me) streams was really similar to how I felt when I found interesting new fish coming in via commercial importations. We do seem to like the novelty, and we often also like the nurturing. I'm always in awe of nature, and each of these little fish can be a window into something ancient, beautiful and essential.

 

[Magnum Man]

I think one essential reason, for MTS, is because there are so many amazing fish out there, so many different environments, these fish thrive in, and we can only put so many in each tank...

the creative outlet is big with me, as I'm not at all artistic, and even I can make something beautiful, without having to draw sculpt, or paint...

 

[gwand]

I agree.