Before you try fish keeping

[plebian]

Advice for people considering tropical fish keeping as a hobby.

1. If you don’t understand and accept the fact that all living creatures are conscious entities with feelings not so far removed from ourselves as we like to think, find something else to do;
2. If you don’t realize that most of the information about fish keeping is incomplete, out of date, misleading, or simply false and aren’t willing to spend hundreds of hours of research learning the truth, find something else to do;

What I am saying is, unless you’re willing to become a student, there are very few options available to you. You can successfully and humanely keep goldfish or guppies and a few other species with some very basic knowledge. Beyond that, things become increasingly complicated.

People who live in an apartment should adopt a cat, not an Australian sheepdog or a Doberman. You should carefully consider your situation and your willingness to invest the time and money that may be required, or simply find something else to do.

If that hasn’t deterred you, please read on.

Aquariums are extremely complex ecosystems. So much so that no two are exactly alike.

If you were to buy two aquariums of the same size, fit them with the same filtration systems, decorations etc. and populate them with the same number of individuals, all of the same species and implement identical maintenance regimens, those two aquariums would still be unique.

Every aquarium is a micro biotope. In addition to the fish, plants, snails, or any other flora or fauna an aquarium may contain, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of microbes and micro flora and fauna that coexist, or will once an aquarium becomes established. Very little is known or understood about most of these species or the complex relationships they create.

Then there’s water chemistry. Another subject that’s far more complex than commonly represented. Let me just say that learning the nitrogen cycle is roughly equivalent to learning multiplication tables. Knowing the nitrogen cycle doesn’t make you an aquatic biochemist any more than knowing multiplication tables makes you a mathematician.

None of this is to say you need to become an expert before becoming a tropical fish keeper. It’s to say there are no experts in this hobby. There are some very experienced hobbyists, with a good deal of knowledge, but none of them should be considered experts. The hobby simply encompasses far too many interrelated topics for anyone to declare themselves an expert. Keeping tropical fish in the long term is a demanding learning experience that is unequaled in any other hobby I am aware of.

 

[FattyFish]

Every aquarium is a micro biotope. In addition to the fish, plants, snails, or any other flora or fauna an aquarium may contain, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of microbes and micro flora and fauna that coexist, or will once an aquarium becomes established. Very little is known or understood about most of these species or the complex relationships they create.

You are completely right. Also, add to the mix that every fish has a different attitude to deal with; some "peaceful" fish can end up terrorising the rest of the tank, while others live in harmony.
One quote that springs to mind is from Pete Waterman, the record producer who keeps Koi, some costing many tens of thousands of pounds; he said: "Fishkeepers don't keep fish; we keep water...the fish are decorations that we enjoy along the way".

 

[gimme30]

Unfortunately the people that need to see this probably won't. The types that will search out and shop at a fish store might have some sort of basic knowledge or at least a willingness to dive a little deeper, but the people that get their setups from the big box stores may never get it right. Until they find a forum like this, and ask "Why did my fish die?" I frequent Petsmart/Petco to buy food for the cat that's eating me out of house and home and always make it a point to swing by the aquariums, and invariably there's someone being told an oscar will be just fine in their new 10 gallon tank. Years ago when hex tanks were all the rage it was the same with arowanas.

I'm lucky to have a few LFS that are staffed by people that know their stuff and will steer people away from things they really aren't equipped to deal with. My favorite always recommends reading up on the subject to people new to the hobby. I suspect that's rare in most cases.

 

[plebian]

every fish has a different attitude to deal with

Absolutely. Dealing with personalities, and recognizing that fact in the first place, is part of the game.

What's sad is how few people actually accept the fact that fish have personalities. I know one individual who is technically very knowledgeable about aquarium maintenance, loves dogs more than people, recycles the water from water changes to use in his garden, etc. When questioned about his insistence on overstocking with incompatible species his reply was, "they're just fish".