People Don't Realise How Hard It Is To Keep Fish

[WILDER]

They just think you fill a tank up with water and thats it.
Alot of learning to keep fish healthy and alive.
I didn't realise there was so much to learn when I wanted a fish tank.

 

[Jonno]

absolutely, after my first disease outbreak last year (whitespot) now stock meds for most just in case

it's the unknown parasites that scare me

 

[DevUK]

They just think you fill a tank up with water and thats it.

You mean theres more to it than that?!

No, seriously though I know what you mean. But just think how many people you have lead to the right path when you've been posting your advice I think LFS's should take a little more responsibility when it comes to people buying fish from them, but equally people should realise that fish aren't just a disposable pet that you replace when its died due to your neglagence.

 

[WILDER]

I had a good lfs which is rare.
Bought a book on beginners to tropical fish, and then joined forums and learnt most of it on the net.
I didn't realise how hard it was going to be.
But after 4 years no enough to get by now.
So keep learning and you start to enjoy the hobby.

 

[DevUK]

Yup. I (like many) sadly learnt the hard way. 27 litre tank with 3 oranda, two "algae eaters" (CAE's no less!) and 4 zebra danios. Sadly lost all the oranda as you might expect. Anyway, I've learnt now and thats the main thing. I'm still learning lots

 

[Teelie]

It's not hard to keep fish. It just takes some hard work and a small amount of education. Fish aren't any more difficult to keep than a cat or dog.

 

[WILDER]

Pets I've Had through my life like, cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, pony.
I would say fish have been the heardiest more to learn, never once thought of throwing the towel in.
Though had by down points which at the time was awful, but made me learn more.

 

[Teelie]

Fish are different only in their environment. Cats, dogs, hamsters, etc. are all terrestrial animals and don't live in water. The whole water thing is what throws people off. You might have to change their water but you don't have to walk them or worry about them running loose and escaping outside or under the couch. They stay where you put them. They don't get rabies or bite (usually) and other than changing gears, it's really not much different. I find my kitten is more trouble than my fish.

 

[znk]

Actualy what prompted me to get a tank was reading forums and articles. It clarified things and made it simpler than I would have expected.

 

[WILDER]

When had to keep kitten in I would make them a play ground to keep them amused, it was like having a baby lol.

 

[DevUK]

I want a kitten

 

[WILDER]

Actualy what prompted me to get a tank was reading forums and articles. It clarified things and made it simpler than I would have expected.
Good thats the best way to do it, sadly I didn't but had a good lfs who took me through it all, only let me start up with two guppys which really wasnt a good choice, amazing the red guppy lived for a long time in a cycling tank, had him about 8 months.

 

[dwarfgourami]

It's easier than children though- when the fish develop weird diseases, you can reach for the clove oil!

 

[littlest]

well I'm glad I started fish-keeping in the age of the internet anyway, that sure makes it easier. I don't think I have recieved one decent piece of information from the lfs, and I'd hate to think how many dead fish I would have got through if I had relied only on them, or even on books from the library.

 

[stang1]

I was lucky enough to have a really good lfs that gave me all the help and advice I needed, that's one of the reasons I got a job there!
Sadly, there are a lot of lfs that don't give good advice or don't seem to care but they aren't all like that.
I have learnt a lot from this forum and looking on the internet and it's enjoyable doing your own research sometimes.
Like Wilder said, there i more to it than just throwing some water in a tank. There are still many people who kept fish years ago that don't realise there is more to it nowadays.