People Ignoring/insulting Good Fishkeeping Advice?

[Inchyally]

I have only had my tank since Christmas, but I have read multiple fishkeeping books and done a lot of research online about the hobby, so I would consider myself informed. So when somebody just starts out, I was helping them out on Yahoo! Answers. Some people took my advice, and some people were.... ignorant?

One person said they bought Mixed Fruit Tetras and asked a question about them. I responded telling them to please stop buying these fish as they are dyed and it is cruel. They proceeded to edit their question calling me a word so inappropriate I wouldn't post it here since little kids may be reading... they also called me a tree hugger.

Another person said they were getting a 5 gallon tank for a Betta with no heater or filter. They asked the question on the site over and over. They were getting they same answers, including from myself, that Betta fish produce waste and need a filter and are tropical fish and need a heater. They would get... about 10 answers for each question. Usually, one person would say that was fine conditions for the fish, and they kept picking that one answer as the best answer. That I think is ignorance... I don't want to see their reaction when their Betta doesn't live very long.

You have any experiences?

 

[minxfishy]

Many times, including on here, Ive gotten to the point, where I offer the advice, if they choose to ignore it or want to argue about it, then to not bother responding anymore.

 

[Curiosity101]

Too many to list lol, but you just have to take it with a pinch of salt and keep helping the people who are actually willing to be helped.

 

[Buddyboy67]

Unfortunately you will always get this...put me off forums before now because of this. Others will simply ignore you and re post similar questions in multiple threads waiting to get the answer they want and that suits them....these people aren't willing to learn from experienced keepers and are simply down rite ignorant in my opinion !!!!!

 

[Lawrence]

ok honestly i have to say i was slightly ignorant on some posts, but i did keep tropical fish many times before so i am not considered a beginner. but also the person giving advice can also be very narrow-minded and does not consider the suggestions given by the beginner asking questions. he/she might only think that they are right and no-one else is, and there is only one way for happy-healthy fish

 

[Inchyally]

ok honestly i have to say i was slightly ignorant on some posts, but i did keep tropical fish many times before so i am not considered a beginner. but also the person giving advice can also be very narrow-minded and does not consider the suggestions given by the beginner asking questions. he/she might only think that they are right and no-one else is, and there is only one way for happy-healthy fish

When I was answering people, and from the two experiences I had, I and nobody else was rude. I did not do any name calling or anything. I gave them the honest truth..., that a Betta may not be the best pet if that person is not going to buy the needed supplies for it to thrive, and that dyeing fish is cruel. And in the first case in the dyed Tetra situation, I think they were the rude one with what they said to me.

 

[Jallen]

Bettas have evolved in the most unfortunate way, making themselves so attractive as pets. They are probably one of the most abused species of fish along with goldfish.

 

[Truck]

my family are like this....oh back in my day we kept goldfish in saucepans...theyre so arrogant and ignorant.

i have a member of family that boils their media in a bucket i told them not to and explained about the bacteria etc even showed them an article on here and they turned round and said thats rubbish...all my fish are dying because theyre over crowded

 

[shelaghfishface]

you have the upper hand, so smile/smiley and walk away

 

[shelaghfishface]

Many times, including on here, Ive gotten to the point, where I offer the advice, if they choose to ignore it or want to argue about it, then to not bother responding anymore.

me too and it used to really upset me to think that because they ignored "me "us" therye fish were suffering ( oscars in particular) BUT now i do just this . im not wasting my time on people who dont want the advice when there are plenty that do ( sometimes spend up to 20 mins, looking thru old posts etc, making sure my facts are right, typing.. only to be ignored )

its life.

 

[cheesy feet]

my family are like this....oh back in my day we kept goldfish in saucepans...theyre so arrogant and ignorant.

i have a member of family that boils their media in a bucket i told them not to and explained about the bacteria etc even showed them an article on here and they turned round and said thats rubbish...all my fish are dying because theyre over crowded

Same, even though I kept my own fish tank since I was 9, and am now 15, my aunt seems to think a 5 gallon is fine for 10 WCMM (Which it is), and 3 goldfish (Which it isn't), and when I go into an explanation why a fish died she says something like "I think it was old", can't take criticism or admit they're wrong, so they don't listen

 

[Curiosity101]

Lol, gotta love family that 'know better' because they've been doing it since the stoneage.
And since the stoneage didn't decide to *ahem* move with the times.

My dad has commented on my tank many many times 'I don't know how you did it, when I had fish all the plants died and the fish didn't live as long'...
I just laugh, thankfully when I explained it all to him he understood and accepted it.

But plenty of people don't. Because thats the way 'they did it' and you're younger than them so clearly don't know as much...hmm

 

[cheesy feet]

Lol as you said some people 100% accept it and want to learn more when others say the old 'when I kept fish they used to die'

..Thinking it's some sought of mystery why

 

[rdd1952]

As I have mentioned before, the best thing to do when someone is asking questions and then not heeding the advice they are give is to simply ignore them. Don't post on their threads. Don't even open their threads as you will be tempted to post.

This is pretty much the case in life. If you know someone is going to argue every point you try to make to them, even though you know you are right, just avoid the person. It takes 2 to argue and in a lot of cases, the argument is what they are looking for, not advice.

And when you are dealing with a fishkeeper that has been around a while and they open a statement with "I've been dong this for 20 years and...." you know you are not going to get anything but an argument so save yourself the breath. Once again, that applies to life in general. People that are set in their ways and not willing to consider that there's a better way can not be swayed.

 

[Matthew Lee Newell]

lawrence is all i say