Some requests

[OohFeeshy]

This has been going on for a long time, but I feel I should say something. If there are other threads of this nature, ignore this one. It is quite long, but you only have to read the section that refers to you.

For those posting topics in this section

My number one request is -research your fish. Please, don't just go any buy something because it looks nice. Now, if you are told by a shop employee that a particular fish is good for your tank, I would advise you to be skeptical. Unless they have proven themselves to be well educated, do not buy anything unless you know it is compatible with other fish you have and will not outgrow the tank. Otherwise, you will find yourself lost in a storm of angry replies when you post.

Secondly, if you have a problem, be specific. List your tank size, levels of nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and current stocking. Also list symptoms if asking for disease help. Ther is nothing worse than everyone who hangs around this section guessing wildly as to what it could be, and getting nowhere because they don't know the exact problem.

Thirdly, please, please spell check as thoroughly as you can, and don't use capitals. Spell checking is important when dealing with nitrate/nitrite, as it could mean life or death to your fish. It also, obviously, makes your post easier to understand. As for capitals, the use annoys a lot of people, and can give the wrong impression. Capitals imply you are shouting, which isn't very helpful.

Lastly, and probably most importantly- DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ/HEAR. This can be broken down into three statements-
1. Post count does not equal knowledge
2. Do not trust shop employees
3. Just because something worked for one person, doesn't mean it will work for you.


For those replying to topics

As said above, post count does not equal knowledge. Just because someone has only posted once or twice, doesn't mean they are an idiot.
Don't jump on people. By this I mean (and I know there have been threads about this) do not get angry at people with uncompatable fish. If you must express your view, do it politely, and if someone else has said it, do not say it again. Take heed of the ancient piece of advice ,'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'. If you do happen to be the first to reply, explain what you mean. You cannot expect people to know what you talk about if you don't tell them.
Finally, do not demand people accept your view as right. Very often what you post is not a fact. It is an opinion. Opinions can be argued about, facts cannot. Therefore don't tell people they are doing things wrong unless there is a definate reason, other than it didn't work for you.


Thankyou for reading this long piece of writing, and please take heed.

 

[jflowers]

Reading the pinned posts before posting is also a good idea for begginers.

Jon

 

[nc_nutcase]

Stocking Advice...

I've seen SOOOO many threads that read something like "I have a new X Gal tank... what should I put in it?”

Then there are 300 instant replies from people saying what they would do with their new X Gal tank. When I reply to such requests for guidance I try to do so with questions, not answers. Many new people are extremely sincere and open to direction. As experienced fish keepers we can help people a lot more by teaching them what questions to ask themselves.

I'm glad I stopped to read this thread, also I think it may be worth brainstorming and making a thread that sort of teaches new people not so much how to do things, but how to research things for themselves, what questions to ask themselves and how to interpret the varying responses/results of their questions/research then push to have it pinned.

PS - Yes, please spell check. I've read many a post that I was interested in but couldn't take part in because I couldn't understand what the person was trying to say due to simple spelling errors and poor grammar. I keep a Word Processing window open at all times and do a quick copy/paste to it before I post anything. It takes an extra 12 seconds and ensures I can be understood.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Must pipe up here: Ahem.


If you are going to be stocking your tank and don't know what fish to get, please go to your lfs and LOOK AT THE TANKS before posting a thread about 'What fish should I get '!

Watch, but do not buy. Then, with the pad of paper you are also supposed to bring with you, write down the name of the fish you like the most while watching them in the store. Then you can come here and research the fish. There is nothing as annoying as having twenty people suggest all sorts of fish only to have the person either not know what any of them look like or being like 'I want cichlids actually...' If you know what sort of fish you are interested in beforehand, you can just state the type you like, and then find out stocking numbers and all that.

As to the people actually replying, for the love of sanity stay on topic! Do not start talking about how livebearers would look much better in the 55 gallon tank they just said they are putting *blank* fish because you like livebearers better. It's not productive, and it's actually a little annoying. Not everyone wants a community tank okay?

Along these lines, be nice about peoples fish. Be nice to the people too. If someone uses feeders, do not get on their case about how evil they are. You can point out that store bought feeders can spread disease, but keep it nice

Newbies, take everything with a grain of salt, but don't sit there and argue with a person when they tell you something you don't want to hear. Especially when it's late at night, they are grouchy, and they are me Seriously, when you ask for help, you have asked for help. Do not act like the person is sweeping in and trying to thrust advice up your nose. If you seriously doubt the advice, wait for more people to answer your questions, and go ask more people in the specific sections about the problem (i.e. questionable advice on african cichlids, go ask the people in the African Cichlid section!).

SEARCH!!!! Its this glorious little button thingy down near the bottom of the page, USE IT! You are probably not the first person to have the situation you're having, and we all know you won't be the last, so logic says you have a good chance of finding the answer through using this feature. I have, and I am greatful for it. I can't stress this enough, there are way too many thread about the same thing over and over again. People, if you are looking for stocking tips, sometimes you can just type in the size tank you have (like 30 gallon) and find all these posts about other people with thirty gallons. Sometimes that's how I find my old posts so I can reread what they say (I forget easy )


And above all people, if you don't know much about a certain type of fish and they are asking advice on it, DON'T say what you think, just state that you don't know. Tiger barbs, I know almost nothing about them other than they lay eggs and can be real terrors to long finned fish and should be kept in groups of at least six, but that's as far as it goes, and until I learn more I'm not going to be giving out anything more than this, because I don't know. It's not bad to not know every fish.

Now you guys know why I never post anything on tetras, I know nothing !!!