The Two Kinds Of Fish People...

[eschaton]

It seems to me, from my personal experience and reading on forums, fish-keepers fall into two groups once they are into the hobby for awhile.

One group of people are generally interested in smaller fish. These folks focus on community tanks with schooling fish. Tetras, Danios, Barbs, Corydoras, Rasboras, Loaches, and Rainbowfish appeal to these people. As time progresses they may move towards planted tanks and/or biotopes, obsessing over aquascaping, trying their hand at freshwater shrimp and snails, and potentially blowing large wads of cash on expensive lighting and C02 systems. While they may want a large display tank, they're more likely to start having tons of smaller tanks, potentially even nano-tanks. Outside pet interests probably include nano-reefs and keeping Poison Dart Frogs.

The second group of people are interested more in larger fish with "personality." This group gets attracted to large Cichlids (New World and African), various oddballs like Puffers, predatory catfish, and the like. If they have a main display tank it's probably a Mbuna tank or something similar, but for the most part tanks are constructed more for functionality than appearance. As time progresses tanks become larger and larger as new stock arrives. In the U.S., these are the sort of folks who may enjoy feeding live feeders to their fish. Outside pet interests probably include keeping of reptiles.

This is probably a gross over generalization (for example, I don't think livebearer line-breeders or betta fanatics fit into either category), but most people I've known seem to fit into these two groups. Feel free to chime in to support or detract from this theory.

 

[blue acara]

What you say may be true in a way... Some people like keeping mainly big tanks and big predatory fish for example CFC. However there are so many fish to specialize in. Marine, predatory marine, livebearers, cichlids, kilifish, catfish, discus, south american biotypes, african, indian fish, planted tanks etc etc. The list goes on and on.

After 2 years in the hobby im leaning towards planted tanks, south american fish and cichlids.

Many people will start out with a community tank then decide they like a particular fish from that tank and concentrate on that type of fish. Some will go for many years with just that one tank.

The diversity of fish and the different types of aquariums we can set up for our fish is part of the reason why this hobby is so interesting and diverse, and why so many people have multiple tanks.

 

[Stacey13]

Interesting..... I wonder where I fit in to your theory?
I have an oscar and a pleco, both eating their way up to LARGE fish in a hurry, plus bettas, cardinal tetras, and bumblebee gobies. I also have as many different types of snails as I do fish.
I guess only time will tell, I've only been in this hobby for about a year and a half.

 

[cuticom]

Sounds pretty accurate, I've been ricocheting between the two, but think I'll end up in the first group, my oscar is driving me nuts I like my nice tetras and goldies waaay better.

 

[benniebru]

yea i like both i have a 30gal tank with smaller fish and they are fun to watch cuz they are always busy, and i am setting up a 60 gal tank that is gonna be a cichlid tank bigger fish are always fun!! but if i had to choose bigger tank and bigger fish all the way

 

[madgap]

I fit into the first quite well. Whilst never buying expencive lighting or a CO2 unit, I have concidered them as a future purchase. Also, the nano tank. I've given that thoght, too.
Good observations. Perhaps the betta keepers would make a third group?

 

[jasonskillz]

i happen to fit in the second group and i mainly agree with what you said

nice observations

 

[Catfish Jack]

i fall into the first group, though i sometimes have ideas of getting a large tank with bigger fish. with me creating the tank itself is something like an artform. im just too poor most the time to afford ordering plants, co2 systems, and other expensive hardware. i also have limited space and my 55g column tank barely fits in my room.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

One group of people are generally interested in smaller fish. These folks focus on community tanks with schooling fish. Tetras, Danios, Barbs, Corydoras, Rasboras, Loaches, and Rainbowfish appeal to these people.

Thats Me!

As time progresses they may move towards planted tanks and/or biotopes, obsessing over aquascaping, trying their hand at freshwater shrimp and snails, and potentially blowing large wads of cash on expensive lighting and C02 systems.

Umm yep thats me too.

While they may want a large display tank, they're more likely to start having tons of smaller tanks, potentially even nano-tanks. Outside pet interests probably include nano-reefs and keeping Poison Dart Frogs.

I have a resonably sized main display tank at the moment but in the past have tended to have more smaller tanks then larger ones. I have just started a nano reef as well...

I think you are pretty much right As mentioned above there still are a lot of "sub-divisions" but I agree that most people seem to roughly fit in one or the other

 

[jennybugs]

I fall mainly into the first group as I do like smaller fish and have 7 tanks, the largest of which is only 90cm long. It's only that small because I dont have the room for anything larger. They're not all communities though as you can see from my siggy.

When I move to a place with more space, I WILL be going larger and I definately want to explore the world of puffers and cichlids in depth. Big fish in general don't appeal to me to try to keep them, but puffers and cichlids have masses of personality.

The future of my community tanks doesn't involve CO2 set ups or complicated and expensive lighting at the moment. I can't say if I'll go down this route or not, but I'm inclined to think I may move into the realms of marine keeping rather than CO2 and lighting freshwater trop stylee

All in all though, it's a great hobby whatever way we wish to go with it B)

 

[Darkstar]

This is probably a gross over generalization

You got that right lol....and that's the most accurate thing in the post.

 

[shroob]

Second group for me probably, just because I'm not too interested about bright colours really, I'd rather have a fish that you can hand feed, has a distinct personality than some flashing colours darting around the tank. Though I dont have a big tank by any stretch of the imagination, when I do get one, I wouldnt fill it with neons put it that way.

Edit: Money aswell, all these expensive lights, Co2 systems, dont even get me started on marines...I'm just a poor teenager with little money ;(

 

[Azaezl]

I fit into the first group but want to be in the second group as well.

It's a question of space for me really, if I had the space I'd have bigger tanks, some for smaller fish such as corys others for large predatory fish, cichlids, etc. I definately want to do brackish & marine at some point but again it's having the space for the tanks.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Well, it also depends on the tanks you can house. I fall in the big fish category, but i own smaller schooling fish like kuhlis because i cant house the bigger bichirs and cichlids. I think there is a balance between the two too. I like fish that are bigger than average, but not like oscar size or ornate bichir size. Something like a dwarf pike, blue german rams, south american puffers, and chaca chacas. So im guess im like the 1.5 choice with the fish in the 5-9 inch range?

 

[mark7616]

What group do I fit in to then

Big predatory

marine community