And they looked at me like I was nuts...

[tsaraber]

My dad and aunt came out for a visit earlier this week. They sat in the kitchen were we keep all our tanks and while they both love our setup they kept asking why we didn't have this fish or that fish. I told them we were pretty much done. But is looks sooooo empty! It's not even close to empty. We have a 46 gallon bow front and there are 15 fish in it but 7 of those fish have the potential to get fairly large, between 4 and 6 inches. So if anything we're probably a little over stocked.

They actually told me I could take them back to the pet store when they get too large. Uhm, how about no? We like our fish, we didn't buy them so that we could abandon them later in life.

They both sat there looking at me like I was insane.

This from the woman with a tank full of livebearers who wonders why her fish keep having babies... babies that she flushes down the toilet live to get rid of I might add.

And from a man with a 2.5 gallon tank that houses a betta, red tail shark and anglefish - and who was actually talking about adding a clown loach to the mix.

But I'M the crazy one.

 

[TankGirl]

Believe me, I get this all of the time. I am the "crazy fish lady" in the family (and neighborhood) and the blank stares I get sometimes just slay me!

Right now the worst thing is that my new next door neighbor also keeps aquariums, and has a 55 and a 10 gal, and he will ask my advice about things, but since he does not like my answers (fishless cycling, extra water changes required since he is cycling with fish, reduce feeding to cut back on waste, the fish is going to get too big for the tank, etc.) he just laughs nervously and murmurs something about "giving that a try sometime."

To each their own! :?

 

[grimlock3000]

From my experience, less than 1 out of 10 people with fish actually have a clue.

 

[Blackpearl]

This from the woman with a tank full of livebearers who wonders why her fish keep having babies... babies that she flushes down the toilet live to get rid of I might add.

That's too cruel.. sure wouldnt want her around my babies

From my experience, less than 1 out of 10 people with fish actually have a clue.

That's what's AA is for, to give us better clues

 

[tsaraber]

Advice is lost on a lot of people. With my dad, everytime he would mention a particular fish I would tell him it wasn't a good choice for a 2.5 gallon tank. Like the shark, they're jumpers and they get to be pretty big. Nearly the second the words are out of my mouth he runs to the LFS and buys whatever fish I warned him against just to prove me wrong. Same exact senerio with the angel. Needless to say when he mentioned the clown loach I bit my tongue.

I did give him a thumbs up on the betta but that was long before I realized he'd be sticking it with those particular fish. Poor thing.

I would love to suggest to my aunt that she maybe get some kind of fish that will eat the fry but it wouldn't work, she's too much like my dad.

 

[madasafish]

At least she should do something productive with the babies and sell or give them back to the store as food...

I've learned to curb my enthusiasm (in the words of Lorne Micheals) for fish around others... It doesn't always work. Actually, it's a great pick-up line (lol ) to say that I'm working towards being an Ichthyologist. Gets a laugh every time.

I find that customers in fish stores are often like your neighbor, Liz. They really don't want to hear anything that might indicate you're a better fish-keeper than they, and they certainly don't want to hear that they should be doing more or better work on their tanks.

 

[Menagerie]

[center:d77b3a97c3] Ah, fish: the disposable pet. [/center:d77b3a97c3]

 

[madasafish]

Me----> <----Fish flusher

 

[tbonem91]

but dont "all drains lead to the ocean"??

 

[madasafish]

Yes, via the sewars, sewage treatment plant, mucky streams etc... And I'm not sure if those guppies'd be happy about living in the ocean!

lol on the illustration!

 

[newaridiar]

but dont "all drains lead to the ocean"??

Reminds me of "Finding Nemo"

 

[TankGirl]

I know my neighbor doesn't like my advice usually, but I really want to know why he asks me? He oohs and aahs over my tanks and seems interested, but I guess he considers it too much trouble, or maybe too complicated. I just moved in this summer so as we get to know their family better (their kids are the same ages as mine) I will hopefully have him converted!

I am currently house sitting for him and am being very good about not doing a thing to his tanks other than what he asked me to do, which was to give them a "couple of good pinches" of food twice a day. The 55-gal is mid cycle so I am not feeding them quite as much as he would like (don't tell ) and so far the fish are not showing signs of stress, but he would be furious if I told him I did a water change or something. It is killing me..... :?

Okay, I am done trying to hijack!

 

[tsaraber]

Hey, that all drains lead to the ocean thing (hehe, kinda clever) - I think I read somewhere that you shouldn't release your fish into the local rivers and lakes anyway. Something about possibly damaging the ecosystem, introducing disease, something like that.

Amusingly enough, guess who called me today and told me to save some room in my 10 gallon tank for his angel and shark? He says they're getting too big for the 2.5 gallon.

Well DUH!

TG, we promise not to tell if you do a water change.

 

[revhtree]

Flusher Butt Head---> :butt:
<---AA




PS. Lord Forgive Me.......

 

[oscarbreeder]

I think I would have to sneak and do a water change for the sake of the poor fish.

We wouldnt tell.

 

[TankGirl]

Oh - I am so nervous! Revhtree, WWJD?

I just imagine myself happily changing out the water and talking to the fish about how they mustn't tell Daddy, etc., and then, just like in the sitcoms, in walks the family, home early from vacation! 8O

"What are you doing?" they would ask. "Ummmmm," I would say, "Nothin'!"

 

[tsaraber]

"What are you doing?"

"Ohhh, I'm soooo sorry! I was drinking a (insert soda of choice here), and admiring your beautiful tanks when I accidentally dropped the can in. I HAD to do a water change to get all the nasty soda out!"

 

[TankGirl]

You are goooooood!

How about "My 3-yr-old came over and fed your fish - biscuits and buttermilk - what could I do?"

 

[tsaraber]

ROTFL Ohhh that one is even better!

I'll still be laughing over that one in the morning... lol

 

[Bioworldmaker]

And from a man with a 2.5 gallon tank that houses a betta, red tail shark and anglefish - and who was actually talking about adding a clown loach to the mix.

But I'M the crazy one.

Whaaaaaa...!!
Clown loach in a 2.5gal? Those things get up to a foot long!
Geez, talk about canned fish!