General fish keeping ideas from advisors and other veterans.

[SpaceButler]

Hi.

I'm relatively new to fish keeping. I just started in October, so I guess that's less that half a year. I feel like I'm finally getting to a point where I can (competently) manage my tanks. I understand the basic chemistries in the water that I need to be aware of; good feeding practices; and basic illness and wound treatment.

I'm just feeling like I really want to know all the minute details that I can. I don't just want to be knowledgeable enough to run a tank, I want to be able to understand 100% all that I do. When I'm confronted with a conflict of action, I want to be able to make a decision based on facts about the hobby.

I'm really wondering about you advisors and experts out there. Please give me an idea here:

-How long have you been in the hobby?
-Is most of your knowledge from a)personal experience; b) conversing with other hobbyists and former experts; c) resources (books, training, etc).
-If it's from good resources, point me to some books please. I've been to the library and read a lot, but it seems that most of what I find is for beginners.

Is my best step to take a class on ichthyology? Help me get on the springboard furthering fish keeping beyond just a diversion.

TIA

 

[jsoong]

I am no expert, but I think a combination of reading (books & internet resources) and careful observation of your tank is what sets you on the road to becoming one. A degree in physiology & chemistry can't hurt either!

The best place to start on the net is the KRIB FAQ - a mirror of the site is here: http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/

This FAQ has everything you need to know as a beginner, but delves deep into the subject if you are so inclined.

BTW, I applaud your desire to understand what you are doing. Too often fish keepers <and a lot of the lfs staff!> follow a "recipe" blindly without any understanding. That, IMO, is not the ideal way to do anything.

 

[beblondie]

20+ years Iwas born into a fishkeeping family
Have a list of books
General Aqutic books
Baensch Aquarium Atlas Vol.1,2 and 3
Handbook of Tropical fish/axlerod & schultz
Guide to Freshwater and marine aquarium Fish / Simon & Shuster
The Biotope Aquarium /Stawikowski
Aquarium Science and Technique/Ostermoller
Aquarium Decorating and Planning/Weigel
Plant Books
Aquarium Plants /Brunner
Encyclopedia of Water Plants /Stodola
Aquarium Plants Manual/Scheurmann
The Complete Book of Aquarium Plants Allgayer, R., and Teton, J.
Aquarium plants/Kasselmann
Disease Books
Diseases of Aquarium Fish /Goldstein
A Commonsense Guide To Fish Health/Terry Fairfield/BARRONS
Manual of Fish health/Anderews,Exell & Carrington
hope this list helps you on your journey thru fish keeping -Anne

 

[SpaceButler]

Thank you much.

You know, when I picked up my first fish, I did things the wrong way.... no cycling... painted fish... oscar in a 10 gallon....you name it! Since then, I feel I have learned so much, and this has turned into more than just the diversion that I meant it to be. I normally lose interest in things like this by 6 months, so I think this one's a bit special, hehe.

I'll check out that link, and the more info I can get from you all the better. Thanks.

EDIT: Wow! Thanks blondie. That's huge. I'm going to see if I can't track down some of those.

EDIT 2: Man, jsoong, that site is busting with good stuff. Great find. Thank you.

 

[TankGirl]

Most of what I know (I learn new things every day, and am fond of saying that the more I learn the more I realize I don't know) I have learned from personal experience, doing things wrong, especially in my early days 20 years ago, and figuring out how to do it right. For the past several years now that the internet has such great forums like this I have learned a whole lot from the experience of others.

There is a lot of dogma out there in this hobby, and there is a lot of resistance to changes in concepts. I like to keep an open mind and be ready to change my attitude about certain aspects if necessary. My approach is constantly evolving.

Reading threads in forums like this, and trying to help beginners get over some rough patches, you start to see patterns and then you develop a knowledge base that way as well.

Pay close attention to your tanks, keep a journal, and you'll gain experience if you want to. Multiple tanks with different biotopes and species tanks teach you a lot also. There are probably plenty of fishkeepers who don't really want to know all there is to know, they just want to keep the fish alive with minimal headache and research, and that is fine too if they provide the proper environment for their fish.

May I also endorse The Krib as a marvelous resource, and remember, Google is your friend When you google look at many of the sites that are returned because not all of the info on the web is reputable.

You'll probably get as many different responses to your question as there are fish in the sea!

 

[Fruitbat]

I've been keeping tropical fish of one form or another for 40 years. I have a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's in Molecular Biology so some of my educational training has helped considerably. However....I have learned MUCH from personal experiences...both good and bad. I also have developed a habit of learning from OTHER people and I still voraciously devour any written material I can find. Oh...and TankGirl's mention of keeping a journal is a great idea! I have a whole mini-library composed of my personal notebooks (going back to the early 1970s) that I can burrow through when I'm trying to recall what worked best in a particular situation (or what didn't work at all).

-Joe

 

[Mazdaman]

or fish in the lakes and rivers since alot of us are fw keepers... (not that that matters just wanted to keep all the fish included in the phrase...)

 

[SpaceButler]

Good stuff. I'll make sure to, if nothing else, at least keep major changes and medications documented. I can see that being a big help.

 

[mandi]

I got my first tank about 20 years ago and have had one (or 8, lol) ever since. I would say I have a combination of all three things you listed - my own experiences (both postive and negative) have taught me a lot, I LOVE talking with other hobbyists (ie at sites like this or in person) to hear their ideas and reading is always a valuable resource.
One tip on the reading - when you read keep in mind the publishing date of the material. While some information is not likely to change there is a lot about this hobby that has changed and progressed. Many books I have found at libraries are from the 70's and while much of the information they contain applies today a lot of it is outdated.

 

[Lepomis]

I have had tanks off and on throughout my life. For me the key on keeping a good healthy tank is to keep it simple. I really don't try to pay much attention to chemicals, readings, etc... that takes away the enjoyment for me. Observe and mimic nature amazing how well things work when we follow the way things are meant to be done. Sure you can attempt to force the issue, increase the carrying capacity of the tank but nature always wins no matter how hard you try to twist it. An ich class may help along with others may also be of benefit if you have the time and don't have the trouble making the associations from larger systems. A few other classes that might help would be an aquatic vascular plant class, limnology, stream and watershed ecology, ent, etc... Sure some don't relate exactly to aquariums but will contribute to your overall understanding. Then again I have known some rather intelligent people within the ich field that couldn't keep a fish alive more than a day.

 

[BrianNY]

Very interesting thread SpaceButler. I really think that at some point many fishkeepers make the leap from hobbyist to aquarist. An aquarist is someone that wants to perfect their aquarium skills, accepts challenges, and devotes more of their resources (in time and money), then they'd care to admit.

I think most of the experienced people here would agree with Tankgirl. The more we learn, the more we realize how much we don't know. I mean just the water chemistry alone is enough to boggle the imagination. Our tanks chemistry is in a perpetual state of change due to all of the biological processes occuring. And, our experiences will not be exactly the same because we're all starting with different water.

I also think that one of the best ways to gain more knowledge is through the people you associate with. Prior to my becoming an active member of this forum, I had no friends that shared my love of aquariums. Now I have many friends from AA. I find that just logging on here daily is not only enjoyable, but stimulates my gray matter.

 

[Menagerie]

-How long have you been in the hobby?
-Is most of your knowledge from a)personal experience; b) conversing with other hobbyists and former experts; c) resources (books, training, etc).
-If it's from good resources, point me to some books please. I've been to the library and read a lot, but it seems that most of what I find is for beginners.

Is my best step to take a class on ichthyology?

~3 years, 54 days, 2 hr, 43 minutes and 28 seconds, but who's keeping track?

~Most of my knowledge comes from this board and talking with my husband, who taught an ichthyology lab for two years.

~Read the articles on this site and the Krib to get you off on the right foot.

~Ichthyology classes are not geared for the aquarium hobby, but if you want to know about fisheries and fish dissection, then by all means-sign up!

 

[beblondie]

Always have a spare filter preferably one that uses the same media as the one on your tank.
Always have a spare heater they never break when stores are open.
Quarantine is your friend practice it-Anne

theres probably more I'll think of later

 

[TankGirl]

Amen on the quarrantine! It only takes one tank crash from illness introduced by new fish for you to appreciate the merits of this easy measure.

I have never been a patient person, but this hobby has really introduced me to the concept, and it has spread to other areas of life for me.

 

[SpaceButler]

I can see what you mean about fishkeeping seeping to other areas of your life. I used to think of fish as ugly creatures, but the more you look at them, and learn that the way they look is about 80% due to how you treat it, I have a new appreciation for that beauty. Looking at fish in this way has spilled into other areas of my life (now looking at more that just first looks). Antiques and nature for example, I now see through a completely different light.

Patience has increased too. When you start your first tank, you want it all right away, and the thought of cycling for 2 months BEFORE putting fish in is ridiculous; however I wouldn't have it any other way now.

"The more you learn, the more you realize you don't know." This is totally how I feel. Once you tackle an issue you previously didn't know about, it opens up 2-3 more things that you weren't even aware of. This fact has been sparking my thirst for knowledge about fishkeeping, and I can certainly understand what you're all saying.

I read a good deal of the Krib faq, and here's some new things I've learned:

-GAC is not necessary for a quality tank, and may not even help except for removing medicine... which could be accomplished with water changes. (removes GAC.... I've also heard it's suspected of causing HITH in Oscars.... I'm not going to risk my little grumbo). I feel like a stooge for being led to belive that it was necessary.

-Mechanical filters are all but useless unless you actually REMOVE the debris caught by the filter before it degrades into NH3>NO2>NO3 *smacks forehead*... I will now gently rinse my mechanical media in water I've syphoned from the tank during water changes.

 

[Jchillin]

SpaceButler - We have something in common. I started at the same time you did (October 2004) and I knew absolutely nothing about FW Aquariums at the time. My only experience was from Goldfish over the years.

Since that time, I have either read it or experienced it. AA truly opened my eyes as far as this hobby is concerned. I decided to concentrate my energy on two areas that have piqued by interest. The first is the nitrogen cycle and the other is now planted tanks. I have joined an Aquarium Club and participated in discussions with aquarists (by the definition supplied by BrianNY) who just happen to be co-workers (I didn't know about their hobby until I brought the subject up).

I am impressed with your candor in this thread and wish you all the best!