Why does everyone hate our hobby?

[lapin]

My 2 pennies/ centavos. You could go on and on about all of this. Keeping animals for profit and abusing them. Hunting $ that supports conservation of habitat and species. Building canals to carry water away to prevent floods when water is needed at the vary location of the canal when its not flooding. Borders and boundaries for land and countries. There will always be 2 sides to everything as long as "people" are involved. Once we are gone mother nature will take back over fix all the human screw ups.

 

[Reef_Obsessed]

People hate things they do not understand. Most non-hobbyists have no idea why we do what we do, not can they see the benefits it may lead to in an unknown future of a failing ecosystem.

 

[um02122]

The lobby groups against collection of reef animals understand the hobby very well. They're just very against it.

And as we know, in America, having enough money can bend politicians in the wished direction, in an open transparent legal way. And they're never shy to accept a new cause for the right price.

 

[alton]

For some that posted in this thread please take the time to read Dr. Macs post on Indonesia, look at articles pertaining to Walt Smith, and please subscribe to Coral magazine for the updates on Hawaii. As for our hobby as a whole we have made great strides in creating the perfect miniature ocean in our homes and offices. Every coral in my tank except for four in the last sixteen years has come from someone else's tank. The wild birdsnest coral I have kept for 10+ years and has been fragged so many times I can't remember. Today we are at over a hundred species of fish that are now captive bred? That list continues to grow world wide. I have a pair of Flame angelfish that breed all the time, and I now have a tank just to try and pair Blue face angels. I am not sure why we continue to knock ourselves on keeping a piece of the ocean.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Haven't heard nor receive any hate comments but more like ... "How'd you do that?" Plus converted a few family members to this saltwater hobby instead

 

[jdpeters]

Why is the marine aquarium / saltwater tank hobby always under attack?

There seems to constantly be an effort to shut down collection sites around various parts of the world...some of them being the most sustainable and well managed

I appreciate the title does leaves me open to abuse... weirdly... my own family couldn't wait for me to upload this video?

Who are you talking to? I don't understand. I disagree with this thought process completely

 

[HawaiianReef]

Why is the marine aquarium / saltwater tank hobby always under attack?

There seems to constantly be an effort to shut down collection sites around various parts of the world...some of them being the most sustainable and well managed

I appreciate the title does leaves me open to abuse... weirdly... my own family couldn't wait for me to upload this video?

Im new to the hobby, about 18 mo. or so. Although I haven't experienced this from others, I can completely see your point. "Everybody" being a general consensus and Not a literal one, not many people are into this as a hobby. Many people keep tanks with livestock for aesthetic reasons. They look interesting in their home/room. And Many people will Not research, let alone practice good, responsible techniques to keep these little guys humanly.
These are the aquarist that give this hobby a bad reputation.
When I first started out, I never wanted a new "hobby". I was just looking for a tank for my livingroom. It HAD to be saltwater and I had a realistic budget of $200. Realistic meaning, I was completely ignorant of aquariums and figured it was just a volume of water I could put fish in, then feed them daily and Im done. I had no idea of this "nitrogen cycle" and got a used 55g salt tank and brought it home. I dumped the old sand into the tank along with some of the old water, made new saltwater using a hydrometer and salt that came from the old owner and threw in that little clown fish that came with the sale. Out of Pure Luck, I went on a website and realized I should get a test kit. I really didnt wat one because they cost almost $50 at petco, which was my go to lfs. But I bought it anyway because it would be cool to mix up test tubes of water and shake them like a mad scientist. But that was the only reason I bought them. I really didn't care about the results, I had a tank that has been running for 2 years. Nothing to worry about. I tested for ammonia because that's the first parameter in the instructions. Waaay over what it should be. I moved the fish to a smaller 10g that I had, bout a hob for $60 more dollars and a bottle of prime. I read a lot about ammonia on the web, and tried my best to keep that fish alive. After 3 days I gave up. I took him to my lfs and they found a better home for him. My family was sad. My daughter devastated. We lost Nemo. I just left the tank alone for 3 months. I didn't even test the water. I spent over $300 and when my friends and family would visit they would ask, "where's the fish?" I would just say, fish? No, Im raising rocks. But once I tested the water again, and got the results I painstakingly tried to achieve, it was a great feeling. I was hooked right there. I didn't care how much money I spent now. The reward for something that is so difficult to manage was worth the expense and the effort.
The Best phrase I came across was that an aquarist doesn't manage fish, they manage Water.
The people who dont like people who practice fish keeping are actually being very responsible. They are just ignorant about what they are judging. But that can be easily changed with factual information. It's the ones that don't even care about what we are doing to these animals that concern me.

Well, thats my "small" input about the subject. Sorry for the rambling and my run-on sentences. Im ignorant in grammer as well..

David

 

[HawaiianReef]

Meet some of snorkel bob's "information"

As far as Hawaii reefs and fish are concerned, the hobby has no real impact. The biggest threat to the waters there are the Local fisherman. I've fished since I was 6 in Hawaii. And thats going fishing about 3-4 times a week. Thats typical. Freediving for fish has grown exponentially the past 20 years and spearfishing has no "Catch and Release". You shoot it, You kill it.
After 40 years of fishing I have NEVER ran into a game warden. I used to shoot 10 plus pound tangs while watching others coming out with little 5-6" tangs less than 1 pound.
They hold diving competitions all year around with total weight counting and no limit of quantity of fish.
It's brutal. It took me about 10 years of diving to realize this and dive more responsibly. Meaning dive for what I eat that evening. No freezing and no "sport diving". I still went out at least 2-3 times a week. I would just be more choosy at what I shot at and most times coming out with nothing. Ulua Always being a primary target on the reef.

David

 

[ca1ore]

No question that the people who don’t know what they are doing spoil things for the rest of us. I think there should be a competence test in order to be allowed to have a reef tank. That would also reduce demand, thus lowering prices for those of us qualified to be in the hobby. I’d call that a win-win. This is my ‘modest proposal’.

 

[Oshengems]

Haters gonna hate, ain’ters gonna ain’t!!

sad to hear actual reefers speak this way about new reefers seeking knowledge. I didn’t watch the video but I’m imagining we are talking politics the people that actually have the power to attack this hobby not a reefer who’s learning. This post alone shows you and gives you a glimpse at what this hobby lacks and it’s softer heart reefers more organized events to educate the public and more importantly bitter reefers aka know it all that won’t help someone asking for help but will jump at any opportunity to bash others on their failures. So if this happens between us imagine how easy it could be for others to step in and shut down the distrustibution corals and fish for ornament purposes.

 

[mta_morrow]

When someone says something about one of my hobbies I am excellent at alienating them so they never share their opinion with me again. About anything.

It's a gift.

Quite possibly the best reply to anything, ever.

 

[HawaiianReef]

I dont think it's just reef tanks or even saltwater, I think its aquariums in general. The average person doesn't know the difference between them. A year and a half ago I fell into that category, ignorant that is.

 

[SeaJay]

Snorkel Bob says it's wrong to exploit the reefs.

Unless he is the one doing it.

I don't know anything about Snorkel Bob, but it sounds like he might be cut out for politics.

 

[Shaina Carey]

My parents hate it because I am disabled and cant work, but spend my allowance I get from them on my fish, and neglect myself. My tank is on the backburner right now until I can buy a new laptop

 

[DSC reef]

Haters gonna hate, ain’ters gonna ain’t!!

sad to hear actual reefers speak this way about new reefers seeking knowledge. I didn’t watch the video but I’m imagining we are talking politics the people that actually have the power to attack this hobby not a reefer who’s learning. This post alone shows you and gives you a glimpse at what this hobby lacks and it’s softer heart reefers more organized events to educate the public and more importantly bitter reefers aka know it all that won’t help someone asking for help but will jump at any opportunity to bash others on their failures. So if this happens between us imagine how easy it could be for others to step in and shut down the distrustibution corals and fish for ornament purposes.

I agree with you, some hobbyists forget they were green at one point and would ultimately fail there own competence test when they started. I invite newbies to ask questions to better themselves with knowledge. I honestly can't see how logicly that it's a bad thing.

 

[HawaiianReef]

I

My 2 pennies/ centavos. You could go on and on about all of this. Keeping animals for profit and abusing them. Hunting $ that supports conservation of habitat and species. Building canals to carry water away to prevent floods when water is needed at the vary location of the canal when its not flooding. Borders and boundaries for land and countries. There will always be 2 sides to everything as long as "people" are involved. Once we are gone mother nature will take back over fix all the human screw ups.

I gotta have beer with you my friend

 

[lapin]

I

I gotta have beer with you my friend

Ok Hanalei Bay. Before mother nature kills us off and a more evolved model takes our place.

 

[HawaiianReef]

Im there... Im already there..

 

[ca1ore]

Haters gonna hate, ain’ters gonna ain’t!!

sad to hear actual reefers speak this way about new reefers seeking knowledge. I didn’t watch the video but I’m imagining we are talking politics the people that actually have the power to attack this hobby not a reefer who’s learning. This post alone shows you and gives you a glimpse at what this hobby lacks and it’s softer heart reefers more organized events to educate the public and more importantly bitter reefers aka know it all that won’t help someone asking for help but will jump at any opportunity to bash others on their failures. So if this happens between us imagine how easy it could be for others to step in and shut down the distrustibution corals and fish for ornament purposes.

Google Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' and perhaps you'll appreciate better the point I was trying to make. I guess I forget that most people aren't as a old as I am (though even I was not born when swift wrote it).

 

[Oshengems]

Google Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' and perhaps you'll appreciate better the point I was trying to make. I guess I forget that most people aren't as a old as I am (though even I was not born when swift wrote it).

Is not about age is not about experience it’s a hobby aka pass time, but this is taking away from the OP intensions, it’s about others not us reefers or family and friends etc that are feeling some type of way about what we all do including me and you even with what ever expertise in reef keeping you posses we are exploiting the ocean for ornaments purposes