Be wary of rumors

[Paul B]

This hobby is largely run with rumors. Just look at any thread and if someone asks a question you will see multiple, quite different answers, which is fine as everyone has an opinion. But if that opinion came about because you heard someone say, or write something, you should mention that. Rather than say something like "an undergravel filter does not work, is a nitrate factory, causes global warming, or locusts" you should say something like "Although I personally have never used one, I "think" they won't work for this reason. That is completely different than, they don't work because I heard it or everyone says that.
Or if you say you can't keep a certain tang in a certain tank I think you should say, you tried it several times and this was the problem.
If you have not done something, preferably a few times or over a few years, your opinion carries less weight because it is hearsay. If you have ever been a juror, you know what hearsay is and hearsay doesn't mean much. You can keep a tang, or a whale shark in any tank you want, how do I know? Well I "heard" about keeping whale sharks in a nano so my opinion on that doesn't matter as it is hearsay, but I have kept multiple tangs for over five years in a 40 gallon tank with no problems. Was the tang happy? I couldn't see his smile so maybe not. I can't comment because that would be conjecture. If someone mentioned to me that my tangs were happy, that would be hearsay.
I would rather keep a tang in a larger tank, preferably the ocean but we are basically fish keepers and we keep our fish in whatever we have at hand although we may know that a larger tank is better.
The rumors about ich drive me crazy which is the reason I don't participate in ich threads any more.
If I offended anyone, you can offend me to. I can take it as it will probably be hearsay.

I used to have hair, but I can prove it so it is not hearsay or "hairsay"

 

[FX CharityCorals]

Great piece Paul. So many people regurgitate posts they read without actually reading or understanding the situation on hand. I find this most often with new hobbyists with good intentions that are reading everything they find and then to earn internet cred try answering everyone's question and get offended if corrected.

 

[Paul B]

That is true. Many people started in the hobby last tuesday and their hair algae disappeared because they put in a snail and that becomes the cure for algae. Or they have ich and they put in a shrimp and that becomes the cure for ich. It drives me crazy and then they argue with you like they started the tank in Noah's Ark right next to the platapus enclosure.

I once kept a manta ray in my one ounce nano and he was fine except his tail would keep scratching my ceiling. Of course that is hearsay because I don't have a picture. But I know you can keep a whale shark in a bath tub as long as you keep his head underwater and dose kalk. I don't know how long it would live as that would be conjecture but I do think it may be a problem to clean that tub after the thing dies, especially if you were out of the country for a month when it died and your tub sitter didn't come over or was drunk outside in their Dad's 1955 Oldsmobile

 

[chefjpaul]

Well written as always!

 

[cu455]

they put in a shrimp and that becomes the cure for ich.

The only real cure for ich is garlic. It works for everyone.


I am joking. In regards to what you originally stated, it is nice when people included pictures or videos to back up some claims.

 

[pciscott]

I agree too many rumors and opinions in this hobby. I try to take advice from those with beautiful tanks, not those with the most post counts. I do appreciate what I have learned in the forums, even though the cost was high on some of those rumors and opinions.

So from the picture above I could get that Sea Horses thrive on Bloody Mary's with high ORP, but I think I will go make one and try it out first

 

[TJ's Reef]

LOVE IT !!! Paul, good stuff as usual and also tend to stay out of certain thread topics for similar reasons. After 3+ decades have seen and read about so many 'HOT', 'Got To Have', 'This or That will NEVER work', 'The Cure' to end all cures and such that it really boggles my mind still..... Oh well...... still do my best at educating those willing to listen or at least with 'open minds'.

I think I'll dedicate at least a small chapter to this subject to my book..... and Quite Sure you already have.... lol


Cheers, Todd

 

[Trex]

Find the timing of this thread a bit humorous.

And I fully disagree about " multiple tangs" in a 40. Tried more than once (( so, I can comment on it )) in a 3 foot tank (( even a 4 footer a couple of times )) and it ended poorly.

Just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.

 

[NanaReefer]

Touches my reefer's heart deeply!!! See a ton of such crap on FB and more often than not I gotta close the app, before I pop a blood vessel. Thing is, if you challenge their statement they're gonna get all ***** and offended. One thing I've found are the words, "I don't know" are far and few in between.
More reefers need to learn, IMO, IME, JMO...Thanks again Paul.

 

[hybridazn]

Well said Paul! I agree

 

[Kworker]

Touches my reefer's heart deeply!!! See a ton of such crap on FB and more often than not I gotta close the app, before I pop a blood vessel. Thing is, if you challenge their statement they're gonna get all ***** and offended. One thing I've found are the words, "I don't know" are far and few I between.
More reefers need to learn, IMO, IME, JMO...Thanks again Paul.

I love the terms IMO/IME.. I too dislike reading comments on FB, a lot of people on there are out of their minds.

 

[Paul B]

And I fully disagree about " multiple tangs" in a 40. Tried more than once

Actually, I worded that wrong. I have kept multiple tangs in a 40 gallon tank but not at the same time. I don't remember keeping more than one at a time. I may have, but I don't remember because I have not had that 40 gallon tank in 38 years

but I have kept multiple tangs for over five years in a 40 gallon tank with no problems. Was the tang happy? I couldn't see his smile so maybe not. I can't comment because that would be conjecture. If someone mentioned to me that my tangs were happy, that would be hearsay.

 

[kacrocorals581]

so true why I don't even get into chats on here much because most everyone did a Google search and that's the binding answer lol even tho they have never kept sed fish or coral or what have you but the Google told me so lol

 

[NanaReefer]

Any way to make this thread a sticky?!! Oooooh soooo many reefers need to read this!

 

[Humblefish]

The only real cure for ich is garlic. It works for everyone.

I heard it works even better if you swing an iron cross over the tank while feeding it. :wink:

 

[hart24601]

Reminds me of my old neighbor. He died when he was almost 100. It was funny, after he turned 80 he always got lots of questions about his good health. Funny thing was he smoked heavily. He always credited his chain smoking to his good health, and in his experience, from his perspective, no one could argue against it. I never have forgotten that lesson, that one unique situation does not mean that it will apply to everyone. Someone can do something that could be really negative for years, but never see the effects of it that others might. From that persons perspective they are correct and everyone else is wrong.

 

[Diesel]

Awesome thread, Paul.
Good thing is that most ppl in this hobby will see a red flag when a story/post has no credentials, problem is to figure it out.

I picked up a story long time ago (not sure if this is now a hearsay as I can't back it up with the link as it been a while ago) but a hobbyist in question mentioned his experience about cleaning LR.
One of memorable sentence was that the day he cleaned his LR in the garage as it was a rainy day it was also the day his dog died.
He continues to explain that he was told that Vinegar was a good product to do so, as was Bleach too, and on top he found that some one else used Muriatic Acid!!
All good products BUT NOT WHEN YOU ALL MIX THIS AT THE SAME TIME.
I'm sure he killed everything on his rock and by that everything in his garage too, include the poor dog.
Just make you wonder where to draw a red line?
That said I think we need to continue being alert even when some ppl get mad cause you try to warn them (Ick story and many other) at the end a good hobbyist should stand tall and be above all that.
For we know this hobby isn't Rocket Science, even the best still make mistakes.

Cary on.......

 

[Pappy]

This is awesome! I have to say the one that irks me THE most is people recommending parameters like alk at 11-12 and mg at 1500 because their tanks do sooooo much better that nsw parameters.

 

[mic209]

Bio load is one that annoys me! Like omg, you have 3 fish in your 120 gallon tank, the forums say you should only have 2 and a half fish in that much water. Really the amount of fish you can keep is different for each system and your maintenance habits no matter what the size!

 

[dodgerblew]

Well written. It is my humble opinion however that your words shouldn't be limited to just here but in general everywhere, everyday. Thanks for sharing and GO SEATTLE. They're going to win today because blah blah blah and yada yada yada......