Finding Nemo/Finding Dory - Good for the industry/industry failing newbies?

[92Miata]

I sometimes wonder if Finding Nemo did a disservice to new reefers. When you walk into your LFS and tell them you want to start a tank and the fish you want most are a pair of clowns, do you get written off immediately as "one of those Nemo people"? Because you have no hope of ever becoming serious? Here's a freshwater setup and a bag of salt.

For the record, I only finally saw Finding Nemo about a month ago. I named my clowns Amy and Rory from Doctor Who!

It wasn't finding nemo that was the problem. (and the vast majority of serious reefers start with a pair of clowns - they're great fish)

Its the fact that the vast majority of LFS assume a new aquarist (fresh or salt) isn't going to stick with it, and wants to nail them for as much cash as quickly as possible, so they get upsold all sorts of nonsense, get sold fish before their tank is ready, get sold inappropriate fish, etc.

So 6 months in they've spent a ton of money, lost a bunch of animals, and are frustrated and angry and feel like the hobby is impossible. And they quit.


I mean, as an example - the most common tank sold is the 55 gallon. Its a terrible size - but you can fit more of them on a pallet than a 90.

 

[lefkonj]

Finding Nemo was definitely a mixed bag but I think on the whole a good thing for not only the hobby but ocean preservation. Yes of course people bought fish they never should have and left the hobby very quickly. However all these kids that love Nemo and Dory want to learn more about the ocean and how things work. This created a large group of people, both adults and children, who care about what happens to the environment and the things that live in it.

 

[Cell]

I think the motives for starting or exploring a hobby matter not and arent necessarily an indicator for success or longevity in the hobby.