My views on this hobby. Talking points.

B

BocoChoco

Member
Hello all, Just wanted to share some personal views on the hobby and I was curious who else agreed or debated anything. This is not a troll thread, I only wish to have a meaningful discussion.

1: I consider this less of a hobby and more of a conservationist society dedicated to the health and beauty of coral reefs.

2: We all have lost coral at one point or another and can very easily become desensitized to this. After a while it takes a conscious effort to remind ourselves these are living creatures depending on us for their very survival and that losing even one colony of SPS is losing the life of dozens of individual animals.

3: If a coral, invert, or any other category cannot be kept alive but for a short while without the possibility of propagating and keeping alive for others to enjoy and also themselves propagate it should not be collected from the wild.

4: If a species can easily be propagated yet is in danger of threat or extinction in the wild it is our obligation as conservationists to keep that species alive. There are many examples of this in the hobby today. Species that are even 100% extinct in the wild yet thrive in the hobby.

5: When we come across somebody who is new to the hobby it is our obligation to assist them as much as possible so that not only can our society grow and gain honor but so that we might help them avoid mistakes and cause the loss of life that are usually avoidable with the proper guidance. I for one know without the help of many of you I would have made many more mistakes starting from scratch.

6: We should not be viewed as condescending, enlightened, or perceived as arrogant intellectuals but rather as a caring, devoted and wisened group dedicated to the hobby based on points 1-5.

please feel free to correct me if anything I have written just sounds wrong.
 
Very well put together Chris. Unfortunately when it comes to point 5 and 6 I have learned, that only few newbies are willing to accept help and willing to listen to more experienced. Most have their way, and don't want to take constructive criticism and advice from anybody. They do view us as condescending, enlightened and arrogant at times. From my experience, I just don't offer anymore advice and help until asked.
 
MMreef said:
Very well put together Chris. Unfortunately when it comes to point 5 and 6 I have learned, that only few newbies are willing to accept help and willing to listen to more experienced. Most have their way, and don't want to take constructive criticism and advice from anybody. They do view us as condescending, enlightened and arrogant at times. From my experience, I just don't offer anymore advice and help until asked.
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+1 i know this because i have done this once or twice in my time on the forum
 
MMreef said:
Very well put together Chris. Unfortunately when it comes to point 5 and 6 I have learned, that only few newbies are willing to accept help and willing to listen to more experienced. Most have their way, and don't want to take constructive criticism and advice from anybody. They do view us as condescending, enlightened and arrogant at times. From my experience, I just don't offer anymore advice and help until asked.
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If somebody asks absolutely. I can see how being shot down by those who believe they know what they are doing because petco said so can get infuriating at times.
 
I agree for the most part with many of those points. My biggest stickler is with 5 & 6.

When noobs come to me I try to be as gentle as possible while getting the point across. It really annoys me when a more seasoned reefer gets aggravated and annoyed with someone new to the hobby and starts lashing out. There's really no need to be condescending or a tool because you've "been there" and "done that". The noob may not be a chemist so he may not immediately understand the relationship between calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. That noob may not totally understand the nitrification process, and at times I have to google to make sure I mean nitrates instead of nitrites or vice versa. We’re all at different levels in the hobby and we should use these opportunities to help educate those who are less experienced but still thirsty to learn.

Some of us have more pricier and rare stuff, but that does not make you any better than the guy with a tank full of xenia and blue cloves. Our end goal is always the same; to have the best tank for US. That may not be the best tank for me or the next guy, but as long as it's the best for THAT reefer, it's all good. My buying a $300 frag does not make me or my tank any better then the guy who bought a $10 frag so there’s no need for the arrogance or condescending tones I have seen used on here and in the Hidden Reef. It might get annoying to constantly answer the same basic questions, but we need to check ourselves and tone it down and just HELP. If you can’t do that…just keep your mouth shut and let someone else who wants to see a fellow reefer do better speak up and provide some guidance.

But on the flipside, some noobs do need to take the advice and use it instead of getting upset and thinking the advice is coming from a “no-it-all”. I’ve always said that you can’t be listening if you’re busy talking…

It takes two sides.
 
KeishaKornbread said:
I agree for the most part with many of those points. My biggest stickler is with 5 & 6.

When noobs come to me I try to be as gentle as possible while getting the point across. It really annoys me when a more seasoned reefer gets aggravated and annoyed with someone new to the hobby and starts lashing out. There's really no need to be condescending or a tool because you've "been there" and "done that". The noob may not be a chemist so he may not immediately understand the relationship between calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. That noob may not totally understand the nitrification process, and at times I have to google to make sure I mean nitrates instead of nitrites or vice versa. We’re all at different levels in the hobby and we should use these opportunities to help educate those who are less experienced but still thirsty to learn.

Some of us have more pricier and rare stuff, but that does not make you any better than the guy with a tank full of xenia and blue cloves. Our end goal is always the same; to have the best tank for US. That may not be the best tank for me or the next guy, but as long as it's the best for THAT reefer, it's all good. My buying a $300 frag does not make me or my tank any better then the guy who bought a $10 frag so there’s no need for the arrogance or condescending tones I have seen used on here and in the Hidden Reef. It might get annoying to constantly answer the same basic questions, but we need to check ourselves and tone it down and just HELP. If you can’t do that…just keep your mouth shut and let someone else who wants to see a fellow reefer do better speak up and provide some guidance.

But on the flipside, some noobs do need to take the advice and use it instead of getting upset and thinking the advice is coming from a “no-it-all”. I’ve always said that you can’t be listening if you’re busy talking…

It takes two sides.
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+ 1,000,000
 
Bravo... Bravo... well stated and thought of. I think your words of wisdom should become a sticky post for everyone (new and experienced) as a reminder of what our hobby is about.
 
KeishaKornbread said:
I agree for the most part with many of those points. My biggest stickler is with 5 & 6.

When noobs come to me I try to be as gentle as possible while getting the point across. It really annoys me when a more seasoned reefer gets aggravated and annoyed with someone new to the hobby and starts lashing out. There's really no need to be condescending or a tool because you've "been there" and "done that". The noob may not be a chemist so he may not immediately understand the relationship between calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. That noob may not totally understand the nitrification process, and at times I have to google to make sure I mean nitrates instead of nitrites or vice versa. We’re all at different levels in the hobby and we should use these opportunities to help educate those who are less experienced but still thirsty to learn.

Some of us have more pricier and rare stuff, but that does not make you any better than the guy with a tank full of xenia and blue cloves. Our end goal is always the same; to have the best tank for US. That may not be the best tank for me or the next guy, but as long as it's the best for THAT reefer, it's all good. My buying a $300 frag does not make me or my tank any better then the guy who bought a $10 frag so there’s no need for the arrogance or condescending tones I have seen used on here and in the Hidden Reef. It might get annoying to constantly answer the same basic questions, but we need to check ourselves and tone it down and just HELP. If you can’t do that…just keep your mouth shut and let someone else who wants to see a fellow reefer do better speak up and provide some guidance.

But on the flipside, some noobs do need to take the advice and use it instead of getting upset and thinking the advice is coming from a “no-it-all”. I’ve always said that you can’t be listening if you’re busy talking…

It takes two sides.
Click to expand...

+ 2.876 Billion ++++++++++
 
KeishaKornbread said:
I agree for the most part with many of those points. My biggest stickler is with 5 & 6.

When noobs come to me I try to be as gentle as possible while getting the point across. It really annoys me when a more seasoned reefer gets aggravated and annoyed with someone new to the hobby and starts lashing out. There's really no need to be condescending or a tool because you've "been there" and "done that". The noob may not be a chemist so he may not immediately understand the relationship between calcium, magnesium and alkalinity. That noob may not totally understand the nitrification process, and at times I have to google to make sure I mean nitrates instead of nitrites or vice versa. We’re all at different levels in the hobby and we should use these opportunities to help educate those who are less experienced but still thirsty to learn.

Some of us have more pricier and rare stuff, but that does not make you any better than the guy with a tank full of xenia and blue cloves. Our end goal is always the same; to have the best tank for US. That may not be the best tank for me or the next guy, but as long as it's the best for THAT reefer, it's all good. My buying a $300 frag does not make me or my tank any better then the guy who bought a $10 frag so there’s no need for the arrogance or condescending tones I have seen used on here and in the Hidden Reef. It might get annoying to constantly answer the same basic questions, but we need to check ourselves and tone it down and just HELP. If you can’t do that…just keep your mouth shut and let someone else who wants to see a fellow reefer do better speak up and provide some guidance.

But on the flipside, some noobs do need to take the advice and use it instead of getting upset and thinking the advice is coming from a “no-it-all”. I’ve always said that you can’t be listening if you’re busy talking…

It takes two sides.
Click to expand...

Great
Well said Walt and that mixed with your Humor brings this forum a new color that makes it nice to look at :D keep it up
 
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