Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: pollydoodle on August 07, 2018, 08:22:48 AM

Title: How to waste time!
Post by: pollydoodle on August 07, 2018, 08:22:48 AM
Since stocking my new tank - , I now have 20 and a bit fish. The bit is a tiny fish I gained in the bag when I bought some guppies at the weekend!  - my morning routine is, tank light on  make tea, feed fish and sit and watch all the activities. I can spend hours just sitting and watching. On a Monday, I have my 7 month old granddaughter and she likes sitting on my lap and watching with me.
According to the stock calculator guide I am at 30% capacity. I think I will go to 50%and call it a day. I think more fish, bigger water changes.
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Sue on August 07, 2018, 08:55:28 AM
I have spent hours watching fish over the years, probably adding up to several days by now  ;D
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 09, 2018, 08:32:40 AM
I spend a lot of time watching my gang.
I try to justify it to myself by thinking that I'm watching them for signs of problems, disease, and changes in behaviour. In reality it's because they are fascinating and I enjoy watching them.
Visitors have also commented that it is difficult to watch tv or have a conversation without being distracted by aquatic antics.  :fishy1:
 ;D
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Matt on August 09, 2018, 09:28:58 AM
I spend a lot of time watching my gang.
I try to justify it to myself by thinking that I'm watching them for signs of problems, disease, and changes in behaviour. In reality it's because they are fascinating and I enjoy watching them.
Visitors have also commented that it is difficult to watch tv or have a conversation without being distracted by aquatic antics.  :fishy1:
 ;D

You do have the equivalent of Sky+ in terms of variety and number of tanks Donna!
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 09, 2018, 10:00:48 AM
 :rotfl:

It has taken until I've run out of space before I finally realise I've got enough.
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: fcmf on August 09, 2018, 12:58:17 PM
I try to justify it to myself by thinking that I'm watching them for signs of problems, disease, and changes in behaviour. In reality it's because they are fascinating and I enjoy watching them.
Visitors have also commented that it is difficult to watch tv or have a conversation without being distracted by aquatic antics.
Yes, me too! I find it fascinating and actually some of the antics can be uncannily similar to behaviour between humans in various situations - playground, office, politics, etc. I keep convincing myself it's all for research purposes and that I might write a doctoral dissertation on aquatic behaviour, which helps "justify" time being spent doing so. However, it does at least help know what is/isn't normal behaviour.
As for visitors, usually I have to encourage/force them to look at the tank and the antics as most of the visitors have little natural interest, unfortunately. If I can keep them focused for long enough, they then do begin to appreciate how fascinating it is.

Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Matt on August 09, 2018, 01:50:28 PM
Most of my family and friends have basically accepted I'm wierd... they don't share my interest in the hobby!  I think its the aquascaping bit of my interests that is admittedly a bit more unusual. It's more popular in Germany etc but hasn't really caught on in the UK.

I'm fortunate though that Mrs Matt 'gets it' and is generally very supportive (although she gets frustrated when I 'talk about it non stop' or 'spend ages faffing with the tank') but she is quite proud of what I've built as a focal point in the living room.  :D

As for watching the tank... yep that's me too. Ill sit in front of it with a brew, whilst on the phone, or when doing work. It can be very distracting though! I find myself wanting to get my hands in there and tweak things too...
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 09, 2018, 06:04:57 PM
@fcmf the only reason I don't have to encourage/force anyone to look at tanks is because there is nowhere to sit in the living/dining room where there isn't at least one tank in their eye line.  :rotfl:

@Matt shame you don't live in this neck of the woods. You'd feel perfectly at home during an aquascaping demo at Aquarium Gardens, surrounded by >20 other like-minded people. On a normal shop day the owners & staff will also happily discuss any aspect of aquascaping for hours on end.  ;D
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Matt on August 10, 2018, 12:24:40 AM
Believe me I often wish I lived near aquarium gardens too!!

The green machine seems to be the nearest thing to me though they are very very expensive and I personally don't like James' escapes so much.

Perhaps ill just have to set up an aquascaping shop myself lol.  I did wonder about going to the local fishkeeping group meet up which I think is in Preston. It just feels like I would be the youngest there or something like that...
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 10, 2018, 07:44:14 AM
Don't rule out setting up your own place - imagine the hours of tank faffing you could do.....and it would be your job to talk about tanks/plants/fish/shrimp pretty much non-stop.  ;D

It might be worth going to the local fishkeeping group, you never know the age range until you have a look. I bumped into a couple at a LFS, they are part of a cichlid group, and they are in their mid-twenties.
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: TopCookie on August 10, 2018, 02:31:08 PM
I agree with Donna Matt...  You really should consider such a venture, you'd be a natural...  :)
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Matt on August 10, 2018, 02:42:22 PM
I've just e-mailed them to see if they have or plan to do anything on aquascaping...
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Helen on August 11, 2018, 08:24:31 AM
Hope the response is encouraging, @Matt

Watching the tank is one aspect I've had less time for since having kids. But it is nearly always the first thing visitors (under 10) look at. My daughter is quite proud of my tank, so often her friends make a beeline for it, because she's told them about it.

Watching fish is proven to reduce the heart rate, so has health benefits. (Which is why they're so often found in Dr's and dentists. Though seems less so recently).

It was also helpful for calming very small children. I spent a lot of time on a chair infront of the tank with a baby on my lap.

Children definitely love watching fish.

My husband thinks I'm weird because I set up a YouTube channel which only has videos of my fish on it. (I'm contemplating making more so I can "take" my fish on holiday with me!)
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 11, 2018, 08:41:44 AM
@Matt have you considered offering to do an aquascaping demo for them? No harm in asking.  :)
When I went to see Filipe Oliveira at Aquarium Gardens he said that people either keep fish or aquascape. I admit that the requirements for one or the other are quite different, but I'd like to think that I want to keep fish in attractive, planted tanks. My priorities completely are with the fish (or amphibians), but I'd also like to think that getting the basics of aquascaping could help me to create more natural-looking environments for my gang.

@Helen, I think it's great that your daughter has been telling her friends about the tank. Perhaps you have a future fish keeper in the making there.  ;D
Also, I don't think it's weird to make videos of your fish. I have pics and videos on my phone that I look at when I'm away and missing my gang.  :fishy1:
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Sue on August 11, 2018, 08:57:56 AM
My son & daughter-in-law's foster children (three sisters 9, 8 and 2) like to look at my fish. The older two like to see how many shrimps they can spot. Though we do have to watch the 2 year old as she'd never heard the word no till she went into care.
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Matt on August 11, 2018, 10:32:21 AM
@Matt have you considered offering to do an aquascaping demo for them? No harm in asking.  :)

I had the same thought! I will do this if I get a response to my first e-mail. It would be scary but quite fun I think if I were to do something like that... something to put on my aquascaping CV anyways!
Title: Re: How to waste time!
Post by: Littlefish on August 11, 2018, 12:48:36 PM
Absolutely.  :)