today's life lesson

[Joe_B]

Threads like this scare me...I thought the we were all here to learn, share info, and act as a community with common interestes! Taking a hard line on someone willing to admit a mistake is not an effective way of educating. I will make mistakes even after 10years in this hobby, If I have the courage to post my lesson learned I hope that I will not be flamed by an individual who feels the need to preach. I will now step off of my soap box and hope that we can all get along!!!!!! Thanks to everyone who as has ever posted a reply to one of my posts the info was appreciated!

Peace,
Joe_B

 

[Mouse]

There is a big difference between a calculated error and gross incompetance!

 

[JeffH]

I'm very new to the hobby and have been lurking on this and other boards for a while now. Threads like this make me uneasy about asking anyone for help(that's why I haven't started any threads) as I might lose my A$$. We should all be so good as to take Dividmohr's approach and be thoughtful while at the sametime emparting some of the vast knowledge he and others obviously possess on those of us less experienced.

 

[Lefty1]

Gross incompetence or not, this is a place where you can make a difference. If you try to get the information out to people so they can not make mistakes in the future, you shouldn't be a weenie about it. Give people some slack, and help them get better. Berating them will only make them run away from you, and then how have you helped any animals? None of us are beyond reproach and all of us have made mistakes. It happens.

Try to remember what it was like when you started out. Maybe you got some wrong infromation and that led to some problems. Maybe you thought you understood something, but really did not. Maybe you just spaced out or confused. Maybe you read an old book. Maybe the people at the LFS lied to you to make a sale. How would you like to have been told about your mistakes? Called "****ing lame", or respectfully reminded to do more research next time?
More importantly, when people get nasty on this board, it sends newbies away in fear of asking questions. Is that what we want?
Please, tell people what you think, but be a little humble about it. You will get heard and be more effective at saving animals in the future.

RR

 

[jdeets]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mouse:
<STRONG>There is a big difference between a calculated error and gross incompetance!</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, but in this case, perhaps the difference is moot. You can see from a prior post on this thread that someone else has done the same thing successfully. It just as easily could've been a calculated choice/risk as opposed to lack of research/not asking.

I've got two yellow tangs and a purple in my 180. I knew it was a risk when I put them in, but I DID research it and ask lots of questions, and I took a calculated risk that this wouldn't work out. I went with three of the same genus because I felt that would give me the best chance of success, and added all three simultaneously. Obviously, success with these was not guaranteed. Luckily, it did work out. But it did depend somewhat on a little luck.

What if it hadn't worked out? Would I then be flamed for relating my experience of losing a tang because I put two yellows in one tank and one killed the other? I should hope not.

There are no guarantees in this hobby. One can know the risks and voluntarily take the risks, or one can go blindly forward. In this case, Liu was taking a risk, just as if he'd researched it and decided to give it a try, but he just didn't realize it. In either case, that doesn't change the fact of what happened, and in either case, whether his fish choice would work out depends on a little luck.

I don't think it's fair to take this position. Sure, he should have done some research, and he'll probably do a lot more research in the future before making new additions. However, the facts are the facts. And the fact is that even if he'd have researched it, he might have done the exact same thing, as it's worked out for others.

 

[Giarc]

Too funny. Just finished reading a 100+ post on AL that had the consensus that there was too much flaming there (it ended in a flame war!) Now I come here to check out the competition and encounter /this/ thread. It's hilarious. And depressing. Talk about everyone getting bent out of shape over such a tiny thing.

The first poster meant the 'LOL' to be about themselves but it could be interpreted as being fairly flippant. Mr P asked about it because he didn't think that clownfish fighting was funny. Suddenly he's Mr Tight A$$? I dunno about you folk but I got into this hobby because I love fish. I personally felt mortified whenever I saw my blue damsel and my fiji damsel fighting in my old FO tank (never escalated beyond sparing but still...) I would have thought that others felt similarly about fighting/stressed out fish being a regretable situation, not a funny one. If you can't see that a fellow reefer would be perturbed by someone /seeming/ to think it funny that fish are fighting then I guess I was wrong.

The fish we put in our tanks get no say in the matter so it devolves back to the human responsible for their situation to take responsibilty for making good decisions on their behalf IMO. Granted most newbies buy on impulse and do research later but I don't think that makes it morally right to do so. Regardless, the best experienced reefers can hope to do is to exchange information on places like this, after the fact.

Mr P may have misinterpreted the post but all that would have been required was a simple clarification, not the name calling I see here. A little civility goes a long way! perhaps it's not so funny as I thought. Kinda depressing now that I think about it. Gotta either laugh or cry. Darn, decisions decisions.

[ July 20, 2001: Message edited by: Giarc ]

 

[Quillen]

I think there are many valid points, but they could of been addressed a bit more nicely. Liu01GT, if you would like some more info about maroon clown fish, I think I know some good info. Good luck to everyone on your marine tanks

 

[bluereef1]

please close this thread and nuke all involved....what a disgrace to this board.......