soap box

[sebae0]

i know im knew to this but i have a question. too many of us want to stand on our soap boxes and preach. i keep hearing the discussion about cycling a tank, why do you use live fish? use a cocktail shrimp? were all trying to help the environment and protect are resources and i understand this. why not just put flake food in and let bacteria break it down if thats your only argument? what im getting at is that too many of us wnat to throw this environmental protection thing on everyone, did you not consider that the cocktail shrimp your refferring to was alive at one time untill the net ripped it out of the sea? or do any of us eat tunafish on a regular basis knowing that it kils dolphins also? even if it does say dolphin safe there is a quota you know. lets just try to keep it that we all have different opinions, and think first about eventhing that goes on behind all our thoughts theres always too sides to a story. jmo but i love this hobby even if im knew

 

[surfnturf]

Well, all I'm going to say about this, is that the only reason I don't suggest using damsels is because they are pretty much little pains in the butt after the tank cycles. I don't think I'm a left wing environmentalist tree hugger cuz as soon as I can catch my domino, he's going to visit the tidy bowl man. I wish I would have known about the dead shrimp trick before I started, oh yeah and DSB's instead of CC too!

 

[col]

My reason for not using damsels:
Cost of Damsel in UK £5
Cost of raw shrimp, flake food, ammonia - ???
Some people have been advised by LFS to cycle with a few Damsels - £££££

 

[sebae0]

i agree with you 100% about your thoughts i think we only use the damsels because there cheap. but im not just talking about tree huggers, lets just think about all the actions and all the equal and opposite reactions.

 

[broomer5]

I think that since we are all in this hobby, we love the fish.
Many people are very passionate about the caring of these beautiful fish, and hate to see any fish suffer or go through horrible water conditions of a hard cycling tank.
Our desire for keeping fish " happy" and alive may allow us to overlook the obvious fact that all life can be considered precious.
I do keep cleaner and peppermint shrimp - but my emotions do not run near as deep for a shrimp as it does a fish.
Right or wrong - if one of my tank's shrimp dies - it sucks.
If one of my tank's fish die - it really sucks.
I don't have the same human emotions for cattle that I do for marine fish. Maybe if I raised cows for pets I would.
In the meantime - please cook my steak medium rare.
And - most of the fish flake food is made of fish meal.
Fish meal is made from once alive fish too.
Same thing - I just don't see the "ugly" part happen.
To each their own
No need to preach - just do what you're comfortable doing.
Make you're own decision based upon you own conscience.

 

[jarre]

broomer5 - good thing you don't raise cattle - you'd strave!!! Of course I would too.
As soon as I can catch my Domino he's outta there. Instead of going to the tidy bowl man I'll take him back to the LFS and either trade or just give it to them so someone else can enjoy the aggressive little fishy.
I'll cycle my next tanks with shrimp and wish I had of known earlier about the trick!

 

[shoer]

.
lets just try to keep it that we all have different opinions, and think first about eventhing that goes on behind all our thoughts theres always too sides to a story.
this it the way of thinking for anyone that ever wants to have a honest discussion or help anyone on this board. Everyone knows that there are prob a million ways to cycle a tank and they are just giving the newbies a easy way to cycle with out the loss or stress of a fish that can lead to many different diseases. ( some people are so scared of the "cycle" or hate the fact that they have lost their first 10 fish that they dont continue with the hobby). i dont think that people mean to be overpowering with thier opinions but some times they come across like. btw if we all were trying to protect the environment none of us would house fish in tanks..... they are supose to be swimming freely right