Hot Take? Should new reefers be 'formally educated' before buying livestock?

[BubblesandSqueak]

I think a lot of people are educated but not convinced and still get "Dory" for their Fluval.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Not all advice is good advice...

I completely agree. But who is the authority to qualify others?

 

[reef tank 2.0]

i answered no to this. i don't think formal training is needed, but research/questions should be asked on reefing forums or google searches before diving in. there's a lot of info out there

I did ask my LFS how they approach someone getting into the hobby and buying X fish because they WANT it. This was my conversation with them......if someone were to come in and say they wanted THIS fish. Do you ask them more about their set up before selling said fish? You know the requirements that that fish needs in order to thrive in the tank and the buyer may not. I understand you are in it to make money, but there has got to be some concern for the fishes well being. no? the sales girl said they sometimes ask, but i call BS on that.

Granted, I know what i'm looking before i go into the LFS, so i don't expect anyone to ask me about my tank specifics before selling me the fish. I have been asked one or two times, but it's rare.

Although that didn't answer the question, this will. I think that the new reefers, as well as experienced, needs to be educated before buying. Unless it's only money, and it's only a fish, then education means nothing. if it dies, oh well. they'll waste a few bills, and kill a few fish before leaving the hobby wondering why it didn't work out.

i try to research the requirements of every piece of livestock that goes into my tank. I do all I can to avoid a disaster. whether it be fish dying/fighting, etc. a little research goes a long way. our research may not always hold true once fish is in our tanks, but at least we didn't go into it blind.

this is a lot of rambling, but in a nut shell, my answer is no.

 

[Chikpeas]

No fish for you.

French Fry, Defender of Reef tanks, begs your finest pardon

 

[keithw283]

How many people here actually have a formal education? What is your degree in?

 

[KrisReef]

Should new reefers be 'formally educated' before Posting Questions on Reef2Reef? Why or why not?​

 

[TBSB2019]

I'm just a glorified ditch digger.....

 

[00W]

It would be nice.....
But not possible.
If it were the case I never would have gotten into this hobby 35 years ago.
Anyone can have a kid and lots of those situations turn bad.
We can't police everything, nor do I think we want to.
You can reason with people forever and yet they're still going to do what they want to do.
All we can do as hobbiests is help others, educate with what we know, share experiences we've had, be non judgemental and remain kind.
I've gently deterred many beginners away from this hobby that I know are not serious or dedicated.
I've also encouraged many more who are excited and show the desire to learn, grow and protect the creatures we put in our tanks.
I'm an old school mediocre reefer with this hobby in my soul. When I see others who have that passion, that's what it's all about for me.

 

[NonstopSoda]

If anything I just think that LFS should be "formally" educated to give better advice for their clients and for the care of the livestock that they're selling and not to mention that it is their profession/career to provide advice for marine life... but for the normal everyday hobbyist I think should take some time and research before making a tank and stocking it just for, again, the care and wellbeing of the lifestock that they buy.

 

[Singspot]

It certainly helps to have a background in one of the life sciences. I also think that if you appreciate nature and what it takes to grow gorgeous trees and flowers, and the basic chemistry and biology behind that, you will be successful with a reef tank.

You don't need anything more than a high school diploma in my opinion, to get into reefing. You need to put in the reading though on sites like this.

I agree, there should be some important aquarium biology, water chemistry, illness, etc. tips/ tricks core training.

It will fish and coral deaths, and definitely also reduce hobbyist frustration.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

biology and public health

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

It would be nice.....
But not possible.
If it were the case I never would have gotten into this hobby 35 years ago.
Anyone can have a kid and lots of those situations turn bad.
We can't police everything, nor do I think we want to.
You can reason with people forever and yet they're still going to do what they want to do.
All we can do as hobbiests is help others, educate with what we know, share experiences we've had, be non judgemental and remain kind.
I've gently deterred many beginners away from this hobby that I know are not serious or dedicated.
I've also encouraged many more who are excited and show the desire to learn, grow and protect the creatures we put in our tanks.
I'm an old school mediocre reefer with this hobby in my soul. When I see others who have that passion, that's what it's all about for me.

great post!

 

[Cool tangs]

I think formal education is a bit extreme in my opinion. But yes to some prior research should be done before getting into this hobby. The problem is this hobby is best learnt from doing. Well when I started anyway there is way too much conflicting and confusing information out there. The other point I want to make is who will vet it? Will they have there own personal method or agenda to making these laws? There is so many ways to do this hobby it would be almost impossible to find a middle ground for agreeing on the best care approach. You see it in the forums here all the time of people disagreeing. Not saying this is a bad thing in general as it's healthy to have constructive debates, that's how we learn and better ourselves to this hobby and society! But as a Newby sifting through all this info it gets very overwhelming.

My advise is start small, start with what everyone can agree is mutually easier to start with. Then progress to more challenging animals to keep. The tiresome thing I see all the time "is this hobby is hard" well it's actually very simple when you break it down and understand what's going on. You make it as hard or as simple as you want. You make it as time consuming or as little effort as you want. Technology has gotten far better in even the last 5-10 years of this hobby. It's gotten to the point were you could create a fully automated tank and just keep topping up supplies. Or you could pay for a service guy to maintenance it for you if you don't understand and just want that piece of ocean in your house. Does not knowing anything and paying for a person to service your tank, but have happy healthy coral make you bad? Does accidentally killing livestock with your best intentions make you bad? I just think mandating it will not change anything. It should also be up to the shops to be willing to give helpful advise to the new hobbyist.

I guess if you think of it like this. We are all doing our part in this world as aquarists. We have one great big ocean populated with reefs. It's our responsibility to be civilized and care takers of this beautiful planet. We pollute and destroy eco systems every day including reefs. So what's a small piece of ocean in some ones house in comparison? Most of us got into this hobby because "wow that looks awesome". So we need to get off our high horse and help others who think the same thing and help them become as passionate as most of us are after getting past that "wow" factor. We also need to understand that people will have different opinions and methods and it's healthy to debate, but remember we are all fellow humans with the same goals and should have mutual respect for each other as such.

Happy reefing!

 

[jabberwock]

People can have children anytime they want so why should they have to be educated to have marine life?

EDIT : not saying everyone should have children but it is what it is.

Beat me to it, less regulation, more personal responsibility = freedom.

 

[Koopa]

I’m fairly new to the hobby and I do a little research before buying stuff. However, I feel like most of my learning comes from failures and trial & errors.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a hobby of impulse and people will make up their minds and follow poor advice despite warnings and available resources. We see many who buy a fish and then come on and ask advise for their purchase

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Beat me to it, less regulation, more personal responsibility = freedom.

 

[Ratt]

Reef keeping is not for the faint of heart, and some of us get in way over our heads and may not realize it until we have livestock in distress or dying. There is no doubt that new reefers should always do basic research on starting a tank and maintaining the health of the animals we keep, but is that enough? Let's talk about it...

Primary Question:

Should new reefers be 'formally educated' (classes, certifications, etc.) before buying livestock?

Secondary Questions:

• What are some logistical and practical barriers to this?
• Do you think this would hinder new people from joining the hobby?
• Do you think this would aid in protecting and maintaining ethics in animal care?
• Can you think of some positive and negative outcomes of requiring a formal education before buying livestock?

This is a question out of pure curiosity. Please remember our Terms of Service when agreeing to disagree.

I am new to the hobby. Much research was done before stepping into this. This was a family decision and it has brought us together. The most surprising to me is how much my wife loves to research the fish and what is compatible. My sons and I enjoy the work part of it. We have some corals and are learning slowly all together. My suggestion is that newbie’s need to be aware that this hobby is somewhat time consuming and has no instant gratification. The best thing we can do to preserve and respect aquatic life is to share our experiences in the hobby with others. Most people will step aside once they know how much dedication it takes to be successful.

 

[stewy14]

I personally see what too much animal abuse on this site caused by mis-info, and yes, I am a victim of that too
So I do think that before a newbie goes out and buys something, they should be informed on what to buy here, and what to look for at the lfs, and when to stop buying things(funny I’m saying that)

 

[LPS Bum]

I certainly believe in educating yourself before purchasing any living animal that will rely on your knowledge and care for their survival. That’s always best practice.

But if the last few years have taught us anything it’s that govt mandates are neither effective nor appropriate when it comes to matters of a personal choice. Reefing is no different. Personal accountability should be enough here.