Why do EXTREME fixes seem to be the suggested go to on online forums?

[Dolphins18]

I'll apologize for the post in advance if it makes you upset.
My question is why do I so often see extreme methods to fix things posted?
For example, someone could post a problem of having dinos, and without initial questions I see people telling them to cut their lights for a week and start dosing with peroxide, this has serious on the aquarium ecosystem...
Or a one fish in a display with ich and someone asks for help, and I see people actually suggesting to remove all the animals, potentially kill them with copper and then leave the tank empty for 86 days... this is incredibly extreme and chances are you'll kill more fish than if you just kept the tank healthy.
OR aiptasia, and people saying that the tank needs to be shut down and they need to be injected with peroxide, instead of suggesting a 100% viable natural method. Aiptasia isn't even a big deal... it can be controlled.. and eliminated.
Or worse... BOILING The rocks, whether they are boiled the right away or by literally boiling them... neither of these are necessary.
ALL of the above can be solved naturally with ease... it just requires patience. Some people get advice to add things and do things to their tank that makes it impossible to get ahead and have a successful tank.
I am shocked by some of the things I see by "experienced members"
Those of you suggesting it, would you remove all the animals from your home and have it bombed on the first sight of a cockroach?
Cause that seems similar to what you tell people to do with some very miniscule issues!

It is only frustrating because sometimes people over complicate this hobby for newcomers, scaring them into thinking they have something horrible that is really very normal.

 

[Zakery Murray]

Not gonna touch this question, just tagging along to see how it goes.

 

[Kershaw]

I see your point with some of these like aptesia. But with ich there are only two options. Ich management or QT. And most people on here believe that QT is the only answer. I’ve never delt with dinos so I can’t speak on that. I’m ok with QT or ich management if you reduce stress and and keep fish fat.

 

[Kershaw]

And yes if I ever find cockroaches in my house I will bomb it then move.

 

[Jekyl]

Yeah, tagging along. I agree with the OP

 

[Jekyl]

And yes if I ever find cockroaches in my house I will bomb it then move.

I'd sell my house if I saw a spider that was unnaturally large.

 

[Dolphins18]

I'd sell my house if I saw a spider that was unnaturally large.

When I was a lot younger, I once had a baby snake on my bookbag (which was placed by the coffee maker on the kitchen floor) my 13 year old self wanted to get my pellet gun and shoot the 3" snake! LOL

 

[Dolphins18]

I see your point with some of these like aptesia. But with ich there are only two options. Ich management or QT. And most people on here believe that QT is the only answer. I’ve never delt with dinos so I can’t speak on that. I’m ok with QT or ich management if you reduce stress and and keep fish fat.

I understand the science and have read into it. If that is the case, I must have had ich in my previous 90 for 30 years, and after the first few years never saw a case on another fish. Never went fallow, not even a day

Have always dealt with the disease fast, it just seems cruel to give a fish copper instead of a few vitamins!

 

[Kershaw]

I understand the science and have read into it. If that is the case, I must have had ich in my previous 90 for 30 years, and after the first few years never saw a case on another fish. Never went fallow, not even a day

Have always dealt with the disease fast, it just seems cruel to give a fish copper instead of a few vitamins!

Like I said I’m not opposed to either method. My wife has never approved of more tanks set up for QT. So I treat for flukes and put fish in tank.
I have seen signs of Ich in my tanks but to my knowledge I have never lost a fish due to ich. but I feed heavy with vitamins.

but I do think in some cases the extreme answer is needed. I dunno if you noticed people ask for advice on here and then completely disregard it. So I assume people are tired of answering the same questions 100times and know one listens.
Like when you ask for water perimeters and they won’t tell you

 

[ScottJ]

Interesting, following along.

 

[mdb_talon]

I dont actually consider all your examples extreme so maybe i am part of the problem in your mind. As for things like aiptasia if i see a single one pop up you can bet i am going to go "extreme" to handle it. I despise it and despite your assurance it can easily be managed i didn't nt find that to be the case once it gets a foothold it becomes a nonstop battle unless you are willing to put a filefish, pep shrimps, berghias in tank(all are "no-go" in my tanks).

Those of you suggesting it, would you remove all the animals from your home and have it bombed on the first sight of a cockroach?

To answer this one....yes. it is actually fairly common for people to "bomb" their homes once a twice a year even without seeing pests. I never see pests in my home....probably because it is bombed every spring and late fall.

 

[fish farmer]

I agree to a point about extremes, but....please inform me how to naturally get rid of aiptasia? I've had reef tanks for 21 years and had aiptasia get away from me countless times...I'm sure it could be chocked up to "you didn't inspect/QT, etc."

Peppermint shrimp...sure when they are finished with the aips in the DT they start harrassing my hammer coral. They never are able to reach the sump aips....yes I'm lazy, I don't want to completely rip apart my sump to disinfect it.

Those nudibranchs...sure where to get them? Shipping now after all the stories of delays, nope. I don't have a big family of reefers where I'm at to home them to keep them alive.

Filefish....thought about it, but expect my sixline wrasse will make it's life miserable.

Even in my 29 gallon there are places I can't reach with the "chemical of the month" for controlling them and I can't pull out my rocks due to them being cemented together.


I also lived with cockroaches in Arizona.......they would crawl over me when I slept. Two foggers in a studio apartment fixed them for a bit, until they would crawl up from the guy's place below me. It did nuke the 10 gallon FW I had even when it was covered.

But yes if there is a problem that has a sound biological control without the extremes....Integrated Pest Management, then that is the best.

 

[Theulli]

Much of it is good advice from people who have experience for what actually works. Some of it, in my opinion, is that there are methods here that are general accepted and people don’t want to look dumb by being called out by the scorched earth crowd for suggesting something smaller or alternative. There will always be a drift towards consensus, and fear of contradicting consensus, in small or specialized communities.

The short of it is that there are lots of ways to deal with all of these things - some solutions are incremental or risk remission, some are extreme and risk-averse. Which you take really boils down to a calculus of how much work you want to put into it, how much the risk of losing livestock influences your decisions, how much you mind ongoing maintenance vs. 'ripping the band aid off' and fixing it permanently, how 'perfect' you want your tank biome to be, etc...There needs to be a recognition that, for some, repeated failure due to half-baked solutions will drive them out of the hobby, but for others, asking too much will do the same.

 

[Jekyl]

I'll take some extreme advice on GSP. Lol

 

[fish farmer]

I'll take some extreme advice on GSP. Lol

Put some green striped mushrooms next to them, they killed GSP in my tank.....and I think aiptasia.

 

[Jekyl]

Put some green striped mushrooms next to them, they killed GSP in my tank.....and I think aiptasia.

Don't play with my emotions.

 

[CMMorgan]

When I was a lot younger, I once had a baby snake on my bookbag (which was placed by the coffee maker on the kitchen floor) my 13 year old self wanted to get my pellet gun and shoot the 3" snake! LOL

Way long ago when I lived in Georgia, I encountered a snake in my back yard. I held it at bay with a shotgun while my kids went across the street to get the neighbor. He arrived with a machete, took away my gun and I was forever known in that neighborhood as "Annie Oakley".

 

[Doctorgori]

Yeah I see what you are saying, heck everyone wants to be a hero ....
In my defense I do say “do nothing” quite often,
I also say “get established rock”
...just saying some of us add a lil balance ...
but again; agreed

 

[vetteguy53081]

While some methods are or seem extreme- Some actually do work and in a fashion where the method is both economical and one that you can go to work as normal while the method is doing its thing during the day and see improvement.
I do agree, there are also some where one has to ask " Where did you hear this" ??
No matter what one suggests, people are going to do their own thing- Afterall it is their tank .
NATURE OF THE HOBBY - ANY HOBBY

 

[Nigel35]

I tend to agree... Not on every level but there are definitely situations which people take EXTREME measures to achieve a certain goal. For example if your nutrients are low, people start to panic and start dosing nitrates and all sorts of chems. Why not go about a more methodical way? Why not cut skimming and feed a little more. Go to the root of the matter and go from there. Now I grant there are many circumstances which do need extreme measures to solve. I would say however take the more methodical approach towards problems. KISS...