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Re: Bleach wielding aquarists



> Paul wrote:
> 
> >Others may like to play all the games to keep it in check,
> >but they shouldn't reserve the title, "aquarist" for themselves.  Does the
> >"aquarist" tolerate ick, velvet, and other fish diseases in his or her tank
> >and merely try to keep them in check?

Hmm... maybe some of us do!  This is an interesting analogy.

Does every aquarist immediately dip new fish in a bath of erithro,
Maracyn-II, methelyne blue and Clout when they bring them home, no matter
where the fish came from? Or do we treat or control the disease after
we've seen evidence and know more about it?   There are aquarists in both
camps, the latter being ones who worry about stressing the fish with
medications they do not need.  I'm not certain about others, but my worry
about pre-bleaching every plant is that I might do damage to the plants
while protecting against an algae that may or may not be present.

On another track, one might say the little fungi, ich, and other
baddies that opportinustically infect open wounds exist in the water all
the time, and we don't try to sterilize the water but instead try to keep
the fish healthy so that the does not allow these diseases to take hold...
just as some aquatic gardeners control the algae by balancing the
nutrients and using algae-eating fish.

There's even some folks, like myself, who tend to isolate diseased fish
and let them get better or die rather than try to over-medicate, just as
there are gardeners who snip off the leaves that are algae-coated.

[Oh geez, Karen already said this...]
> As far as Ich is concerned, it is my understanding that the cysts are even
> present in tap water,  and that if fish are stressed or unhealthy, it is
> able to take hold and reach "problem" levels within the system.  (I'm not
> sure about Velvet, as I've never had to deal with it) So it seems to me
> that this is very similar to the presence (or lack thereof) of filamentous
> algae in my tanks.  As long as I take proper care of my fish, they are
> healthy, not stressed, and don't get sick.  As long as I take proper care
> of my higher plants, they are healthy, grow well, and I don't worry about
> algae one way or the other.  I don't _worry_ about high nutrient levels in
> my tanks because they don't exist.  I don't "work" at keeping them low... I
> have to raise them to acceptable levels as needed for good growth in my
> higher plants.

> I think that to suggest that you're not deserving of the title "aquarist"
> if you don't bleach your plants is right up there with Dupla's anti-SAE
> drops. (that's a joke, in case some newbie might be tempted to take it
> seriously)

I read paul's note more as "you shouldn't RESERVE the title", not deserve.
i.e., it's not exclusive to either camp.  There are a wide range of
aquarists here.

  - Erik

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com