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Re: Rift

KI>My sentiments as well. As a relative new keeper of killies, I am aware that
KI>there are levels of expertise and education in the hobby and this list has
KI>helped me significantly in both areas. Whats' probably most important is tha
KI>most of us have a life apart from fish (my wife would argue that!) and that
KI>says nothing about relationships in the hobby.
KI>However I have been told by visitors to the local killie group that compared
to
KI> several of the other specialty aquarist groups, we are much more open with
KI> our information and company. So I guess that is a relative thing too.
KI>  >>

KI>Were it not for my local club (GCKA), I doubt that I'd have persisted beyond
KI>my early failures. The help, the fellowship, and the generosity at the club
KI>level is unusual in contemporary competitive American cultutre. Why, even
KI>today, I excpect to go to our club picnic, trade for a pair of nothos (that
KI>I'll try not to kill and learn what I didn't know about them), as well as
KI>tade "secrets" with my friends, and participate in the most reasonable
KI>auction I've ever seen.

KI>Guess my feeling is not to take life too seriously, especially where fishies
KI>are concerned. They are our hobby and should be fun

KI>Tom Payne

Well said Tom! I have found the same to be true, BTW. Killie people, by
and large, are friendly people, and seem to want to go out of their way
to get others interested in the hobby, and to help them in any way
possible once they are hooked (pun intended).

That said, I would like to raise one point. There is an incredible body
of knowledge about killies out there that is not widely disseminated.
Think about it for a minute. In my club alone (GCKA) there are several
members that have been keeping killies for longer than I've been alive.
Yes, these people share their knowledge freely to all who come and ask,
but many times us newbies, for whatever reason don't think to ask (or
don't know what questions to ask, anyway). As a club, we are in danger
of losing a body of knowledge about killies and an oral history of the
club as we lose these people (remember, the average age of the
membership is increasing and we know what that means).

Is there any way to get this oral history/killie info down on paper for
the next generation of members (including me) to learn from? And how
about the anecdotes about what "the greats" said or did that had a
lasting impact on the hobbyists and fish around them (there's a golf
book out that does this: "And Arnie said to The Shark" or some such that
documents anecdotes of this sort).

For example, I never would have thought to check my walkeri eggs (in
their bag of peat) after three weeks (the incubation is listed as 6 to 8
weeks) if an experienced member hadn't said "mine were eyed up after
three weeks, be sure to check early." Another member told me about how
the sex ratios of lamottei fry change as the males ages (and makes me
wonder what happens to the process of spermatogenesis in the male in
order for that to occur). I could have learned this sort of thing on my
own, but it saved me time and aggravation, and kept me happy and
involved in the hobby to have someone else (who probably learned the
hard way) pass the information on to me. I've been fortunate to have
this kind of mentoring from all the killie people I've come across (and
maybe that's another area to consider), but not everyone has it. I never
would have thought to ask "gee, do walkeri eggs ever eye up early?" or
"does the sex ratio of the fry change as the male gets older?" on my
own. The questions simply never crossed my mind.

Just some ramblings. Responses welcomed.

Catherine


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