# Anyone else feeling the aquarium hobby drawing them away from herps?



## RoryBreaker (Jun 1, 2019)

At a recent trip to an aquarium shop, the owner said he has noticed a rise in reptile people going back into fish.

I certainly am enjoying keeping a few fish again, I know of a few others too. Some have got out of reptiles altogether. 

I started back with fish just keeping a few natives, then started to tinker with a few Bettas.

Thoughts?


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 1, 2019)

I've kept aquariums non stop since I was 10. The way around the reptile vs aquarium dilemma is to keep aquatic reptiles. That's why I'm into turtles. Compared to most other reptiles which are pretty much inactive for most of the time, turtles never stop day or night, they're always busy and entertaining to watch unlike snakes. I keep many tanks with fish, several just with shrimp, others with crays and snails and obviously the turtles. Aquarium keeping has been a life long passion of mine.


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## dragonlover1 (Jun 1, 2019)

No interest whatsoever in fish. Reptiles all the way to the grave , mostly dragons but have some others as well


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 1, 2019)

I've always kept huge aquariums, 600 litres plus but for 2 years now I've gotten right into the nano scene with some tanks as small as 7 litres. So awesome.


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## Nero Egernia (Jun 1, 2019)

I don't have fish myself but I do enjoy visiting friends or places with fishponds or beautiful display aquariums. I can literally stare at the fish calmly going about their business for hours. That, and I don't believe people need to acquire an often expensive, invasive and restrictive licence in order to keep fish like reptile keepers do.


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## Barry (Jun 2, 2019)

I went the other way, always kept & bred fish in multiple tanks, now I’m down to 1 fish tank and multiple snake enclosures


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## Sdaji (Jun 2, 2019)

I bred tropical fish for about 8 years before getting into snakes. Once I had a couple of snakes the fish went forever and I never looked back. I still like fish a lot, but I like reptiles so much more and they're just so much nicer to work with. If fish were as low maintenance as reptiles I'd still have a few, but all those water changes, the frequent feeding, keeping an eye on water chemistry, the greater potential for things to go wrong, the occasional broken glass and flooding and the constant risk of it, there were just so many more hassles involved. I can see the appeal of having a fish tank in the lounge room as opposed to a snake, they are more active and fun for visitors to watch, but if you want more than a very small number, reptiles are just so much nicer to manage.

If people are switching back maybe for some it is because snakes in Australia are moving from 'oh my god, what a bizarre pet, I've never even seen one up close, that's the most incredible thing I've heard of' to 'oh yeah, heaps of people keep them now'. I do still meet a surprising number of people in Australia who think of snakes as amazing and mysterious creatures who the concept of pet snakes is still mind blowing to. Much more in Melbourne than further north.


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## nick_75 (Jun 3, 2019)

I've kept fish and invertebrates periodically as well as reptiles. I would like to set up a new fish tank but I'm not sure if I want to sacrifice the time for maintenance. Reptiles for me, come first. I'm also dubious that my floors would support the tank I want to set up. I will do the calcs and see what weight the floor can bear between supports first. Then decide if I want to sacrifice the space and time for the fish tank. I haven't had a fish tank or invertebrates for a long while now, I do miss them.


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## nuttylizardguy (Jun 17, 2019)

Hell no …. Closest I come to that is when I am keeping live yellowtail and mullet alive in a big 250L round tank in my shed inbetween jewfishing sessions in summer.
Been known to keep up to 50 yellowtail when I expect the jewfish to be feeding and when I expect a fresh to come down to the harbor mouth.

They're hard enough to keep healthy for longer than 7 days even with a 12V bilge pump blowing bubbles flat out 24/7. Despite my feeding them and replacing a good bit of the water daily , it's the build up of ammonia and filth and that usually starts killing them after the first few days , even if I'm replacing 30% of the water daily with clean seawater.

Too much bother to consider taking up keeping a display aquarium , if I did one day it would be a saltwater one with crabs , prawns , etc and I'd likely want to use some the weed for bait for luderick in winter.


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## cris (Jun 17, 2019)

I can go to the Brisbane River and easily catch a well over a hundred different species (fish and invertebrates) and legally keep most of them without a permit. While it is generally illegal to sell or trade them, forcing people to collect their own helps them get an understanding of the ecosystem.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 17, 2019)

Aquariums are dead easy to keep, freshwater is substantially easier than marine but a lot of people write the hobby off as too hard before even starting out. I'll always keep more aquariums than reptile vivs just because fish and aquatic reptiles are a lot more active and aesthetically appealing.


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## Herpetology (Jun 17, 2019)

Every Siamese fighting fish I had in my life has died due to poor information from the pet shops selling them  I would only keep large fish or those little shark thingies if I ever keep fish again


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## cris (Jun 17, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Aquariums are dead easy to keep, freshwater is substantially easier than marine but a lot of people write the hobby off as too hard before even starting out. I'll always keep more aquariums than reptile vivs just because fish and aquatic reptiles are a lot more active and aesthetically appealing.



If you are dealing with hardy fish (most Aussie freshwater species) aquariums are easy. When you start keeping fish with more specific requirements they can die much quicker than many other animals.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 17, 2019)

cris said:


> If you are dealing with hardy fish (most Aussie freshwater species) aquariums are easy. When you start keeping fish with more specific requirements they can die much quicker than many other animals.


I've kept some pretty finicky and pedantic species, African and American and never had any major issues. A lot of problems people generally have all tie back to over stocking their aquarium.


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## cris (Jun 17, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> I've kept some pretty finicky and pedantic species, African and American and never had any major issues. A lot of problems people generally have all tie back to over stocking their aquarium.


Let me know when you have angler fish for sale.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 17, 2019)

cris said:


> Let me know when you have angler fish for sale.


Hope you've got deep pockets.


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## Sdaji (Jun 17, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Hope you've got deep pockets.



They're expensive? Not at all criticising, I know nothing of the archer fish market, just that locally they're very common fish which are easy to catch and I assumed would be cheap. I'm surprised if they're pricey (and would think about starting up a fish farm! Haha!)


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 17, 2019)

Sdaji said:


> They're expensive? Not at all criticising, I know nothing of the archer fish market, just that locally they're very common fish which are easy to catch and I assumed would be cheap. I'm surprised if they're pricey (and would think about starting up a fish farm! Haha!)


Angler fish not archer fish...


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## Sdaji (Jun 17, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Angler fish not archer fish...



Another stupid question then... what's an angler fish? The only angler fish I know of is the deep sea fish with the light dangling in front of its mouth. If that's what you're talking about then requiring pockets as deep as the sea wouldn't surprise me.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 17, 2019)

Sdaji said:


> Another stupid question then... what's an angler fish? The only angler fish I know of is the deep sea fish with the light dangling in front of its mouth. If that's what you're talking about then requiring pockets as deep as the sea wouldn't surprise me.


That's the one mate... just like off finding Nemo ... when Marlin says "good feeling's gone!"


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## cris (Jun 17, 2019)

I had an angler fish for a few months, it died after an unfortunately and obviously incorrect water change. It was caught in 20cm deep water in a canal at the Gold Coast. By angler fish I mean a fish with a lure in front of its head, it would easily eat fire tail gudgeons twice its length,

I did not check for bioluminesense, but suspect it probably could do that.

Archer fish are cool too, but they need heating in Brisbane.


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## Sdaji (Jun 18, 2019)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> That's the one mate... just like off finding Nemo ... when Marlin says "good feeling's gone!"



Not sufficiently familiar with the movie to catch the reference, but it's pretty cool to hear people are keeping those things! Extremely interesting fish, and not just because of the light. If you wouldn't mind sharing pictures and a bit of your experience with them I'd love to read about it. I imagine they'd require at least a bit in the way of special conditions (coming from such an extreme environment I wouldn't have been surprised if it was close enough to impossible to keep them in a home aquarium, which is why when I read angler fish I thought it was an error in referring to archer fish). If you have them I assume they do fine in normal pressure, and maybe they just need to be kept cold? No idea, I'd love to hear more about them.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jun 18, 2019)

Hi mate I've definitely never kept nor ever will keep angler fish. The only marine species I keep is the lion fish AKA butterfly cod.


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## cris (Jun 18, 2019)

Sdaji said:


> Not sufficiently familiar with the movie to catch the reference, but it's pretty cool to hear people are keeping those things! Extremely interesting fish, and not just because of the light. If you wouldn't mind sharing pictures and a bit of your experience with them I'd love to read about it. I imagine they'd require at least a bit in the way of special conditions (coming from such an extreme environment I wouldn't have been surprised if it was close enough to impossible to keep them in a home aquarium, which is why when I read angler fish I thought it was an error in referring to archer fish). If you have them I assume they do fine in normal pressure, and maybe they just need to be kept cold? No idea, I'd love to hear more about them.



Before I accidentally killed it I kept mine in a 3 litre critter thingy with the flip top lid. There are lots of different types of angler fish, I also used to think they were exclusively deep water animals. They appear to be very intelligent for fish. One of my mates used to catch marine fish for the aquarium trade and said they where rare to find. If I ever bothered to have a marine tank I would definitely try to get another one.


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## Sdaji (Jun 18, 2019)

Seems like there's a lot more to these things than I realised. I'll go do some reading about them.


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## Grunter023 (Jul 16, 2019)

It's funny how things go in cycles. I was into keeping fish for years before the reptiles. I did hear a lot of fish keepers end up gong down the reptile path like myself. I had not kept fish for about 10 years and now within 6 months I have 5 fish tanks keeping African Cichlids, Discus and heaps of different L number catfish. I am enjoying keeping both reptiles and fish now. I have rigged up a device out of 25mm pvc pipe that makes water changes a breeze to do that runs out onto the lawn. Back in the day I used to use buckets - was painful.


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## Ella C (Jul 16, 2019)

I started with frogs, moved into aquariums and now am loving reptiles. It's far easier to tell whether or not a reptile is ill I find, and they are more interactive. Saying this, I still have a small goldfish pond and a 20 litre betta tank.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 30, 2019)

I just set up a new 10 gallon aquarium for 8 Celestial Pearl Danios (AKA Galaxy Rasboras). This aquarium sits on my home office desk just to provide a little necessary distraction. 
These pics aren't mine, my fish haven't arrived yet but it's just to show what they look like.


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## Mick666 (Aug 28, 2019)

I have 4 guppies and two cat fish on my desk at work


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## MadBD (Sep 29, 2019)

I don't see why you cannot love and keep both. 

For me personally, I like Animals I can handle and pat. Smuggling my dragon around the Supermarket or park after a vet appointment is the best feeling. Seeing little kids faces light up when they spot a nose coming out of my hoodie plus feeling Nox just relax into my hands, shoulder, neck or anywhere else in the sun is just a BLAST. Sadly, fish cannot offer that.


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## Ryan-James (Jul 4, 2020)

What? Fish?? Who chooses fish over reptiles? Mate, I am totally blown away by this nonsense.
"Oh yeah I sold my black and gold jungles to buy these filthy guppies" lol


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 4, 2020)

Ryan-James said:


> What? Fish?? Who chooses fish over reptiles? Mate, I am totally blown away by this nonsense.
> "Oh yeah I sold my black and gold jungles to buy these filthy guppies" lol


Each to their own man... I'd personally keep colourless goldfish before black and gold jungles. I've had aquariums since I was about 8-9 years old. Snakes eat, curl up and sleep for a month, wake up, crap and repeat. Aquariums are very interesting.


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## Ryan-James (Jul 4, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Each to their own man... I'd personally keep colourless goldfish before black and gold jungles. I've had aquariums since I was about 8-9 years old. Snakes eat, curl up and sleep for a month, wake up, crap and repeat. Aquariums are very interesting.


Yeah nah, I'm just stirring the pot, Ive been in and out of the aquarium hobby and I do see the appeal but could not choose fish alone.
I guess in a way I've chosen invertebrates and amphibians over reptiles which is probs worse


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 4, 2020)

Ryan-James said:


> Yeah nah, I'm just stirring the pot, Ive been in and out of the aquarium hobby and I do see the appeal but could not choose fish alone.
> I guess in a way I've chosen invertebrates and amphibians over reptiles which is probs worse


I have various strains of cherry shrimp, different snails, crayfish... full on mini communities. Can sit there for hours watching them... I'd watch them more than TV.


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## Harpo (Jul 5, 2020)

I have been an aquarist for decades and will always have a fishtank. Fish are my original passion.
They do require more, but it's all hobby time to me .
I have wanted a snake for 10 years, before diving in only this year. Should have done it sooner.

So, for me the Aquarium hobby drew me towards reptile keeping.


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## Sdaji (Jul 5, 2020)

The more I see people keeping fish, the more I love and admire fish, because fish are awesome, and the less I want to keep fish, because keeping fish is a punt of a task which severely restricts your lifestyle. As for the comparison, reptiles are much better to me anyway, but it's totally a case of personal preference and I know that some people are strange and insane enough to prefer fish and I can respect that in the same way that we accept and respect people with other disabilities and make sure we don't discriminate against them and discourage stigmas. I like that other people are right into fish so I can get some enjoyment from them, while I enjoy the better animals which conveniently come with less workload and hassle.


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## Harpo (Jul 5, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> some people are strange and insane enough to prefer fish and I can respect that in the same way that we accept and respect people with other disabilities



This made me crack up!


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 5, 2020)

Sea snakes are way cooler than terrestrial snakes...


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## dragonlover1 (Jul 5, 2020)

I have zero interest in fish, except for eating.Reptiles are way more intelligent and interesting to watch


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## Shaughan (Jul 5, 2020)

I have always seen fish in people's house I've very rarely seen reptiles of any sort even as a kid every one had fish no one had reptiles so now I have kids of my own I have let them grow up with both and they always pick the reptiles of any sort over the fish but in saying that the fish are always moving in there tank and there very colourful the best thing about fish is if or when they die it's $2 to get another and the kids don't care about replacing them but for the reptiles they never like it when they get sick or die they cry.
So I think that's y people choose fish over anything else because kids don't get attached to them and there easy to replace with out anyone noticing but for anything else it's so hard to replace something unique like reptiles or fur babys


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## Sdaji (Jul 6, 2020)

Harpo said:


> This made me crack up!



I love it when I type something funny without thinking enough of it to remember it, then someone pulls it up and I read it and get to laugh at a joke which perfectly suits my own sense of humour. I also like it when people realise I'm joking rather than thinking I'm just humourlessly stupid or offensive. Usually my sense of humour is too dry for most people to catch.
[doublepost=1593965834,1593965019][/doublepost]


dragonlover1 said:


> I have zero interest in fish, except for eating.Reptiles are way more intelligent and interesting to watch



There's a significant crossover with intelligence. Neither fish nor reptiles are the best examples of intelligence, and most are outright stupid, but you get examples of considerable intelligence in both groups. Even ignoring the most intelligent fish (probably some of the larger marine fish), some including cichlids, many of which are popular aquarium fish, are remarkably intelligent, and would very easily outbrain a python. Looking at the most intelligent of reptiles, perhaps monitors, they're pretty impressive in their own way, and certainly beyond most fish, but I'm not sure they're more intelligent than all fish. Either way, birds and mammals completely annihilate them in the intelligence department. Back before this one of my mental illnesses was corrected and I was breeding cichlids, I have to say that I greatly enjoyed watching them, and I'd have to say that all in all, they do make for better viewing than any reptile I've kept. I still much prefer reptiles for a lot of reasons, but watching cichlids assess each other, select a mate, go through an elaborate courting process and make a final decision to pair up for life, work together cooperating to defend a territory, make choices together for a breeding site, cooperate to prepare the breeding site, produce a clutch of eggs, take turns in tending to the eggs and defending them, lead their babies around strategically and feed them, all the elaborate communication, all the complex social interactions, the language which I tried to learn with a reasonable amount of success... it really is pretty cool, and gives any reptile a run for its money in the intelligence department, and they probably mop the floor with the intelligence of any snake.

Don't get me wrong, I don't plan to keep them again unless I have kids and want them to experience it, but jokes aside I do fully understand the appeal, I'm glad I spent years doing it, and I think they're among the best animals to watch. If you're talking about goldfish or something, yeah, those things could be outsmarted by half the rocks in your garden and lose viewing appeal after a minute or two. All in all reptiles still win for me though.


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## Pythonguy1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Whenever I think of owning a fish this image always pops into my head.







So yeah, I'll just stick to snakes.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 6, 2020)

Josiah Rossic said:


> Whenever I think of owning a fish this image always pops into my head.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ya'll are nuts! Fish are the new black!


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## Bl69aze (Jul 6, 2020)




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## Pythonguy1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Ya'll are nuts! Fish are the new black!


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 6, 2020)

Josiah Rossic said:


>


Because snakes do a whole lot of sweet FA.
NZ is awesome.... no snakes.


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## Pythonguy1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Because snakes do a whole lot of sweet FA.


Haha, whatever.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 6, 2020)

Josiah Rossic said:


> Haha, whatever.


Eat, s**t, sleep.
[doublepost=1594025999,1594025834][/doublepost]Don't need a licence or to deal with the QLD government to keep native fish or exotics...


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## Pythonguy1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Eat, s**t, sleep.


Kinda like my daily routine


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## dragonlover1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> There's a significant crossover with intelligence. Neither fish nor reptiles are the best examples of intelligence, and most are outright stupid, but you get examples of considerable intelligence in both groups. Even ignoring the most intelligent fish (probably some of the larger marine fish), some including cichlids, many of which are popular aquarium fish, are remarkably intelligent, and would very easily outbrain a python. Looking at the most intelligent of reptiles, perhaps monitors, they're pretty impressive in their own way, and certainly beyond most fish, but I'm not sure they're more intelligent than all fish. Either way, birds and mammals completely annihilate them in the intelligence department. Back before this one of my mental illnesses was corrected and I was breeding cichlids, I have to say that I greatly enjoyed watching them, and I'd have to say that all in all, they do make for better viewing than any reptile I've kept. I still much prefer reptiles for a lot of reasons, but watching cichlids assess each other, select a mate, go through an elaborate courting process and make a final decision to pair up for life, work together cooperating to defend a territory, make choices together for a breeding site, cooperate to prepare the breeding site, produce a clutch of eggs, take turns in tending to the eggs and defending them, lead their babies around strategically and feed them, all the elaborate communication, all the complex social interactions, the language which I tried to learn with a reasonable amount of success... it really is pretty cool, and gives any reptile a run for its money in the intelligence department, and they probably mop the floor with the intelligence of any snake.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I don't plan to keep them again unless I have kids and want them to experience it, but jokes aside I do fully understand the appeal, I'm glad I spent years doing it, and I think they're among the best animals to watch. If you're talking about goldfish or something, yeah, those things could be outsmarted by half the rocks in your garden and lose viewing appeal after a minute or two. All in all reptiles still win for me though.




I wasn't trying to imply reptiles are super smart, just smarter than the average goldfish (I know nothing of cichlids) and yes there are different levels of intelligence amongst reptiles too. In some ways my frillies are smarter than my beardies, the frillies know how to round up bugs by going around the other way whereas the beardies lose interest when the bug is out of sight. And you are correct in saying Lacies are more intelligent, my pair are always doing things that amaze me. I'm certainly not saying they understand english but they do react differently to common phrases, I talk to all my reptiles and use certain phrases for different scenarios but keep it to a limited number of phrases.
Pythons are definitely lower down the spectrum but they have simpler needs and mammals are obviously way above all these but sometimes I wonder about some of the humans I deal with.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 6, 2020)

Proof fish are smarter...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/comet-the-smartest-fish-i_n_100158/amp


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## Sdaji (Jul 6, 2020)

dragonlover1 said:


> I wasn't trying to imply reptiles are super smart, just smarter than the average goldfish (I know nothing of cichlids) and yes there are different levels of intelligence amongst reptiles too. In some ways my frillies are smarter than my beardies, the frillies know how to round up bugs by going around the other way whereas the beardies lose interest when the bug is out of sight. And you are correct in saying Lacies are more intelligent, my pair are always doing things that amaze me. I'm certainly not saying they understand english but they do react differently to common phrases, I talk to all my reptiles and use certain phrases for different scenarios but keep it to a limited number of phrases.
> Pythons are definitely lower down the spectrum but they have simpler needs and mammals are obviously way above all these but sometimes I wonder about some of the humans I deal with.



Sure, but goldfish are the like the Ball Python breeders of the fish world, they're the example I used of particularly stupid fish. Frillies and Beardies are pretty similar reptiles, right next to each other on the spectrum of all reptiles. As far as watching reptiles in the same way people watch fish goes, yeah, monitors would be a clear #1, beating most fish, but still getting beaten by cichlids (which themselves are very numerous and diverse, and understandably popular). Among fish keepers there is a clear distinction among cichlid enthusiasts and the idiots who are into any other type of fish. Except Flowerhorns, Flowerhorn enthusiasts are like Ball Python enthusiasts.


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## Pythonguy1 (Jul 6, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Don't need a licence or to deal with the QLD government to keep native fish or exotics...


Yeah, good point.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 6, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> Sure, but goldfish are the like the Ball Python breeders of the fish world, they're the example I used of particularly stupid fish.


Hmmm.... https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/comet-the-smartest-fish-i_n_100158/amp


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## Sdaji (Jul 6, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Hmmm.... https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.huffpost.com/entry/comet-the-smartest-fish-i_n_100158/amp



...and the award for title of 'poster child for not believing everything you read on the internet' goes to:


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 7, 2020)

Hahahaha now now... you have to give fish their due credit...


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## Sdaji (Jul 7, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Hahahaha now now... you have to give fish their due credit...



Which for goldfish is pretty close to zero.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 7, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> Which for goldfish is pretty close to zero.


Far from zero. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_intelligence


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## Sdaji (Jul 8, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Far from zero.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_intelligence



This link is not about goldfish!


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 8, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> This link is not about goldfish!


Goldfish are mentioned if you read the entire thing. It's often touted that goldfish are stupid and have a 2 second memory.... nonsense. Fish, ALL fish are quite intelligent.


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## Bluetongue1 (Jul 8, 2020)

My mum told me that I was chasing anything that moved in the garden before I could even walk. Early on that biological interest developed into a passion for reptiles. When I moved to WA and could no longer legally keep reptiles, I turned to growing plants and keeping aquaria. I have had at least one aquarium on the go pretty much continuously for the last 35 years plus and I spent 20 years in the Wildflower Society. When I lived up north, and before the kids arrived, I’d go snorkelling over the inshore coral mid-week after work, just as a fun way to exercise. Lots of different gobies and blennies, damsels, wrasses, anemone and butterfly fish, and the Moonwrasses would cruise around and check you out. There was one particular hole in the rock ledge at Pt. Quobba, 2m plus deep and about 3m wide, protected by an overhanging ledge and full of blue damsels and the like. A lion fish lived in this hole and on occasions I saw two of them there. It was awesome stuff. Yet the sight of a dragon or monitor in the sand dunes would always get my heart beating faster. If anything, I think aquarium keeping has helped me to maintain my passion for reptiles over the years.


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## Sdaji (Jul 8, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> Goldfish are mentioned if you read the entire thing. It's often touted that goldfish are stupid and have a 2 second memory.... nonsense. Fish, ALL fish are quite intelligent.



Obviously they don't actually have a memory limited to 2 seconds, but 'quite intelligent' is meaningless. By fish standards goldfish don't rank highly, there are far more intelligent fish, and by comparison goldfish are extremely low in intelligence. By animal standards fish don't rank highly. There are animals far more intelligent than fish. So what do you mean by 'quite intelligent'?

I know it's cool and hipster and trendy to say any particular animal is remarkably intelligent, but that doesn't make it true, unless you simply want to say that any level of intelligence at all, no matter how basic, is 'quite intelligent'.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 8, 2020)

But it just so happens the world's smartest fish is a goldfish so it all evens out in the wash.


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## Sdaji (Jul 8, 2020)

Flaviemys purvisi said:


> But it just so happens the world's smartest fish is a goldfish so it all evens out in the wash.



The world's smartest fish is not a goldfish. That's as ridiculous as measuring intelligence by the ability to sit still and declaring a rock to be the winner.


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Jul 9, 2020)

Sdaji said:


> The world's smartest fish is not a goldfish. That's as ridiculous as measuring intelligence by the ability to sit still and declaring a rock to be the winner.


Hahahaha you choose not to believe. No one can make you.


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## Pythonguy1 (Jun 15, 2021)

RoryBreaker said:


> At a recent trip to an aquarium shop, the owner said he has noticed a rise in reptile people going back into fish.
> 
> I certainly am enjoying keeping a few fish again, I know of a few others too. Some have got out of reptiles altogether.
> 
> ...


Well Rory I have to admit you're right. A guy came into the store last week and was looking at our snakes. Over the years I've been able to tell which people are Herp people and which ones aren't. He struck me as herp. Sure enough he mentioned he was in the snake hobby. However he then asked me if he could purchase some gudgeons. So I went and got a bag to put the fish in. As I was doing this I thought to myself, 'This must be the first herp/fish guy I've met'. I was wrong. As I got the fish out for him he said, "Yeah mate they're for the strap-snouted brown snakes, bastards won't take pinky mice". 
And apart from that I've never had a herp/fish person come into the store.


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## Friller2009 (Jun 15, 2021)

Who’s the bastard?
The snake or the gudgeon?
I thinks it’s the gudgeon.


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## Pythonguy1 (Jun 15, 2021)

Friller2009 said:


> Who’s the bastard?
> The snake or the gudgeon?
> I thinks it’s the gudgeon.


Apparently it was the snakes. However I'd take a snap-snouted brown over a gudgeon any day of the week. Gudgeons just die and clog up the filter lol.


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## Harpo (Jun 15, 2021)

Pythonguy1 said:


> apart from that I've never had a herp/fish person come into the store.


I'm one of those guys, but I try to avoid pet shops, and find I very rarely need to visit. I do try to support a locally owned shop though ?. Some online places are just too easy now days, with various ways to save a few bucks, but that's a different conversation entirely. Fish are cool, snakes are cooler...cannot believe I just said that .


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## Pythonguy1 (Jun 15, 2021)

This is a bit off topic but only once have I sold a snake to an experienced keeper, almost EVERY snake I've sold has been to a newbie and that one guy that was experienced didn't ask me any q's about the snake and only bought a snake hook along with it. If an experienced keeper comes in they only come in to buy their frozen rats or maybe an enclosure (baker buys from my store I believe). I used to get so excited when I was a little kid and mum would take me to the pet store. Now I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I go to Bunnings.


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## Friller2009 (Jun 15, 2021)

Pythonguy1 said:


> This is a bit off topic but only once have I sold a snake to an experienced keeper, almost EVERY snake I've sold has been to a newbie and that one guy that was experienced didn't ask me any q's about the snake and only bought a snake hook along with it. If an experienced keeper comes in they only come in to buy their frozen rats or maybe an enclosure (baker buys from my store I believe). I used to get so excited when I was a little kid and mum would take me to the pet store. Now I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I go to Bunnings.


Bunnings, is hobbyist’s heaven


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