State of the Hobby

[mnemenoi]

I remember when I started keeping tanks! Undergravel Filters were top of the line and I had those awful box filters with filter floss and carbon, lol. It has really changed quite a bit. The entire hobby as a whole has shifted numerous times and we now have equipment (albeit more expensive) to keep what we once thought was impossible. I recieved my first 10 gallon when I was 9 years old and here I am 29 years later.

I can honestly say that trying to help younger/less experianced aquarists has always been an honor and something I truly love voluteering for as it feels good to give back to the hobby I have enjoyed so much over the years. There are many who are still new to the hobby and are thirsting to learn more and sometimes it just takes being there at the right time to help and make a life long aquarist. Nearly every GHAC meeting I meet someone I have only talked to online or someone new that is full of questions and its a wonderful feeling to know they are leaving feeling much more confident in the hobby and that they have a group to rely upon should they encounter a problem.

[msmatagorda]

Hang in there Lee. Not everyone on this forum are "young" in years, but we are young at heart and all of us share a love of tropical fish. Much can be learned here. There are friends to be made & experiences shared, if you will give it a fair chance. :emt_thumbs:

[clayt101]

I've been out of the hobby for a long time although I have had an interst in it for around 60 years. (I'm 75). I used to raise Angel Fish and lived in the Midwest. Today I live in Houston, Texas and have been slowly getting back into the hobby but not as much as I did when I was younger.

That said, I've noticed huge changes in the hobby since I was last in it.

1. Fresh water Angel Fish have been turned into unrecognizable abominations to some degree in my eyes.


2. Tropical Fish magazines have just about died out. (I have a negative attitude for TFH which stems from many years ago).

3. I can not find any viable well run Tropical Fish Club in the Houston area. The ones listed have oudated web sites, No listing of meeting dates or places. Everything is up in the air and yet to be determined. Calanders from last year, etc. ("We will meet at Jodi's house sometime in February", but no dates, no time, and no address). Officer e-mail addresses which do not work. Seems very unprofessional to me. How do you grow a club with those kind of antics? It appears people as a whole in the South don't have much interest in Tropical Fish other then a casual interest. Maybe it is just true here in Houston.

4. Prices are high and quality is low.

In short, my recent re-introduction to the hobby has been very disappointing.

Lee

My responses (albeit from Louisiana)...

1. Other than color, I disagree.
2. Very true, but that is because of the internet. I subscribe to both Amazonas and TFH. Amazonas is great.
3. This is a real stickler for me. From my point of view, GHAC should have never been created...hear me out. Right now, the ACTIVE members of HAS only really show up for the auctions. But, I think that is all they want to do. In addition, HAS has done an absolutely horrible job of keeping up with the "information age", just look at there website. That being said, you just should not throw away all of that history and start a new club. You should really try to fix it. Become ACTIVE members and have socials. If all HAS will do is have an auction, volunteer to set something up, don't expect everything to be done for you. If you are being stopped by the membership fee (whatever it is), I can't help you. However, if someone is really proactive and ran for an office with HAS, I bet they could get rid of the membership fee (however, at least see if it is necessary for things like hall rentals for auctions etc). [/abbreviated rant]
4. I think that depends on where you shop.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: State of the Hobby

You still didn't explain "why" GHAC should have never been created Clay.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: State of the Hobby

Fyi, Houston is HUGE compared to the little villages you have in Louisiana, plenty of room for GHAC, HAS, MARSH, and whatever club pops up and continues function

[clayt101]

The members of GHAC who actually participate, should have fixed HAS instead of starting a new club. That is why. So in, 20 years when HAS dies out, you will now have a 20 year old club instead of one of the oldest in the country...just my opinion.

[clayt101]

Also, I guess it is so huge that you had to be convinced to attend your first HAS auction even though it was just a few minutes from your house.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: State of the Hobby

Why "should" anybody do anything? What you like to see happen might not be as important to others as it is to you. It's how the cookie crumbled, and it is yummy. I'm having a great time being a GHAC member.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: State of the Hobby

Also, I guess it is so huge that you had to be convinced to attend your first HAS auction even though it was just a few minutes from your house.

I wasn't quite the hoarder before then so there was no point in attending

[mnemenoi]

I agree with Sunny. From what I have heard HAS is a bit older and more traditional in its approach. I prefer to join a younger club that I have more in common with its members and attitudes. Perhaps I could have joined HAS and suffered through early afternoon meetings and attempted to shift the club, but its members and owners prefer it that way. GHAC has a different feel and I don't feel 'weird' throwing on some Punk or Industrial while we are socializing afterwards or ending the function at 3:00am. It was founded with an openess that I and others enjoy. There are many different groups of aquarists and I understand that not everyone shares certain viewpoints. Some prefer to discuss the finer points of more traditional fish, while GHAC embraces the emerging side of the hobby. It is just finding a group you enjoy and share similar passions in the hobby. I suppose the tenure of the society has some sort of old world charm, but in the grand scheme of things I myself enjoy the club for what it is.

[BeefyG]

The members of GHAC who actually participate, should have fixed HAS instead of starting a new club. That is why. So in, 20 years when HAS dies out, you will now have a 20 year old club instead of one of the oldest in the country...just my opinion.

GHAC started out just with friends getting together. Then more friends got together. So why should they suddenly have to take on the burden of fixing a club that was not their own? Who are they to say what HAS was doing was wrong? GHAC has always been about fishy friends getting together. That is what drew me in and made me feel welcome. I've never been invited to a single HAS meeting. Not once. As far as HAS being one of the oldest in the country... age is just a number. It doesn't make them any better or worse than GHAC and if their time has come and gone then so be it. That's on their members, not on me. But for all I know they will keep going for another 100 years and God bless em for it. I don't have the right or the responsibility to go their club and take them to task for them not conforming to what I think they should be. I don't really want to either.

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: State of the Hobby

Exactly Matt. That is the way the cookie crumbled and I've found it to be quite delicious!

¡Viva GHAC!
¡Viva HTPC!

[eklikewhoa]

I don't see why ghac shouldn't have been formed. Its a club... a club formed by those that share a common interest.

HAS like many other clubs is just that as well.

I'm sure there was no ill intentions towards HAS when GHAC was formed and if HAS feels there was then its clear the same interest are not in mind.


There's a lot of clubs in texas so with that mindset clay, why have any of them formed outside of HAS?

[40GallonsOfDoom]

I enjoy GHAC because its Pro Beard. Not like those stuck up sticky wigs over at HAS.






*It should be noted that I have no idea of what HAS's official stance on beards is*