| How many people do you know who rushed | | | | take a good look at each of these points |
| headlong into a new hobby, all guns blazing, only to | | | | individually. |
| give it up again after just a few short weeks? | | | | |
| Chances are this is something you have done | | | | 1. Take advice: visit your local fish stores, please |
| yourself, it's something that most will do at some | | | | notice I said stores not store, visit several. Have |
| time or another. Have you ever ask yourself why | | | | a chat with the guys who work there. Most of |
| this happens? | | | | them have their jobs because they have a |
| Let me make a quick comparison. This has | | | | passion for the hobby and considerable knowledge |
| nothing to do with your freshwater aquarium, at | | | | that they can share. But before you do this I |
| least not directly, but should serve to illustrate the | | | | suggest you focus on points 2 and 3. The guys in |
| point I'd like to make. Think about all the people | | | | the store have a responsibility to their employer |
| who make a New Year's resolution to go on a | | | | and that is to sell you their products. Most of |
| diet. Most of them are doomed to failure before | | | | them will be fantastic and very genuine people but |
| they even start. Why? The first mistake they | | | | always keep this in mind. |
| make you to view it simply as a diet. Using the | | | | 2. Read up on the subject: you don't have to |
| term 'diet' implies that it's just a short-term effort. | | | | spend a fortune on big expensive books from |
| If they really want to succeed they should forget | | | | your local bookstore, great information is available |
| the word diet, and look instead at the term | | | | online. Sometimes free or usually at very |
| 'lifestyle change'. They've decided it will not be a | | | | reasonable prices. |
| long-term gig before they even start, and this | | | | 3. Don't go it alone: take a look on the Internet |
| usually means it ends even sooner than they had | | | | and you'll find all kinds of forums and membership |
| expected. | | | | sites dedicated to the keeping of tropical fish. Get |
| Many will not take advice, many will not read a | | | | involved in discussions and actively ask questions. |
| book, most will assume they know enough and | | | | The members of these sites are genuine people |
| will go it alone. With the diet maybe that doesn't | | | | looking to learn and to help, in other words they |
| matter, the only person who will lose out is | | | | are just like you so they have no reason to lead |
| themselves, but with the tropical aquarium it's a | | | | you astray. Make the most of them. The other |
| little different. The poor little guys you put in it will | | | | very important point to come from our little |
| not be able to escape the mistakes, and | | | | dieting analogy is to look at the long-term. Don't |
| ultimately they'll be the ones who pay the price. | | | | expect to simply buy an aquarium, throw |
| Do you want to fail before you start? I hope not. | | | | everything in, and have it last a lifetime without |
| So let's make sure you don't make the same | | | | any further effort. You are getting involved in a |
| mistakes as our fabled dieter mentioned above. | | | | hobby, a hobby that can occupy a fair amount of |
| Let's learn the lessons from my diet failure and | | | | time. But don't be frightened by that, it will be |
| apply them to our tropical fish keeping experience. | | | | wonderful, exciting time that brings great |
| The three basics are: take advice, read up on the | | | | enjoyment and fantastic rewards. How's that for |
| subject, don't try and do it on your own. Let's | | | | a 'lifestyle change'? |