PFK farce

[helen nightingale]

in PFK this month (along with Emma and Steve's excellent ranking in the top shops) is an article on problems with very large fish and people offloading their fish to public aquariums when they outgrow the tanks at home. then further on is an article about ideal first fish for beginners. this includes as first choice for loaches the clown loach. it says keep in a 48" tank. i realise this will be ok for juveniles, but there is no clear advise that the clowns will outgrow this. its ironic when you consider the other article in that issue.

in one article it says "overturn the notion that fish will never outgrow the size of their tanks", and then reccommend tanks too small for full size fish. can you imagine Marge and Stripes in a small tank like this? i'd rather not.

it also says that clown loaches are usually much smaller than 30cm. isnt this normally due to people keeping them in crap conditions and too small tanks, so most of them snuff it before they have a chance to mature properly? i know someone who had 2 in a biorb, and wondered why one of them died. he changes the water every 3 months, but thinks he's doing the right thing as he adds cycle every week. with poeple like that, how are clowns ever going to averaeg out reaching their potential.

i feel a letter coming on. would anyone else like to join me?

(see pages 53 in the normal magazine and 22 of the oull out)

[Emma Turner]

Unfortunately, they seem to have double standards - ethical only when it suits them. The big fish article looked promising, but then did you notice that on the interesting imports page 129 they show a fish (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) which is known to get to 160cm/5'4" in length and 100kg/15.75 stones in weight. It is actually thought this species can sometimes attain 2m/6'6"! Hardly an 'interesting import' for the fishkeeper. The only place for this fish is to leave it in nature where it belongs. Wharf Aquatics apparently have them in stock.....

Emma

[shari2]

Definitely an email editorial comment needed on that one Emma!

[Graeme Robson]

I give up on reading PFK some time ago. My cat now enjoys the older copy's in her cat-litter tray.

[Emma Turner]

Heheheh!!! And to think they gave you a special mention on another article in their interesting imports section this month If only they knew where it might end up!

[Graeme Robson]

Heheheh!!! And to think they gave you a special mention on another article in their interesting imports section this month If only they knew where it might end up!

I'm I? I haven't purchased the PFK for over a year now. I do often talk to Matt and Peter on a regular basis. I think Matt wants to do a 'readers visit article' with me and my Loaches.

Any Loach in particular?

[Emma Turner]

They have very belatedly listed Yunnanilus brevis as an interesting import.... Despite the fact that they know I have over 100 of them in stock (via that old on-going petfrd thread), they don't list us as having them, but instead do list another shop up the road from us (funnily enough where one of their contributors happens to work), plus BAS, as having them!
I can scan a copy of the page and e-mail it to you if you like?

[Graeme Robson]

Yes please Emma.

I remember posting to Matt, regarding your stock situation.

Anyways! I have breeding activity's under my hat! One up on them! I'll post this later.

[Emma Turner]

Anyways! I have breeding activity's under my hat! One up on them! I'll post this later.

Can't wait!

[Martin Thoene]

I gave up on PFK years ago. It seemed that it felt the need to constantly cater for new fishkeepers. Whilst I appreciate that there's a certain need for that for the hobby, I think it's far better for a newbie to read a good complete book and leave fish magazines more for the hard-core already keeping fish type reader.

The example quoted seems to show a tendency to try and please all people. The eco-friendlies and the tank-buster lovers. It shows a lack of conviction and a sitting on the fence attitude. As the premier British magazine, the editorial staff should have the cohones to make a stance.
Interesting new import it may be, but anything with Pseudoplatystoma at the start of its name belongs in a public aquaria, or better off in its native river. Even a public aquaria won't approximate the strong-flowing rivers these guys come from.

Martin.

[helen nightingale]

i got a subscription as a pressent, and i like to be reminded that there is more to aquariums than loaches and other asian fish sometimes.

Graeme i hope your cat enjoys crapping on them

[Eyrie]

Whilst I appreciate that there's a certain need for that for the hobby, I think it's far better for a newbie to read a good complete book and leave fish magazines more for the hard-core already keeping fish type reader.

Problem is that there's a very limited market of people who know what they're doing. Pitching the general level of the magazine at the casual or beginning fishkeeper will generate far more sales.

I do occasionally wince at some of the advice they give. But my main gripe with this month's issue is a printing one - pages 43-58/91-106 are included twice and there's no pages 59-90

[Graeme Robson]

Graeme i hope your cat enjoys crapping on them

She does enjoy looking at the pictures in her 'moments'

Mainly, My *moan* is the amount of advertisements they have. I seem to spend more time looking at the 'buy me' pages, rather than the articles. Oh well!

[helen nightingale]

i hadnt noticed the pages error, but its full of spelling mistakes!

Graeme do you drive around with a sticker on your car saying "i buy my fish from the water zoo"? just make sure you take it off when you come and collect your next batch of fish from Emma!

I think it's far better for a newbie to read a good complete book and leave fish magazines more for the hard-core already keeping fish type reader.

Martin i would sort of agree with this, except that when i started out, my mum bought me a book that seems to give a good overview, with how to set up a tank, good community fish - nothing too unusual, etc. it seemed great at the time. now i know how much b***ocks is in it. it reccomends a 3ft for clown loaches. skunks are peaceful community fish too. another book i have reccomends setting up a tank and putting in a few harlequins and zebra danios (i think), then loaches after only a fortnight. i have no books that mention fishless cycling.

i also have a national diploma in animal care, and where fish are concerned, the certificates from that also belong with Graeme's copies of PFK. the paper is probably a bit too thick for actual wiping.

what we need is a magazine with something for beginners, and something for more experienced people, which will hopefully inspire the beginners to keep their standards up. i am sick of being told to use a heating cable under my substrate, look at this pretty reef tank and then buy lots of tacky plastic dayglow coloured tanks. and i'm still pretty much a beginner.

[Graeme Robson]

This is worth the read, Helen. It's a magazine made from actual fish-keepers. Emma has many articles published, along with pictures. I have some pictures of my 'gravid' Pangio's published in there. Kitty-kitty wont go near these ones.