How can you tell who’s an expert?
I’ve been on Youtube looking at stuff and some of it isn’t even created by people, it’s automated ‘cut and paste’ scripts from other people’s web sites. Some of it is just barf that some guy heard in the Aquarium Club. At least 25% of what I saw in 30 minutes was ancient, misinterpreted, inapplicable, or just plain wrong. Wrong or really old information makes the hobby harder for participants. I see people using old information for success, and having a LOT less of it.
For example, how can you talk about water quality without mentioning BIOSEEDING?
If you have a water quality derangement, and you CAN Bioseed, that’s the way to do it, NOT water additives!
Stabilizing pH is a BIG DEAL and not-enough is made of it in the popular science.
Certain other ‘experts’ in Koi and pond fish don’t even have a Koi pond. Sure they have books. And they have ‘super-yes-men’ British friends who keep (even sell) Koi. Good on ’em but there’s no substitute for owning Koi, ponds, or practicing Koi Health Medicine as a veterinarian, which I did for a decade.
Nitrates correlate directly with high levels of background pollution and are an underestimated fish killer. It’s perhaps the second leading cause of poor health in Goldfish, at the more-experienced level of hobbyist. Because it’s an ‘old tank’ problem which is corrected perfectly with constant water replacement.
I don’t have a solution for you. I’m just bitchin’. I got out of the Koi hobby because my outreach started to become MORE about correcting misinformation and ‘doing it the hard way’ at the advice of some screechy old men on a message board, and LESS about actually connecting with hobbyists who just wanted to learn. So I’m going to accumulate everything on DrJohnson.com and leave it alone.
I do wish everyone the best of success.
Doc Johnson
