Re: AGA CONTEST - Digest V1 #118

["David Engle" <datruedave@home.com>]

(Apologies in advance for not sticking to James' agenda)
Olga, I must say that I disagree with you on this one!  I haven't been
keeping "planted tanks" for that long (less than a year), but I've been
keeping fish since I was 5 years old.  I read every source of information
about fish that I could get my hands on, and all of my tanks were
successful.  Granted, my parents paid for some of my stuff, but *I* handled
everything related to fishkeeping.  If I had had access to the information
that I have right now, I assure you that I would have 19 years experience in
the aquatic plant hobby by now.  I don't think that I am unusual in this
respect.  This may be an emotional response to your discriminatory remarks,
but please don't judge people's discipline, enthusiasm, or knowledge from
nothing but their age.  I know 8 yr olds that are more mature than some 30
yr olds, and I'm sure you do too!
Now that I'm done with my rant, I don't know if a seperate classification is
a good idea either.  Olga brings up the fact that we can't know if a tank
was in fact done by a child or if it was just submitted under a child's
name.  Although I disagree with most of her reasons, I do agree with her
that we should not have a children's catagory.

Dave Engle
Escondido (San Diego) California
I hope nothing is taken personal, like I did.  :-)
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Olga wrote:
> Robert says:
> >Speaking of children, should we consider a separate classification for
> >children?
>
> My opinion... let's go easy on the "children". Not many kids (if any) have
> the wherewithall or attention span to set up and maintain a "real" planted
> tank even assuming their parents provided all the money. I say that
knowing
> a couple myself. It's "their" tank but in reality it's their parents who
> look after it. A fish tank with a few plants in it (that are constantly
> dying and being replaced) should not qualify. I object to children getting
> a special category in contests when it's almost impossible to know if the
> child really did the work. Planted tanks are not within a child's
> scope...heck they can't even remember to clean out the rabbit cage or walk
> the dog. You really think a kid is going to set-up a tank, get plants,
make
> up a pleasing planting arrangement, do all the water/lighting/fertilizer
> stuff and regularly maintain it??? Aw... come on.
>
>  Nope... everyone is equal age-wize. No children category. But perhaps we
> could have children submit a crayon drawing of a planted tank. NOT!
> Absolutely just kidding folks.
>
> Olga
> being a curmudgen in Vancouver


Dave Engle
Escondido (San Diego) California

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