Re: GSAS auction was Re: Tampa Bay Aquarium Society Meeting Notice

[Dave Gomberg <gomberg@wcf.com>]

Mike, you are making my case.  I agree with you completely (I think).

At 01:01 PM 4/7/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Maybe it is a sign of our deeper intellect.   Maybe our tolerance for BS is
>a lot lower than some other lists I could name.   On the other hand,
>considering the recent thread on eating babies, maybe I am wrong.   
>
>As long as I have gotten started, consider the following questions:
>
>1.  What would be the evolutionary value (if any) of forgetting how to
>parent after a few generations?
>
>2.  What would be the evolutionary value (if any) of eating your babies?
>
>When you get those figured out, you will understand why babies get eaten.
>--
>Dave Gomberg, San Francisco            mailto:gomberg@wcf.com 
>Jobe's Fern and Palm Spikes FREE        http://www.wcf.com/pam 
>
>
>.............from a lower form of life than others:
>
>          If you can understand the answer to the above questions (if any)
you may also understand why fish who are known eaters of young can in fact
be turned around if you adjust the parameters of the tank instead of trying
to make the fish deal with tank parameters that aquarists think are good.
>
>.........Dave and I have always disagreed with the answer to this
question, and I respect that difference because there is no way to resolve
the question without saying "in my opinion" or in "my experience"  but I
for one would like to hear some good conversation instead of flames....as
long as everyone is willing to listen to all people
involved..............we are not likely to change our opinions, but it may
help some who right now have no opinion...........for one, I agree with
Dave that the answer to the question does probably lie initially with the
answering of the questions he proposed.  They are however only a
beginning....I believe in evolution and it's
consequences.................but I'm not too sure that we all aren't
jumping to conclusions about fish we put from a limitless river into the
confines of a glass tank and expect them to react in the fashion that they
do in nature.  I understand that they (apistos) prefer crowded
conditions....but we don't put in the dwarf pikes as predators and this
fish for that and that fish for this and so on and so forth.......this
would tell me that the fish........rams in particular may not act as normal
fish.  It would seem as though I am making a perfect case for your point
Dave, but quite the contrary.............I have had pretty good luck
spawning some rams in ways that would make some of you
shudder...............not because I'm smart........just because I really
believe in the idea that the fish want to do what is
natural...............give them a tank to their liking and they will do
what is natural..........which means keep the fry instead of eating
them....and I will change the parameters of my tanks quicker that people
change shirts. 
>
>I've talked to much................sorry folks....................have
that super weekend...............
>
>Mike
>
>
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--
Dave Gomberg, San Francisco            mailto:gomberg@wcf.com
Jobe's Fern and Palm Spikes FREE        http://www.wcf.com/pam

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