People giving there advice (why they shouldn`t ) and other minor irritations

[sparkle]

Originally Posted by cooljules

some newbie lep gex owner was asking about using spot lights for them...so i said yes, i have done for over 10 years...2 people mentioned heat mats, then he had a go at me, saying i must have killed them, burt the viv down...been a stupid keeper etc...even after explaining how it works in the wild but he wouldnt listen, swore etc etc...

he then some time later asked another question, on something also i ahd kept for 10 years....wouldnt listen, then again started slagging me off....even though others too said it was fine

he thought he new everything, i can think of 3 things he asked, i told him, others told him and he wouldnt listen, if he didnt like what advice you gave him he would swear and insult you.

you see opinions differ about husbandry and thats ok.. as long as you can give reasons and explanations.. its the sloppy 5 word answers that drive me nuts..,

another thing annoying me recently is the CUDDLE CREW

when animal is sick instead of advice or urging a vet visit they just say

AWWW it wil be fine dont worry its just having an off day..

drives me insane

I only get really worried and incensed when people give one sentance answers no explanation and a newer keeper with a potential worrying issue about a rep must think.. AHA thats it

or as i said before when advice is given that should really only be done under vet supervision incase it makes the issues worse...

[cooljules]

yes, i spent ages explaining that i use a bask hop spot at 1 end, on a mix of sand/pebbles and rock, so all gets hot all day, then when the lights go out, the kep gex come out and lay on the hot stuff as it retains heat, like they do in the wild...he wouldnt have none of it, said i am killing them slowly, and i said, been kept like this for 10 years so must be bloody slow!! yeah i tell newbies to get a mat n stat, as thats what everyone one says, but i have never but he wanted spot light..

same went for substrates...and something else

he didnt seem to understand, that many years ago, when people 1st kept them, way before internet, books, good advice etc, it was peoples trial and error that led to peoples knowledge, so the could write books etc, pass on info, what works and what doesnt...

he also asked can he not need a start for some set ups, so i expained it can be done, i do it with 20 vivs but all spot lights, but has to be tweaked...he said cool, then suddenly went crazy...

[Darth_Vandal87]

Originally Posted by darwengray

I know it`s not possible but do you not think it would be great if people on here would not be able to give advice on a particular species without at least six months and preferably longer PRACTICAL experience.

I`m sick and tired of seeing people quote advice which is clearly lifted off web sites and then passed on as tho` they really know what they are talking about.

Worse still this second hand knowledge is then used to denegrade shops and other sellers on here .

Also why do people make the pius and self righteous comment ` i`ll be researching for the next six months for my next animal` EHH ? you could do your basic research in six minutes you don`t need six months ! You`ll never learn unless you have first hand experience of a snake/lizard.

There also seem to be too many people that take as gospel what they read on here .This isn`t some mystical script it`s a bunch of rag bag information some of it good ,some of it ok and lots of it second hand and of no value.

Here endeth the rant.

Go in peace friends.

I think uve gotta gud point, cos i personally wudnt give nebody ne kind of help / advice unless i new it to be of actual help or if i had experience within the subject, i do however feel it wud be better if people maybe expressed there opinions slightly better rather than those who are adamant they are always rite.

[sparkle]

Originally Posted by cooljules

yes, i spent ages explaining that i use a bask hop spot at 1 end, on a mix of sand/pebbles and rock, so all gets hot all day, then when the lights go out, the kep gex come out and lay on the hot stuff as it retains heat, like they do in the wild...he wouldnt have none of it, said i am killing them slowly, and i said, been kept like this for 10 years so must be bloody slow!! yeah i tell newbies to get a mat n stat, as thats what everyone one says, but i have never but he wanted spot light..

same went for substrates...and something else

he didnt seem to understand, that many years ago, when people 1st kept them, way before internet, books, good advice etc, it was peoples trial and error that led to peoples knowledge, so the could write books etc, pass on info, what works and what doesnt...

he also asked can he not need a start for some set ups, so i expained it can be done, i do it with 20 vivs but all spot lights, but has to be tweaked...he said cool, then suddenly went crazy...

my expereince back then would have been 1990.. no internet.. uv lighting was from fish tanks i think..

and god i gave the agamas pinkies once a week

they didnt die but stil i now know that wasnt the best thing to do... and i wouldnt do it now

.. and the snakes i co-habited..in the same glass tank.. which id never do now

i .. and i only kept for 2 years back then..

even then the animals were cared for by several of us.. more like house reps than any one single persons..

we did what we thought was right.. i can clearly see now not everything i did was right and some of it wrong.. i chatted to other keepers at wee meetings at pet shops in northamtonshire wher ei lived at the time. then in london when i moved.. but the info that was about simply isnt the same as it is now and science has moved forward too...

BUT I have changed the things i did back then that i see were clearly not safe and i am probably anal on hygiene now and overdo and baby my animals tanks..

Guards on bulbs.. over careful about cleanliness and substrate,

basics can always be debated.. and suggestions made..

but when an animal seems poorly.. to me giving concrete advice is dangerous.. and thats what i get annoyed about

[cooljules]

oh yes...some things i did in the late 90's i wouldnt do now, it was normal then, but proved bad in the long run, like locust for igs...

i have changed some things, but i admit some oldies wont listen...

[Ecologica]

I've been keeping inverts/amphibians/reptiles for about 15 years, i would never profess to being an expert and would certainly never give opinions on the care of species which i have never kept. There are a lot of people on this forum with a wealth of knowledge whose advice i would take on board but there are also people who give advice on subject they clearly know nothing about.

As one of my uni lecturers told me: read around a subject as much as possible from as many sources as possible and draw your own conclusions.

I don't take anything as gospel just as i would not expect anyone to take what i say as gospel.

[cooljules]

im asking about a type of turtle we have just rehomed, now nothing about it...and it seems the owners didnt, as for the 2 years they had it, they thought it was something its not (as fotos i put up here people soon told me)

found a care sheet online and asked what people thought, said it was ok...but getting bits of refined info....and as they have given me advice before, all along the same lines, and not just read from a book or website, will go along with it...

i also foned my local rep shop (hes always busy so hard to get through) and asked him for some advice, and hes kept stuff over 20 years, and often says this is wrong, or this isnt great advice, or ignore that....

[cooljules]

Originally Posted by Ecologica

I've been keeping inverts/amphibians/reptiles for about 15 years, i would never profess to being an expert and would certainly never give opinions on the care of species which i have never kept. There are a lot of people on this forum with a wealth of knowledge whose advice i would take on board but there are also people who give advice on subject they clearly know nothing about.

As one of my uni lecturers told me: read around a subject as much as possible from as many sources as possible and draw your own conclusions.

I don't take anything as gospel just as i would not expect anyone to take what i say as gospel.

in 15 years, have you ever had problems, had to care for sick stuff, made mistakes? if so and you have learnt whats best/not good and how to get stuff back to health, then your the type of person i would ask advice for....lots of people keep stuff, fine, straight out of a book from day 1 but with no actual problems or experimenting etc then they can offer no advice, aprt from temps and basic set up....

[Ecologica]

Originally Posted by cooljules

in 15 years, have you ever had problems, had to care for sick stuff, made mistakes? ....

I've had my fair share of ups and downs, there are things i've done which i wouldn't repeat, i have cared for sick and injured herps (normally basic rehab, feeding and rehydration)in the past but my first port of call is usually the vet.

[cooljules]

Originally Posted by Ecologica

I've had my fair share of ups and downs, there are things i've done which i wouldn't repeat, i have cared for sick and injured herps (normally basic rehab, feeding and rehydration)in the past but my first port of call is usually the vet.

so the things you wouldnt repeat, would mean you can point people in the correct care, and what not to do, as you have tried it and didnt work...thats what im saying.

oh i agree about a vet, trouble is finding one, the last vet we saw, a rep vet, i had to tell and explain, so they let me sign a waiver and give me the meds etc i need and treat myself, and im no expert at all, by a long way, but that time, knew what i was doing in 10 years with that specie...but ask me about a gecko a bit diff, or a anphibian, aint got a clue, never kept them in my life....so i could read a book, offer a few words that it said but thats it