Last week we talked about the many benefits of participating in your local fishkeeping club. Sometimes, however it is not practical or possible to meet people in a face to face environment. The club may meet at a time that isn't convenient, transport may be an issue or there simply may not be a club in your local area. This is where the internet is really useful helping you to connect with others who share your hobby. Of course internet forums aren't only restricted to fishkeeping....really if you can imagine it, there is probably a forum on the topic! But I digress, today we are talking about fish.
There won't be any problem finding a forum, there are loads of them that come up in a general search. Some are based in the UK and many abroad. One of the great things about the internet, being able to share experiences with people all over the world. The problem may be trying to decide which one of these forums is right for you. Please find below a few top tips we've gathered from our experience of forums.
1. Refine your search to come up with appropriate forums for your level of experience and/or type of fish that you keep. I.e Search Google for 'Fishkeeping forums for beginners' or 'African Cichlids forum' instead of 'fishkeeping forums' if you want to narrow down your choices.
2. You don't always have to join a forum in order to view posts. 'Lurking' occasionally may give you some insight as to how active a forum is, how posters treat one another or are there discussions related to what you are interested in.
3. Remember, especially if you are new to fishkeeping, that advice given may not always be accurate. If you are uncertain about something concerning the health of your fish then double check with an expert. There are Vets online or locally that you can ask if something doesn't seem quite right.
4. Once you have decided on a forum make sure you get up to speed with the expected etiquette. Even if you have very strong opinions or you are 100% certain that another poster is wrong about something be sure to express yourself respectfully. Nobody likes a 'keyboard warrior' and things you write may come off far differently than they would in a face to face discussion.
5. Don't be timid about participating and asking/answering questions. There are usually people around with lots of experience to share and they are only too glad to help. After a while you will get to be one of those people too!
If these tips have been useful in helping you to find a good forum please come back and write a comment to let us know.
If you don't have a local club in your area but would like some guidance on how to start one then check back here in a few weeks. We are trying to arrange a guest blog from the chair of the local club telling us how it all started and how it remains interesting and viable.
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