How has the hobby changed in the last 10 years?

[aquitori]

How has the hobby changed in the last 10 years? Good and Bad..I know for some of us who have the years under their belt what do you think?

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by aquitori How has the hobby changed in the last 10 years? Good and Bad..I know for some of us who have the years under their belt what do you think?

I got one word for this....


~~~INTERNET~~~

[Brutuscz]

I am going on 7 years in this hobby..I think the internet has made a huge difference. It allows us to see better koi regularly so our eye may continue to improve. It gives us access to many different breeders..which we may have not had before. I also believe the information we can gather is priceless...from treating a sick fish to installing a new filtration system, the internet has become indespensible in our hobby....and finding things cheap on ebay has been pretty good too!!!

The Bad....KHV, SVC, funky strains of costia...oh my!!! It has wiped out some of the best collections on the planet...as well as making us all a little gun shy when purchasing something new!!! Just scary as hell to know one bad purchase and all our prized koi are dead. It has taken some of the fun out of the hobby for me...I'm sure others feel the same. Wish I could just buy what I want and throw it straight into my pond...but we all know those days are behind us, dont we?!?!?

[junglegeorge12]

the answer is Yes and No. The koi are the same, a little better quality and size now available. The part of the hobby of chilling out by the pond and enjoying nature is the same. The part where it comes to internet and readily available wealths of knowledge and products is not.

[Dwight]

Good : internet of course , dramatic improvements in filtration allowing us to keep our fish better , more access to high end fish


Bad : Pest Mart and their ilk , garden centers killing fish at an alarming rate

[dick benbow]

the last ten years has featured better information via the chat lines and magazines. This rise in knowledge has helped the average hobbyist to better understand what is needed to enjoy this hobby.

I think the advancement in filtration/water quality tops the list.

Certainly the selection of food and quality breeders has also expanded.

Anymore when I see a story weather or diasaster etc in any part of the world I can think to myself i hope so and so is ok because KB has brought us all together. Like having family all over the world. I like that part of how the hobby has advanced.

Keep in mind tho that there is only so much advancement any sport can make and because of KB mag and Chat line, things can seem boring once you've caught up to the leading edge of information. That's when i think you can start to enjoy the diversity of our KB family!

[koiloco]

BETTER BEER AND MORE VARIETIES!

OOOPS, I AM IN THE WRONG THREAD.

SORRY TONY.

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by koiloco BETTER BEER AND MORE VARIETIES! OOOPS, I AM IN THE WRONG THREAD. SORRY TONY.

Better beer? I find myself loving Keirin alot more than Corona...

[aquitori]

Have to agree with you all. For most of us who have been around since the internet it has it's ups and downs. Knowledge is out there on the net, but nothing beats seeing a fish in person or talking to one of your buddies at one of the local shops.

Maybe, there is alot more interest now than before.

[koiczar]

IMHO, the internet has changed the hobby - some good and some not so good. It has become of source of a wealth of information - not all of it is beneficial but most is outstanding. Chatting with people from all walks of life and various countries opens one's eyes to the rest of world that really does exist outside of our own backyards.

Having said that, the downside is it is causing clubs to begin to dwindle in numbers of members to extinction. There is something to be said for the local club and it's affiliation with a major organization. But as Tony pointed out, nothing is better than joining friends pondside at a local dealers and talking about/seeing fish in person. Pictures are fine but they're only two dimensional. Life is in 3D!!