# Is this a vastly male dominated hobby?



## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm not sure what going on, I too did kinda notice that there seems to be more males in this hobby... or at least spot lighted on. If there is more females, maybe they aren't being recognized, or we are hiding in our secret dungeons obsessing over our tanks so much we refuse to come out to the light.

I'm female.


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## regalesse (Dec 18, 2010)

I am a female in the hobby. I have been enjoying the hobby emensly for a few months now. I think that you have a fifty fifty chance of liking the hobby or not and it may or not may be a gender prone hobby. but either way its a fun, relatively safe hobby.


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## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

For whatever reason the Vivarium, Terrarium, Aquarium, Reef, etc. hobbies seem to always be male dominated...


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## Cynth (Sep 11, 2010)

Or maybe it just "appears" that way?


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

I'm really curious as to what the demographics are for this hobby as a whole.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

We had a poll going a few years back. Unfortunately the thread commentary took a sexist turn so the thread ended up closed. You could probably search it up.

From what I remember, there were more males than females on the forum at that time.

On the other hand, most of the planted tank hobbyists I know in person are female.

So IDK either way?


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

That's a good question. Any ladies out there, please don't take this the wrong way because I know not all of you are like this, but most females I know have no motivation to do anything like a hobby. Their lives consist of facebook gossip and hanging out with friends. While most guys I know have some kind hobby they regularly work on, even if their hobby periodically changes. Now I also know some people who are the opposite of both, but I see the majority that I know living that way. Not sure why that is, but I think there is just something that drives guys to tinker with stuff. Whether it's cars, computers, fish tanks, or whatever they are interested in. Maybe guys are all subconsciously unsuccessfully searching for something to fill a primitive void lost in modern day society, and women are just more evolved and social so they don't have this issue. 

Kind of babbling in a weird direction here, so I guess my short answer would be that it's not just this hobby being male dominated, but hobbies in general are male dominated. Mans hobby is to have a hobby (if that makes any sense). I'm trying to think of hobbies that are female dominated, but not much really comes to mind. I don't even think that gardening really is. Wait, is washing dishes considered a hobby?:biggrin: Just Kidding Ladies


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Cynth said:


> Or maybe it just "appears" that way?


LOL! At least one member has already commented that he was surprised to find out I was a woman. My local aquatic plant group has a meeting next weekend and from what I can tell, it's almost all guys too.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

As for my country (maybe US is another business) guys with fish, fishing and dogs...ladies with cats 
In my LFS i see a lady for 10 guys interested in fish 
But..but at work all the female coworkers really like the aquarium stuff anf many do START new tanks in a short time
I will bet on a 50% 50% female to male ratio in this hobby in the near future


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

One thing is for sure and that is that forums are not representative of the true demographic of the hobby as a whole. Whether or not there are more males in the hobby than females, and I think there probably are, I wouldn't necessarily call it male dominated.


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

Female in the hobby and proud...let's stand and unite! lol


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Hey Loop, I'm from the old style traditional family unit and Dad worked leaving Mom to take care of the house, kids, food, shopping, doctors visits, all related house stuff so Mom didn't have time for hobbies. Dad built room additions, fished, hunted, bowled and played cards. My brothers and I did the same thing. To remain in a happy marriage that situation has changed in my house. I take the boy to soccer practice and do a thing or two around the house. My wife and I both work, she hunts (I quit when I started needing glasses) we kinda split activities so nobody ends up overloaded but she wouldn't keep up with the aquariums if I paid her. LOL


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Loop said:


> Any ladies out there, please don't take this the wrong way because I know not all of you are like this, but most females I know have no motivation to do anything like a hobby . . . While most guys I know have some kind hobby they regularly work on, even if their hobby periodically changes.


For a lot of women I know, their "hobby" is their kids (often reading is a close second, which often isn't recognized as a hobby). And statistically speaking, women simply do far more of the grunt work (house work, cooking, kid stuff) than their husbands do. Hence hubby is more likely to have/make _time_ for a hobby. 

All of my close friends and I are "child free", leaving plenty of time, energy, and money for hobbies (which we have in abundance, LOL!).


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Loop said:


> That's a good question. Any ladies out there, please don't take this the wrong way because I know not all of you are like this, but most females I know have no motivation to do anything like a hobby. Their lives consist of facebook gossip and hanging out with friends. While most guys I know have some kind hobby they regularly work on, even if their hobby periodically changes. Now I also know some people who are the opposite of both, but I see the majority that I know living that way. Not sure why that is, but I think there is just something that drives guys to tinker with stuff. Whether it's cars, computers, fish tanks, or whatever they are interested in. Maybe guys are all subconsciously unsuccessfully searching for something to fill a primitive void lost in modern day society, and women are just more evolved and social so they don't have this issue.
> 
> Kind of babbling in a weird direction here, so I guess my short answer would be that it's not just this hobby being male dominated, but hobbies in general are male dominated. Mans hobby is to have a hobby (if that makes any sense). I'm trying to think of hobbies that are female dominated, but not much really comes to mind. I don't even think that gardening really is. Wait, is washing dishes considered a hobby?:biggrin: Just Kidding Ladies


I don't know... I guess I'm not very feminine hahaha. I have never been into make-up, or shopping. In fact, if it is shopping I really hate it unless it is shopping for something in my "hobbies". I have NEVER hung out with other people besides at school, my parents do not allow hanging out or sleep overs. In fact, I no longer have school friends, now I only have the internet people, or real life people that I meet online. I'm not sociable at all in real life, only on the interwebs I talk too much.

I love playing video games, computer games, internet stuff, going on forums, aquariums, fishing, photography, making stuff out of dirt or mud, yea, not so typical girl stuff I guess. When I did have school friends I tried to convince them to do more computer stuff, but it just wasn't for them.... they preferred the stereotypical girl stuff.

I REALLY hate to clean for sure, so no dish washing hobby for me lol 

roud:roud:


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Very interesting and fun question. I was actually discussing this with a friend a few weeks ago. My theory is akin to Loop's in its *ahem* stereotyped gender assumptions.  Just for the record, I'm a woman.

I think that planted aquarium's are a form of "manly gardening." Think about it--there are all kinds of machinery involved and calculations (r/o, filters, ei, etc.). Then also you can have things like pirahnas or other fierce looking fish to "masculinize" the plants. Also with these plants there are relatively few flowers. Okay, so maybe pirahnas are too aggressive to go with plants? But some disgusting buglike things (shrimp, crabs, etc.) are gentler. 

In any case, even without the plants, you've still got the machines and the pirahnas. Which are really the best parts, anyone will tell you, even Amano himself. I hear he keeps a few bare pirahna tanks out in his garage to relax.

As for the alleged lack of "women's hobbies," may I propose: knitting, crocheting, lacework, yarnmaking and the like; sewing--clothes, needlepoint, quilts; painting (though maybe this is traditionally a "mixed gender" hobby?); flower arranging; stained glass windows; beading; houseplants; and of course, dishwashing, which was already mentioned.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Oh, and also--pottery, stencils, decorative cookies, and holiday decorations...


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

3:1 males:female ratio I believe.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

tetraontheedge said:


> Oh, and also--pottery, stencils, decorative cookies, and holiday decorations...





tetraontheedge said:


> Very interesting and fun question. I was actually discussing this with a friend a few weeks ago. My theory is akin to Loop's in its *ahem* stereotyped gender assumptions.  Just for the record, I'm a woman.
> 
> I think that planted aquarium's are a form of "manly gardening." Think about it--there are all kinds of machinery involved and calculations (r/o, filters, ei, etc.). Then also you can have things like pirahnas or other fierce looking fish to "masculinize" the plants. Also with these plants there are relatively few flowers. Okay, so maybe pirahnas are too aggressive to go with plants? But some disgusting buglike things (shrimp, crabs, etc.) are gentler.
> 
> ...


The only thing you mention that I like is "houseplants" lol :icon_lol:


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Betta Maniac said:


> For a lot of women I know, their "hobby" is their kids (often reading is a close second, which often isn't recognized as a hobby). And statistically speaking, women simply do far more of the grunt work (house work, cooking, kid stuff) than their husbands do. Hence hubby is more likely to have/make _time_ for a hobby.
> 
> All of my close friends and I are "child free", leaving plenty of time, energy, and money for hobbies (which we have in abundance, LOL!).


LMAO I swear you almost ninja'd my post.


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## tetraontheedge (Dec 7, 2010)

Eden Marel said:


> The only thing you mention that I like is "houseplants" lol :icon_lol:


:icon_lol: It is true--I just mentioned the things I like...

Except for the pirahnas.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

let's keep this going! I think it's great!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'd love to meet anyone who ENJOYS dishwashing to the point they'd consider it their hobby. :icon_roll


Actually... if you meet anyone like that, I'd love to befriend them and they can enjoy their hobby to their heart's content at my house...


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Oh....and I'm a male BTW. 

Other things to know...

Veteran
Husband
Dad...1.5 kids (one on the way)
FT job
Has a stay at home wife/domestic engineer


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I completely understand what you guys are saying about women who moms and take care of the kids, and do all the house work. That stuff adds up to alot more than some people realize. But when I say I'm referring to the majority of people that I know, that's not really included. I'm 27, and most people I know aren't to that point in their lives yet. As an example, my girlfriend lives with me. I work, she goes to school 1 or 2 classes a semester. No kids, and she doesn't do all the cleaning. I have a car I'm building, 2 tanks, and I'm remodeling a bathroom. She has at bare minimum twice as much free time and doesn't want to do anything. She sits at a computer socializing, and once or twice a month goes out with friends somewhere. I'm not saying this is bad, people can do whatever they want, that's why it's called "free time" , but I have to fill it with something. She doesn't have that urge. Alot of my friends have similar relationships. Reasonably similar responsibility and time constraints for both, but they guy is always looking for something to do. Maybe I just know alot of weird people or something.:icon_conf


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

I think that if more women knew exactly how much enjoyment and relaxation comes from this hobby there would be a lot more in it. I'm a mom of 3 young kid's...7, 8 & 9...I work, go to school full time, cook, clean and take care of my kid's and the only thing that keeps me from ending up in a rubber room w/ a straight jacket is my aquariums...even the maintenance is fun to me...that's when I do my best thinking! I love shopping, makeup and all of the girly things too. Plus, I find that my love and knowledge of shopping has helped me to be able to find amazing deals to maintain my tanks. I'm in my late 20's and don't act like most of my friend's who are still into bar hopping, etc. This hobby is something that I share with my children...I have two boy's and a girl...all three love the tanks and I find them just staring at them and discussing them often. They "help" (lol) with maintenance and feedings. So this is also a healthy hobby we share together as a family. My boyfriend...ugh...that's another story...he likes looking at the tanks...sometimes asks questions but gets jealous of the attention the tanks get at times. Regardless...I wish more women were more enlightened on the joys this hobby brings...it would be nice to have female friend's to discuss the hobby with and still love makeup and shopping...lol.


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

How come I never met anyone one like you MeanGreenEyes? My girlfriends is the same as your boyfriend when it comes to my tanks.


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## Danh Vu (Jul 3, 2010)

I never thought about gender in this hobby before. I'm a male and I like the science and techy stuff involved in keeping planted tanks... but maybe thats because I am a nerd... hmm...


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

lol


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

@ Laura...I love dishes so much that I spent $600 for a portable dishwasher for my NYC apartment...and hide it in the closet when not in use! I mean why waste time on dishes when I could be doing something fun? lol

@ Loop...awww...you poor thing! lol

The best part about my dirty little secret (this hobby) is that to look @ me...people would never ever guess! I love techy things too! I love building and diy'ing things and making things work. My boyfriend thought that I was nuts with my paintball co2 setups. I've actually thought about pursuing a biology degree just because of this hobby. I forgot to mention my other two children...my 4yr old pit bull (Big Boy) and my Russian Blue cat (Mr. Bigglesworth.)


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

its mostly because men are better at science and math. we're also just much better than woman at everything in general.

lol. completely kidding. i think that it might have to do with the fact that when we're boys we tend to catch fish, frogs and other stuff. probably just seems a little more natural for us to keep fish.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

MeanGreenEyes..you have a cat :biggrin:
I told you guys about the ladies and the cats roud:
btw imo i think ladies are much more...ecological aware than man..and more nature loving . it is in their nature to create and preserve life
i never saw a girl hitting a dog...but i saw countless boys/men do that


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## Danh Vu (Jul 3, 2010)

Lol, timwags onto something. Whenever friends and family asks about my tanks and how I am obsessed with fish. I answer "It is not the fish, its the PLANTS!. Its not a fish tank, its a planted tank :icon_lol:"


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

@ Timwag2001...I remember coming home from school with a jar full of tadpoles...I was in kindergarten...and that horrible creature that gave birth to me flushed them down the toilet...I never forgave her!


@ Fahnell...LMAO...yes I have a cat but I had my 80lb. pit bull first...I rescued my cat when he was small enough to fit in my hand. I'm more of a dog lover but this cat grew up with my pit and acts like a dog...so he won a special place in my heart...I'm also working on becoming a Vet. so I love animals in general.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

but you have a cat 
anyway..i love cats too....the ukrainian levkoy the most


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Nice input everyone! My daughter is six. I started her on her own tank a few months ago. She has always loved helping me on maintenance days so I thought getting her her own tank was in the cards. She loves taking care of them. She feeds her fish first thing in the morning without even being asked to do it while being sure not to overfeed. She know's about water perameters. Whenever I take care of the tank in her KG class she is always squishing the pesky snails. She doesn't think it's gross at all. She also picks up the dog poop in the back yard. She will get into "boy stuff" just as much as the "girl stuff".

Maybe it's up to us to point out this hobby to the younger generation.....boys and girls.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

BTW...That is one evil lookn' cat! I'd be afraid of it stealing my soul as I slept!


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## seadreamer (May 6, 2007)

I'm female and have noticed this hobby seeming to be male dominated. I went to an aquarium society meeting once years ago and was the only female there. I felt very welcomed but was intimidated and didn't go back. The only women I see in the fish section of pet stores are moms with kids, mostly little boys. 

I love to shop and play with makeup. I don't like the outdoors but did grow up fishing A LOT. I also spent a lot of time bored out of my head while my dad and brother lusted after boats at marinas. I spent my time lying down on docks gazing into the fascinating underwater world. I think both of these experiences have played a big part in why I keep fish/plants. I also like to garden on land and this is that without all the dirtiness.

I wish I had some real-life fishy girlfriends.


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## MeanGreenEyes (Sep 24, 2010)

@ jgmbosnia 1...Isn't it the best feeling in the world to share this hobby and your knowledge of it with your children. I often just happen to hear my kid's bragging to their friends...my daughter is 9 and already complaining about wanting to upgrade her betta's planted 2gal.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Yep....It really is the best feeling in the world. And there is nothing like hearing other kids ask their mom and dad if they can get a tank because of what I taught and showed them. It's even better when the parents seriously consider it.


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

i was kinda shocked that my kid wanted to get into the hobby. he has a 29g and asked for two 10g's for christmas. he wants to breed endlers, and crays. i can honestly say that i hate his style, clown puke with rocks, and fake decorations with snail shells. i'm more of a natural look. but whatever, at least he's into it


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Timwag....I know what you mean. My daughter's tank has blus and purple substrate with fake plants and a no fishing sign hanging off of a decorative palm tree. Not my style either......I'm just glad she is into a hobby at such an early age. It's a hell of alot better then sitting her in front of the TV. I feel like this is a whole other topic that needs addressing in our society. KIDS THESE DAYS!


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## feral13 (Jan 17, 2006)

My interest in the hobby came from my Grandmother and great-aunt. They both had tanks, ponds and breed at lot of different fish. Of course they also had elaborate flower gardens.

My step mother always had 2-3 marine tanks running (very rare at the time).

My brother and I both picked the hobby up for them. No girls were born into the family so it was just us two guys. However, my brother did marry a woman who raised fancy guppies.

I can't speak specifically for planted tanks, but I think there are more women in the aquarium hobby thank what people think.


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## juiceworld (Oct 30, 2010)

I am a man Who has many hobby's, that is married with 2.5 kids, .5 being 3 cats and a large dog. I have a ton of hobby's where as my wife has almost none. She is the "A typical" woman. She reads, plays with the kids, house cleaning, ect... I asked her if she were to get into a hobby what would it be. She said she didn't need a hobby, Her time was already spoken for. 

That being said, I think that people with time to burn have hobby's. It just so happens that men have more time then there counterparts. 

I know that in my house it has to due with the fact that I work nights. I have a lot of time to kill when everyone else is sleeping. 

I am man...Hear me whimper...


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## wendyjo (Feb 20, 2009)

Danh Vu said:


> I never thought about gender in this hobby before. I'm a male and I like the science and techy stuff involved in keeping planted tanks... but maybe thats because I am a nerd... hmm...


I'm a female and I HATE the science and techy stuff involved in keeping planted tanks - so I don't do any of that stuff. Like in my garden, I just do what I think will look nice and if it doesn't work I move things around until it does work. No ferts or co2 or anything - I couldn't stand to turn this hobby into something that took that kind of thought.

Growing up I played with dolls as well as helped my dad in his workshop. When neighbors were building houses I loved climbing and digging thru the huge mountains of dirt playing "archeologist". My mom will never let me forget when she found a cigar box full of caterpillars in my dresser drawer, or the mudpies I made and tried to eat. Or the snails I collected. Or when I nearly chopped off my finger trying to cut a peice of wood with a hatchet cause I was trying to make a wooden airplane. Even now I love to build stuff and play in the dirt


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

lauraleellbp said:


> I'd love to meet anyone who ENJOYS dishwashing to the point they'd consider it their hobby. :icon_roll


My sister doesn't consider it a hobby, but she says she finds it restful and therapeutic. She was the best housemate EVER. And just so you've got the full image: 5'1" Betty Paige Goth Punk Princess with full Edward Gorey sleeves, pulling a Donna Reed.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Loop said:


> Maybe I just know alot of weird people or something.:icon_conf


Well, they're not like any of the women I know, that's for [email protected] sure. But then most of my friends when to art school, so we have day jobs, and we have "driving passions" that don't pay the bills . . .


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Fahnell said:


> I told you guys about the ladies and the cats roud:


No cats here. Just a dog. A BIG dog. Meet one of my other time-consuming hobbies, Clancy:


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

It's so funny, I was just suggesting my wife get a hobby right before I sat down in front of the computer. Three pages of posts too. I think my view would have been more along the lines of traditional gender roles and familial expectations on time, like wkndracer suggested. That's something that I associate with boomers and genx'ers more though than my generation though. After reading all of these posts, I kind of feel like I know a little less about it than I thought.

I would like to know how many of us knew an aquarist, or how old we were when we had our first tanks. I do feel like a lot of the pictures on the boxes at the store are sort of masculine. I don't know if that's true though.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Reginald2 said:


> That's something that I associate with boomers and genx'ers more though than my generation though.


Did you just lump GenX in with their parent's generation under the general flag of "old"? I think I need a drink . . .


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## Reginald2 (Mar 10, 2009)

Betta Maniac said:


> Did you just lump GenX in with their parent's generation under the general flag of "old"? I think I need a drink . . .



lol, I didn't mean old, but similar. It was a little off the cuff and probably too broad of a generalization. I was really only talking about gender roles: they were one way, they changed, and then they just were another way. I don't know if that makes sense.

A drink sounds good though, I worked all weekend.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

lauraleellbp said:


> I'd love to meet anyone who ENJOYS dishwashing to the point they'd consider it their hobby. :icon_roll
> 
> 
> Actually... if you meet anyone like that, I'd love to befriend them and they can enjoy their hobby to their heart's content at my house...


My mom Larualeellbp LOVES dish washing lol 

I have the tanks, my wife has the Telescope.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

My Dad was into "fish tanks" when I was a kid. Then he dropped his big 60+ gallon tank....Mom said no more. Then When I was about 8 my parents bought me my first tank. They figured it was a nice pet to have in our military apartment building. I think it was a 20t. I had a couple of those old bublbeing floss and charcoal filters with some blue rock substrate....cory cats....mollies.....and neon tetras. At that age I think I remember something about GI Joe diving with the fish. 
My parents knew I was into keeping and catching fish. They just never thought I would keep it as an advanced hobby to the age of 38.

It seems like a bunch of men that I talk to want their wifes to get a hobby. I'm one of those men. It's not that I have a bunch of free time. I just know that I need to MAKE the time to enjoy something that is theraputic for me. I would love it if my wife would MAKE the time for herself. My wife loves the fruits of my labor. She will sit in front of one of my tanks and enjoy a cup of coffee. She just doesn't understand all of the technical aspects of the hobby. If I even start to talk about PAR or phosphates I totally loose her. What is funny is she spent most of the spring and part of the summer researching drought tolerant plants and landscaping techniques. I thought that was the start of something.....nope. When the plants were in her interest was out.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

timwag2001 said:


> i was kinda shocked that my kid wanted to get into the hobby. he has a 29g and asked for two 10g's for christmas. he wants to breed endlers, and crays. i can honestly say that i hate his style, clown puke with rocks, and fake decorations with snail shells. i'm more of a natural look. but whatever, at least he's into it


My 1st tank had rainbow gravel, fake decor, and fake plants..... but I was 11yrs old!


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## SkyGrl (Jan 7, 2010)

i have one friend who is into tanks as much as me. she and i bounce new info off each other all the time. we are both pretty non chalante about it all. i dont want a huge dosing regime, so low tech for me. shes jumping into the co2 setup here right away! and ill watch all the steps she goes through. she is some talented fish girl. i swear she can breed anything!!

im a girl and i love fish (and plants)

Amy


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

is this a mastino napoletano?i am not that good at dog breeds



Betta Maniac said:


> No cats here. Just a dog. A BIG dog. Meet one of my other time-consuming hobbies, Clancy:


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

All of my female, non-romantic friends are huge pet lovers, even bigger than me. None of them keep fish and when the subject comes up the fact that you can't touch them seems to be what makes them lose interest.


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

Loop said:


> I'm trying to think of hobbies that are female dominated, but not much really comes to mind. I don't even think that gardening really is. Wait, is washing dishes considered a hobby?:biggrin: Just Kidding Ladies



Cross stitch, knitting, crochet, sewing and quilting all tend to be female dominated.


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

Ok...Obviously I'm female. I have tons of hobbies. I'm always busy with something or other. I love taking care of the house, cooking, photography, making various crafty things, fixing up around the house, restoring things, playing games, working jigsaw puzzles, reading and watching hockey. I hate shopping, would rather make it or grow it myself and love pets. I have 3 cats and a dog. I've been keeping aquariums for 20+ years now. Mostly they were FW with fake plants but dabbled in reefs a couple of times. Now I'm diving into the planted tanks with gusto. Most females friends I've had have always said things like "Gross! I wouldn't stick my hand in there!" or ask "Does it ever smell fishy?" or something similarly silly. They all think they are pretty to look at but wouldn't want to be "grossed out" by dealing with the cleaning or removing dead fish, etc. I enjoy both the technical aspects as well as the more natural side of this hobby. I DIY a lot and usually repair broken hardware instead of buying a new one. I've raised live foods including various worm cultures which freaks out many men too. If I had the room, I'd have an entire fish room with multiple tanks and various foods being cultured, etc. I do have 3 children. One is 22, married and living in her own place. One is 19, in college and a World of Warcraft junkie. The youngest is 16, in high school/college dual enrollment (Veterinary School) and a social butterfly. So I really don't have to spend a great deal of time on my kids these days which frees up even MORE of my time for things. My husband on the other hand has very few hobbies. He works full time outside the house. (I do not though I do have an online store on Etsy that I share with my Mother and we sell hand-crafted items and I sell some of my photography.) By agreement, he earns the money. I take care of the house and yard but we both help with the other as needed. He watches tv, cooks occasionally, plays on the computer and sometimes works on a jigsaw puzzle. His biggest hobby is guitar playing. He has both guitar and bass and spends a lot of time on them. He likes looking at the tanks and will stop at the fish store to pick something up for me after work...its a few doors down. He'll do things I ask him to without fussing like dumping buckets of water, lugging bags of sand, etc. But beyond that, he couldn't care less. When he comes home and sees some project going on the table, he usually rolls his eyes and asks, "What now?" After I give him more information than he wants about my latest culture or DIY experiment he walks off mumbling something about monsters eating the house and buying a sign to put on the door that says "Jenna's Little Shop of Horrors". LOL


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## Clare12345 (Dec 20, 2008)

I'm the only one I know who keeps fish tanks. But I'm expecting people to start coming on to the idea any minute now...
Mostly the price that's stopping them I think, once they get an idea of what its all about.


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## drlower (Dec 14, 2010)

if by male dominated you mean guys who are really into the hobby, but at the mercy of their dominant wives who scrutinize every dime spent on it. then yes , male dominated.


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## doxiegirl (Jul 12, 2010)

Okay, I have to add to this one...

I used to work at Petsmart, so I got to observe the gender ratio of our hobby first hand- yes, it seems it's mainly male. But many of the most passionate and dedicated fish people I helped were women! One woman told me all about raising angelfish for years and now her daughter is fish crazy too. I think guys get into big and flashy stuff and the technical aspect of it all. It seems that lots of girls don't like the water and fish poo, but there's just as many guys that are grossed out by the idea of sticking their hands in tanks as well!

My fish craziness has really just taken off in the past couple of years. I always wanted to have an aquarium but was often discouraged by people who had bad experiences. So when my husband bought a 65g 5 years ago I told him he was crazy... famous last words. I started working with fish and caught the bug. Now I have 5 tanks running and we're in the process of setting our fish room up, which will have 12-15 tanks in it, both freshwater and salt. He likes saltwater and I like cichlids. He thinks I'm absolutely obsessed with fish and well, I am. Everyone always wanted me to get a hobby and what's wrong with this, lol? 

I think everyone has forgotten about that other girl hobby- scrapbooking. I just don't understand. I mean are you really gonna look at a scrapbook after you make it? We continue to enjoy our tanks and can always redo them. And don't get me started on homemade jewelry. Unless it was made by a well meaning little kid, I don't want your homemade bracelet or necklace.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Fahnell said:


> is this a mastino napoletano?i am not that good at dog breeds


Good eye. He's actaully a mix. Daddy is a Neo (a huge one at 190lbs!) and Momma is a Bullmastiff.


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

doxiegirl said:


> I think everyone has forgotten about that other girl hobby- scrapbooking. I just don't understand.


LOL! I'm so with you. I got dragged to a scrap booking party for a friend's 40th birthday. And I'll admit we all had fun drinking wine and making our page for the _Big Book of Jessica_, but I have no interest in going back. It's too "holly hobby with a glue gun" if you know what I mean.


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## Fahnell (Jan 20, 2011)

Betta Maniac said:


> Good eye. He's actaully a mix. Daddy is a Neo (a huge one at 190lbs!) and Momma is a Bullmastiff.


offtopic. do the mixes get bigger than the parents?


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

seadreamer said:


> I'm female and have noticed this hobby seeming to be male dominated. I went to an aquarium society meeting once years ago and was the only female there. I felt very welcomed but was intimidated and didn't go back. The only women I see in the fish section of pet stores are moms with kids, mostly little boys.
> 
> I love to shop and play with makeup. I don't like the outdoors but did grow up fishing A LOT. I also spent a lot of time bored out of my head while my dad and brother lusted after boats at marinas. I spent my time lying down on docks gazing into the fascinating underwater world. I think both of these experiences have played a big part in why I keep fish/plants. I also like to garden on land and this is that without all the dirtiness.
> 
> I wish I had some real-life fishy girlfriends.


 
I'm not sure I would categorize this hobby as being male-dominated, at least not in comparison with model railroading (@95%+ male, I'm guessing). There seems to be quite a few women who participate in this hobby, especially where planted tanks are involved.

My wife isn't interested in fish/aquatic plants. She'd much rather read her Kindle or play with out princess (corgi mix). Perhaps Amazon can come up with an aquarium applet for the Kindle... That being said, she's more than willing to stop in the LFS with me when we're out and about. 

Perhaps you can start your own group in your area, similar to what some folks are trying to do in Chicagoland. Take a look at the LFS section (Illinois) on this forum. The response thus far seems to be pretty good.


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

drlower said:


> if by male dominated you mean guys who are really into the hobby, but at the mercy of their dominant wives who scrutinize every dime spent on it. then yes , male dominated.


 
Two words: separate accounts. :biggrin:


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

Fahnell said:


> offtopic. do the mixes get bigger than the parents?


He's smaller. Dad is 190, but Clancy is only 160. Girls are quite a bit bigger than mom (the two I know are both 140, mom was 110). So about what you would expect, they're somewhere in the middle.


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## Cottagewitch (Oct 22, 2009)

doxiegirl said:


> And don't get me started on homemade jewelry. Unless it was made by a well meaning little kid, I don't want your homemade bracelet or necklace.



I actually prefer handmade gifts.  Some of the homemade jewelry out there is just stunning! But I'll pass on the scrapbooking. Its not my thing either. LOL


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## ridethespiral (Aug 5, 2010)

I like my 75g with eheim filters and bla bla bla

gf just likes her bettas


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm too lazy to wash dishes manually or in the machine...


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## Betta Maniac (Dec 3, 2010)

ridethespiral said:


> I like my 75g with eheim filters and bla bla bla
> 
> gf just likes her bettas


Gotta say, I'm with the GF. My Eheim is freaken POS. There's no way I'm going to deal with CO2. I just want nice planted low tech tanks for my bettas.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

ridethespiral said:


> I like my 75g with eheim filters and bla bla bla
> 
> gf just likes her bettas [/QUOTE
> 
> Ummm.....ok


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Please try and stick to the topic folks:icon_lol:.


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## SkyGrl (Jan 7, 2010)

Eden Marel said:


> I'm too lazy to wash dishes manually or in the machine...


+1... who needs to go to all that work of emptying and then filling that machine!! i would much rather play with hardscapes!!! ill cook my face off but i hate dishes.. when im home alone... ill just eat outta a pot.. pfft less dishes

Amy


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

I read the first page and decided to skip the rest to post my 02. 

Fish/planted tanks either salt or fresh are just another "toy" for us. Like the Mustang in the garage, the guns in the basement or that gas powered r/c car you got at Christmas that is already in the garage collecting cob webs. I feel that im a pretty in tune person when it comes to watching different behaviors between man/woman in the car business for years. Its just that in reality men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Were just very different psychologically and that fish tank makes us feel good!








Until we get bored with it!


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## hopeforthebest (Sep 10, 2009)

I am a female, the responses to my questions people thought I was male.I inherited this hobby from my Dad when he passed in 1968.I have always had tropical fish in my house, but not always planted tanks.My Dad had planted tanks in slate bottom,metal frame tanks. It was the only way to have a balanced tank then. I wish I could answer why not more women in this hobby,because at the end of a hectic day, watching the fish tank sure helps to distress!


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your input...This is pretty interesting. So what I'm gathering from all of the posts is that this isn't really a male dominated hobby. It only seems that way. Men might just tend to be more into the technical aspect of it....and therefore might be on forums more to research. Females tend to be on here primarily for a need to bond with others that share the same hobby.?. That's just the feeling I'm getting.


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## barbarossa4122 (Jan 16, 2010)

Well, my wife started this hobby and she's very much involved in it including taking apart and putting back together our co2 set ups.


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

This is bass ackwards to what I grew up with! My mom is HUGE into fish, my dad... He liked the piranhas, lionfish, and bass. But aside from feeding them, it was my mom who took care of them. He didn't even look at them unless it was at feeding time.

My fiance rolls his eyes at my whole fish tank thing. He doesn't get it. It's not a car, it's not cheap, and it really doesn't involve too much in the way of computerized technology. His "hobby" is his computer. So yeah, he works, comes home, gets on his comp, and plays with our daughter. That's it, that's his whole day.

Me on the other hand... I _have_ to have something to do. I hate sitting down and doing nothing. I need my toys. And that's precisely what the tanks are to me: toys. Something that challenges me, my mind, and occupies my hands. There's no instant gratification, and that's a requirement of my hobbies. It's so boring when something works out just peachy and requires no work. I clean the whole apartment and do dishes daily, but it's mindless boring work. I love the whole technology thing, even if it scares and frustrates me from time to time. The DIY CO2 was particularly interesting to me, and I'm not thrilled with my pressurized system.


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Captivate05 said:


> <edit>
> 
> My fiance rolls his eyes at my whole fish tank thing. He doesn't get it. It's not a car, it's not cheap, and it really doesn't involve too much in the way of computerized technology. His "hobby" is his computer. So yeah, he works, comes home, gets on his comp, and plays with our daughter. That's it, that's his whole day.


 
You should have carte blanche to spend as much on fish/plants, since his hobby (computers) isn't exactly cheap, especially if he's a gamer. How much was that Nvidia SLI set-up with the new Sandy Bridge chipset and 30" IPS LCD panel?!


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## WallaceGrover (Jan 15, 2011)

Hmm, I guess this may be going way too deep, but maybe it has something to do with control?


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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Another childfree female here.

Neither my ex hub or current bf had/have hobbies.

My mom had a guppy tank when I was a kid & I remember how neat that was.

I'm not into the high tech stuff - too much work:biggrin:

If I didn't have health issues I would do more/have more.

I am trying to talk my BF into getting a tank. His dad also had guppies when he was a kid.


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

WallaceGrover said:


> Hmm, I guess this may be going way too deep, but maybe it has something to do with control?


 Hmmmm... there is the controll word again. I agree. Maybe it's everything to do with being in absolute controll of something. Maybe it's being able to focus on something in such an unfocused world. I don't think it's too deep at all Wallace. So is the controll aspect of this hobby more male or female related. Interesting....


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## yogi1974 (Jan 31, 2009)

Funny thing when the hobby started over a 100 years ago, women were were the ones who had the tanks/aquariums(there is a difference between the 2). Women used it as a teaching tool for their children at home. The husbands would go out to the lakes/streams to collect the aquatic flora and fauna for their wifes...


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## majerah1 (Nov 6, 2010)

I have noticed more men are into the planted tanks and honestly i think the reason why is because its a satisfaction,knowing you can get your big clumbsy hands in a tank and gently prune the plants.No offense to the men,BTW.

IDK.maybe im wrong.I think there are more women that we are lead to believe in the hobby because women want something to nurture,and a planted tank is always in need of TLC.

Im a woman BTW,LOL and i have a daughter,who could care less,a husband who will put up with the expenses,though his hobbies are nonexistent.But my mother in Law is really interested in the fact that its not a simple bowl with a goldfish and pink rocks.


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## feral13 (Jan 17, 2006)

While my tank experience has been female dominated, my wife only likes to look at them. Luckily, she doesn't mind the money I spend on my tank or other hobbies.

An on another note...

At LFS I patron, it is a female that is the "plant expert". The men have to go get her just to put my choice in the bag. 

Me - "Id like a bunch of that Cobomba and one Rubin."
LFS Guy - "Plants?"
Me - "Yeah."
LFS Guy looks blankly at tank.
Me (Pointing to my selections) - "One of those and one of those."
LFS (shouting) - "Amy, can you come help this guy with some plants!"

I wonder if its "selective ignorance". I can't be too judgmental if it is as I use it on my wife all the time.:icon_twis


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## jgmbosnia1 (Oct 18, 2010)

feral13 said:


> while my tank experience has been female dominated, my wife only likes to look at them. Luckily, she doesn't mind the money i spend on my tank or other hobbies.
> 
> An on another note...
> 
> ...


lol!


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