Anyone Know Why?

[angel]

I'd observed but didn't wonder enough to ask, but another of our members recently brought up this same question: Has anyone noticed how most fish hobbyists are men? Does anyone have a theory on why that is so?
I had said it was a little backwards for George, Aquamarine, and me, and possibly Kimberly and Allie though their husbands seem involved in fish--that we are the fish maniacs, and our spouses don't care for them, they just allow us to have them without too much protest. Most of the time it's the man of the house that's trying to bring in more tanks and the woman saying,"theyre messy. they smell. get them out of my face. i won't take part in feeding them or cleaning their tanks" etc.
And along these lines, what are our reasons for wanting to keep fish? Personally, I have a love of water and fascination with knowing there's an entire world under a large body of water that we know is there, but we can't see. That and they're pretty, and relaxing.

[jody]

well me and my fiance love fish, just she doesnt love them enough to help me clean them.lol. But i have never realized that. Its actually kind of funny.

[davidtcb1]

For me, I love every aspect of it. The parts and pieces that make it all work (i.e. the equipment) is as fascinating to me as the fish themselves. I love doing maintenance and tinkering with it. I think those things are a large part of what make it attractive to men. My wife loves the fish and the different looks of the aquascaping, etc. (and we got into fish together - and at the same time - due to a mutual interest in it) but she doesn't want any part of the cleaning, plumbing, and the like. Also, I love keeping tanks as clean and "showable" as they can be which I think is a big part of the "testosterone factor." In other words, if someone shows up at the front door, I want them to walk in and be wowed by the tank(s) at any given time. A kind of "look what I can do" type thing...

[tnnsman7]

We discussed this in one of the Michigan Cichlid forums last year and other than confirming that the large majority of serious fish hobbyists everyone knew were male, nobody came up with an explanation.
I don't even really understand why I'm in the hobby as much as I am. All my other interests are very active - tennis, cycling, softball, hunting/shooting, etc.
It's not the equipment for me, it's the fish. I don't enjoy setting up tanks and playing with filtration, plumbing and all that. It's not showing off the tanks and fish for me either. I could care less if anyone else ever sees them. I do enjoy the "hunt" for fish I want, or fish I know not many have. That's definitely part of the fun for me.

[jgentry]

Aquarium keeping is very much a tinkering hobby. There is always something to be tinkered with and nothing is ever exactly the way we want it. This is very much in most mens makeup to like to tinker with things and enjoy how things evolve.

A lot of women (this does not include everyone just as the statement above does not include all men) like for things to be perfect. My wife in particular wants things to be done and for it to be just the way she dreamed and then it is on to the next project. Aquariums require patience and constant adjustments and a lot of women just are not that way. That's not a bad thing either.

Think of an aquariums like fixing up an old car. You are never really done, sometimes you get fedup and sell it and start over again, sometimes you get one close to done so you just buy another one and add to the collection. Some women rebuild cars, but not a lot.

[jody]

I personally, like just about every aspect. I love to hunt for that perfect fish. Then the tinkering part is amazing. Like jgentry said something can always be fix or done differently. I love to tinker, I love to try to make things work better. matter of fact i have a filter i have been working on for a couple of months trying to get it to work again. (ok so i am very slow) But even with the work i am currently doing with the filter. But i would have to say that my favorite part is the constant reasearch that comes along with it. I have been reasearching for my new tank for over a year now. I just love that you can sit down and just watch the fish and learn behaviors and interactions with other fish. I am a nerd at heart so learning is my passion, and i can learn a lot just by watching and observing. So i gues my favorite part is the learning aspect of aquarium keeping.

[nebelhund]

Heck, that's an easy answer.

Most men and women are similar to others of their sex. (And I have scientific research backing me up here.) Men are more into looks, at least initially than women. Women are more into feelings/emotions, at least initially than men.

www.livescience.com/health/060419_brain_wiring.html

This link's article is about how men and women have different emotional wiring.

When it comes down to it our hobby is very much a visual hobby. While I feel some emotions towards my fish the biggest draw for me is watching them. I would say that has a lot to do with what draws more males to the fish keeping hobby.


***Side note, I would bet that a large number of women who are into fish keeping have always had lots of male friends.

[jody]

i like that article, thats neat. That really helps explain a lot. lol.

[angel]

You'd win that bet at least on this end! Shopping drives me nuts unless it's something I'm going out to get! I don't enjoy discussing recipes for hours. And complaining about you men--that isn't often and I can do that to either a man or a woman. And as far as having my house judged by every woman who walks in the door to gossip--no thank you! I don't have time to keep it perfect. I have fish to take care of!

[nebelhund]

I thought that would be your answer Angel. My mom has been keeping fish for since she was 14, she is 71 now. She has always had more male friends. Totally feminine, but likes being outdoors, fish keeping, swimming, etc... I guess having a husband and 3 sons kept her in that mode too.

What is funny is that I didn't even know that it was my mom who was the fish keeper. My brothers are much older than I and when I was old enough to remember we had fish tanks and they took care of them. I never thought who started keeping fish in our house. I didn't find out until about 2 years ago when I got back into fish keeping.

It is funny what we learn about our parents no matter our age.

[jon carman]

I just need an excuse to get in the garage. She can decorate the house as long as she don't cross the thresh hold of my garage.

[angel]

My grandmother on my dad's side was a fishkeeper. She had an entire wall of tanks, all the way over and all the way up, stuffed with guppies. I only ever saw that once. I wasn't raised with my dad since i was 4, and only saw him the one time when i was 8, then not again til 30. Needless to say didn't know much about that side of the family! It only supports the theory that there are genetic things beyond what we can see. She also loved shoes--I love shoes! She loved glass things--me too! And never hung around with the girls. There's a lot more but you get the point. So we get it honest, right Jeff?

[kimberlie]

This is pretty interesting to me...lol...I keep fish for a lot of the same reasons...I like setting up the tanks, keeping them clean, matching the decor to whatever room they are in...then a lot of my reasons are diff as well...I like fish bc they stay in their tanks, they don't whine, don't stink, (well if u keep the tank clean) don't chew up stuff, don't shed or pee on the floor...they are the perfect pets!! I love all animals but some are just not right for me.....I think that's bc of my OCD..haha. the running water sound is so relaxing to both of us..joshs involvement is moving them from truck to house and that's about it..he likes them though..I agree there is always something to improve..I'm always trading and upgrading tanks/decor...were both involved in cars/motorcycles, which we are also always trading and upgrading....and I've never had a lot of girl friends...so a lot of what was already discussed is true!! My dad kept fish...so they were always in the house growing up....

[jody]

some girls love this kind of stuff, but most dont. all the girls that do seem to always match everything in the room lol. It is proven that keeping fish lowers the person blood pressure. Even just watching them lowers it, but i have read the more work you do lowers it further. I am a very high strung person so this relaxes me more than working oon my fish tank or the reasearch for the tank.

[angel]

Kimberlie I feel the same way about the no shedding no peeing no smelling thing! Love animals. Don't love them tearing up my stuff.
Jody, I'm a high strung nerdy type as well. I don't think we're all high strung but a lot of us in the group have an inner nerd! Matching the decor is a plus, do have to admit that!