Superstitious?

[Sandybell]

I've always been puzzled about the way a lot of people spell pleco with a star instead of e (pl*co). Now I've finally found the/one explanation to this at an other forum.

"If you follow the aquatic newsgroups online, you will often find the aforementioned generic term referred to as pl*co. This quirkily charming practice arose from a cyber-superstition centering around a number of unexplained pleco deaths. Essentially when a given pleco was discussed via a newsgroup, the unfortunate individual fish perished. Fishkeepers being the superstitious lot that they are adopted the textual equivalent of coded whispering by referring to their beloved plecos as pl*cos to stop the curse. Quaint idea, but it really messes up search engines."
(Sorce: http://forums.fishindex.com/archive/index.php/t-11089.html)

My question is: do anyone here know about any other superstition linked to fish keeping? I know fisher men are known to be very superstitious people due to the nature of their work, but I didn't realise that the fish keeping community might have it's own 'mythology' as well... Very interesting! 8O

Maybe some of you even have your own personal rituals when you for example set up a new tank (like atlethes before a competition)? :?:

[Komar]

I don't have any such superstitions or rituals, but I'll bet that a lot of the plecos that died were because they were owned by "newbies" looking for information in the newsgroups.

It could be that either they got bogus information, or else got the right information too late for their poor fish. I could be wrong; this is just my current hypothesis on the phenomenon...

:?:

[Sandybell]

Yes, I think that's a very good hypothesis. =)


And how about the rest of you at this forum? Do you know any other superstitious beliefs concerning fish keeping?

[GCB]

i find no point in the superstition. its obviously untrue, as a keep tw oplecos, and i regularly call them plecos...

[RiverStar]

Not really. That is the only one I know about...and I don't really have my own ritual...hmm..nothing out of the ordinary.

Although I know that the Electric Catfish was portrayed in Ancient Egyptian tombs that were over three thousand years old. They refer to the electric catfish as "He who saved many in the ocean". When fishermen would catch an elecric catfish in their net it would send a shock through the fishermen, causing them to drop the net and release all the fish back into the water. :D Handy dandy indeed!

[soul]

I dont believe in superstition, so im going to have to answer your question with a 'no' :)

[lpstong]

I'm not superstitious unless you count picking up pennies only if they are face up. I am cautionary with the fish though not superstitious.