What is an "advanced aquarist" ??

[kien]

So this evening I decided to put off working on my (104.72g) tank yet again and insteaded decided to do some reading. I came accross this term again and it always seems to nip at me whenever I see it and I see it a lot. An "advanced aquarist". What the heck is that anyway? How do you qualify as one? How do you even define one?

[Delphinus]

Congratulations! By asking the secret question, you just qualified yourself as an advanced aquarist, eligible now to advance to the .. um .. the .. see, shoot, I was never good at ad-libbing .. oh oh I know! The NEXT LEVEL. Take it to the NEXT LEVEL!

[whatcaneyedo]

I took Randy Holmes Farley's Reef Chemistry Quiz... I guess I'm an apprentice marine chemist according to that. I really don't know how else a person can formally qualify themselves as something in this hobby. However I have often wondered the same question and I believe that only those people who advance the hobby with their innovations and new approaches can call themselves advanced or expert aquarists. The rest of us who follow the instructions carefully laid out in books and articles can really only hope to be considered as intermediates or apprentices.

[Funky_Fish14]

My MTS is very advanced... and since I am an aquarist... does that make me an advanced aquarist?

[Binare]

Its just another canned title to make someone feel far superior to there peers. Seems like it has more todo with money spent then anything else.

[banditpowdercoat]

I am a Marine Hobbyologist!! that makes me superior!! MWAHAHAHA

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Binare

Its just another canned title to make someone feel far superior to there peers. Seems like it has more todo with money spent then anything else.

Well you can't stay a noob forever. I think we're all advanced aquarists, hell we're learning all sort of things about this hobby every day so I'd call that advancing towards...something

Now the term expert aquarist, that says ego to me

[Mrfish55]

Originally Posted by Binare

Its just another canned title to make someone feel far superior to there peers. Seems like it has more todo with money spent then anything else.

If it's about how much you have spent then I could quite posibly be the GRAND ULTRA SUPER ADVANCED AQUARIST, sounds better than certifiable(I think thats the term my therapist uses) You may now bow before me.

My next hobby will be that of burning hundred dollar bills and banging my head against the wall whilst inhaling the smoke!

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Congratulations! By asking the secret question, you just qualified yourself as an advanced aquarist, eligible now to advance to the .. um .. the .. see, shoot, I was never good at ad-libbing .. oh oh I know! The NEXT LEVEL. Take it to the NEXT LEVEL!

Next you'll learn the secret handshake!

[Seamazter]

One sure way is a refractometer not a salinity meter.
If you use a refractormeter you must be an advanced aquariust.

Ps.
I have nothing really funny to say but thought id tag along.