What Made You Want A Freshwater Aquarium?

[ctvll]

well heres my story ,I had a 10 [acronym:8523be109a="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:8523be109a] tropical tank when I was about 9 ( my mom thought I might become a marine biolologist or somthing, I really wanted something much bigger with Oscars or Arowanas ) The answer was always No.Its a horrible story ,want happened to my tank when my parents got a sudden divorce (really dont like to think about it,but I found it years later in the back yard ) 19 yrs later after I got a Shar-Pei dog/kid (now have 3 that I love tremendously). I went to a Thai Restaurant and fell in LOVE with their fish tank full of Lionhead goldfish. I must just have a thing for fat,adorable, lumpy-headed beings(dogs and fish) I decided I had to get a couple lg tanks with Lionheads and/or Ranchus.I can literally sit in front of my tanks, gazing at these beautiful, benign (with the exception of my Ryukin ) creatures for hours.I guess this is why I'm into freshwater.

[LonerVamp]

Well, I've always been a bit of a nature guy, even going so far as to be an Environmental Science major for 2.5 years in college.

However, in my current job in computer/network administration, we had a guy move away for personal reasons rather abruptly and he left a lot of stuff to another co-worker and other friends. Well, some of the stuff he left behind included $400 in equipment for a 30 gallon tank.

I didn't take the stuff off his hands for about 8 months, but after a few relationships that didn't take off, I decided I was in need a one or two new hobbies to round out the summer and avoid that dreaded third strike of the season. (What really sucks, if I may add in this tangent, is that both relationships were good, just in bad moments in our lives.)

So I took it all off the hands of the coworker for free and used that as my excuse to get started.

In addition, I dated a girl a long time ago who was into animals and fish, and this summer I dated another girl who also is into ecology and the like, so they helped establish me a bit and act as my sounding board for my questions.

So far, I'm up two bettas at work (happy little buggers too!) and just starting a new tank, having just put in a group of danios to break it all in.

-edited for coherency

[Devilishturtles]

I started getting into fish and all when I got a job at Wal-Mart. I worked in the pet department and saw all the cool kinds of fish and heard people's stories of their tanks and fish, so finally with mom and dad's permission, I bought a 10 gallon. Well soon I had to have bigger so I bought a 55 gallon with some angels and gouramis and such. So now I have a 55 [acronym:3ff84de048="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:3ff84de048] tank and a 10 [acronym:3ff84de048="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:3ff84de048] african chiclid tank, and 3 red ear sliders(turtles).

[MicroFish]

I was one of those kids who felt really bad for the goldfish and bettas at the county fair, so I would win those stupid ring toss games and such to get the fish..... I started out w/ a gorgeous multi-color betta who lived for nearly 3 years. He was extremely smart and friendly and learned a few tricks. I've never had another Betta who would do the things he did... then I had a goldfish for a while and eventually, when I moved out on my own, I graduated to a 44 [acronym:e4b5471822="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e4b5471822] hex tank which I stocked w/ tiger barbs and various types of "sharks". I absolutely loved that tank and was hearbroken when I had to move and couldn't take it w/ me... just no room. So I sold the setup to a neighbor and went without fish for about 5 years....

Until this year when, after almost 5 years of hearing my lament the loss of my fishes, my sweet boyfriend bought me a 1 gallon tank and a couple of danios and a lemon tetra for my birthday. He didn't realize that the tank would be too small when the fish got bigger so we set up the 20 [acronym:e4b5471822="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e4b5471822] tank I've had sitting in the shed for years and put the fish in there to cycle it... and thus began the journey once again. He'd never had fish before and he's finding that he really enjoys them, so we're "into it" full time now. We bought two 2-[acronym:e4b5471822="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e4b5471822] tanks and put bettas in them, since I just can't have fish without a betta, and then recently we "inherited" a 50gal aquarium, complete with fish, from friends of ours who moved and will be in a travel trailer until their house is built... they also gave us an empty 50 [acronym:e4b5471822="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e4b5471822] and some other smaller tanks and supplies....

We're already devising ways, of course, to stock the other 50 [acronym:e4b5471822="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:e4b5471822]... thinking of getting a black ghost knife (we both fell in love with those we saw at PetsMart) and a few other tankmates for it. Any ideas would be appreciated. I'd like to put something like discus or angels, but I don't know if they will be compatible.

Sheila

[Scottw68TN]

I was restoring old classic cars and decided stop for awhile. Good money but lots of time and effort away from the house. I needed something that was technically challenges. Now I have been creating all kinds of [acronym:04b0be59a8="Do it yourself"]DIY[/acronym:04b0be59a8] projects. Pumps filters etc. I've even started selling them.

[peterp]

Since the 60's I cant remember not having a tank of some kind running. Even tried salt for a while but the costs were way to high. So now I stay to [acronym:cd785dffad="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:cd785dffad] and a little pond with goldfish and Koi. (Hobby is still way to expensive ).

[bwhynot14]

i started with a 5 [acronym:9bc29df41c="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:9bc29df41c] then about a year later i got a 10 [acronym:9bc29df41c="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:9bc29df41c] fw and now about 3 years later i ahve a 100 [acronym:9bc29df41c="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:9bc29df41c] reef tank.

[myriam]

Years ago in NYC I had a 10 GAL with about 6 guppies that multiplied to a couple of dozen. When we moved back to the West Coast, I gave the whole setup to my landlords' two little kids.

I'd been wanting another tank for years now, and finally got it together a few weeks ago after months of promises to my preschooler and toddler. Now we have a 20 GAL with 3 Black Mollies, 5 Red Wag Platies, and 2 Aeneus Cories. Such fun for the kids and me, too!

Someday I'd like to get something really big, like a 55 GAL...we'll see.

[ferret]

To be honest, I first did fish because it was about the only thing I hadn't done

I've had cats, dogs, ferrets (5 at once), gerbils, birds, lizards, etc. I had a 75 gallon tank that had belonged to a chinese water. While I still had the lizard, I decided to buy my 29 gallon tank. That was a disaster because the store and a 'knowledgable' friend ended up urging me into over stocking the tank very quickly. I still have 4 fish from that tank though, long finned zebra danios.

After I moved, I bought a 10 gallon and moved the 29 gallon tank survivors to it. The lizard had passed on, I spent a long time cleaning the 75 and filled it up. I let it cycle for a long while and started adding fish into it. The 29 gallon became an african cichlid tank. I added a variety of fish to the tank, most did well, but I lost a few learning the ropes. It had gouramis and tetras and rainbow sharks.

Eventually, I finally had the money to purchase my 90 gallon, which is an All-Glass aquarium. The store was having a sell and I got it for $200 off, which was great. My growing group of cichlids were moved into it, and the 29 sat empty.

Much debate. I decided to make a full Gourami tank. MISTAKE. I happened to buy the majority of my fish right after the [acronym:14c5f3d66e="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:14c5f3d66e] had a disease introduced to their tanks. I had moved the gouramis from my 75 tank into the 29 gallon as well, and ended up losing the entire tank just about. The next week, the [acronym:14c5f3d66e="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:14c5f3d66e] had about 2-3 fish per tank as well.

The 29 gallon was cleaned and cycled, and the remaining Gouramis and small fish from the 10 and 75 gallons were moved to it. Its a perfectly happy tank now, I love it. About that time I got the final 3 african cichlids for my 90 gallon, bringing it to 16. The 10 gallon got a gold fish for my wife, a ryukin calico.

At this time, my 75 was nearly empty, with only a pink kisser and 6 beunos aires tetras, and a common pleco. So I bought a school of six bala sharks. But recently a monsterious ammonia spike wiped out that tank It's currently cycling still, preparing, I think, for Oscars. I haven't decided.

I also have a 20gallon L, that I bought while trying to save the bala sharks and tetras from the 75. I saved the Pink kisser gourami and the pleco, but lost the sharks/tetras . Once the 75 is cycled and the pleco moves back (Pink kisser went to 29 gallon), it's going to have water dog salamanders in it.

[captainGregor]

I always wanted to have an aquarium and started experimenting with them about 3 years ago. I have not read anything or researched anything about it and had a betta in a bowl that had successfully died because I was doing 100% water changes and the poor thing just went to forefathers.
Later on I had a plastic 7 gallon that had only [acronym:1049161a47="Under Gravel Filter"]UGF[/acronym:1049161a47] and that thing lasted maybe a couple of months. All of the inhabitants decided to leave this world. The 7 gallon went to the garage where it remained for about 2.5 years and then someone gave us an adult molly. My wife and I set up the 7 gallon that reappeared from the garage and bought 2 other mollies. I still refused to read anything about it. Sooner or later one of the females gave birth to a millon babies and died, then I decided to start research. Boy I was surprised to find how huge this hobby was and how complex things could be. Now my 7 gallon has heater, [acronym:1049161a47="Hang On Back"]HOB[/acronym:1049161a47], thermometer, [acronym:1049161a47="Under Gravel Filter"]UGF[/acronym:1049161a47]. I really do not care much about it any more because I have a brand-new 55G and equipment on the way. Grown mollies will move to the large tank to kick-start the cycle. 7 gallon may become a hospital tank or maybe quarantine.
At this point I am researching fish and hope I am successful with this great hobby. My beautiful wife becomes jealous because she believes that I spend more time reading about fishes than with her. I adjusted my behavior pretty quickly and now do both