how did you come about this hobby?

[butterfly_koi]

I've always wondered what made people start their fish hobby, please share!

 

[meegosh]

My grandfather had a whole basement filled with tanks. I was REALLY young when he had the fish room set up but I vividly remember watching him feed all the tanks. I always was a fisherman and what boy doesn't like water?

My older brother got a 10g tank when we were younger and never took care of it so it got nasty and smelled horrible. My parents made him take it down and we were never allowed another tank. I was too young to help with the maintenance so that was it...

The first apartment I got had a $100 prepaid visa offer when signing a lease. We went to Walmart and bought a 10g kit as soon as it came in the mail. After that it has been down hill... 10g, 30g tall, 30g long, 20 tall, now a 75g. Also have a 210g (7x2x2) in storage when I get time/money for my dream reef tank.

 

[butterfly_koi]

My grandfather had a whole basement filled with tanks. I was REALLY young when he had the fish room set up but I vividly remember watching him feed all the tanks. I always was a fisherman and what boy doesn't like water?

Cool story!

 

[LogansMomma]

I bought my first tank at a flea market which was a 20 gal, came with an undergravel filter, and a really Old over the top filter for 10 bucks. Thinking hey that's a good deal.

Little did I know none of It worked . I went out bought all new, Then found out the tank needed to be resealed, the hard way. I reasealed it. Then bought new gravel, fake plants driftwood and some mollies later on. My $10 tank cost me well over $200 since it came with No stand, filters ect.

6 years later I have a 90 gal tall, a 75 gal, a 45gal hex and the same 20 gal. I keep mostly Monster cichlids now.

 

[Rach88]

Ok I'm new to this hobby, but about 4 months ago my mum suggested getting my 3year old son a goldfish. I dismissed it because quite frankly, I don't like goldfish. Then she dragged me to pets at home (uk pet store like petsmart) and I saw all the colourful nano fish and fell in love! A week later got a 19 litre fluval chi tank, enjoyed setting it up so much that a week after that got a 48 litre tank after seeing bigger Fish at another similar LFS and falling in love again. Basically I made every mistake under the sun with these two tanks thanks to taking the advice of the pets at home workers... The fish are still alive tho although I'll be rehoming them soon... To make room for my new 180 litre tank which came today i've been doing nothing but researching fish etc for the last month and i found a new LFS last week, which is run by aquarists for aquarists and they actually know what they're talking about, so this time, I'm going to do everything right!

 

[LyndaB]

After we got married, my husband mentioned that he'd always wanted a fish tank. So, we began doing some research. I ended up getting my first tank locally, a free 30 gallon, before his first, a brand new 26 gallon, got delivered. Now I have 3 tanks, he has 1. But at least he's upgraded from that 26.

 

[rebelyeller89]

My parents had a tank back when I was really little and I always wanted one of my own once I was older. Finally I talked my grandma (lol) into buying me a fantail goldfish and a vase thing like they had for bettas. I really don't know how long I had him before I talked them into letting me buy a 5 gallon for him. Then at Christmas I convinced them that he needed a 20 gallon. And then a I got a 75, and a 28, and a 24, and so on and so forth.

 

[Tetra1990]

Growing up, we had a 20 gallon( i thing that was the size) in the basement. Nobody took much care if it. Started with a few guppies, ended up with, not kidding here, at least 200. It was so overstocked and dirty. Also, we had a goldfish in a 1gallon bowl on the kitchen counter for about 5 years. It grew to about 8 inches in that tiny bowl. Than we got rid of both and went about 12 years with out a tank. Last year, I bought a leopard gecko and was picking up crickets and mealworms at petsmart, walked out with a 5 gallon bow front kit. I've now sold my 5 gallon and gecko and have a 29 set up.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Thanks for posting everyone! I loved reading everyone's story about their tank! Since allot have shared their story I thought I would share mine as well.
I have a 9 month old daughter that was born with hirschsprung's disease, needless to say that after staying in the hospital and two operations I am considered to be a stay at home mom. My husband and I moved into a house and found an old 10 gallon tank in the basement, he thought it would be a great hobby for me to do since I was home all of the time. We started with a fiddler crab named eve, then bought another 10 gallon tank for guppies, and then he bought me a 29 gallon tank for my birthday. There have been many nights where I was up all night with the baby and the sound of the fish tank seems to sooth her, its been a great hobby for us and very rewarding with all the time and effort put in our tanks, I may not have a big 55 gallon or anything elaborate but I'm still thankful for the joy the fish bring my little girl

 

[ownedbycats]

I got into the hobby after babysitting my brother's ADFs. I wanted a pair of my own and started researching their needs. Started planning for a 5 gallon tank, and then found out about cycling and read about all the neat fish species and decide I wanted fish too. Reading that large tanks are easier to keep balanced made a good excuse and I now own a 20g long tank divided into 5 gallons for the frogs and 15 gallons for fish. Just added my first fish a couple days ago and will be adding frogs and the other inhabitants slowly.

 

[Cichlid23]

I got into the hobby when I was a lot younger, My dad had a tank that I was always staring at... Then I got older and started to settle down with my girlfriend (now fiance) and she told me that she had always wanted a fish tank, so two years ago I bought her a little 10g community tank then we went through the learning cures (that we all have to learn when first starting out) then we got a 29g community a little while later was inherited a 45 hex tank that we decided to try our hand with cichlids now we got a 55g coming and we got my favorite fish that I wanted all along (which the lfs told me would NOT be a good starter fish) Jack Dempseys.. It has kind of become an addiction..

 

[butterfly_koi]

It has kind of become an addiction..

it becomes very addicting real quick! lol thanks for sharing!

 

[George9]

It all started when I was interested in sw fish in 5th grade. Decided to get a fw tank. I started out wanting a saltwater, but the parents Said no. So i decided to ask about a fw tank knowing I could easily get it after begging for a sw tank because fw is a breeze compared to sw. It's a little trick
Then, I found this site last year, set up my first overstocked 10 g, and learned as I went along facing so many diseases and sick fish. Now, I'm up to a 60 g aquarium, and I can't go an hour without checking AA. Hope to set up more tanks soon, but the parents keep saying no. Lol story of my life.

 

[butterfly_koi]

It all started when I was interested in sw fish in 5th grade. Decided to get a fw tank. I started out wanting a saltwater, but the parents Said no. So i decided to ask about a fw tank knowing I could easily get it after begging for a sw tank because fw is a breeze compared to sw. It's a little trick
Then, I found this site last year, set up my first overstocked 10 g, and learned as I went along facing so many diseases and sick fish. Now, I'm up to a 60 g aquarium, and I can't go an hour without checking AA. Hope to set up more tanks soon, but the parents keep saying no. Lol story of my life.

Thanks for sharing George! I hear ya on getting more tanks, my husband says that if I get anymore tanks its going to start looking like a pet store in my house. I just got a 75 g and a 55 g that I found for $25 each but he said that's my limit, 6 tanks is enough lol

 

[Abugg]

Let's see, I won three goldfish at a fair. Realized my tank was too cramped too late, only had one goldfish left. Decided I needed a new tank (10 gallon) ended up turning that one into a tropical tank. Went out and bought another 10 gallon, this time Goldie got his tank, lol. Around all of this time my brother decided he wanted a betta, we needed one more 10 gallon. My mom decided she wanted a saltwater tank. She had her eye on one in particular at the LFS. A 50 gallon hex. But my dad hates clutter so all of the 10's ha to go. Two months later we decided we wanted a bigger tank, (lol go figure right?) We got our 90 that we have now, turned the 50 hex. Into a FW live bearer tank. And I ended up getting another 10 gallon (only this time a SW tank.)
Now I want a 20 long, go figure. Lol!

 

[redsea]

I was interested in fish from a young age off and on. When I was young, my family got a 3g freshwater tank. At some point or another we had guppies, tetras etc. We almost bought an Angel for it, but luckily the guy at the shop said it would need a 20g, so we didn't buy an Angel. Then my sister and I purchased Guinea Pigs and my mom said that meant we would no longer have fish. Before we knew it I had been given a 20g FW for Christmas. I made mistakes with that tank, like adding a Pictus Catfish after two days of being setup etc. I think I was only in third grade, so I have a good excuse, LOL. The 3g was shut down.

In December 2007 (I think), I got my first SW tank. It was a 34g Red Sea Max (how I got my username).

Somewhere along the way I ended up with a 10g. At one point or another I had feeder goldfish, crayfish, minnows, and a crab.

On April 5, 2009 (i think), I got my 55g SW. That came with a Blue Hippo, and two Clowns. The only fish I ever bought for that tank was a Niger Triggerfish (bad choice) and a Dottyback.

In December of 2011, I got my 125g, for use a a SW.

As it stands now, I have my 55g SW (Pearl Eye Clarkii Clown), my 34g SW (2 Clownfish, PJ Cardinal), and my 125g (Blue Hippo, Clown, Lawnmower Blenny, Scopas Tang).

Thanks for reading.

 

[Billbug68]

Earlier this year around the end of February I was in Petco picking up dog food with my fiancé and her son. Every time we were in there, the kid ran to the fish section... We had some extra money so reluctantly I allowed them to get a 10g kit and a single female betta... I work nights and my fiancé works days so being the one home all day I knew I'd be the one caring for the fish + 2 dogs + a crazy 3 year old boy... Needless to say I wasn't excited at first... Well after going through all the learning curves, losing a couple fish, etc... I'm addicted! I open the AA app on my phone now more than anything else...haha. Our 10g is now mildly planted, I modified the hood to take CFLs, DIY CO2, etc., with our betta a DG, six glowlights, two RCS, and an assasin snail... We went looking around petco last night and she fell for a male betta... So now we also have a 5g fluval chi bedside tank (I've actually been wanting this for a while... just had to wait for the right timing! ) we almost decided to move the 10 to the bedroom and get a 55 but unfortunately the stand isn't strong enough to hold 600 pounds... all in due time! Haha

 

[smileyface9]

My uncle had a fishtank when I was a kid that I absolutely loved. And so did my grandparents...but those fish never lived long. I just loved fish and picked up the hobbie from my uncle.

 

[Aquarist1234]

My friend had fish when I was younger, I thought they were cool, did some research and waalaah I was addicted to the hobby.

 

[butterfly_koi]

Thanks for sharing everyone!