I didn't really want a tank in particular. I was just a kid, maybe 6 or 7 and my best friend and I had gone to the local pond and caught some small bluegills. Brought them home in a bucket and my dad took pity on them and me and went out and bought me a 10g. One of the old steel framed jobs with the corner filter with floss and carbon. No hood, lights or heater (of course). This was set up on my desk next to the window. Some gravel for the bottom and a couple of plants and it was all set. To show you how ignorant I was of fishkeeping, I used to strip the tank down once a week! The fish and plants went into bowls (my mom didn't like that part too much), then I would scoop out 2/3 of the water with another bowl, then take the whole thing into the bathroom and rinse the gravel and glass (I knew enough not to use soap), changed the filter floss and carbon and replace all the water. I also knew enough to get the temp matched and to use the water conditioner too. Even though this was pretty drastic, I never had an algae problem, and I never lost a fish either. In fact, the bluegills grew so large, I would have to replace them every couple of months or so. I would turn the large ones back loose in the pond and catch me a new batch......
Nowadays, you wouldn't find me doing something so drastic unless I had a horrible problem. And unfortunately, I don't keep native fish anymore either. It seems everytime I have a new tank, it ends up being used for something else.
So now these many years later I'm up to 6 tanks at the moment, 3 salt, 3 fresh. I do plan on another tank, a fresh for some fish that will soon outgrow the tanks they are in. I'd also like to do another salt tank.....or 2....
