Bent Needle
Aquarium Advice Regular
Hello, all! 
The new member PM I received asked for a posting in this forum section, so here I am.
I live in the lovely Roanoke Valley area of Virginia, USA. I am brand new to fish and aquarium keeping, though not to pets. As odd as it may sound, after my beloved golden retriever of 12 years passed away this summer, I greatly missed having something to take care of but was not (and am not) ready for another canine friend. For one thing, my job doesn't allow me to invest the amount of time necessary in training and integrating a new dog, and for another it just feels like a betrayal of my old friend.
So, I read up on aquariums for a couple months. I have fond and admiring memories of the parents of a childhood friend who had a HUGE (at least in memory) fish tank containing what I now think were probably cichlids and plecos, and of staring into their tank for hours in fascination. While I think cichlids are a bit above my beginner capabilities, I thought fish would be a nice addition to my little place. I'm working on a 20g long planted tank. Only two platies (is it platys, or platies?) and a couple plants so far but slow and sure is better, to my way of thinking.
I've already learned a lot by reading these forums and so many of the folks here seem nice, helpful, and talented. I look forward to participating in more discussions and hopefully growing in my own knowledge!
The new member PM I received asked for a posting in this forum section, so here I am. I live in the lovely Roanoke Valley area of Virginia, USA. I am brand new to fish and aquarium keeping, though not to pets. As odd as it may sound, after my beloved golden retriever of 12 years passed away this summer, I greatly missed having something to take care of but was not (and am not) ready for another canine friend. For one thing, my job doesn't allow me to invest the amount of time necessary in training and integrating a new dog, and for another it just feels like a betrayal of my old friend.
So, I read up on aquariums for a couple months. I have fond and admiring memories of the parents of a childhood friend who had a HUGE (at least in memory) fish tank containing what I now think were probably cichlids and plecos, and of staring into their tank for hours in fascination. While I think cichlids are a bit above my beginner capabilities, I thought fish would be a nice addition to my little place. I'm working on a 20g long planted tank. Only two platies (is it platys, or platies?) and a couple plants so far but slow and sure is better, to my way of thinking.
I've already learned a lot by reading these forums and so many of the folks here seem nice, helpful, and talented. I look forward to participating in more discussions and hopefully growing in my own knowledge!
