thank you for welcoming me into the forum! I started as an aquarium hobbyist in 1970 at the tender age of 17. At first I had community tanks, living in Florida I had access to fish from sources other than aquarium shops. Five years into the hobby fell in love with cichlids. Especially the Oscar. Back then tanks for made of metal and glass held together by an aquarium caulk that could best be described as tar. They leaked and were extremely hard to keep. I enlisted in the US Marine Corps and my hobby took a hit.
I had successful saltwater tanks and an a slew the Ciclid tanks. When my pet Oscar that I’d had for 12 years died of “hole in the head” I was devastated. I had come back home from a tour of duty and the friend that I had left to care for my Oscar had introduced fishing minnows that had not been properly quarantined and medicated. I could see that my constant trips overseas and moving every two or three years to a new base of operations was a serious problem in keeping up my aquarium hobby. So in 1985 I brokedown all of my aquariums selling many of them, giving most away.
My love of the Hobby was rekindled three months ago when my wife received a 10 gallon aquarium as a gift. I followed by buying a used 75 gallon aquarium intending to make it into a Cichlid tank. It was in very good shape and I got it at a give-a-away price. See the pictures below. It’s great to be back doing something I really enjoy. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed the technology has certainly changed from the 70s till now, definitely for the better.
I had successful saltwater tanks and an a slew the Ciclid tanks. When my pet Oscar that I’d had for 12 years died of “hole in the head” I was devastated. I had come back home from a tour of duty and the friend that I had left to care for my Oscar had introduced fishing minnows that had not been properly quarantined and medicated. I could see that my constant trips overseas and moving every two or three years to a new base of operations was a serious problem in keeping up my aquarium hobby. So in 1985 I brokedown all of my aquariums selling many of them, giving most away.
My love of the Hobby was rekindled three months ago when my wife received a 10 gallon aquarium as a gift. I followed by buying a used 75 gallon aquarium intending to make it into a Cichlid tank. It was in very good shape and I got it at a give-a-away price. See the pictures below. It’s great to be back doing something I really enjoy. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed the technology has certainly changed from the 70s till now, definitely for the better.
