Ha! I have also always enjoyed seahorses and wouldn't mind having some some day but right now no time to invest in the set up and upkeep.
We have had tanks all my life. We started with a 38 gallon tank (well, I don't know about started but that's the first one I remember) and it was taller than long and we had 2 irridescent sharks in it with several other types of fish (angels, silver dollars, rainbow sharks, bala sharks, etc etc.) but not many survived very long. However our IDs got pretty decent sized and since they still seemed healthy we decided to upgrade to a 75 gallon tank when my mom found one listed in the paper. My dad was always in charge of the upkeep of the tanks and used to be really good at it.
Over time my parents forgot how old the sharks were but guesstimated we got them when I was about a year old so that's been our gauge on lifespan for the sharks. One died at about 24 years old and it proved to be better for the other shark as the one that died was really jumpy and the one that we still have is much more peaceful. He is now around 27-28 years old and still waiting his next tank upgrade (which will likely be when I move out at get a bigger tank and kidnap him from my parents!).
When I was in college I acquired 4 male bettas which I had in separate bowls on my desk in my dorm rooms and my house I was in my jr year. After they died I didn't replace them until here recently... about 7 years later. I currently have 3 of them, 2 males and a female in a .5 gallon- 1.5 gallon containers the .5 gallon one will soon be getting an upgrade.
Then the interest in the main tank waned. Upkeep was hit and miss. For a while we had the sharks and some angels or silver dollars in the 75 gallon tank and had various smaller fishes in the 38 gallon tank. When the 38 sprung a leak after about 20 years of use, my parents rushed out for a 29 gallon to save what we could of the fish (I actually think most survived because we caught it quickly). We had guppies which were the gift that kept on giving and eventually got tired of guppies and took the tank apart and took most of the fish (except what we wanted to keep) back to the pet store.
I got leopard geckos back in 2007 and ended up with 6 for a while so we had and otherwise acquired various other tanks. I currently have 3 females in a 40 gallon long tank and a male in a 20 gallon long but moved them both to my boyfriend's house as I was there more than at my house and he can take care of them when I'm not around as he used to raise bearded dragons. After the lizards die I will probably turn them into fish tanks as well--but it could be a while because geckos can live up to 27 years in captivity.
While the fish interest waned due to my dad not ever taking care of the tank anymore my mom said I would get the 75 gallon tank whenever the shark dies. I got back from Basic training in January and realized how sad of shape the tank was in and felt bad for the shark (he should have been dead at how neglected he had been while I was gone), and since my dad wouldn't do anything about it I talked him into getting the stuff hooked up for me to clean the tank. My dad's getting back into the tank since I've started sprucing it up again and he even finally went out and bought a new filter. The 75 gallon tank now has 2 filters though the original's efficiency seems to be lagging--we are going to either get another new one or fix it as soon as our newest filter gets cycled to the tank.
I've taken over tank duties, cleaned most of the algae off the walls of the tank, and started adding in new fish and new plants and after regularly daily feedings the shark is like he was 10 years ago with renewed health and vitality and seems to enjoy having some other fish in his tank with him. He will get a new home as soon as I get the bigger tank. I know he definitely needs it.
Now--while the inside tank interest had waned for a while I should note that I also helped my parents put in a koi pond in our front yard and that's where my dad's interest had shifted to and we why we had forgotten and neglected the indoor tank. Unfortunately a heron has, on multiple occasions, eaten most if not all of our goldfish and koi. I now have so many plants providing coverage that the heron leaves them alone but unfortunately, we can't see the fish unless the come to one particular spot of the pond. We need to clean it up now but are waiting until my dad's gut heals from a surgery he had earlier this year to keep him from picking up any kind of infection. But I promise it's coming! And am, myself, eager to see the koi again.
