d9hp
Aquarium Advice Addict
Welcome to AA
What Made You Want A Freshwater Aquarium?
- Thread starter fishfreek
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
bumblebean
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi
I really wasn't into aquariums because I was too busy making mistakes with my pond! Five years ago I rented a backhoe thinking that a small hole/pond in the backyard would be peaceful. My intoxicated neighbor jumped onboard before I woke up and now I have a 68,500 gallon pond that only a millionaire could afford to filter and which is exposed to every known fish predator in the Northwest
I have invented my own filtration using plants that can kill a human within minutes and materials that would probably make most people shake their heads. To ensure my water quality despite my experiments, I have stocked the pond with less than 10 koi and perhaps 10 goldfish 8)
I was suckered into this aquarium when I met a lionhead I could not walk away from at Wal-Mart. Frankly, I am very much like Swimminglessons. I am learning as fast as I can but in truth, making mistakes equally rapidly as well
I came here to find someone who could explain the moodiness I see in my lionheads and find that I have found another place in which to learn.
Thanks
Karen
I really wasn't into aquariums because I was too busy making mistakes with my pond! Five years ago I rented a backhoe thinking that a small hole/pond in the backyard would be peaceful. My intoxicated neighbor jumped onboard before I woke up and now I have a 68,500 gallon pond that only a millionaire could afford to filter and which is exposed to every known fish predator in the Northwest
I have invented my own filtration using plants that can kill a human within minutes and materials that would probably make most people shake their heads. To ensure my water quality despite my experiments, I have stocked the pond with less than 10 koi and perhaps 10 goldfish 8) I was suckered into this aquarium when I met a lionhead I could not walk away from at Wal-Mart. Frankly, I am very much like Swimminglessons. I am learning as fast as I can but in truth, making mistakes equally rapidly as well
I came here to find someone who could explain the moodiness I see in my lionheads and find that I have found another place in which to learn.
Thanks
Karen
samimnot
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I had space on a desk in my room, and plants didn't look right there, so I figured "FISH!". Stereotypical goldfish. Just two. In a goldfish bowl. From a petshop that is now closed, but took very poor care of its animals when it was open.
A friend bought me some more goldfish, and there wasn't enough room in the small fishbowl.
So I purchased my first tank. 25 gallons. Lots of room, red gravel, red/orange plants, and my first filter.
When that worked out well, I purchased some tetras (who promptly jumped out of the tank and died) & guppies (whom the cats promptly devoured).
I then bought a 2 gallon tank, and in it resides my average veil tail pet store mutt betta, whom I adore.
I'm trying a saltwater tank now, but I'll always keep my first tanks freshwater, and I'll always have goldfish.
A friend bought me some more goldfish, and there wasn't enough room in the small fishbowl.
So I purchased my first tank. 25 gallons. Lots of room, red gravel, red/orange plants, and my first filter.
When that worked out well, I purchased some tetras (who promptly jumped out of the tank and died) & guppies (whom the cats promptly devoured).
I then bought a 2 gallon tank, and in it resides my average veil tail pet store mutt betta, whom I adore.
I'm trying a saltwater tank now, but I'll always keep my first tanks freshwater, and I'll always have goldfish.
A slice of cake anyone?
It all started when I entered a calkwalk at the local elementary school fair. I was in the sixth grade and had no idea what a cakewalk was, but I had a ticket, so I tried it out. Imagine my disappointment when I was told to walk around a chalk outline of a sectioned snake with numbers to some music. I felt foolish. Of course the fact that when the music stopped I was the proud winner of a killer lemon chiffon cake certainly alleviated some of the embarrassment.
In any case, since I had won the cake, I felt lucky and wanted to try something else. So I put my last fifty cents down for two tickets and blew them both on trying to throw pingpong balls into glass jars filled with prizes or just empty. Well the two tickets got me six balls, and I was able to get four of them into the glass jars. Two were empty, but two had goldfish in them. So here I was on a hot summer day, walking home with two goldfish and a lemon chiffon cake. Not a bad day for a 12 year old kid.
When I got home, my mom saw the anticipation on my and my little sisters face concerning our new pets, and it led directly to the pet store where we bought a nice bowl,some gravel and our first cannister of Tetra flakes.
As all you Aquaria enthusiasts know, a fishbowl doesn't stay a fish bowl. Well inside of two weeks we were up to a 10 gallon tank with several goldfish, fancies some tetras and guppies. This ended up in my room since I was the most enthusiastic about the whole thing. My older brother began tinkering with the set up and a week later he told me to follow him down the street to a neighbors house.
My brother detailed yards during the summer and this neighbor was a customer of his. I walked into this mans house and my jaws just dropped. There were no fewer than 10 tanks in this mans home. The granddaddy was a freshwater tank that cover the entire wall of his living room from the waist to a foot below the ceiling. There wasn't a fish under a footlong in that tank, including a mean looking Oscar. This man really loved what he was doing, and said that we were welcome any time to ask questions, run ideas by him or just come a relax with the fish. I wouldn't be surprised if the tank were in excess of 500 gallons. It was enormous. He had a spiraling glassworks with tetras in it that stood about six feet from the floor. He also had a twin hexagonal set up with two small glass channels that connected them so the fish could swim back and forth to whichever tank the wish to be in. Both tanks had varying environments. There were only two types of fish in this tank, and I cannot remember what they were, but one of them I believe were tigerbarbs.
In any case, I went home with a new respect for the hobby I was about to embark on, and my brother,bit between his teeth, decided to get involved. Out 10 gallon was replaced with a 20 gallon and our freshwater setup consisted of some Angels, cichlids, placasos, kuhlieel, freshwater shrimp, tetras, barbs, and so on. We went overboard in our zeal to get involved. After much trial and error and a few backyard funerals on my little sisters behave, we began to come into our own.
Our ten gallon still was home to guppies, tetras and a couple of goldfish. Our 20 gallon was now home to two Angels(marble and a "tiger?"), zebras, Tigerbarbs, two crabs a shrimp, Kuhlieel and a pair of Gouramis. Our house was small, and our bedroom did not have that much room for large setups, but we made the most of what we had.
My brother brought home a 50 gallon setup and I was excited when he said that he was going to set up a microreef. The saltwater plantlife, fish including seahorses was amazing. I fell asleep for several years to the light and bubbling sounds emanating from our tanks.
When we moved, we felt it best to give the fish away. Our neighbor got most of them. I visited him a few years later when we were in town just to reminisce. To my surprise, our marble angel was in his megatank holding his own. It had gotten huge with the extra space.
My ninth grade year was the last time I had ever had a tank in my home. Now many years later, I suggested to my wife last month about maybe getting a tank, and she liked the idea. So much so that she found out that a colleague at the hospital where she works had a 40 gallon setup that she wanted to get rid of at no cost.
Now I am stoked. I have already decided to create a Malawi Cichlid setup with no more than three pairs. I can already see a 125 gallon setup in my living room and this 40 gallon tank lulling my wife and I to sleep in our bedroom. Of course my two older sons will need at least a 20 gallon tank for their fish, and a small five gallon tank in the kitchen will be nice for a few tetras to keep us company over dinner. I don't think my wife realized what she did when she reawakened the love of waterlife in me.
Yes, it all started on a hot summers day. The day I brought home a Lemon Chiffon cake and two goldfish. Funny thing is I don't even eat cake anymore.
It all started when I entered a calkwalk at the local elementary school fair. I was in the sixth grade and had no idea what a cakewalk was, but I had a ticket, so I tried it out. Imagine my disappointment when I was told to walk around a chalk outline of a sectioned snake with numbers to some music. I felt foolish. Of course the fact that when the music stopped I was the proud winner of a killer lemon chiffon cake certainly alleviated some of the embarrassment.
In any case, since I had won the cake, I felt lucky and wanted to try something else. So I put my last fifty cents down for two tickets and blew them both on trying to throw pingpong balls into glass jars filled with prizes or just empty. Well the two tickets got me six balls, and I was able to get four of them into the glass jars. Two were empty, but two had goldfish in them. So here I was on a hot summer day, walking home with two goldfish and a lemon chiffon cake. Not a bad day for a 12 year old kid.
When I got home, my mom saw the anticipation on my and my little sisters face concerning our new pets, and it led directly to the pet store where we bought a nice bowl,some gravel and our first cannister of Tetra flakes.
As all you Aquaria enthusiasts know, a fishbowl doesn't stay a fish bowl. Well inside of two weeks we were up to a 10 gallon tank with several goldfish, fancies some tetras and guppies. This ended up in my room since I was the most enthusiastic about the whole thing. My older brother began tinkering with the set up and a week later he told me to follow him down the street to a neighbors house.
My brother detailed yards during the summer and this neighbor was a customer of his. I walked into this mans house and my jaws just dropped. There were no fewer than 10 tanks in this mans home. The granddaddy was a freshwater tank that cover the entire wall of his living room from the waist to a foot below the ceiling. There wasn't a fish under a footlong in that tank, including a mean looking Oscar. This man really loved what he was doing, and said that we were welcome any time to ask questions, run ideas by him or just come a relax with the fish. I wouldn't be surprised if the tank were in excess of 500 gallons. It was enormous. He had a spiraling glassworks with tetras in it that stood about six feet from the floor. He also had a twin hexagonal set up with two small glass channels that connected them so the fish could swim back and forth to whichever tank the wish to be in. Both tanks had varying environments. There were only two types of fish in this tank, and I cannot remember what they were, but one of them I believe were tigerbarbs.
In any case, I went home with a new respect for the hobby I was about to embark on, and my brother,bit between his teeth, decided to get involved. Out 10 gallon was replaced with a 20 gallon and our freshwater setup consisted of some Angels, cichlids, placasos, kuhlieel, freshwater shrimp, tetras, barbs, and so on. We went overboard in our zeal to get involved. After much trial and error and a few backyard funerals on my little sisters behave, we began to come into our own.
Our ten gallon still was home to guppies, tetras and a couple of goldfish. Our 20 gallon was now home to two Angels(marble and a "tiger?"), zebras, Tigerbarbs, two crabs a shrimp, Kuhlieel and a pair of Gouramis. Our house was small, and our bedroom did not have that much room for large setups, but we made the most of what we had.
My brother brought home a 50 gallon setup and I was excited when he said that he was going to set up a microreef. The saltwater plantlife, fish including seahorses was amazing. I fell asleep for several years to the light and bubbling sounds emanating from our tanks.
When we moved, we felt it best to give the fish away. Our neighbor got most of them. I visited him a few years later when we were in town just to reminisce. To my surprise, our marble angel was in his megatank holding his own. It had gotten huge with the extra space.
My ninth grade year was the last time I had ever had a tank in my home. Now many years later, I suggested to my wife last month about maybe getting a tank, and she liked the idea. So much so that she found out that a colleague at the hospital where she works had a 40 gallon setup that she wanted to get rid of at no cost.
Now I am stoked. I have already decided to create a Malawi Cichlid setup with no more than three pairs. I can already see a 125 gallon setup in my living room and this 40 gallon tank lulling my wife and I to sleep in our bedroom. Of course my two older sons will need at least a 20 gallon tank for their fish, and a small five gallon tank in the kitchen will be nice for a few tetras to keep us company over dinner. I don't think my wife realized what she did when she reawakened the love of waterlife in me.
Yes, it all started on a hot summers day. The day I brought home a Lemon Chiffon cake and two goldfish. Funny thing is I don't even eat cake anymore.
Electrobes
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yo all, my life with fish started this-a-way:
Basically my attention span is quite limited. Its pretty much a nasty add that all of my friends know about. But anyway I go through hobbies like a comet through space. Every now and then a hobby would keep me interested longer than others, but of course it would eventually be forgotten because of a newer hobby. Eventually I decided on fish since I could have a dog in my apartment/dorm on campus. I started with a 10 gallon freshwater with two bubble goldfish and a dojo. The dojo was BY FAR the best fish I had ever had. It would come up to be petted, do tricks for food, the thing was awesome. Well due to the little knowledge I had, the filter I had was just not enough to maintain the poopage the goldfish were dishing, and me overfeeding them did not help. Dojo died, and I was so pissed off that I took the goldfish back. My fiance made fun of me saying I grounded them. I then got some barbs, but got bored with them and later got a spotted puffer. I upgraded him to a 29 gallon, but the TRUE spirit of freshwater love was when I wanted to have live plants. 8O When I had to come to summer school this summer I had to leave my hard work of my lighting for the 29 gallon and have nothing. I found my 10 gallon I left here and thought what the hell, why not? Well it paid off, now I have a fully planted tank with all the goodies, and it forced me to actually use a nice digital camera my dad got me for christmas. Can't wait to show everyone! Muwahaha... and next will be the 29 gallon
Basically my attention span is quite limited. Its pretty much a nasty add that all of my friends know about. But anyway I go through hobbies like a comet through space. Every now and then a hobby would keep me interested longer than others, but of course it would eventually be forgotten because of a newer hobby. Eventually I decided on fish since I could have a dog in my apartment/dorm on campus. I started with a 10 gallon freshwater with two bubble goldfish and a dojo. The dojo was BY FAR the best fish I had ever had. It would come up to be petted, do tricks for food, the thing was awesome. Well due to the little knowledge I had, the filter I had was just not enough to maintain the poopage the goldfish were dishing, and me overfeeding them did not help. Dojo died, and I was so pissed off that I took the goldfish back. My fiance made fun of me saying I grounded them. I then got some barbs, but got bored with them and later got a spotted puffer. I upgraded him to a 29 gallon, but the TRUE spirit of freshwater love was when I wanted to have live plants. 8O When I had to come to summer school this summer I had to leave my hard work of my lighting for the 29 gallon and have nothing. I found my 10 gallon I left here and thought what the hell, why not? Well it paid off, now I have a fully planted tank with all the goodies, and it forced me to actually use a nice digital camera my dad got me for christmas. Can't wait to show everyone! Muwahaha... and next will be the 29 gallon
Hi! Thought this would be a great place for my first post.
I am a complete newbie. I recently bought a house with my boyfriend, instated a 2 tank max rule and set up a 10g on my kitchen bar. It was my boyfriend's idea to set up that tank. He's been doing this for quite a few years. I talked him into letting me set up this one. We decided on a planted tank and bought a package of plants online along with one betta from a lfs.
Most of the original plants wilted and died. I was able to salvage a bit of everything and bought some more at a lfs. I have since upgraded the light twice. Started out with a light that was way too small for the tank. Then bought one that fit but later found out that it was under powered for my plants.
I did't realize that all my plants need intense lights! 8O We ended up with a 72W compact fluorescent.
So here I am almost 4 weeks after setting up my first tank....and already thinking of breaking the 2 tank rule...
I am a complete newbie. I recently bought a house with my boyfriend, instated a 2 tank max rule and set up a 10g on my kitchen bar. It was my boyfriend's idea to set up that tank. He's been doing this for quite a few years. I talked him into letting me set up this one. We decided on a planted tank and bought a package of plants online along with one betta from a lfs.
Most of the original plants wilted and died. I was able to salvage a bit of everything and bought some more at a lfs. I have since upgraded the light twice. Started out with a light that was way too small for the tank. Then bought one that fit but later found out that it was under powered for my plants.
I did't realize that all my plants need intense lights! 8O We ended up with a 72W compact fluorescent.So here I am almost 4 weeks after setting up my first tank....and already thinking of breaking the 2 tank rule...
Sum22
Aquarium Advice Freak
When I was a kid my brother had a tank with some glowlites and a few glass catfish. I thought the glass cat rocked, which is why we got them in the first place. I never really thought about it til after I graduated from college, and got a better paying job. I decided that I wanted to get a fish tank for my own pleasure, and not something that would be destroyed by a younger bro that didn't know what he was doing.
I went to wal-mart and purchased a 10g set-up with plans of adding some glass cats and neon tetra (I prefered the neons to the glow-lites). I couldn't find any glass cats in my town, so I bought 3 neon tetras. They lived fine in the tank for about 3 weeks. I decided to get 2 more, but after reading here about bad fish at walmart, I went to a LFS and got 2 more. Unfortunantly, the neons got NTD from the LFS tetras and all died within a week. I didn't know they had neon tetra until I went to the LFS and noticed all their neons were dead. When i asked he said it was NTD.
So, 3 weeks into my adventure I was a little upset because I had a tank with no fish. My friend saw some zebra danios she liked and suggested I get a couple of them along with some white clouds. I decided I liked the zebras because of their activity level, and came to love the white clouds because they are very colorful.
I then purchased 1 more of each, zebra and white cloud along with a betta. At that point I had 3 zebras and 3 white clouds and Fred (Betta). One day my friend stopped in a fish store to find glass cats and brought me home 3 of those.
I happy to say that all my fish are doing well, even the one with the fungus. If things continue to go well I plan on getting a much larger tank after I move. I am thinking something over the 70g mark, but we'll see when I get there
I went to wal-mart and purchased a 10g set-up with plans of adding some glass cats and neon tetra (I prefered the neons to the glow-lites). I couldn't find any glass cats in my town, so I bought 3 neon tetras. They lived fine in the tank for about 3 weeks. I decided to get 2 more, but after reading here about bad fish at walmart, I went to a LFS and got 2 more. Unfortunantly, the neons got NTD from the LFS tetras and all died within a week. I didn't know they had neon tetra until I went to the LFS and noticed all their neons were dead. When i asked he said it was NTD.
So, 3 weeks into my adventure I was a little upset because I had a tank with no fish. My friend saw some zebra danios she liked and suggested I get a couple of them along with some white clouds. I decided I liked the zebras because of their activity level, and came to love the white clouds because they are very colorful.
I then purchased 1 more of each, zebra and white cloud along with a betta. At that point I had 3 zebras and 3 white clouds and Fred (Betta). One day my friend stopped in a fish store to find glass cats and brought me home 3 of those.
I happy to say that all my fish are doing well, even the one with the fungus. If things continue to go well I plan on getting a much larger tank after I move. I am thinking something over the 70g mark, but we'll see when I get there
S
SixFootDaisy
Guest
We used to have fish when I was a youngster. My grandfather always kept a 10 gallon tank of guppies and neons. His tank was always meticulously clean and well cared for.
We kept the fifish tankor a few years, until I was old enough and big enough to nearly tip the thing over onto myself. That was the end of that. My parents got rid of it.
Here I am at 22 with a few pets [5 ferrets, 1 cockatiel], and a new fishfish tank, of course, am not as good as my grandfather, but my tank is meticulously clean and well cared for, but I dont think my efforts are working as well as his. But I refuse to give up.
I bought the fishtafish tank couple reasons. In defiance of not being able to have a dog, and because they're peaceful.
Now that I am in college [Almost done actually], in a small apartment, and stressed out completely due to the material and time in which I have to study it, I feel that a fish tank was the best thing to have. Did that run on sentence make any sense? Anyway, I spend countless hours staring at my fish. I watch them more then I watch television. It calms me down, relaxes my mind, they are tranquil, and I forget about the "abandoned" person I embalmed that day.
I love my fish tank, I hope to get a bigger one. If I can ever get this one established. Since I am new to this, I do have a lot of questions, repetative, and I apologize for getting on anyone's nerves.
We kept the fifish tankor a few years, until I was old enough and big enough to nearly tip the thing over onto myself. That was the end of that. My parents got rid of it.
Here I am at 22 with a few pets [5 ferrets, 1 cockatiel], and a new fishfish tank, of course, am not as good as my grandfather, but my tank is meticulously clean and well cared for, but I dont think my efforts are working as well as his. But I refuse to give up.
I bought the fishtafish tank couple reasons. In defiance of not being able to have a dog, and because they're peaceful.
Now that I am in college [Almost done actually], in a small apartment, and stressed out completely due to the material and time in which I have to study it, I feel that a fish tank was the best thing to have. Did that run on sentence make any sense? Anyway, I spend countless hours staring at my fish. I watch them more then I watch television. It calms me down, relaxes my mind, they are tranquil, and I forget about the "abandoned" person I embalmed that day.
I love my fish tank, I hope to get a bigger one. If I can ever get this one established. Since I am new to this, I do have a lot of questions, repetative, and I apologize for getting on anyone's nerves.
S
SixFootDaisy
Guest
Spell check went nuts. repetativerepetativeing
That is suppose to say: repetitive
That is suppose to say: repetitive
Stephanie
Aquarium Advice Regular
Hello. I'm really enjoying reading all your stories!
I have always loved animals. I was one of those kids that looked in puddles of water hoping to see things swimming around. I guess my dad is responsible for my interest in fish. Well, my mom contributed also, but she was the one who put our carnival goldfish in bowls without water conditioner. The poor fish would only last two days or so and we didn't know why. I still give my dad a hard time for not telling her to condition the water, as he was the experienced aquarist. He claims though that "you didn't need water conditioner back then." Sure Dad.
Anyway, we still talk about my first trip to the fish store where my dad bought me a dwarf frog and a fish bowl. Then I got a small hex tank for Christmas one year. I think I was about 10 years old. I had fancy goldfish and one grew so big that we move it to my dad's old 10 gallon. "Goldie" soon outgrew that and moved to a 29 gallon. There he stayed until he died at the ripe old age of 9. After Goldie died I experimented with guppies, mollies and tetras. I still have the cory cats that I got about 8 years ago. My guppies had a million babies and I gave them to the fish store where I got my first dwarf frog. I still go back there. The owner knows me because I practically grew up in that store. He says that I gave him grey hair because I asked so many questions! I just went back the other day. I hadn't been in a few years because I moved away. It was really neat seeing him again since he watched me grow up. I told him that I am getting married next year and that I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank now. It was pretty cool.
Well thats my story. I've had many, many different kinds of fish over the years and I can't wait to create many more little eco-systems. I just got my first betta and he's awesome. I love plants so I will probably try a planted tank next. Wish me luck!
I have always loved animals. I was one of those kids that looked in puddles of water hoping to see things swimming around. I guess my dad is responsible for my interest in fish. Well, my mom contributed also, but she was the one who put our carnival goldfish in bowls without water conditioner. The poor fish would only last two days or so and we didn't know why. I still give my dad a hard time for not telling her to condition the water, as he was the experienced aquarist. He claims though that "you didn't need water conditioner back then." Sure Dad.
Anyway, we still talk about my first trip to the fish store where my dad bought me a dwarf frog and a fish bowl. Then I got a small hex tank for Christmas one year. I think I was about 10 years old. I had fancy goldfish and one grew so big that we move it to my dad's old 10 gallon. "Goldie" soon outgrew that and moved to a 29 gallon. There he stayed until he died at the ripe old age of 9. After Goldie died I experimented with guppies, mollies and tetras. I still have the cory cats that I got about 8 years ago. My guppies had a million babies and I gave them to the fish store where I got my first dwarf frog. I still go back there. The owner knows me because I practically grew up in that store. He says that I gave him grey hair because I asked so many questions! I just went back the other day. I hadn't been in a few years because I moved away. It was really neat seeing him again since he watched me grow up. I told him that I am getting married next year and that I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank now. It was pretty cool.
Well thats my story. I've had many, many different kinds of fish over the years and I can't wait to create many more little eco-systems. I just got my first betta and he's awesome. I love plants so I will probably try a planted tank next. Wish me luck!
mrfixit61
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I like um because I think there easier than saltwater
crocodylus
Aquarium Advice Regular
I used to keep snapping turtles, they ate feeder guppies, when they died i kept the tank and converted it to an aquarium with the surviving guppies, i then bought 2 20 gal setups and kept all kind of commercial livebearers
d9hp
Aquarium Advice Addict
Man, I like turtles, but arent they really nasty and dirty?
Punkfarter
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
(puff)....(puff)....*cough*......"Hey look. He likes to swim over there a lot."
purplestarfish
Aquarium Advice Activist
Sounds weird, but I really got a tank because I wanted a fountain. I was doing this MASSIVE room re-doing, complete with painting the walls and rearranging the furniture. I'm a sucker for running water - you know, the kind who HAS to dip their hand in a fountain in passing - so I thought a small, inexpensive fountain would be nice. Well, lo and behold, I was checking out the fountains in the store, and right down the isle were the aquariums! So that got me thinking, especially as I'm the designated animal freak of the family. It wasn't long before I was cycling a 10 gallon tank. After that I set up a 20 gallon . . . at the time, I was mildly dissappointed that I couldn't get a really big tank (as they're more stable, too); my parents vetoed that idea before it got anywhere. But it was just my luck when an acquaintence of mine was shipping off to Texas and had to leave behind their 55 gallon tank. I told my parents how it was a bargain (like half of the price it would have been if I were buying everything myself) and I even showed them where it would fit in my room. Eventually they gave in and I moved my 10/20 gallon fish into the 55 gallon. The 10/20 are now empty . . . gotta fix that soon . . . but I'm really glad how it's all worked out. This is SO much better than a fountain, what was I thinking?!
rwhitham
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Why freshwater
My first freshwater tank had many types of fish, just the idea of seeing them got along was a great feeling of harmony. They all did. My most fasinating crustation was a blue lobster (aka. crayfish) it would walk the bottom like it was the ruler of the tank, it got along with all the fish. I had that setup for 9 years. I also had a sturgeon, boy it was prehistoric looking. That one ruled the top with an occassional dive to the bottom and it would rub the lobster. I never could figure out if it was aggression or just a hello. Well 10 years later I setup a all Angel Fish tank, the setup is a marineland 12 gal. Eclipse with a biowheel. That is most silent tank I ever heard. There are two large & three small ones, one happy family...
My first freshwater tank had many types of fish, just the idea of seeing them got along was a great feeling of harmony. They all did. My most fasinating crustation was a blue lobster (aka. crayfish) it would walk the bottom like it was the ruler of the tank, it got along with all the fish. I had that setup for 9 years. I also had a sturgeon, boy it was prehistoric looking. That one ruled the top with an occassional dive to the bottom and it would rub the lobster. I never could figure out if it was aggression or just a hello. Well 10 years later I setup a all Angel Fish tank, the setup is a marineland 12 gal. Eclipse with a biowheel. That is most silent tank I ever heard. There are two large & three small ones, one happy family...
My mom bought me my first fish when I was a little girl (6?). Two goldfish in a little bowl and I loved 'em! She changed the water every 4-5 days, but one morning I woke up early and decided they needed new water. So I careful moved them to another bowl. (I think most the water got into the bowl 
) Rinsed out their bowl and added new water. I was very careful to add declor, and make sure it was nice and warm, just like a bath. Well...not more than 5 mins later I was waking up Mom to tell her my nice deed, but that the fish were lying on their sides. 8O She raced up, felt the warm water and immediately dumped the water (kept fish in) and added cool water. Amazingly, they snapped back to life. Mom... my hero! lol
Right after highschool, I became interested in my friend's 10g and she helped me set up one of my own. 15 years later, I have a 75g FW with live plants, gourmais and tetras. Love my tank! Now my girls have a little 6g planted tank of their own with a betta, three neons and a khuli loach. Some day, I'd love to have a discus or oscar tank... right now I have about what I can handle!
I love taking care of pets, any pet, and have always loved fish. Just began my planted tank about 10 mos ago and really enjoy creating and watching the everchanging landscape. One of my favorite fish is a friendly chiclid, a golden ram, who sits under a large africian root, guarding HIS space. He'll nudge any of the gourmais who try to hang out there, even tho he's 1/3 their size. lol
) Rinsed out their bowl and added new water. I was very careful to add declor, and make sure it was nice and warm, just like a bath. Well...not more than 5 mins later I was waking up Mom to tell her my nice deed, but that the fish were lying on their sides. 8O She raced up, felt the warm water and immediately dumped the water (kept fish in) and added cool water. Amazingly, they snapped back to life. Mom... my hero! lolRight after highschool, I became interested in my friend's 10g and she helped me set up one of my own. 15 years later, I have a 75g FW with live plants, gourmais and tetras. Love my tank! Now my girls have a little 6g planted tank of their own with a betta, three neons and a khuli loach. Some day, I'd love to have a discus or oscar tank... right now I have about what I can handle!
I love taking care of pets, any pet, and have always loved fish. Just began my planted tank about 10 mos ago and really enjoy creating and watching the everchanging landscape. One of my favorite fish is a friendly chiclid, a golden ram, who sits under a large africian root, guarding HIS space. He'll nudge any of the gourmais who try to hang out there, even tho he's 1/3 their size. lol
Terry
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Well here goes, The year 1964. I was 4yrs old and my dad thought it was a good idea to take me to his local tropical fish supplier. The one thing i do remember is that six neon tetra's were nearly half a weeks wages for my dad. I think this is where the bug really started, it was'nt untill about 1968-69 that my dad would let me do anything to his fish tank, so i was nine when i first started keeping fish myself. things were fine untill about 2 yrs later, we got up one morning and the entire stock of fish were dead. They had all died overnight, this was heartbreaking and my dad dicided to put the aquarium up in the loft. There was a break of 8 yrs and i got married and this was the time to start keeping fish again, the year 1979. I stated with my dads old aquarium, it had a metal frame and i used to light it useing household light bulbs. things have changed over the years since then and tecnology has just got better and better, i started off with just that old tank of dads and i then increased over the years to having at one point 19 tanks in my house rangeing from a 18x12x12 to a 96x36x36. It did get to a point where the wife was getting a bit cheesed off with all these tanks every where so in oct. 2000 i got rid of every tank i had and opened an aquarium shop. What a purfect end, i now have as many tanks as i want and can keep as many types of fish as i want. I will say that in all that time i have never kept marine fish and i dont stock them in the shop either. Maybe one day.
Similar threads
