I started out on freshwater when I was 11, saving my allowance to populate an old acrylic hex a family friend gave me. Accidentally cycled the tank for two months while I saved up for food, treatments and fish. Fast forward 25 years, my fiancée got a 1.5g for a betta. The aquarium bug bit hard, I have a 5g that's currently plant cycling after a crash, which cost two bee and a dream blue velvet shrimp their lives. 😫
In a week or so I'll have a 20 or so long with HMF to try out an Iwagumi design I've had bouncing around my head. It'll probably be long cycled before I find the rocks I want 😅 My current mites are 12 dream blue velvets (1 berried), 3 bee shrimp and a blue mystery snail which are in a different 5g than the one attached. Once the one attached is cycled, they'll be moved back in.