Hello from NY!

[stlrsfan]

Hey all, new to the forum but lifetime fishie lover!

I used to be a huge fan of Oscars and had a nice 75g setup for 2 of them. Then they died and I got rid of everything. Now I'm starting smaller with some smaller cichlids. I'm perhaps going to get a 125g setup soon and maybe get some more Oscars, or I've been thinking of a Dovii after watching a few awesome videos!

Anyway, while going through my setup for the past few months, I've often come to this site to get some helpful information. I thought it was about time I joined and asked certain things for myself, and to hopefully be a part of the community.

-Jim

[sinibotia]

Welcome! It's always great to have more longtime fishkeepers here!

[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by sinibotia

Welcome! It's always great to have more longtime fishkeepers here!

While I kinda know what I'm doing, I still come here seeking assistance though...

But now I'm obsessed again and spending all my spare money on tanks and fish, so I imagine I'll be here often.

[sinibotia]

Originally Posted by stlrsfan

While I kinda know what I'm doing, I still come here seeking assistance though...

But now I'm obsessed again and spending all my spare money on tanks and fish, so I imagine I'll be here often.

Longtime fishkeeping isn't about knowledge, it's about passion! Lots of people drop the hobby completely after a few years, so it's good to have people who like it enough to keep going with it (even after a break- I had a 2 year break myself).

[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by sinibotia

Longtime fishkeeping isn't about knowledge, it's about passion! Lots of people drop the hobby completely after a few years, so it's good to have people who like it enough to keep going with it (even after a break- I had a 2 year break myself).

That's true. I'll turn out the lights at night and just watch my tank for an hour. Not only relaxing, but enjoyable. I wish I could own like 3 - 125g tanks and have options for my viewing pleasure!

I fix computers for a living. I actually love doing it and find that figuring out problems is something I love, and can get obsessed about. I do the same with my tanks. I'll visit the pet shop and am on a first name basis. Since I restarted a few months back, I probably have easily $500 worth of supplies alongside my tank, and that's just the beginning! LOL

Back in the 80's and 90's I was able to buy a 75g tank, just the tank, for about 100 bucks in various places throughout where I lived in NJ. Now I want a few more 75's and I can't find anything under 250 or so!! I might be able to explain to the wife why good filters are pricey, but it's hard to explain why a square piece of glass is so expensive. And don't get me started with the acrylic.

[sinibotia]

Originally Posted by stlrsfan

That's true. I'll turn out the lights at night and just watch my tank for an hour. Not only relaxing, but enjoyable. I wish I could own like 3 - 125g tanks and have options for my viewing pleasure!

I fix computers for a living. I actually love doing it and find that figuring out problems is something I love, and can get obsessed about. I do the same with my tanks. I'll visit the pet shop and am on a first name basis. Since I restarted a few months back, I probably have easily $500 worth of supplies alongside my tank, and that's just the beginning! LOL

Back in the 80's and 90's I was able to buy a 75g tank, just the tank, for about 100 bucks in various places throughout where I lived in NJ. Now I want a few more 75's and I can't find anything under 250 or so!! I might be able to explain to the wife why good filters are pricey, but it's hard to explain why a square piece of glass is so expensive. And don't get me started with the acrylic.

I once had two 55s, a 26, a 20, and a 150. Those were the days. Talk about options- I had all kinds of fish to watch. Then I had to leave for college and now I'm stuck with small tanks- two 20's, two 10's, and a 29. A 55 is coming soon though! (A wedding gift for my fiance and I). It is nice to have lots of different tanks even if they're small- you'd be surprised at the variety of cool stuff you can get with just 10-30 gallons.

I'm lucky enough to be studying marine science with a focus on aquaculture, so I get my fish tank fix every day at the university too. Massive tanks with sturgeon, a huge lungfish, flowerhorn cichlids, salmon, etc. Even my own personal 125 gallon for a research project on discus! I love problem solving and fish tanks too, so I'm going to make a career out of it as an aquaculture researcher.

The trick to getting the wife to approve tanks is to get her in on it too I got my fiance a 29 gallon tank kit for her birthday and let her choose everything (with my help and stocking approval). She's fallen in love with all of it now, so much that she put a 55 gallon tank on our wedding registry. (Of course my family yelled at ME for that)

Try craigslist for the best deals. People often want to offload tanks for next to nothing. I almost nabbed a 200 gallon with stand for $200 a few weeks ago.

[PassengerTN]

Shew lord Dovii! Takes a BIG tank! Many longtime Dovii owners say 8-10ft long x 30" wide is easily required for long term happy life Welcome aboard!

[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by sinibotia

The trick to getting the wife to approve tanks is to get her in on it too I got my fiance a 29 gallon tank kit for her birthday and let her choose everything (with my help and stocking approval). She's fallen in love with all of it now, so much that she put a 55 gallon tank on our wedding registry. (Of course my family yelled at ME for that)

Try craigslist for the best deals. People often want to offload tanks for next to nothing. I almost nabbed a 200 gallon with stand for $200 a few weeks ago.

My wife literally despises the fish, and is even afraid of them. She says they stare at her and never blink and thinks they want to eat her! She calls them creepy.

I've been on Craigslist in the past few weeks and nothing yet. I saw a guy who wanted 150 for a 20g with everything to get started. You can get the same exact thing brand spanking new from Petco/Petsmart for much less than that. Also, not many selling JUST the tanks, and not wanting to separate. Many seem to think that the equipment is worth what they paid for it, even though it's been used for a few years. But I'll be keeping my eyes peeled of course.

Originally Posted by hensleyjk

Shew lord Dovii! Takes a BIG tank! Many longtime Dovii owners say 8-10ft long x 30" wide is easily required for long term happy life Welcome aboard!

Yeah, I wouldn't go less than a 125g. But hell, sounds like I might even need larger than that? Maybe the Oscars are sounding good again! and Thanks!

[PassengerTN]

200+ is advised. Big tank with big water changes result in big healthy fish. Some do 180s but it's all subjective. I love dovii and umbee's but having one (massive) tank dedicated to one fish would bum me out. I enjoy Oscars, they're cool fish. I personally keep a Jack Dempsey, and Green Terror. LFS just brought in a Flowerhorn and my wife is begging for a Blood Parrot. We will see what happens


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[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by hensleyjk

200+ is advised. Big tank with big water changes result in big healthy fish. Some do 180s but it's all subjective. I love dovii and umbee's but having one (massive) tank dedicated to one fish would bum me out. I enjoy Oscars, they're cool fish. I personally keep a Jack Dempsey, and Green Terror. LFS just brought in a Flowerhorn and my wife is begging for a Blood Parrot. We will see what happens


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

That settles it then, when the time comes, Oscars it will be! That's too big of a tank for me. I'd like to limit myself to 125. I don't have too much extra space, and none at all if you ask my wife.

The Dempsey's are cool too. I also like Piranhas, but I like not having to clean up after them even more! I don't think I can really have them here in NY, but they sell them at quite a few places in NJ that I know of. When I was younger I had owned a nasty Snakehead. They were just known as a nasty fish back then and were fairly easy to get. I guess you can tell I like the aggressive eaters!

[PassengerTN]

I'm the same way. Unfortunately snakeheads are illegal in almost every state now. I'd love to get my hands on one

[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by hensleyjk

I'm the same way. Unfortunately snakeheads are illegal in almost every state now. I'd love to get my hands on one

My brother and I had about a 2 inch Piranha in a tank, back in the 80's. I didn't know much about fish then, and no internet, so really the only way for me to tell whether fish could get along was to just put them together! You can guess how well that went. Learned my lesson about thinking anything would want to live with that little monster....

then one day my brother found and put in this snakehead. The piranha was dead the next morning. He was a nasty little bugger.

Yeah, didn't realize just how bad they were till years later and found out they are banned everywhere now. I wish I could have one now that I know more about fish. Stick one of those suckers in a 125 and watch it progress from a baby, that would be cool.

[PassengerTN]

Haha. I just want Channa Bleheri. They're a dwarf species, and extremely beautiful IMO.

[redsea]

Hi stlrsfan! Just wanted to welcome you to Aquarium Advice, I hope you enjoy!

[stlrsfan]

Originally Posted by hensleyjk

Haha. I just want Channa Bleheri. They're a dwarf species, and extremely beautiful IMO.

I had to look that one up, never heard of it, what an awesome looking fish! Kinda looks like a catfish, or even a snakehead a little. The few I saw had reddish color. Looks like it would be an expensive little bugger, I bet!

Originally Posted by redsea

Hi stlrsfan! Just wanted to welcome you to Aquarium Advice, I hope you enjoy!

Thanks much!!

[PassengerTN]

Originally Posted by stlrsfan

I had to look that one up, never heard of it, what an awesome looking fish! Kinda looks like a catfish, or even a snakehead a little. The few I saw had reddish color. Looks like it would be an expensive little bugger, I bet!

It is a snakehead haha. It's a dwarf species


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