What Made You Want A Freshwater Aquarium?

[TheresaM]

Growing up my dad had a 55g built into a basement wall. I didn't have a major interest in it, but it was always there.

Late in high school I bought a betta and for years always had one. Even when I moved from MI to ON the betta was on the passenger seat next to me!

In 2003 the spouse surprised me with a 29g kit for a Christmas gift. Within a few years I had just over a dozen tanks. Unfortunately the house we were living in was a rental and the owner stopped making payments: time for us to find a new house fast. It was an incredibly stressful time for me (I have depression, anxiety disorder, etc so this really didn't help!) so I just gave up all the tanks

Three years ago one of my daughter's mentioned getting a betta so I picked up a 1g with a light and a small blue betta. Great fish, lots of personality. He passed away just before the holidays

I now have a 16g with CPDs and pygmy cories, a 5g RCS tank, and I'm starting a 1g for yellow shrimp.

 

[Scottishscales]

Ive seen fishtanks in pretty much every house in my family since i was a kid. At first my uncle mel had a 55 gallon tank, then gave it to my dad who set it up and my uncle had a 25-30 gallon that he gave to me and ive had set up. Recently we took the 55 gallon down because of constraints with room, but i still have mine despite the algae problems ive had. In the future id love to build a massive wall sized tank so that it is a focal piece for the whole house. Im just getting started and slowly getting it right, but soon i will hopefully be able to start a saltwater tank too.

"There's always a bigger fish." - Qui-Gon Jinn

 

[LiQuiD]

As a kid, my mother had a 60 gallon long tank. It was the highlight of my day watching them instead of the TV. She would take me to the fish store weekly and we would look at the fish, an/or she would let me pick one out. Now, Im a father of 3, and doing it for my kids. Started with a 20 gallon, and just got my 55 up and running. My 4 year old is almost as addicted as I am to this now. Its becoming family tradition.

 

[TXNate]

As a kid, my grandfather had multiple tanks ranging from fresh to salt. That when I fell in love with fish. I can remember weekly trips to the pet store, helping him pick out fish; my favorite being the Lionfish.

I've just recently decided to "test the waters" and pick up the hobby after 15 years. My previous tanks were epic failures as I was just a kid and didn't truly understand what I needed to do. I've decided to start small (3g betta tank) and ease my way back into it. I hope to pass this reborn passion to my kiddos.

 

[Twood9615]

I started with a betta fish in 8th grade and had no idea what I was doing I just got it a 1 gallon tank with an air stone and a little fake plant and had that betta for about a year and a half until it finally died in that tank and the more I looked into getting s new fish the more I wanted to really give a fish tank a try so my parents bought me a 10 gallon which I still have with some tetras and it just snowballed from there I had 4 tanks running at one point but I had to break down my 34 gallon planted tank when we moved so I now have a 46 gallon the 10 and a 7 and I absolutely love them all i am planning on studying biology in college so I can hopefully get into a career where I can research fish and aquatic environments. It's become something I would love to pursue for the rest of my life and maybe some day open my vary own fish store


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[lunch]

Um, i guess it kinda started with my dad, he had a full on fresh water set up in his slanted back yard that started with a 2500 litre pond that fed a waterfall that turned into a 5 foot long, shallow, narrow creek ( so you could step over and access the rest of the back yard ) that cascaded into a 5000 litre pond with a pump to pump the water back to the top pond, it covered an area of about 45 sq meters and dropped about 1.5 meters between the top and bottom ponds, full of reeds and plants, it was awesome but what impressed me more than the whole setup were the 5 or 6, 1 foot long + calico comets lurking in them waters! Prior to that i thought gold fish got to 2 inches long and thats it, so a few years later (10 ) ive found myself in a position where i dont need to be constantly moving, did some research and thought id see if i could grow myself some football sized fantails and orandas with some zebra danios and white clouds to keep us entertained while we wait, ( the minnows and danios will be moved when the fancies get big enough to eat them) in short its become an obsession and most nights its better than tv.
Unfortunately a few years later dad had to let the whole setup go due to drought and water restrictions, hes since moved onto a farm and already has a 6inch and a 1 foot long comet that live in the cows water trough, evidently that man can grow fish anywhere.
Ps. Sorry bout the epic saga.


I dont know much but im getting there

 

[fishy14]

This thread has been going since 2002 wow


Sent from inside my fish tank

 

[Seasidelover102]

This thread has been going since 2002 wow


Sent from inside my fish tank

Wow, that's incredible guyz

 

[JoeyLC]

This is my first fish tank since I was a young child. I started one up now because my daughter asked for fish for Christmas. It's been a good experience so far. I think in the near future I might start another tank.


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[Ficklewinds]

Growing up my aunt and uncle had a SWEET saltwater built into the wall aquarium in their house. I used to love watching the fish they had in there, including some sea horses. My uncle used to complain to no end though on its upkeep.

I had several goldfish growing up in a small 10 gallon. My parents didn't really know any better LOL. Also had a betta at some point, but I think I remember them rehoming it. My mom got tired of cleaning the tank. I also had pet turtles for the longest time. I loved those things.

When we were dating, my husband won me a goldfish at the fair. (Cringes at the stupidity from then LOL) I put him up in, gasp, another 10 gallon, and thought he was lonely so got him a friend. That didn't last long. My grandma, who I was staying with at the time while our house was remodeled, cleaned the tank and didn't de-chlorinate the water when she replaced it. So ended Bob and Angel's poor sad lives....

My MIL however had a really pretty tank while I was still dating her son and I always fancied it. It was about 30 gallons. The upkeep became too much after a bit though and a snail believe it or not killed all her fish.

My aunt after her divorce kept several saltwater setups which she swears are easier than freshwater. I just remember all the crap my uncle put up with with his and was like, I don't think so. I decided to go with freshwater because the cost was less and I wanted to try plants. Now I'm a bit obsessed. If it wouldn't end in divorce, I'd get another bigger tank!

 

[fishy14]

My teacher gave me a betta and then I got a tank for Christmas and then the snowball started rolling


Sent from inside my fish tank

 

[Trainer_Ruby_]

My mom got a betta from a coworker that was going to flush him so we took him in now we have 4 tanks 5 danos 2 mollies 5 guppies 2 corys 4 kuhli loaches 3 platties and 2 bettas and that was only about 3 months ago and I'm working towards a new 45g now.…………I think I may have a problem


Sent from a pelipper

 

[nightswake]

I never had any fish before but my wife had we were bathing the 3 dogs I own at petvalue where I seen some betas in cups, I felt bad for them so I picked one got it a bowl and a tiny filter... that was 2 months ago I liked hank the beta so much I recently got a 10 gal and am looking at getting a bigger tank in the near future

 

[Suesblues]

hi,I started with a 20g tank last August now have 4 tanks that have taken over my life.Hubby and kids are neglected but I have beautiful tanks even have 55 3 week old Betta fry yikes

 

[QuakingAspen]

My dad got us a 25 gallon tank when I was five, this was home to two goldfish and a couple of cories which has since been transformed into a tetra tank. Christmas of 2013 I got a 29 gallon freshwater that is home to livebearers and hatchet fish. Seems like a crazy thing not to have but I don't have a betta and that will be next. I love fish!

 

[superpeytonm]

Ever since I was very young, I loved fish. I was fascinated by them. My grandma had a 75 gallon tank that she kept goldfish in. About three years before I was born she sold the goldfish and it had sat in her garage for over 15 years. My parents would never let me have it because it was too expensive, or we couldn't have it, or it was too big, and the list goes on and on. Then we built a new house. I was 13 and still fascinated by fish. I still wanted to have an aquarium and finally I talked my dad into it one day. I've learned a lot from keeping a fish tank and I'm still fascinated by fish.

 

[SushiRoll]

In my home school coop a few years ago my sister was in a class that at the end the teacher gave out some fish ( I don't know what they were ) so I asked and my mom said yes so then I had three in a mason jar I named one that was Orange on top and white on bottom great white fish because it look like an orange great white shark lol. They sadly all died for obvious reasons but then a few more years went by and I wasn't doing to great with chores around the house so my mom said that if I started doing them that I could get a fish. I wanted that fish soo bad I eventually got her. She was a shubunkon gold fish I unknowingly put her in a 10 gal tank she actually lived like three years and moved with us she eventually got dropsy and died. Another year passed and my little sister asked if we could each get 10 gallon tanks and my mom said yes so then I had 3 mollies. Some died and so I got more and I kept some of their babies so I had to get another tank and moved all my 25 mollies into a 29 tank and I bought 2 Angels I had to give away all the Molly fry and one of the Angels and a couple months went by and all but one of my mollies died so I gave that Molly to a lfs. A few weeks later I started up a 10 gal for a betta then a week later I started up another 10 gal to breed my apple snails then I put some guppies in there they all died even though the water was perfect. I then got a second angel to be with my other in the 29 gal so now I'm going to try to breed those and my plan is to get some dwarf puffers in with the snails and to set up a 55 gal in the living room. Lol so it all started with great white fish.


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[KhloeM]

getting my 10 gallon and my two betta tanks were the best. decisions. ever.

 

[Johnny32561]

Gupta so many colors. ?


1 Rainbow Shark
1 Pleco
6 Tetras
2 Mollies
AND A WHOLE LOTTA WATER

 

[Johnny32561]

Sorry not Gupta it was meant to be guppys