What Made You Want A Freshwater Aquarium?

[kdpuffer]

When I was a kid my dad had fish at his house (parents were divorced) he had three tanks, one was about 15-20g, another was about 30g and his big one was 80-90g. He had all sorts of fish and let me and brother pick out our own fish to add to the mix (the two smaller tanks were community tanks). Eventually he got me my own 10g with swordtails that I kept at my moms. I don't recall what happened as I was about 5 at the time but my tank disappeared at some point. Ive always wanted a tank since, then my brother gave me his old 28g bow front, this was the start of the monster lol. One tank quickly became 5 tanks. My heart settled on Africans because of they color and I soon had loads and had a breeding project on the go. I bred ruby red peacocks, polits and foai. I was quickly over run and ended up settling on just keeping tangs. I ended up getting a bio cube as a reef and then once that was settled and finally the way I wanted it I sold everything. My fish caused issues between me and my ex so I decided to sell and wished I hadn't ever since. My prize fish I sold were my f1 mpimbwe blue frontosas. A couple years ago my father in law gave me his 29g and the monster was reborn. I special ordered frontosas and let them grow out in the 29 a bit then I got a 55 for them, converted the 29 to a planted community then got all the kids their own tanks and just keep buying more lol. I love to stare at my tanks, it's peaceful and and gives me a feeling of calm and serenity. Till something goes south that is.

 

[ASPSplinter]

My aunt gave my family a 10 gallon aquarium back in the mid-60's and I feel this keeps me connected.

 

[Viperchaos]

Insomnia from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I was in the 3rd Royal Armoured Core for 3 years, I was serving in Afghanistan operating in a Challenger HBT when we were hit by a RPG from the front of the vehicle all of the crew bar me was injured badly.
When i was dismissed from the British Army, i found myself Struggling to sleep so i bought a 10 gal tank and got 1 black moore and 1 oranda..
Soon after i found myself digging a pond for them.
Then aquascaping the 10g and filling it with black widows , then it spiralled outta control

 

[Chronos313]

Something to enjoy hands on other then the odd plop down and use the xbox 360. Also something to escape the wife when she wants help :rofl i find that fish keeping removes my stress from a long day at work

 

[awilson133]

Well id say it started when i was little and my dad had a 30 gallon freshwater tank and on the weekends we would to the lfs. so ive always had a intrest in the hobby. so about last sept i was at the state fair and won a goldfish. so i brought him home put him in a bowl that was it. bought a 1 gal tank to put him in. goldfish died so i got a betta. so i bought a 5gal. learned how to cycle. but i had to get a bigger tank so i could cycle it successfully. then my betta die RIP..i purchased a 29 gallon from a friend bought a filter, heater, and all the supplies. cycled with five tiger barb then i had that tank for a about two months and until i was offered a 55gal, ive learned so much since i started. ill now be starting neon tetra tank soon and trying a fishless cycle for the first time!

 

[Tetra123]

When I was 9 I won 2 gold fish from a school carnival. Loved them fish unfortunately we moved and I had to give them away. Ever since then I have always wanted another tank, which I got for Christmas

 

[missie]

I had a 10 gallon aquaruim when I was a little girl..obviously many things were done wrong and all my fish died from ich.
turned me off to the hobby for a long time...
then, my 4 year old daughter saved up a ton of money for somthing "special" though she wouldnt tell me what it was. then one day, her piggy bank was full and she said she wanted a fish tank. and POOF, I fall in love all over again !!

 

[Link119]

When i got tired of looking at the empty tank in the basement.

 

[calfishguy]

Parents always said it was too much work, sterted reaserching the topic and discovered it wasn't. After a lot of convincing they let me buy myself a ten gallon. One and a half years latter I bought myself a 55 that I currently have angels in and that will soon be fully stocked with boesmani rainbows.

 

[Megacichlid]

Peacock bass!!!

 

[Fishfanatic16]

I remember when I was young I would always love to swim I loved the water and it's inhabitants. When we would go to the beach I would alway go snorkeling and I would go as deep as I could. The amazing fish schooling together in harmony some even tried grouping with me lol. The fish were so new and exotic it amazed me then and it still amazes me today. I love fish and I hope to oneday have a huge aquarium and try to recreate that piece and harmony!

 

[AmberW]

My son asked for one for Christmas so I bought him a 15 gallon kit. (Bad decision, who knew this 8 weeks ago!) Now, I find that I am the one who sits and watched them all day. I can't get away. It is so peaceful to watch them. I wish we had purchased a larger tank.

 

[senemedar]

My son asked for one for Christmas so I bought him a 15 gallon kit. (Bad decision, who knew this 8 weeks ago!) Now, I find that I am the one who sits and watched them all day. I can't get away. It is so peaceful to watch them. I wish we had purchased a larger tank.

Nothing lost yet....

 

[kdpuffer]

My son asked for one for Christmas so I bought him a 15 gallon kit. (Bad decision, who knew this 8 weeks ago!) Now, I find that I am the one who sits and watched them all day. I can't get away. It is so peaceful to watch them. I wish we had purchased a larger tank.

Sounds like your starting to get a common disease here in the aquarium hobby, it's MTS (multiple tank syndrome) we all have it and it can only be cured in one way, MORE TANKS LOL.

 

[Mr. D]

Took 1 look at a full grown discus tank last year and that was that

 

[aquamami8326]

My mom always had a koi pond when I was young, I had two of my own 18" long koi in there. I think that definitely started my love for fish keeping. Although my knowledge now far exceeds my mothers (She learned to keep her koi because of her gardening obsession). Since moving into my own 5 bedroom house, I've added
-3 gallon betta
-2. 5 gallon betta tanks
-Ten Gallon tank ( that I have yet to stock )
- 20 gallon long tank (Cichlids)
- Working on a large coffee table- aquarium about 43 gallons

My boyfriend says I'm the crazy fish lady but hey, its a lot less smelly than being a crazy cat lady

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I guess my obsession started early in life. My grandma always had an aquarium or two full of livebearers and corys. I was fascinated just by the thought of having a contained environment like that to be in control of and from an early age I have always had at least 1 aquarium in operation.
Rite now I have-
2- 55gal.
1- 29gal.
3- 10gal.
I think its critical in this hobby of ours to strive for superb water quality, correct food & shelter of whatever underwater habitat we're trying to immitate so that our plants and animals not only survive but so they thrive.
Afterall we are in a sense "playing GOD"

 

[Ramilgtangco]

My friend moved out of his place and gave me his 10 Gal tank 5 years ago, I put feeder fish in it (12 for 1.99$) and a pleco, had a 30 Gal filter for that tiny tank it was always clean... 7 died, it was expected to have casualties and those survived 2 years in that tank. I wanted to take care of them and give them a bigger home, so I upgraded to a 25 Gal tank, when I moved them (too early) to their new home, they died... Except the pleco, he got too big for my tank so I tried to sell him and eventually just brought him to the LFS to find him a new home. Now I had an empty 25 Gal tank and searched you tube for beautiful aquariums, the "aquascaping" term was discovered, and now I am addicted, I bought Neon Tetras, shrimp, sand spent 100$+ on plants alone, put a sand bed and that wasn't enough, i bought a 5 gal QT tank to heal my fish, and decorated that one too! Now currently waiting for a guy to sell his fish so I can get his 55 Gal tank which I have absolutely no clue where I'm gonna put that thing in my small 3 1/2 apartment but can't pass up the price is too good! I'll most likely throw out the couch...

 

[Hobgob]

Argh where to start. Growing up my dad always had fish aquariums. Then as I got older I started to watch them a lot more. Eventually I started researching and all that stuff and told my dad he did everything wrong. His way of looking at things are if I don't know about it, it's fake. He has never watched his cycles or anything. Completely cleans his tank, filter and all. Lucky he hasn't lost a tank yet... But seeing him do it all wrong made me very competitive so I had to have the best tanks, best fish, best frys!

 

[Snowinak]

I just got my first tank in december but I've always wanted one. Just creating a small eco system and making it uniquely mine is a fun and interesting challenge so far and I dont even have fish yet. I think the fun in it for me will be just creating and maintaining my own little fish world, seeing changes and solving problems that come up to keep those little guys happy and alive