What Made You Want A Freshwater Aquarium?

[cmwalters]

One day I just decided I wanted one. Out of the blue. No idea why. I'm going to side with divine intervention. But now I have a 20 gallon and a 10 gallon. I plan on either starting a 20 gallon long planted with nano fish or a 40 breeder planted with apistogramma sometime in the near future. It really is addicting.

 

[Fishlover3578]

Lol with me it started with one Betta the escalated to 10 . My mom gave me 2.5 gal and I put 3 guppy in it ... My mom gave up on her 29 gal so I got that . I wanted a fry tank so got a ten gal the my mom upgraded her hermit crab tank and I got her other ten gal and I traded them for a 20 gal lol

 

[Josh_M]

I would always go over to my friends house to have a sleepover. His dad had all these tanks and I've wanted one for so long. I saved up and got my first tank

 

[aqnix11]

What made me want a FW aquarium? That's a loaded question for me. Well it all probably started with my roommate freshman year of college. She kept a betta and I thought he was really cute. A year or so later I decided I wanted fish and went to walmart of all places for advice. They suggested I get a couple of goldfish because they didn't require a heater or anything.

I did about 5 secs of research that night and the next day ended up buying a plastic little 1 gallon tank (no filter or anything) and shoved 4 fish in there. I think I had 3 fancy goldfish and one other small one I can't remember. They all died that very same day because I didn't even buy the right water conditioner (I now see that as a good thing because at least they didn't suffer for too long). Looking back, I still can't believe I did that. That made NO sense what's so ever.

So after that experience I decided I would never let anything like that happen ever again. Basically scared me out of getting fish for a bit.

Only for a little while...

Later I went back to walmart yet again and decided to get a betta instead. He was ill from the store, I'm assuming, because he died of an infection 4 days later. Finally, I decided walmart was the devil as far as fish were concerned and ended up going to the LPS and bought a betta from there. He is now 3 years old. We've had a few bumps along the way but all in things have been good.

I've really enjoyed having him and decided this year I was mature enough to try keeping a few more fish. I now have a 10 gallon tank I'm trying to fishless cycle. I definitely have learned from my mistakes won't be adding any fish until I'm 100% it's safe for them.

So yep that's my story!

 

[molliwopp]

I'm just an animal lover I guess and giving life is precious and joyful. That leads me onto saltwater, I wouldn't and wont try saltwater until I have 20yrs experience in fresh. I can meet the needs and give my freshies a GOOD life without stress.

I don't and wont keep saltwater yet. The water needs to be perfect in every aspect or your fish will suffer. If its off even in the slightest your fish will easily die. I like to offer my fish a two way deal, I help them and they return it back in natural beautiful behaviour. Most of the pleasure comes from knowing "my fish are happy" . Salt water is more a daily job and nothing less.

It more than annoys me when people that have never kept fish jump into salt water, they're destined to fail and do wrong by their fish. This is life we're talking about! Be a good man God and Know what you're doing before hand.

 

[Nigoodman]

I've loved all creatures of the water ever since I was five years old. Got my first betta at a fair and I've had fish ever since. I've had the same comet goldfish since 1999 and recently got my 29 gallon a few months ago.

My passion has driven me my whole life and now im a marine vertebrate biology major and certified scuba diver!

 

[nickstanley995]

I first got into fish tanks 2 years ago. 2 years ago i was diagnosed with depression. my doctor told me to find something that could help relieve the stress that was causing my depression. so one day at a family friends house i sat for three hours straight watching his angels swim in his 55g! Everyone didnt know where i was till my parents were leaving and i was just sitting in his basement watching these fish. all my troubles seemed to go away and all i could think about were these beautiful fish! So the next weekend i ran and got just a ten gallon tank cause i was only in grade 11 (poor kid problems lol). And filled it with guppies! for the week after i would get home from school sit in front of my tank and watch my guppies. slowly i made more money and wanted to get bigger fish tank. So i gave my ten gallon with my guppies to my cousin who could not afford a tank with the promise she would take good care of them. and bought myself the 20 gallon i currently have. i filled it with 3 shrimp, 5 neons, and a dwarf gourami, heavily fake planted. then recently my friend sold me an old 33g he didnt use which i am currently cycling to become a convict pair tank! and thats my story. i used this hobby as an escape and a way of coping with my depression.

 

[Tleyton]

I have 2 kids under 3, a very stressful job as a licensed vet tech at an ER where I hold life and death in my hands and I also have anxiety issues. I started with a comet goldfish my mother gave my son in a 1/2 gallon critter keeper and just fell in love with the hobby and have been continuously upgrading since. The goldfish has since passed and I decided to go tropical this time around and that brings me here. It's so nice to have something else to distract from my hectic and stressful everyday life. The sights of the fish and the reflection of the wearer in the wall, the air pump bubble sounds, the swaying of the plants in the water. So peaceful.

 

[Jujubee]

I'll bite

My mother was 22 when I was 4. She has always been very young at heart and had a thing for animals. I was very keen to reptiles and aquatic animals. She kept guppies and neon tetras and even took in 2 turtles I found in the road (we lived in Florida next to a canal) they were maybe 2 inches when I found them and they grew huge! I would feed and play with them outside when my mom cleaned their tank. They lived 7 years probably more, gave them away when we moved :/ When I was about 5-6 my parents got me my own beta, he was a gorgeous reddish blue, sparky was his name. He lived for 7 years. On our way to SC from FL due to dad's work I lost sparky. The long trip was too much for him. My mom gave up the hobby. I kept it alive when I was 17 I bought 3 goldfish, having no clue and doing little research. I kept them alive for a year before they slowly passed. One orando his name was jipper. Then a celestial, cooter. And Riley my favorite bubble eye. 18 I was given 2 african dwarf frogs for my bday their names were crispy fry and Fernando. They lived happily for a year before passing.
Now I am married and more fish crazy then ever having the funds, knowledge, and patience to keep tanks the proper way. My husband enjoys looking at the fish so it makes me happy he enjoys it as well. I have 4 tanks total and a 5th one on the way (just a 2.5 sick tank)
1.5 gal - fry tank with 5 fry
2.5 gal - 2 african dwarf frogs and 2 nerite snails
10 gal - 4 platy and heavily planted
20 gal just set up I hope to have german blue rams, hatchets, and my platys to live in that tank once it's cycled. It will also be heavily planted.

I'm still learning and taking it slow but I couldn't live life without them. I have anxiety and it helps ease stresses, it's something to focus on, they need me to care for them. My hubby does make fun of me sometimes saying every Time he looks at me I'm staring at them One day I hope to be a pro, to keep gorgeous fresh and salt water tanks. They're in a sense my masterpieces, a work of art, and home to my fishy babies I couldn't be more happy I found this forum with so many great people who love their fish just as much as I do.

 

[Sidman24]

I'll bite My mother was 22 when I was 4. She has always been very young at heart and had a thing for animals. I was very keen to reptiles and aquatic animals. She kept guppies and neon tetras and even took in 2 turtles I found in the road (we lived in Florida next to a canal) they were maybe 2 inches when I found them and they grew huge! I would feed and play with them outside when my mom cleaned their tank. They lived 7 years probably more, gave them away when we moved :/ When I was about 5-6 my parents got me my own beta, he was a gorgeous reddish blue, sparky was his name. He lived for 7 years. On our way to SC from FL due to dad's work I lost sparky. The long trip was too much for him. My mom gave up the hobby. I kept it alive when I was 17 I bought 3 goldfish, having no clue and doing little research. I kept them alive for a year before they slowly passed. One orando his name was jipper. Then a celestial, cooter. And Riley my favorite bubble eye. 18 I was given 2 african dwarf frogs for my bday their names were crispy fry and Fernando. They lived happily for a year before passing. Now I am married and more fish crazy then ever having the funds, knowledge, and patience to keep tanks the proper way. My husband enjoys looking at the fish so it makes me happy he enjoys it as well. I have 4 tanks total and a 5th one on the way (just a 2.5 sick tank) 1.5 gal - fry tank with 5 fry 2.5 gal - 2 african dwarf frogs and 2 nerite snails 10 gal - 4 platy and heavily planted 20 gal just set up I hope to have german blue rams, hatchets, and my platys to live in that tank once it's cycled. It will also be heavily planted. I'm still learning and taking it slow but I couldn't live life without them. I have anxiety and it helps ease stresses, it's something to focus on, they need me to care for them. My hubby does make fun of me sometimes saying every Time he looks at me I'm staring at them One day I hope to be a pro, to keep gorgeous fresh and salt water tanks. They're in a sense my masterpieces, a work of art, and home to my fishy babies I couldn't be more happy I found this forum with so many great people who love their fish just as much as I do.

Awh great story! I as well suffer from anxiety and my fish help ease it. I love the feeling of having my girlfriend and others admire my fish

 

[alexpagella]

saltwater is too much $ and also is to hard to care for.

 

[molliwopp]

saltwater is too much $ and also is to hard to care for.

+1 about the care! Its more a daily job. People shouldnt keep salt water if they aren't willing to do the maintenace. Causing stress to salt water fish is extremely easy with the slightest change or upset in enviroment.

I dont like it but i cant help but become annoyed with people who have never kept fish start with salt, like really annoyed. And thats my fault and i know i shouldnt.

 

[xsryman]

Why I wanted a fresh water tank

Well i was at Wal-mart one night buying the usual household items and i saw a 10gal starter kit on sale for $19.99 so i decided i would get a gold fish. It lived for about one month got ick. I quickly tried to find an answer on how to cure this, (how i found this site btw back a couple of years ago), my gold fish didn't make it. Then i found some really great and knowledgeable people at my local Petsmart and they talked me into starting off with a small school of 4 peppered corydora catfish, I was hooked. I then started looking into live planted tanks and realized that I needed a bigger tank. I purchased a 55gal kit from Petsmart and began my journey of a fishless tank cycling and was successful. I transferred my corys and added several more fish and two albino frogs since then . I was lucky enough to see my corys offspring one new baby fish! My tank has grown into the following, 5 corys, 5 zebra danios, 6 neon tetras, 4 ottos,2 african rianbow fish, and 1 african dwarf frog. My live plants are a sad story though. so far I have killed numerous species of plant except for my anubius and of course algebanghead which i just recently purchased a moss ball to combat this problem. i also picked up a pond snail problem from bad plants which i solved with two assassin snails. They are pretty cool, but they also had babies so now i have like 20 of them. Luckily Petsmart also has a snail problem so i am able to supply plenty of food for my awesome clan of assassins. I am constantly learning about the cycle of life and that is what makes this hobby so awesome.... in my opinion. So cheers and happy fishkeeping.

 

[trickshot3102]

I have always had fish in my life as a young child. I got my first pet fish in 2011. He was a blue betta named William. He used to live in a 1 gal betta tank but early this year he went into a 3 gal with an under gravel filter. Also a long time ago (I think it was 2008) I had a 55 gal tank that was a HUGE fail, so I got rid of it. Anyway, William died about three months ago and I missed having fish, so I got a 10 gal tank from Walmart and now I have a gold fish and pineapple swordtail. They are doing great! I hope to add some more fish in a few weeks hopefully if I run into some money I can get a 30+ tank.

 

[Aquascapes]

The main reason I've always done fresh water is because all of the aquatic pets I've had where fresh water fish. Plus it's a little out of my budget to buy and maintain salt water fish so yeah... that's why I do fresh water.

 

[thebritishbloke]

One day, I can't remember why at all, I decided I wanted a turtle. Ended up with 2 and I'd never look back, love the little buggers Also wanted a pet that I didn't have to care for every single day, I regularly go away for a month at a time and only get a chance to look after them then (they're fed automatically and checked on by my OH).

 

[Tieberion]

After being out of fishkeeping 10 years, my daughter and her best friend came home with a 10 gallon and a bunch of glofish danios. Fun to watch, but I started twitching like Sheldon when I saw her overfeeding/leaving the lights on for days at a time lol. Now we have 5 tanks in the house (Technically 4, the 5th is my wife's turtle tank lol)

 

[ClearVision94]

Watching takes got me into the hobby lol

 

[xsryman]

If this room has taught me anything it is that the majority of fish keepers don't know the first thing about fish keeping.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[senorkevin]

My daughter has been asking for a year and two days ago my wife finally gave in and I bought a 8 gallon tank with a few guppies and a black moor fish, an air pump and a heater. I came onto this site and learnt that everything I did was wrong. Thank you AA for your advice and making me spend a small fortune on a light, filter with cascade etc etc etc! Well if your going to do a job, do it properly !